A child who survived

I think we all want to be remembered as something big. When were kids we actually believe anything is possible. We go from jumping from couch to couch thinking we can fly to eating glue or quarters thinking were invincible. Maybe as growing up into the adults we all have to be some day we forget how that innocent confidence used to make us believe anything were possible. Being a successful person in life I always thought you had to wear ties or worked in offices in tiny cubicles only big enough for your arm's to touch each side of your walls in your private cube. My eyes wondered around my little cube catching images of my puppy calendar and pug day planer that hung up on one of my four walls. I really needed to take those down, its no wonder everyone at the office calls me kid. "Hey! Alvarado get back to work those bill boards aren't ganna design the self! " I nearly leaped out of my skin as Mr. Flinch yelled at me. "y.,yes sir sorry won't happen again!". My boss for almost two years now grumbled under his breathe. "Oooo sport getting in trouble already its not even noon yet". My brow nit in irritation as I heard the voice of a annoying employ who was a cubicle in front of me. " Shut your trap , like you got room to talk you were late this morning" I scooted in closer to my computer and started up the design I was supposed to be doing. " aha , unlike you kid I don't sweat under the pressure " hazel eyes stared down at me through a pair of black framed glasses. Solemnly I ignored the annoying pair of pools looking down on me as he poked his head to my side of the cubicle. " Don't you have someone else better to bug ,better less don't you have work to do " I said through a harsh tone. " tisk, tisk aren't you no fun to play with. I thought jasmine flowers are supposed to be sweet " his pink lips curled in a mocking smile. I groaned as he threw a paper ball at my head. Who's really a kid here? I thought to myself. Yup this was the life jasmine you went to four years of collage to make stupid bill board designs for puppy food and the new latest dog chow. I sighed. Lately things have been to slow in my life , like I can't seem to wake up from this boring old life. Maybe if when I was a kid when I wanted to grow up so fast I should have realized. " It sucks being a adult" I said quietly to myself in deep boredom. Hours went by as I pasted happy dog pictures and wrote slogans for the newest dog food called. Nibble me bible I mean heck it sounds like a squall food. I rolled  out of my cubicle and walked my way to the ladies room when finally my break hit. On my way there were no noises but key pads being abused by racing fingers and Mr. Flinch yelling at his secretary for getting him a cheese burger when he had asked for a hamburger. I feel like she had the worst job in the building Mr. Flinch was always yelling at her and scaring at her with that loud voice of his. Just last month she had accidentally dropped his Coffey on his shirt causing everyone on the second floor to hear his raving ranting of anger towards her. With teary blue eyes she had quickly walks her tapping heels passed me. " Poor Penny " I said aloud. Bovine in the building knew why she kept her job or he not firing her already. Maybe it was her incident face and kind voice that eased the old air bag or maybe even the fact that she was his niece. Tip toeing passed his office and down the hall to the bathroom my chest felt a stringing of hot liquid pour onto my new blouse. " Hot!!" I began to rub my burning chest trying to relieve it of the coffee Brandon had accidentally poured all over me. " I'm so sorry jasmine! Lemme help, here here!" he trew brown napkins at me to wipe away the mess he caused. Everyone looked at us for a few minutes then turn back to their screens. I could feel my face burn red ear to ear. "It's fine Brandon, I uh wasn't lookin where I was going no biggie" I tried to smile through a pained expression from the coffee dancing down my shirt with hot rays of steps. I ran past him before he could say anything else. " Man..." I pulled at my white flurry blouse now ruined in black coffee. After cleaning it up as much as I could I gave up and looked in the mirror. Round brown eyes stared back at me as I looked at my face. Carmel completion round slender face a button nose and black strands of hair being pulled back by a white scrunchey. I really hadn't changed since high school I was twenty three now and I still looked like a kid. I laughed to my self slightly, beats looking old I guess. " Nice job you did running into Brandon, I feel like that shirt needed some color anyway " Andreas nelt over to my side of the cubicle to see my ruins shirt. " Be quite, look at your shirt you've worn that same shirt to work this past week. " I looked at his ugly faded blue long sleave. He pushed up the sleeves  to his elbows and dusted off his chest. " so you noticed " a sly snicker followed as he sat back down. Ugh I hate him , why out of everyone in this entire building its got to be him I work with. So much for work buddy I thought id give anything to get a shut up and leave me alone buddy.

My shift ended heavenly as I got to leave early due to me finishing my work. Three o'clock in the afternoon and my stomach could die of hunger. I parked my blue mustang as I got off debating which fast food restaurant I could go to. "Lets see, mm happy Joe's ,subway orrr mm taco bell? " they were lined up across the straight waiting for me to pick one to eat in.

" Still talking to yourself I see jazz " A familiar voice from a person behind me. I turned around to be blinded by a bright flash of a camera and a loud shutter going off. "w,who are  you? " I rubbed my eyes from the binding light. As I rubbed my eyes I felt a hand rub my shoulder. " ha got you good sport. " I opened my eyes to see my favorite cousin Sheri standing in front of me looking through a camera and smiling at the picture of me being attacked by a flash. " Kika! What are you doing here!?" I raped my arms around my bestie since forever. Sheri swarmed and wiggled out of the hug. " Watch the shirt square, its my favorite and I know for a fact your coffee stained one wouldn't like to meet mine " I laughed. Sheri always had a way to talk and make it sound so much better. I remember when we were in high school together everyone would say she talked funny because she sounded straight like a character from The Outsiders. I never fully agreed but it was always still funny. "C'mon were ganna eat subway I got my name on a beauty tuna grilled bread sandwiches , I'll treat you up to a meatball one since I nearly blinded you " she smiled at me as she raped her arm around my shoulder. Talk about grand entry I  thought  I haven't  seen her in four years and she's still the same old twerp. " So jazz what you been up to , wasn't expecting to run into you on the busy streets of LA " Sheri and I sat down at a circle table in front of the window. She folded her black long sleeved arms on the table looking at me with curiosity. " Well , I work for a bill board design company we design puppy food and adult dog chow. I've seen working there for two years now" Sheri nit the only visual eye brow due to her long black bangs. " Whattt you mean to tell me you left me for four years to design mutt chow? I don't know whether to be hurt or feel bad for you. " she laughed softly. She had a point I giggled. " Actually I went for four years for that curriculum and studying photography. I originally wanted to become a photographer for the towns magazine news but I found no work and gave up on that dream. " Sheri shook her head as she fumbled with her rings on every other finger. " Still like rings I see" I awkwardly pointed at her fingers. She smirked and changed her fingers together. " Shure does help in the journalists business, gotta fight for a story if you know what I mean." she winked at me as she pretended to punch herself. I laughed " So she your a journalists, that's nice what do you do? Is it like in the movies and stuff ". I felt the same warm atmosphere I felt four years ago on the day I said goodbye to sheri as I left away for collage. She hadn't changed a bit I smiled as she told me the story of her latest work of capturing a story about some rich tennis player she interviewed befor she bumped into me. " He was a total a*s if you ask me, he kept calling me Isbell, I don't even know a dime by that name. Now that was a trip. " 

"Order number seventeen!" " hot potato sport that's you," I jumped as she threw straw at me. The rest of my day went with me and sheri talking about our lives or Sheris anyway. Mine wasn't as exiting and funny as hers. " Jazz tell me you got that underwear Kevin Clyde model boyfriend yet ," I choked on my sip of sprite as she said that. " so sudden" I thought to myself. " Nope, dated here and there but nope I'm to boring for that. " Sheri took off her black glasses to clean them from the smudges. " Your not boring jazz , you think id sit here and talk to a boring person? I do that when I get called into the Office by my boss. " I sat there playing with a plastic spork. When sheri said it I really believed it. " Your a amazing gal , I bet you didn't notice the three guys starring over here for about a hour now , watching you giggle and laugh at retired old me. " sheri leaned back in her chair as she secretly pointed in the direction of the group. "Maks it more obvious , why don't you." Sheri chuckled. When I saw who she was talking about my face turned red like a ripped tomatoe. " Haha., man jazz your a hamster. " " Hey boys why don't you guys take a picture with the young lady! I work for sports magazine. " "kika!" I hushed her as they laughed. She laughed along. " Don't sweat spazz ,and quit callin me by that stupid nickname I feel like people think I'm asin. " I laughed . Gee she still made resist jokes from time to time I see. "I may call you what ever I want ,kikaaa I'm older then you." Sheri pulled out her camera and began to snap shots of me a million times. " Work it jazz, more pout less pose," I tryd to grave the camera from her. Everyone's eyes in subway began to look at us with smiling faces and small laughs. " Now gimme big puppy bog eyes" she said this in a Frenchy accent. I sighed and laughed in defeat. " Are you done embarrassing me ? " I half laughed. " Not yet kid " she smirked and threw the million pictures of me in the air. Everyone frantically panicked at the sudden flying photos the guy at the table picked up some on the floor while others graves them from the air. " Remember the name folks! Jasmine Alvarado!" Sheri graved my arm as the employers began to yell at us to pick up the photos. The door swang open as we ran across the street to my car. The employee yelled after us. In panic I unlocked my car and sheri and me got in. I started it up and zoomed out of sight. " Why'd  you do that you idiot!' Sheri sat in her chair laughing. "Relax jazz they're all were blank I left the lens grad on. " " what about my name! I could get in trouble!' I whined to her as I drove to my house. " Relax one of my friends were in there he'll clear it up ". Sometimes I could hit her. With the music on I drove kicks to my house. Assuming  she didn't have a car I drove home. When we got there I changed into some comfy pj's and left Sheri borrow some sweat pants and tang top. " Howd you know I was gamma stay over?," she looked at the cloths in joy. " lucky guess" honestly it was a reflex who knew how much time had passed but me and her were still the best of friends , cousins, pals. I laughed at the last part.

"Pew I'm pooped, what time is it? " I looked at Sheri as she layer sprawled out on my orange couch. " you tell me, its your house. " I laughed ," 12:30 " she said as she yawned looking at her watch. "I'm going to turn in for the night kika, goodnight sleep tight." " nite square,tomarow I got a day off so your ganna baby sit me all day " her laugh echoed down the hall as I s**t my bedroom door. I crawled into my bed and played there with a smile. I haven't felt this way in years and I loved it. Feeling happy and carefree this was what I was craving for, my wake up call. A getaway drive and a crazy cousin "hm who knew it would be something so reckless " I laughed slightly and closed my eyes to have a wonderful' dream take over me.

Author's Note

In dedication to my cousin. A second book will fallow to conclude the story.
Love you jazz.
-sheri