White Out IV: Buried

A/N If you haven’t been keeping up, this post (and all following posts) are going to make less sense, so I suggest you start at the beginning with Maturity I (side note: be warned of the sub-par writing. Holy crap, that was over two years ago!). Or check out my post directory for this storyline’s posts in order. Happy reading!

Bzzt Bzzt!

“Where did you go??” Gen texted. I don’t know why I ran. I should have waited for Gen. That was the plan.

Bzzt Bzzt!

I shouldn’t be surprised that Dylan shoved her cupcake down my dress. After all, three years ago I threw an egg at Claire’s face. After we became friends, Claire told me that she ran into her room and cried after that incident. Now I know exactly how she felt. It’s humiliating.

I parked myself on a garden bench next to small fountain. Hot tears stung my eyes, but I didn’t bother wiping them away. The sun glared down on me, mixing sweat with melted chocolate and tears with foundation and mascara. I probably look like a trainwreck. Hell, I feel like a trainwreck.

White Out II

1 Day before the August White Party

Gen started to explain her plan, but we didn’t get far before I had to raise several objections.

“I don’t understand why I can’t tell Kris and Dyl what’s going on,” I pleaded.

“Because you don’t know who is listening,” Gen replied.

“I’ll have to pull them aside to tell them anyway. I’ll quietly tell I’m being blackmailed  into what I’m about to say and tell them to act upset,” I replied.

“No, you can’t do that,” her tone became more stern.

“I have to!” I replied. I started pacing.

“But you can’t, look…” she paused, “what if one of them is in on it?”

“That’s impossible,” I replied.

“Just the opposite! We know it’s somebody close to you,” she replied. I shook my head.

“They wouldn’t know about what I did for Evelyn. There’s no way,” I said.

“But it could be more than one person targeting you,” she said, “Or worse. Maybe your friends aren’t in on it, but they could be getting blackmailed too. And they could throw you under the bus in you make the wrong move here.”

“They would never,” I replied.

“Maybe they don’t have a choice. If they’re being blackmailed, your stalker could have them record the conversation to make sure you don’t tell them anything.”

I shook my head again. I was starting to get a major headache.

“Stop pacing, Massie! And look at me,” Gen barked.

“I have to tell them. I can’t cut them off without an explanation. They deserve better than that!” I replied.

“This isn’t about them,” Gen started, but I interrupted her.

“Yes it is! And I know they’re not in on this. I have to tell them.” I said. Gen was silent for a moment before releasing a big sigh. She shook her head.

Gen.

“Don’t do that” I snapped.

“Do what Massie? Help you?” she shouted back.

White Out I

One day until the August White Party.

“Hey Gen.”

“Heyyy  – been meaning to text you I’ve got exciting news!”

“I’ve got some news too…,” I sent it.

“I’m kinda trapped-” I typed out.

“I’m going to the white party!” she responded before I could. I backspaced.

“That’s awesome, what made you change your mind?”

“Haven’t seen you in forever,” she replied.

“Yeah, sorry about that…”

“I love parties. Are you ready for the fun to begin?” it wasn’t Gen, it was the executioner, or stalker, or vigilante; I wasn’t sure what to call them.

“What do you want?” I replied.

“What’s your news Mass?” It was Gen.

“I’ve got myself into a situation of sorts, I could use some help but please don’t tell anyone,” I replied.

“Tell Dylan and Kristen that you are no Alpha. Cut them off. They belong to Alicia now,” it was them again.

Omnia II

Someone is after me. In each and every moment I cling to the hope I will receive some type of relief from the suspense. If this person wants to destroy me, I wish they’d just do it already. Once all the pieces have fallen I can figure out how to mitigate the damage. Until then, I am a sitting duck just waiting to be shot. It’s scarier knowing the bullet is coming at me because it means there’s a tiny chance the shooter will miss. That little glimpse of hope makes it all the more painful when you discover the executioner has perfect aim.

I am out admittedly out of moves. Left, right, up, down, they all end the same way at this point. Going to the police will cause a release of the video. I can’t tell Evelyn Bellamy. She’s either the culprit or she will lawyer her way out of my employee contract. She can’t be seen hiring someone who stole company information. For the record, I’m still not sure why she couldn’t get the information herself. I can’t tell my parents. They would be so ashamed of me. I cant tell Gen because it will ruin our friendship. Knowing her, she’d call me Evelyn’s puppet and probably want nothing to do with me. I could tell Kris and Dyl, but something is holding me back. I don’t know if it’s lack of trust or what but I can’t bring myself to do it. Besides, I don’t want to drag them down with me. The one person I truly feel like I can trust is all the way in Florida, and the one person I truly think is smart enough to help me come up with a solution isn’t talking to me anymore. I don’t want to bother Claire and I can’t go back to Alicia. She wants nothing to do with me.

It’s fairly obvious this person wants something from me, otherwise they would have gone straight to the police. Maybe they just want to mess with me. Maybe they want to feel they are doling out justice like a vigilante. Either way, once they tell me what they want, I have to make an important decision; should I fight or should I accept the consequences of my actions? I could comply with their demands and let them play me, or I could use whatever information they give me to try and figure out who they are. Every bit of information is a clue and every clue is a step closer. Their demands will have motives which could give me an indication of who they are and how I can manipulate the situation. But none of these possibilities exist yet. I have to wait for their next move.

All these thoughts flicked through my head as I sat on the edge of the mall’s marble fountain, while Kris and Dylan were chatting up the cute guy at the cellphone case stand. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at them over and over, but it’s not like they could tell behind my slick Ray-bans.

Omnia I

Leo, a fire sign. The sun, my ruling planet. Gold, my color of choice. A warrior. I am entity wrapped around in the eternal flames of passion. I mustn’t yield and wait for my dreams to find me. I must chase them. I lit that fire.

The water that washed me away did not defeat me. I was successful. From those damp and darkened ashes that remained a single ember was still burning. Without hesitation that ember will soon rise. As it emerges from its cage like a phoenix from the ashes the whole world will turn away, for their eyes cannot handle such a light.

I retrieved the correct files. My contract was signed and my internship was secure. I had what I needed. The data entry office was temporarily closed due to the water damage I had caused. The video footage for the entire building had “glitched out,” according to the police, and it had been ruled a false alarm. I was in the clear and I didn’t have to attend that stupid job anymore. I wasn’t going to go back. I gave Jessica my two weeks notice via email and I assumed the office wouldn’t reopen since it’s been closed for an entire week.

All I had to do was keep my head down so I didn’t arouse any suspicion. The only regret I had was that I couldn’t rub it in Alicia’s face right away. Maybe by then things would change and we would be friends again. Maybe I would no longer be angry about the whole situation. Maybe these thoughts of rubbing it in her face wouldn’t enter my mind anymore. Underneath I knew I was still feeling the pain of losing a friendship, but I had to push the thoughts down. I knew I’d see her at the August White Party. I was going with Kirsten and Dylan so I assumed that they jettisoned Alicia.

“Massie, you have a package!” my mother shouted.

“Coming!” I grabbed my robe and headed down the stairs. It must be my amazon order.

“Here,” my mom handed me the package as I reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Dinner will be ready in 30,” she said.

“Awesome,” I turned around and whipped back up the stairs. Setting my package down on my desk I realized how light it was. I sat down in my chair, examining the package. The return address was my address which was a huge red flag. In this moment I was unsure weather or not to open it or bring it to my parents. I grabbed my scissors, carefully undoing the packing tape. Opening the box I held my head away and through squinted eyes I could see it was only a sheet of paper.

Quarry II

Three data files. The future on my internship at Exude was reliant on retrieving three data files from Jessica’s computer. Between what Evelyn Bellamy has told me and my own detective work, I’ve determined that Exude Inc. is much larger than it appears. It’s really one small piece among many others, not all of which pertain to fashion. This discovery explains why the office building is huge while Exude only occupies a few floors. Evelyn Bellamy must not have access to certain files because she only directs the styling department. I did wonder why she needed files on Jessica’s computer specifically or how she even knew they would be there, but I figured it was better to ask less questions while completely my mission.

The problem with Jessica is that one, she almost never left her desk, and two, her office was right near the entrance meaning someone would definitely see me. The only comfort I had was knowing Evelyn had connections in the security room and was going to make sure any footage capturing me on Jessica’s computer was lost. But despite that, getting these files felt impossible. I was sure somebody would see me. The worst part was the one-week deadline Evelyn gave me. I had to act quickly meaning I have a greater chance of making a sloppy mistake. “Data theft prison time” I googled on my phone.

“What are you up to?” Gen startled me. I jumped.

“Jesus Gen,” I said, “don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“What’s up with you?” Gen asked.

“Besides being stuck in a boring job and not having an outfit for the August White Party?” I replied.

“Is that why you’ve been so distant and jumpy? Also, ugh, I can’t believe you’re going to that stupid theme party” she replied.

I rolled my eyes, “I have a lot on my mind, and it’s my first time being invited. It’s a big deal. Everyone who matters in socialite society will be there.”

“Still lame,” she sat down in her chair and turned back to her computer screen.

As soon as she turned away I immersed myself back into my scheming. I’d already observed that Jessica generally eats lunch at her desk, rarely goes to bathroom, and usually has employees come to her rather than walk over to their desks. In this moment I almost wished she was still trashing Gen’s lunch. If I had figured it out first then I could’ve tipped Gen off and hopped on the computer while they were having a confrontation.

Quarry I

 It was just five days ago Alicia and I had fallen out. And this time was for real. At least it felt real. I ended up breaking the news to Dylan and Kristen over Skype, but I couldn’t tell Claire yet. She was too happy in Florida. I’m sure the news would reach her somehow but I was bowing out. In a surprising turn of events, Dylan and Kristen pulled through for me. I don’t know if they were mad at Alicia or what, but they were definitely not shy about continuing our friendship. We had our pool get-together, minus Gen who didn’t show, and hung out twice more in the past week. It was like the old times that I so desperately missed but without petty Alpha-Beta tension. We didn’t even talk about what happened when we hung out. It was bliss.

“Ahhh” I pulled my french-manicured fingertips off the keyboard and leaned back into my chair.

“Finished already?” Gen asked.

“Yup,” I replied.

“You’ve been working quickly the last couple days,” Gen said.

“I feel great,” I said.

“Even after all that Alicia bullshit?” she replied.

“Yeah, everything didn’t fall apart like I thought it would,” I said.

“I think you meant to say like it did last time,” she replied.

“I never told about that,” I said.

“You’ve alluded to it,” she replied smugly.

I licked my lips nervously.

“Fine, yes, it has happened before,” I sighed, “but nothing was as bad as last year.”

“What happened?” she said.

“I messed up, that’s what happened.”

“Mass, don’t mention it if you’re not going to tell the whole story. You know I’m going to ask questions. Deets please.”

“The past school-year my boyfriend tried to cheat on me with Alicia. I caught him kissing her and I thought it was mutual. And I tried to get her expelled.” I revealed.

Underneath II

July 29th, 2016 – cont. 

Ping!

The doors opened on to the main floor. It was also the reception area to the fashion/styling floor. And that’s when my life changed.

“Alicia,” I said. There she was. My so-called best friend. She was waiting for an elevator with another intern, but that’s not what ticked me off.

“Massie, what are you doing up here?” she replied.

“I don’t know, why are you with two of the clients I tried to book for the August White Party? You know, the ones who were called and told I didn’t work here?”

“Pause,” said the other intern, “these are our clients now and you need to move.”

She shoved passed me and told the clients to come with her onto the elevator. The clients awkwardly walked passed us. Alicia stayed behind.

“Come on Alicia,” the intern demanded. Alicia’s eyes darted between the elevator and me.

“I’m sorry I have to go, talk later, please?” Alicia begged. Before I could reply she rushed into the elevator. I turned around, to catcha guilty-looking Alicia staring at me as the door closed.

“What just happened?” Gen said.

“I don’t know,” I replied.

“You still want to get coffee?” she asked.

“Yeah, let’s get the hell out of here,” I replied.

Underneath I

July 28th, 2016 – cont. 

Damn.

We sat at our cubicle for a little over an hour in silence. Gen was outsmarted. I just couldn’t figure out how or why. It would be one thing to steal someone’s lunch and eat it, but to throw it out? That’s personal. It made me wonder if her lunch has been thrown out this entire time. And it’s not even about the lunch, it’s about Gen. Whoever is doing this has a vendetta and they expressing it in a petty but obnoxious way. I thought things were different but I was so naive. It doesn’t matter where I go because people will be people, and people are self-serving, rude, petty, and vindictive. I’ve got to get out of this stupid job. If I have to deal with horrible people I should at least have a job I love.

But what am I supposed to do? It’s hard to get an internship in the fashion world. There’s also no way I could find something this late in summer. Do I have to stick it out in data entry? I’ve already established that’s a bad idea, but leaving would make me look like I’m ungrateful. I wish I knew who got me fired or if there was any way to get my intern position back. Considering the company is scrambling for the August White Party, maybe if they lose an intern at an inconvenient time they’d need me to step in. But even if that could work, I’d have to know who got me fired and I’d need some strong evidence.

“That’s it!” I exclaimed. I swiveled around to face Gen.

“What?” she said.

“We’ve been looking at this the wrong way. For one, there’s no way to know if they’ve thrown out your lunch this whole time,” I said.

“Valid,” she replied, “that did cross my mind.”

“And two, evidence should come before justice. We need proof and I have a solution,” I replied.

Gen rested her head on her hand and leaned towards me, “I’m listening.”

Adjustment II

July 27th, 2016 – cont. 

Gen slammed the door shut, squinting her eyes at Jessica as she left. It was like she was trying to throw daggers at Jessica with her mind. I stood there awkwardly, thrown in the mix.

“So, stake-out?” I offered, trying to cut the tension.

Gen’s face instantly changed from angry to amused, “oh, we’re going to catch this bitch and I already have a plan. It’s pretty simple. I’m going to have wings tomorrow. I’ll douse my wings in capsaicin hot sauce and then dust it with chili powder,” Gen said.

“What,” I replied, “what is capsaicin?”

“The hottest hot sauce,” she replied, “it’s hotter than ghost peppers. And it’s odorless. They won’t see it coming, er, smell it coming.”

“Don’t you think that a little…extreme?” I replied.

“Mass, lunch-stealers are right up there with car thieves and bank robbers. It’s the most passive-aggressive way to say ‘I don’t respect other people’s property!'”

“What if they puke or like, die?” I replied.

Gen sighed, “they probably won’t get past the first few bites. Besides, I don’t like when people mess with me. What do you do when people step on your toes?”

I shut my mouth. I’m really not one to talk, but then I remembered we are trying to find out who the thief is not set their mouth on fire.

“Wait,” I said, “but how is this going to help you find out who is stealing your lunch?”

“Did we not just have this conversation a minute ago? Get back to work!” Jessica reappeared out of nowhere.

“I’m on my ten-minute, boss,” Gen replied.