Chapter one

Know what you want; reach to where you can, 

          Never let anyone hold you back. 

So, there we are; standing from across each other. He was in the elevator and I was outside. The emotions have filled the air and neither of us knew what to say. Maybe I handled things the wrong way. Or maybe I even regret the way I reacted to what had happened. May be we both do. I am very sure you are completely lost, why don’t I take you back to the beginning? 

***

I am Princi Jona. I went to school as any normal kid but always got bullied. But not to worry, all those times I have spent hiding from a bully made me realize that I had an interest in Archeology. Knowing what had happened in the past and digging out memories of other people helped me to bury my own problems. Because it turns out focusing on other people’s problems was much easier than dealing with my own. Although my childhood therapist told me it was not healthy. Even though Archeology was the dream, I ended up in business management. It wasn’t really my choice but more of my parents and by my parents I mean more by my father, Robert Jona. My father claims that he has his own business but to this day I still don’t know what it is. I believe he is unemployed. But my mother, Cathleen Jona on the other hand is an Archeology professor, so you can tell which parent I tip in favor to when it comes to the mind. My mother wanted me to follow my dreams no matter what. But my father swore he would disown me if I didn’t go in business. So here I am, in a profession of job I don’t even like. But I am really good at it, in fact I graduated top of my school. But my job sucks badly. I was hired to be an assistant to the manager of a big company and all I was asked to do was bring everyone coffee when they feel like it like some sort of cup barer. But again not to worry, I always go to my best friend’s house Missy Clown to complain about my terrible job. 

Missy and I have been friends since we were four. I met her in kindergarten. She was the only person I trust outside of home. Her parents call her bare, our class mates used to call her miss clown, but I call her MC. I am not really comfortable with the whole clown thing so I have never called her with her full name. She, just like my mother, supported me to follow my dream, but I didn’t. MC has a younger brother who she claims she hates but I assure you she loves him more than life its self. His name is Noah Clown. He is a bit of trouble maker but is big in heart. Their parents got divorced when MC was 16 and Noah was just 1o. They live with their mother Lily, but their dad Luther comes once in a while for the kids and lights the house on fire. 

As usual I went to MC’s to complain. I knocked on the front door 3 times. But no one answered. So I knocked again. I kept knocking but no one answered so I called MC on her phone. She picked up after a ring and coolly said “Hello”. I angrily answered “What the hell, where are you?” 

“Oh, Princi where are you? I thought you said you were coming.” she asked. 

“Ah, I did. I have been banging on your door for like ten minutes.” I madly answered. 

“Oh sorry let me open it for you.” she hanged up the phone. 

She came down and opened the door for me. I out raggedly asked her why she had not opened the door and she explained. Turns out her father had came home to see the kids but her mom and dad are at it arguing again and both MC and Noah had put their head phones on in order to cover their voice. That was why no one heard me at the door. . 

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. And oh my God why are they so loud?” I asked her. 

“You think that is loud. You should thank your God that you were not here when he arrived. I mean I have heard word I never thought I would ever hear in this house. I mean some of the words I am not even sure they exist.” She said sarcastically. 

“How long have they been arguing?” I asked again. 

“They have been at it all day. And they are not even arguing, you know, there is a color to argument, but they, they are just screaming. I swear if I hear them screaming one more time… 

“Why don’t you just move out?” I hit her with this question that she hated before she finished complaining. 

MC sat down beside me and looked out her window. I asked her again. After a while she answered my question. “I can’t!” so I extended my question. I asked her “Why not? I mean you have a great job, you are paid a great amount of money and your family is rich. You are sleeping on money, literally.” 

“I know I have all those things but I can’t leave because of my mom. I mean think about it, if I leave Noah will leave too.” she answered. 

“Wait, you don’t know that.” I tried to comfort her. 

“Yes I do. Did you really think my brother would stay in this God for sacking house if it wasn’t for me? He is 18; He applied to NYU and got accepted. But I convinced him to stay.” 

“Why would you do that? You know NYU is his dream.” madly I asked. 

“I know, but if either of us get out of this house mom is going to lose it. Do you know how much it broke her heart when dad asked for divorce? She became a big mess, she felt so rejected that whenever she gets asked out she thinks they are just playing her. How can I possibly leave after that?” 

“Wow, I had no idea. I am really sorry.” 

“It’s fine. It’s actually a plus sign for me. I don’t come to a dirty house, I don’t have to cook or clean or do my laundry. Believe me I am living a life that every human dreams of.” she tried to make herself fell better. 

“Well if you say so. But are you sure Noah is fine with not going to New York?” I asked another question. 

“Ya, I promised I would be good to him for the next four years.” she answered. 

“Oh, I just had a great idea. Why don’t we set your mom on one of those dating apps?” I said with a good heart. 

“Why would I do that?” she got angry 

“It obviously looks like your mom might be going through a depression.” 

“What in God’s name are you talking about she got divorced eight years ago she is fine, she doesn’t need some stupid dating app. But do you know who needs a dating app?” 

“Who” I asked curiously 

“You _I looked at her in a “really” look. She continued._ I am serious Princi; you need to have a life other than your job, your friends and your parents.” she turned the whole conversation to me. 

“What does that mean?” this time I got angry. 

“It means you need a love life.” she said and I replied “Shut up, I don’t need to have a love life. I have enough to deal with my life; I don’t need to have a man giving me more mess. You know what you shouldn’t judge me when you don’t have a love life too.” 

“Shut up. Why are we even talking about this, weren’t you here to complain about your stupid job or something.” she tried to change the subject and it worked. 

“Oh right, you have no idea how much my job sucks.” 

Just when I was about to explain to her why I was upset, Noah came in to the room with his head phone on He looked at me and said “Hey, I didn’t hear you come in. When did you arrive?” I was irritated while I answered “I was at the door for ten minutes like a fool hoping someone would open it.” He answered, “Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear you; I had my head phone on to cover the voice of those two.” He sat down next to MC. She looked at him and asked what the hell he was doing in her room. He gently answered “My room is kind of close to mom and dad’s room, so head phone or not they are too loud, so here I am. (He turned to MC and said) and you promised you will be nice to me for the next four years so I will do as I wish.” He looked at me and said “So, what are you going to complain about today?” 

“About how much I hate my job!” I answered his question. 

“Seriously: this again. Why don’t you just quit?” he laid out a solution. 

“Why would I quit?” I started to get angry again. 

“Because you are miserable at this job and you are making us miserable every time you come here to complain about It.” complained MC. 

“Do I complain that much?” I asked them both hopping to get a positive answer. 

They both answered equally “Very!” I smiled a bit then continued my complaint. “I am serious you guys I am going through hell. Like this morning my boss ordered me to go all the way across town to get him his favorite cappuccino.” 

“And you did it?” Noah asked probably hopping I’d say ‘No’ 

“Of course I did. If I don’t he would have fired me.” I explained. 

“Oh my god Princi, you need to know how to stand up for yourself. I mean when we were kids and these three girls would bully you, all you did was hide from them instead of standing up for yourself.” she was trying to make a point. 

“This has nothing to do with that. This is about making money and having a career. You know it’s not like I don’t like my profession, it’s that my job is not really worth doing.” I became blue. 

“Then quit. It’s not that hard. You just walk in there and you say (He cleared his throat, made his voice tine and high pitched) ‘Listen to me you big fat cappuccino loving man, I don’t like this job, I don’t like this people, and most certainly I don’t like you; emphases on the “you”.’ Both I and MC laughed. After I was done laughing I looked at Noah and explained why I can’t say all those things. “The biggest reason I can’t do that is if my boss fired me then I will be unemployed. If I am unemployed I have to stay at home doing nothing. And if I do nothing I will totally go crazy. So I would rather be cleaning the bottom his shoes with nothing but my tongue.” then I clicked my tongue. 

“Don’t do that.” MC cried out. 

“Do what?” I asked. 

“That thing you do where you click your tongue when you make a point. And you can do as you please. But remember we tried to get you out of this worthless job; you are the one who refused.” Noah warned me. 

I got upset “Ok, you know what you guys can judge me all you want but if either one of you were wearing my shoes, you wouldn’t know what to do.” 

“Ah, it’s like you are not even listening. We will know what to do, we will quit that job, and we go home, have a nice sleep and look for a new and better job the next day.” said MC. 

“See it’s that easy.” Noah backed her up. 

Now I feel like I am getting attacked by this two “It’s not that easy.” 

While the three of us were having a conversation their father, Mr. Clown walked out of the house and slammed the door. Then Mrs. Clown followed him out and said “That’s right, keep running away like you always do you sick bastard.”