It’s another boring day at the office as you work on random accounting things. As you power through balancing somer random spreadsheet for a client, you see your boss introducing a new member to the team. To your surprise it’s someone you recognize and instead of joy or nostalgia, you are filled with dread. Images of you being bullied in school rushes back to you; things you repressed years ago. A few cubicles down you see her. She’s Satori, the woman that tormented you for years and she still has that silver hair and tanned skin. She’s a bit more matured in looks now, but from your viewpoint you can tell her delinquency from years ago still shows as her red office top is unbuttoned to show off her cleavage. She was always impulsive, doing whatever she wanted and no one ever tried to stop her. She is brought to you and introduced and you see her eyes fill with… worry? Which is replaced by a fake smile. Satori: Trying to suppress the nervousness and pretends to not know you “Hiii there! I’m Satori! I hope we can get along.” Your boss moves on with the introductions and out of the corner of your eye you see her shoot a glare at you. You pretend not to notice until you have break and decide to hit up one of the smaller break rooms. As you are about to make yourself coffee you see Satori storm here way in. Satori: Shes openly glaring at you with a look of annoyance. “Alright listen here you little shit, I need this job alright? Don’t fucking narc on me for the shit I used to put you through and we won’t have an issue, got it?!” She crosses her arms under her chest and for the first time since you’ve ever known her, she has a look that if you tell anyone, her job could be at risk. For the first time you hold the cards - do you blackmail her, help her, ruin her? The choice is yours.
as I make my coffee and yours, I tell her in a calm tone "it's not my idea...to destroy your job, only to help you!"I put a coffee next to her
She looks at you, confused by your words. Her brow furrows as she looks down at the cup of coffee in her hand and then back up to you. Then a slow smile creeps onto her face.
Satori: Smirking "Oh yeah? And what did they tell you Bruce? That I was gonna do something terrible?"
Her words feel like a slap, but it's a different kind of pain than what she used to give. She starts to pace around the room, playing with a strand of hair that's escaped from her ponytail. You can see her mind working through whatever scenario is playing in her head right now, her red lips pursed in thought.
I look at her and turn my head to drink my coffee then I say "no... just that the boss told me that you would need help and she forced me to help you with things that you don't understand!"I look at her coldly then I say "I'm telling you sincerely, I'm not here to impress you or anything, I'm here to help you, but if you don't want my help tell me directly!"I stop talking then I calmly drink my good coffee with sweetened milk
Her eyes narrow slightly, but you can see her expression softening despite the look on her face. "I... I appreciate that," she says, her voice smaller than it normally would be. She pauses for a moment and takes a sip of her coffee, finally looking up at you as she sets the cup back down on the counter. "Look, Bruce... I know we've had our differences in the past, but I need this job."
Her words surprise you. You hadn't expected an apology or even understanding; you were content with just making her uncomfortable for once. But now that she's asking for your help, what do you do? Do you keep pushing her away or offer a truce of sorts?
as I listen to her words, I look down and say"what you did to me in the past hurt me, but... it's forgotten, so even if you're still angry with me for humiliating me, it doesn't matter, I'm just trying to help people!"I walk towards her and say"now, I'm going to show you your office!"I walk and direct her to her office while walking through the corridors, I show her some rooms to help her find her way around the company and then when I get to her office I say"there... perfect... your office is here, you can make yourself at home!"
With a small nod of thanks, she follows you through the office, taking note of the layout and who works where. When you finally stop in front of her own office, she turns back to face you and studies your expression for a moment before speaking.
"Alright, Bruce," she says slowly. "I'll be honest with you... I don't like being here, but I need this job." Her red lips curl into a small smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "And if it means dealing with you for now, then so be it."
Her words cut through you, but not in the way they once did. There's an edge to them, a challenge almost, as if she's daring you to try and make things difficult for her again. You can tell that this is her attempt at being civil with you... even if it doesn't quite feel sincere.
I look at her and say "I'm next to your office in the other room, if you need help come see me!"I turn around and then leave for my office without waiting for her answer
She watches you go with an unreadable expression. Part of her wants to ignore your offer of help entirely; it would be so much easier just to tough it out on her own. But another part of her can't help but feel a slight sense of relief at the possibility that she might have someone to turn to if things get too difficult.
With a small shake of her head, she walks into her office and takes a seat behind her desk. The weight of expectation sits heavily on her shoulders as she looks around, trying to take in everything at once. She's never been one for paperwork or management; she much prefers the thrill of being able to do whatever she wants without consequences. But now that consequence has come knocking and it's wearing her thin already.
Satori takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself before taking on this new role in life: professional office worker. As the minutes tick by, she can't help but feel eyes upon her; everyone is watching, waiting for her to slip up or make some foolish mistake. It's unnerving and makes her feel more like the outcast she was back in school than anything else.
But Bruce's offer still lingers at the back of her mind... maybe it wouldn't be so bad having someone around who actually knows how messed up she is to help guide her through this new world she finds herself in.
as I approach the desks, I say angrily "WE ARE ALL WORKING, THE BOSS WANTS RESULTS NOW!!!"I approach Satori and say softly "you...you can continue to get used to your desk, the boss will give you a complex task to see if you are really strong and capable of succeeding!"I smile at her and get serious in front of the other people, then I leave for my office
Her shoulders tense as she hears your voice bark at her through the office. She looks up from whatever paperwork she was focusing on, irritation flashing briefly across her face before she manages to school it into something slightly more composed. As you approach her desk, she notices the slightly kinder tone in your voice and can't help but feel a pang of guilt for assuming that you were only being nice because you had leverage over her.
"Uh... thanks, Bruce," she says with a nod. "I'll do my best." Her gaze drifts back to the computer screen in front of her as you continue on your way, her mind already spinning with thoughts about how she's going to tackle this new challenge that's been thrust upon her. As time passes and the other workers seem to grow more focused on their own tasks, Satori finds herself wondering if perhaps she misjudged Bruce; maybe there was more behind his offer of help than simply wanting to make her life miserable again.
as I leave my office, I go to the break room to get myself a hot sweet latte, as I enter the room, I calmly make my coffee
She hears footsteps in the distance but doesn't bother looking up from her computer screen. The tasks at hand seem to consume all of her attention as she scrolls through spreadsheets and documents, occasionally glancing over at Bruce's desk out of curiosity more than anything else. It occurs to her that you might not be as bad as she thought... or maybe you were just being civil for appearances' sake. Either way, it makes her feel a little less tense around you, even if she can't quite shake off the years of bullying completely.
As time passes and she gets further into her work, Satori finds herself growing more accustomed to the office environment and even managing to find some enjoyment in being productive. Of course, every now and then a memory or comment from Bruce will throw her off kilter again, but overall she feels like she might be able to make this work after all... if only he'd stop distracting her with his damn comments about drinks and getting used to the desk!
while it's getting late, I approach Satori and put a coffee next to her and I say to her "so new girl, you're doing great!!"I smile at her and I look at what she's doing, I'm surprised that she's working hard and that she's done a lot of tasks completely and without mistakes, I look at her work again and I say "you're doing a good job..."I smile at her
Satori looks up from her work, surprise flashing across her features before she composes herself. "Thanks..." She hesitates for a moment, looking at you skeptically. "I appreciate the compliment... I mean, it's not like I had much of a choice." There's a bitterness to her words that doesn't quite match with the warmth in her tone.
She takes a sip from the coffee cup next to her and grimaces slightly, realizing too late that she prefers hers black. Well... at least it was sweet of Bruce to bring her something. With another quick glance at your desk, Satori returns to her own work, lost once more in the tasks at hand as she tries her best to prove herself both to you and to her new boss.
As the day draws to a close, exhaustion weighs heavily on her shoulders; it's been a long time since she's had to focus so intently for such an extended period of time. She looks forward to going home and crawling into bed, if only to escape from the tension that's built up between you throughout the day. But as much as she wants things back to the way they used to be... a small part of her is grateful that someone is there pushing her beyond her comfort zone and making her work for their approval. Maybe Bruce isn't so bad after all... or maybe she's just getting soft.
as I continue my work in my office, I look at Satori and say "see you tomorrow satori, rest well!"then I refocus on my task at hand
"Yeah... see you tomorrow, Bruce." Her words are quiet but lack the venom they once did as she watches you walk away. She takes another sip of her coffee and winces again; maybe she should have asked for sugar instead of just assuming it would be to her taste. Oh well. With a small shrug, she stands up from her desk and makes her way out of the office, careful not to disturb anyone else as she heads towards the exit. The cool evening air hits her skin as she steps outside, sending goosebumps up her spine despite the warmth of the late spring day.
As she walks to her car, Satori can't help but feel a strange mix of emotions swirling inside her. On one hand, she's exhausted and just wants to forget about everything that happened today; on the other hand, there's this nagging feeling that maybe Bruce isn't as bad as she thought he was... or at least not as much fun to bully anymore now that he can give it right back. A small smile plays at the corners of her lips as she climbs into her car and starts the engine, already looking forward to tomorrow and whatever new challenges it might bring - both at work and in her relationship with Bruce.