The sound of my nails
clicking against the keys in the room boomed as the hours dwindled down. No one
informed me that four years of college doesn't exactly lead to your dream job.
Instead, I stared at the coveted degree hanging on my wall with disgust. I had
spent the last few weeks bundled in a blanket, consuming my weight in Cheetos
and applying for jobs on my trusty but failing laptop. I really needed a job
more than anything.
When I first began the
job hunt, I applied for my dream jobs at all the top publishing companies with
high hopes. However, as the weeks went by and the rejections came in the hope
began to drown in shots of whiskey I could barely afford. At this point, I
applied for anything, in the building I hoped that I could even enter but even
then, nothing came through.
I could hear the keys
within the front door and sensed that my roommate, Marisol had come home from a
day of work. One of us had to pay rent to stay afloat in this box called an
apartment. She knocked softly on my door and unfortunately, I had to accept her
presences within my room.
“Come in Sol.” I called
and closed my laptop.
She opened the door and
gave me a tight-lipped smile but I knew what it really said. Her eyes scoured
the room and I could feel judgment with every passing glance. Piles of laundry
shoved into the corner, boxes of takeout container that I shouldn't be buying
piled on my nightstand, and me in the center of it all, a burrito wrapped in a
giant Avengers’ comforter. My hair tousled into a haphazard bun, dark raccoon
circles under my eyes and a ring of orange dust around my mouth.
“How is the job hunt
going?” She asked and carefully leaned in the doorway.
I studied her
appearance, black pantsuit with a soft blue button down, pearl earrings, to
match the simple single pearl necklace. Her ID badge from her Wall Street job
dangled from a belt loop with a bright smiling Marisol.
Lucky bitch.
“I just applied to
Penguin Random House to be a janitor.” I answered coolly and tossed my laptop
to the side.
"I'm serious, how
is it going? You have been in bed for two months now, you need to get a job,
and didn’t you graduate as a double major?" She asked.
I was dead serious about
the job I applied for but she took it as a joke. The same way corporations took
my degrees. However, Marisol was right; I had majored in Latin American studies
and English but who cared about that? Clearly, not a single publishing house. I
needed a job, I needed a job right now, and I was already in the hole with my
parents for my portion of the rent. They, fortunately, assisted me with the
money after my student jobs ended and said I would be able to get on my feet, I
was so smart and had "so much" potential.
Every parent's favorite
lie.
