You know how the first day of high school felt like? All those nervous jitters and terrible expectation you have that will happen just before lunch. Yeah, that's how Aphmau felt stepping back into the Lycan Inc. building. Nervous, terrified, and expecting something else too handle just before she makes it upstairs.

'Morning, Miss Everton." The lobby secretary greets her, "Miss Lycan would like to see you in her office to discuss a few times about the launch."

"Of course. Thanks." She responds before stepping into the elevator. 

"Wait hold the elevator!" Someone yells as they slide in, "Oh hi Aphmau. Are you okay?"

"Just fine, Jenny." As the elevator door closes, Aphmau pulls out her phone so she didn't have to make eye contact with her.

"Again, I am so sorry you walked in on me and Aaron the other day. That is definitely something you shouldn't have seen." Aphmau just nods as a response, "Just know you can talk to me about it. Or anything. I'm happy to hear you out."

"You know what? There is something you can help me with." Aphmau turns her phone off.

"Anything."

"You can stay away from me," She responds, "You do your job and I'll do mine." The elevator opens and Aphmau steps off, "Oh and Jenny?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm so glad you liked my leftovers. The needy gotta start somewhere, huh?"

•○●A Purplla Publish●○•

"Aphmau, I'm so glad you could make it today! I was worried you weren't going to show up." Melissa says as Aphmau sits down in a chair in front of Melissa's desk.

"We had a deal. Of course I was showing up today." She crosses her legs. "So where should we begi-" The door opens to see Aaron entering.

"Hey, Mel, I know you're upset with me but we both have to work on this together, whether Aphmau is here or notttttt-" Aaron sees Aphmau rolling her eyes, "Aphmau! You're here."

"I have a job to do, do I not?"

"I just wasn't expecting you to be here after everything that happened on Friday-"

"Well, you thought wrong." She pats the chair next to her, "Now are you going to help or not?" Aaron sits down in the chair next to her, 

"Right. So since Monday, Williamson Inc. has been up my ass with this launch and since all of his employees are making the guest list and making the ads, we're stuck on launch party mode. So we'll need location ideas, themes, dress code, etc etc. So I've separated the whole them into groups so we can get this done."

"I assume me and him are one group?"

"Location to be exact. All you have to do is pick a location, check with me so I can approve or disapprove and book it. That's it."

"That's it? Me and Aphmau have nothing else to do after that?"

"You'll obviously get another assignment. This is a launch party, not a kindergarten christmas party. Aphmau, are you comfortable with all of this?"

Aphmau looks at Aaron then Melissa, "As long as this stays professional. Just two weeks and I have a choice, right?"

"Right."

"What do you mean by choice?" Aaron asks, "What choice does she has to make at the end of two weeks."

"Brother, I think we should this as lunch."

"Why not now?"

"Because we have work to do right now. I'll tell you at lunch."

~~~

"You... what?" 

"I offered the deal so Aphmau would be comfortable. You saw what happened, I wouldn't want to be here either." Melissa whispers. They were outside Lycan Inc. so no one inside could hear their discussion. 

"What about me?"

"What about you? You and Jenny are the reason I had to make the suggestion to her. If I didn't, she wouldn't be inside working, she'd be looking somewhere else to work."

"You know she's going to leave, right? She hates me!Why would she agree to continue working where I am?!"

"Okay and that's her choice! I really like Aphmau and she really likes this job and if she wants to stay, she can stay as long as she wants to. But if she decides to leave, then fine! At least I'm trying to fix things!"

"You know how you should really fix this? You should go inside and fire that shady assistant you decided to hire for clout."

"I need her for these next two weeks. After the launch party, she is so fired. But I can't jungle this project and your feelings! It's too much as it is!" Melissa exclaims, "I get you love her, I really really do, she's a good girl, but I can't change her mind. Everything depends on what happens these next two weeks. Just don't piss her off. Okay?"

"Fine."

"Jenny will be gone soon. All you have to do is deal with her for a little while longer and everything will be okay. Please. Let's finish what we started."

~~~

"Just get everything you need before the house closes down," The contractor says, "The house is about to go on escrow and the family will be arriving soon."

"Of course, I'll get everything I need in about five minutes. Thank you so much again for letting me do this." Jenny says, "I just miss them so much and I want to save something for my best friend when she gets out."

"Aw how sweet. Now hurry, I don't have much time." The contractor unlocks the front door for Jenny, "In and out."

"Of course." Jenny enters and the door gets closed behind her. "Now where would it be?" She walks upstairs into Cathy's old bedroom.

"If I were Cathy, where would I hide it?" She searches in the dresser drawers, under the bed, in the closet and even under all of the rugs. She almost wants to give up when she remembers something. 

{}

"That is so creepy! Why would you write that?" Sixteen year old Betty exclaims as Jenny holds up a piece of paper. 

"I want Rebecca to understand that Aaron isn't in love with her. She needs to stay in her lane."

"So you wrote a fake love letter? Aaron doesn't even like you. He doesn't know who you are."

"He will soon. I'll show the note to Rebecca and knowing her, she wouldn't have the guts to ask Aaron about it. It's a foolproof plan." Cathy comes over to them with a bowl of popcorn,

"What are you losers talking about now without me?" Cathy asks. Betty and Jenny look at each other. Jenny remembers a glass lock box she got Cathy for her birthday is on the dresser behind Cathy.

"Just Mr. Jenson's english test yesterday." She lies, "Hey, I don't think I should've waited to tell you but I think your puppy pooped out your bathroom rug earlier." Cathy stands up immediately,

"You think! That rug is expensive! Ugh!"She gets up to leave the room. As soon as she does, Jenny runs over to the glass box and enters the code.

"This isn't a good idea. What if Cathy finds out?" Betty warns her as Jenny dumps some stuff under Cathy's dresser and stuffs the note in it.

"I'm changing the code so Cathy can't find the note."

"She'd break it to open it again."

"I know Cathy. She wouldn't break anything pretty." She closes the box and begins to reset the password. "There. The note never existed."

{}

"I'm not sorry, Cathy." Jenny lifts the box up and throws it down, causing it to break. She steps over the glass to pick up the note still in good condition. Smells like 2005 perfume. 

"If that didn't break her, this will."

•○●A Purplla Publish●○•

Until next time,

~Purplla 💜