Faye x Bruce

A Story by suuyuwriteyunu

UNFINISHED!!! experimental, just wanted to try a new genre and geeett out of writer's block! written 9th grade

Faye

I’ll have you know, I could be considered invisible when it comes to my colleagues…but I don’t mind. I think of that as a good thing.

I’ve been working at Inx Corp for almost three years now, and I’m practically positive Nattie, Orlando, and Mae have not yet remembered my name. And they all sit at the same desk as me. The rain outside bounced off the office windows and slid down its impenetrable concrete walls. Yet, the weather couldn’t help but turn my mood sour as I rested my cheek on my palm and stared through the wide, dark sky, hoping to find something bright, something sunny.

The constant sound of keyboard clicking tuned out and I flitted my eyes open, tapping one finger on the soft mouse pad on my desk. The color was grey, just like the clouds outside, though I bet it couldn’t even dream of being as soft as real clouds. I turned my gaze onto the blonde woman with a messy bun in front of me. Her hair was the most perfect I had ever seen. The perfect blend of ‘mess’, yet it still made her look effortlessly hot. Atop her pointed nose perched her pointed eyeglasses, bright and neon. Not anyone could pull off that look. Her lipstick as bright as Barbie’s. The name tag clipped on her chest wrote: Nattie, and bright makeup smeared one of its corners, courtesy of the army of lipstick tubes she had situated on her desk. She was the prettiest woman in our company. Her skin tan and freckled, and her body not too skinny and not too chubby.

Still, the most intriguing thing about her is how she’s able to make friends without uttering a word. You’d think her silent aura would scare people away---it definitely did for me---but it actually makes everyone flock around her like pigeons to breadcrumbs. I wish I could be like her.

“Did you say something?” Nattie unplugged one of her earbuds and raised a brow.

“What?” Did I say that out loud? In an instant, my whole face flushed red, “No, sorry.” I managed, and pushed myself off my chair and excused myself to the bathroom, pacing as quickly as my short little legs could go. My cursed, short, little legs. That was so embarrassing. I’m so embarrassing. Nattie definitely thinks---

My head drilled straight into someone’s chest.

Startled, my eyes darted upwards anxiously, and my legs tripped over each other, stumbling backwards in rapid speed. Panic blared through my mind and I dipped my head back down before I could take a good look at the face in front of me. Before they could take a good look at me. So I wouldn’t remember them. So they wouldn’t remember me.

Hopefully.

“I’m sorry!” My voice came out higher than I would have liked as I swerved around the person and headed straight to the bathroom, fidgeting with the rim of my blouse all the while. Then again, it doesn’t matter, because they don’t know who I am, and a face as dull as mine could never dream of registering in someone else’s brain.

I pushed open the bathroom door and slammed it shut behind me, my back flat on the wood as I slid down and hid my face in my palms. A weak, silent scream escaped my lungs. Breathe, I told myself. My nails dug into my cheeks and they blossomed red. In…and out. In…and out. I choked on my own breath as I coughed into the bathroom air, shutting my eyes tight.

“I can’t do this anymore,” I whispered.

I’m pathetic.

Bruce

She was strange. Although, maybe it’s just me. Inx Corp has been my dream company ever since high school, and I’ve finally earned a position! I pulled the edges of my mouth down, soothed the shirt that just got barreled through by the running woman, and relaxed my gaze. I can’t look excited on my first day. I have to be serious. Show them all just how serious I am at this job, and how good I can be for the company’s future. I have it all planned out. Now I just need to find…

I pulled out the file from my brown packet and looked at its contents. Amongst the many black numbers and letters, I spot my name. It stood out like an orange fox in pure white snow.

Bruce Min.

I pulled the edges of my mouth down harder. I might refuse to smile on the outside, but on the inside, I’m practically jumping from joy. My hand flew up to the name tag clipped onto my chest and patted it gently. My eyes scanned the rest of the document and landed on another name.

Faye Wallis. The ID photo showed a woman with straight black hair that draped over her shoulders. Thick, dark bangs covered half her eyes. Her lips were thin and her nose tiny like a button. She was supposed to be my supervisor, someone to show me the ropes: where I sit, what I do. But she’s actually more than that. She’s supposed to be the first person I work on a project with.

I slapped my face and tugged my cheeks down. Be serious, Bruce.

Taking a deep breath, I made my way across the hallway, and into a small section of the office. Four desks were placed facing each other, and wide windows stretched from floor to ceiling. A blonde woman sat at the farthest table, her eyes concentrated on the blinking computer screen as she typed in words for a report. A report one day I will write. I pinched my own arm and winced at the pain that shot through.

“Can I…help you?” The woman asked. Her voice was sluggish, as if she was tired of life. She gave me a questioning look and gave up, now digging through her purse for something else that interests her more than me. Her messy bun bobbed back and forth as she scoured through her belongings.

“Do you need a comb?” I offered. Her hair looked like it hadn’t been combed in days.

The woman shot me a cold, menacing look, her mouth turned up in disgust. She touched a clump of her hair reluctantly and soothed it down a little, eyeing me as she did so. Did I say something wrong? I bit my bottom lip. But I was genuinely concerned. The woman sighed heavily before going back to ruffling through her leather bag. I looked to my right through the carpeted hallway that led to the main office. My heart leaped and I couldn’t keep my fists from clenching at my sides, trying to hide the grin that was creeping up my face. I’m going to be working in there someday.

Applying lipstick on her already-red mouth, the same woman smacked her lips. Slowly, she turned her head to meet my gaze. “Are you new here?”

“Yes ma’am.” I replied, too quick for my own liking. The air around us suddenly flipped and froze over as the woman squinted her eyes at me. How was I supposed to react to that? I only squinted at her harder, until she cocked her head to the side and her eyes widened. She gasped.

“Are you Bruce Min?” My insides shook, startled. I cleared my throat and blinked.

“Yes.”

She gasped again.

“So you’re the one…Fah, fuh, uh…Fair is in charge of?”

Fair?

“No. It’s Faye Wallis.” I pulled the file back up to double check, in case I got her name wrong. It would be something too embarrassing to do on my first day of work. My heart rate slowed down as my eyes landed on the familiar text. Faye Wallis. Department of Graphic Design.

“Oh, yes, that’s what I said.” She turned back and inched her face closer to the compact mirror that hung from her monitor, picking at the edges of her lips. Incredulous, I stared at the woman in front of me. I looked around to see if anyone had heard or seen what she just said, but everyone carried on with their own lives like it was normal to forget a colleague who has been working at the company for three years now. At least, that was what it said on the packet. I felt my fingers brush on the file once more, and a sense of ease re-entered my mind.

“Well, I think you should go and wait somewhere else, because…uh, Fael? Yeah, I meant your supervisor, just ran off somewhere a minute ago.”

I would’ve stormed off with pleasure, but stayed put and looked back at the file in my hands. That woman was like a wild hail amidst snow. How could she be so nonchalant?

“But the file told me to wait at section D, and that’s…” I glanced up to the sign hanging from the archway, “well, here. So…could you at least tell me where Ms. Wallis went?”

With a sigh, the lady put down her tube of lipstick and snapped the cap back on. She stuffed it back into her bag and wheeled over to face me, clocking her head to the right.

“You think I’d know where the coworker who’s name I can’t even remember went?” She poured her eyes into mine, feistiness whipped at the end of each word, and annoyance tasted at the tip of my tongue. She shot me a quick smile before blowing a big, fat kiss into the air, “You’re on your own, kid.”

Faye

Picking myself off the ground, I towered over the line of sinks as I splashed water onto my face, scrubbing at the tears that were now dry against my skin. I didn’t mean to cry. I bit back a sob and squared my shoulders, looking myself straight in the eye. The person that looked back at me had her hair ruffled and sticking up everywhere. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her lips purpled as it quivered. I turned away immediately. I can’t face myself right now. I can't stand myself.

I want to get out of here.

Anywhere that I wouldn’t have to be alone.

From my purse, I fished out my comb and my lip gloss, giving myself one last touch up before exiting. The thin plastic brush against my stark black hair felt out of place, yet it helped smooth it down so well. Frayed and dry, the tips of my hair poked gently at the skin on my back as I brushed down my thick bangs. Should I part it? I asked myself, separating my fringe into two parts, tucking one end behind my ear. My forehead bulged and my eyes were like giant marbles. I flinch, immediately shoving my bangs back to where they were. Dropping my stuff back into my purse, I gave myself a final slap on the cheeks.

“I can do this.” I can do this. Assurance was the only thing I needed, albeit it being fake, “I can do this.” I pushed the toilet door back open and strode down the hallway. My heart pounded quickly, strong. The same four words chanted in my mind, over and over and over again. I can do this. I can do this.

Someone walked past.

I clutched my purse strap and held it close, letting my hair fall to the sides of my face. My heartbeat doubled, now rapid, heavy, hot. It thrummed so loudly my chest ached. I breathed. My breath caught in my neck and I gagged.

I can’t do this.

Who am I kidding?

The person was pacing closer each second. Three more steps and they’d see me. Don’t talk to me. I could feel my purse strap giving away under my fidgeting finger, as my pace quickened and I tried to slip out of the hallway. My thoughts darted anywhere and everywhere except staying in one spot. Breathing in deeply would only make me shake harder. Don’t talk to me. My face was against the wall now, my forehead rested on the cold concrete. Coldness, yes, that’s what I need. Soothe my nerves. Soothe my heartbeat. My eyes closed and I took one shaky breath in, but my pulse only kicked up a few more notches. My soles dug into my loafers and my toes twitched underneath my socks. Don’t talk to me. I felt like pleading, falling to the ground and begging the universe to send me home.

“Excuse me.” That person.

My feet were stuck to the ground and my whole body was frozen in place. Spice shot up my nose, my eyes wide as I felt the familiar gross wetness crawl down to my pupils. My grip on my purse tightened even more, wrinkling the cloth like an elephant’s skin. My face wouldn’t lift up, even when someone was beating down my neck. I was chained to the ground. Humiliated.

“Excuse me?” he repeated. My face flushed red and unease plagued my mind. “Are you okay, Ms. Wallis?”

I stopped breathing.

My eyes dried and the death grip on my purse loosened, though my face was as red as ever, and my heartbeat showed no sign of slowing down. Beating, and beating, and beating, quicker and quicker. As gentle as my mother’s touch, he carefully placed his hand on my shoulder, slowly spinning me around to face him like a fragile tower of glass on a wheel, about to break at any second. Although, nothing mattered to me at that moment, because he knew my name. And he had called it. Correctly.

Upon glancing at me, his face flushed red, quickly removing his hand from my shoulder. From his back pocket, he frantically fished out a document, taking a good long look at something on it, glancing from the piece of paper to my face repeatedly.

“You are Ms. Faye Wallis, am I right?” His voice was coated with relief.

Yes. Yes, I am.

Intimidated by his serious expression, I could only nod. I hugged my chest and looked up at him. Straight, black hair, with a slight bedhead. One thing’s for sure, I’ve never seen him before, and my memory is something I can always count on. The man sighed, and quickly straightened his back which made him tower over me; his shadow loomed over my body. He cleared his throat softly and held out his hand for me to shake.

“Nice to meet you. I am Bruce Min, you are to be my supervisor for the project.” Gawking at him, I take him by surprise. He shifted uncomfortably on the spot, averting his gaze onto the carpeted office floor.

“What?” I asked.

“Pardon?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Could you repeat yourself?” I raised my tone. His eyebrows knitted and he bent down closer, tilting his ear to my face. I flinched, taking a step back. My fingers trembled and my eyes dilated. Taking a shaky breath in, I mustered up the loudest voice I could. “Could you repeat what you said?”

“Oh, of course.” He swung his head back up, and my heartbeat quickened, my fingers gripped my bag even tighter. His blank gaze softened as he apologized, “I’m sorry. I must’ve spooked you. My name is Bruce Min, and you’re my supervisor.” He held the file document up for me to see. I consumed that thing quicker than you could a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

Ms. Faye Wallis. Department of Graphic Design. Employee of 3 Years, assigned the job of supervising Mr. Bruce Min and cooperating on Project K.

There I was, messy bangs and all, the photo of myself stuck on that document for everyone to see. Staring at the document in disbelief, I grabbed it from his hands.

“How…? W-Why---” I stuttered, distraught, messing up the bangs I had just combed. My thumb crinkled the paper as it pressed hard onto the file. “Are you sure there hasn’t been a mistake?”

Without hesitation, he snatched the paper back and scanned it head to toe. His eyes darted left to right quicker than I’ve ever seen anyone’s go. My shoulders tense as the faint ticking of the clock echoed through my ears. After some time, he asked.

“You didn’t receive an email about this?”

I nodded as my fingers desperately dug through my purse for my phone. “I-I can check. Wait.” I swiped at my screen and clicked the mail app open.

Finding stuff was never hard for me, including old mail. I had folders for each and individual category spanning from work, hobbies, and many more. It helped to have at least a part of my life organized while the other was a huge jumbled up mess. I clicked into my work folder, lined with all the other folders I had made, and searched for ‘Bruce Min’. Through my thousands of mails, I knew for a fact that his name never came up in any of my work-related emails. My memory can’t fail me now. Not when there is someone peering over my shoulder, pressuring me to find an email about him. Guilt crept up my stomach as I secretly hoped he was mistaken, and that I would never have to talk to Bruce Min ever again. Finally, the search results came out blank. And to be honest, I felt a little guilty for feeling so relieved.

“Sorry, there was no email. This must’ve been a mistake.”

Bruce’s eyes went blank. His grip around the document loosened as my grip on my phone tightened, my eyes squinted nearly into tiny slits as I pulled in my chin. Seconds later, he shook his head quickly and his eyes returned to its normal state. He clawed his fingers through his hair, stuffing the document under his arm as he pulled his phone out from his back pocket. My nails dug into my phone case as I waited anxiously as he sifted through the contents of his device. After a moment, Bruce knitted his eyebrows together dubiously.

“But look here,” he shoved his phone into my face. I flinched, my head zooming backwards a mile. Bruce continued on indifferently. “The email I got says otherwise.”

I inched my face closer to the screen, scanning the words written on the email carefully. Word for word, it had stated my name, occupation, and how I was assigned to be Bruce Min’s supervisor and project cooperator. Stumbling backwards, I was baffled.

I wasn’t one bit ready for this. They had never told me in advance. Now they expect me to suddenly talk to people? Talk to someone new, at that? Worry was written all over my face, I was sure. The tips of my ears were burning hot as I took an unsteady step away, holding my phone close to my chest as I clutched it tight. Before me, Bruce bit his lip, a sour expression on his face as he tried to make sense of this situation. I was ready to give up. Ruffling his hair out of frustration, he looked to me for guidance. I could see the hope in his eyes slowly dimming away as if he had just been crushed by a boulder. I took another step back, unable to avert my gaze.

“I---” Look away. I scolded myself. Look away. “I---” Incertitude slipped from my tongue with every word I utter. Look. Away. My eyes darted from Bruce to the concrete wall beside me frantically. Here and back, here and back. Run. I turned on my heels, slightly slipping on the carpeted floor. I can’t do this. My case was squished under my grip. Just go. Darting across the hallway, my voice shot up, “I’m sorry! I can’t---”

Before I could flee, a strong hand grabbed my arm. I stopped short, my breath caught.

“Please,” Bruce whispered from behind. I didn’t need to look back to guess who it was. My shoulders tense as I held my breath. His grip on my arm never loosened. “Today’s my first day. And this is my---” His voice caught, most likely weighing the choice of telling a stranger like me some personal information, “This is my dream company.” I was right. I shrunk under his demeanor. I could feel him flinching as he released his grip on my arm. I rubbed it and slowly turned to face him.

Just hold on a little longer.

Sneaking a glance at Bruce Min, I mustered up all the courage I had left, and even that felt smaller than an atom. Bruce continued, “Could you at least go talk to the manager with me about this?”

What?

Bruce

“No.”

“Thank---Wait, what?” I shot up, eyes wide as I eyed Ms. Wallis openly. She only seemed to shrink under my gaze further. If she had melted even more, I wouldn’t have been able to see her any longer. The document under my arm slid down and hit the floor.

“I’m sorry!” She panicked, zooming down to pick up the papers. In a blink of an eye, she was back upright, shoving the papers into my arms as she paced away at an alarmingly high speed. I was left alone, crumpled papers in my hands, and---as much as I hated to admit it---lost in this new place. I coughed into my fist and looked behind, gawking at the passersby who gave me weird looks.

“Move along!” I snapped. May not have been the best choice of words on my first day. I sighed as I rearranged the documents and slid them all back into the brown casing.

‘I’m just going to have to go to the manager myself…wherever he is.’ sigh sigh. Then after the meeting with the manager (do i include this? Maybe hes gonna laugh it off like ‘oh my haha sorry i sent the email to the wrong person. I sent it to Fair instead of Faye!’ my mind darted back to the woman with the messy bun and dashing lipstick.) ok but after he finds himself sitting next to Faye wallis anyway, and its the awkward ‘uhh.hi?’ all over again. And Faye is also incredibly embarrassed.