The Earth Shifter

After a long tiring day of interviews, I came back to my flat. I opened the door and then entered. The whole room is only illuminated by a thin orange light and not exactly what you can call clean and tidy. It actually looks like it has been hit by a tsunami of clothes and just a bunch of trash. If anything it can never look like two girls have been living in here. As I was making my way towards the living room, I moved through all kinds of clothes and shoes you can think of on the floor.

I could do some cleaning one day.

I toss the key on the table. And then drop tiredly on the couch and close my eyes for a second.

“Oh, Hey there?” I hear the very cheery voice of my best friend Lliana.

“Hey,” I say opening my eyes and looking at her as she’s just entered the room with a mint - colored nail polish bottle in her hand. She sits on an opposite couch from me.

“How did the interviews go?” She asks while opening the bottle and starting to paint her nails.

“Horribly.” I answer.

“Aww. Don’t be so grumpy about it. I’m sure you’ll find a good work someday as long as you’re trying,” She says.

“Well, look who’s talking now,” I mumble hugging my small dolphin pillow.

One of the perks of talking to your childhood best friend is that you can say whatever you want because you’re hundred percent sure that they won’t take it in an offensive way. Lliana has known me almost my whole life and through all of my moods. She’s a really good friend.

I’m suddenly having a pillow hitting my face. Okay, maybe she’s not very good and takes some stuff in an offensive way.

“You know you can be really mean sometimes,” She said and then returned back to her nails.

“Come on. It doesn’t look like you’re trying anyways.” I defend myself.

“I. Am. I’ve called my uncle twice today. I swear the man is about to rip his hair off from my constant calls but I’m sure he’ll find me a good one.” She tells me.

Lliana’s parents passed out when she was very young in a tragic car accident. Her uncle and aunt have raised her and her younger brother.

She barely mentions it anyways. I think her uncle and aunt didn’t give her so many reasons to grieve about and also she always has to act all tough and strong in front of her brother so he wouldn’t notice any difference in his life.

“Seriously, Lilly. Give the man a break. You’ve been saying that since the day we got here. You’ll never find a job that way. We. Need. Money.” I try convincing her.

Me and Lliana have decided to move to New York. As we thought that we’ll have better and more opportunities from our small town. At least that’s what we thought. So we finished college and then BAM. We’re here looking for a job.

“Don’t worry about the money I still have some of it from the last payment my uncle gave me. But I’m not sure he’ll give me anything anymore,” She finishes painting her hand nails and starts with her toes.

“Whatever. I’m hungry. Do we have anything to eat?” I ask her.

“Yeah. I ordered a taco for us when you were out. It’s in the kitchen.” She answers.

I went to the kitchen, eat my sandwich and then we sat and watched some movies.

The next day I didn’t have any job interviews so I decided to go to the beach and have some relaxing time with myself. I got into my sports clothes and went for a quite walk on the shore. I don’t think there’s any harm in that. I mean, as long as I’m away from the water, I’m safe.

I like the sea, not the water just the place; it’s the only place I feel connected with him. Recall all of our memories, all of our adventures and talks together. He was the closest person to me in this whole life.

Berry, that’s what he used to call me. I can still remember every single time he used that name. So, you can say that I came here only to tell him Hi.

I was pacing on the shore, smelling the beautiful scent of the sea and feeling the warm sand under my feet. This was, what you can call, a peaceful time. Suddenly my phone rang sucking all of the calmness out of me. It was my father.

“Hey, dad.”

“Hi, how’s it going in that big city?” He says.

“Great,” I answer trying to sound happy about it. But deep inside me I just want to leave all of this behind and go back to my parents as if I was that young girl again. I just miss them so much. I always thought that it would be easy. But it’s not.

“We really miss you, Amber.” He told me as if he was hearing my thoughts. It was the first time I stayed away from my family for that much time. My father has became a little emotional after the incident.

“Me too, dad.” I say shortly.

“Found a job yet?” He asks optimistically.

“Not really. But I’m still looking,” I tell him.

“Well, you know you still can work here with professor Henry if you want to.”

“No, thanks dad. I’m fine.” I say quickly.

Working with this professor is a curse. He’s totally nuts and living in his land of dreams all the time. He’s impossible to start a conversation with because he always starts yelling without a reason and the only one he talks to is his hunting dog which also keeps barking at me whenever I’m near that crazy man. He seriously freaks me out. My parents want me to work with him only because he’s working at the same town.

“As you wish. But I want to tell you something important, Me and your mother can’t transfer anymore money to you honey.” He says in a sorrowful tone.

“Sure dad. I understand,” I really do. I know that they’ve spent enough money for me to go to college. I can’t push them anymore. If I can’t find a job then it’s my problem.

“We’re really sorry. We wish we could help you more but...” He stops.

“That’s okay dad. I promise I can take care of myself now,”

“Okay, darling take care. Your mom wants to talk to you,” As mom takes the phone and I hear her voice, I feel that strong urge to have that peaceful cry on her shoulder and her hug.

She tells me everything that has happened since I left home and I smile as her voice was so tender and caring, something that actually leaks from my life right now. I want to still feel connected to all of those people I’ve left behind. And then she asks me if I’ve found a decent guy to bring home. It has been her habit to ask me that question since I’ve left college. Even though the answer has never changed. I’m not really good when it comes to relationships, honestly when it comes to anything in this life.

We talk till I feel a pat on my shoulder. I turn around to meet the same brown eyes I’ve seen yesterday. It was Aaron.

“You again?” I say in disbelief.

“Hi,” He says smiling.

I then hung up with mom after telling her that I’ll call her later. I have to say I really didn’t think that I’ll meet him again

“Are you stalking me or something?” I ask him bluntly.

“No, I swear.” He answered laughing.

“I just saw you walking on the shore so I came but you got that call and I had to wait...” He added.

“So you were spying on me.” I stated. I really hate being rude to people but it’s not easy to believe that he’s here by accident just like that. It may be the paranoia of living alone without your parents.

“No, I was just being polite.” He defended himself and I believed him. I’ve got nothing to be spied on anyways.

“Okay then. Want to take a walk with me?” I was missing some company after leaving most of my friends so any human being could help.

“Sure.” He says smiling.

It was now that I noticed that he was wearing a baggy shorts and white polo shirt that brings out his tanned skin. His hair color looks a little lighter and shiny now because of the sun. It was in a messy waves.

“You really don’t look that serious without the suit,” I admitted.

“Really? I hated it anyways.” He said.

“So, What’s your thing then?” I asked him.

“My thing? I guess it’s just scientific analyzing,”

“You mean, seeing the chemical elements and these tiny stuff inside the objects?” I asked. That’s interesting I never even thought that there was something like that. They didn’t have it in my university at least.

“Yeah. Something like that besides other stuff.” He answered me slowing his pace a little when he noticed that I was making quite an effort to keep up with him.

“So you weren’t applying for the same job as mine,” I say and he nodded in response.

“And they also rejected you for that same stupid reason,” I concluded.

“That reason and, to be honest, there was another one,” He admitted and I stopped and shifted my feet to be standing right in front of him and held my hand behind my back.

“And what’s the other reason, Mr. Campbell?” I asked him formally.

“I think you’re trustworthy, right?” He said.

“I think I am.” I told him.

“Yesterday I gave up and decided to use a different way to get the job,”

“Hmmh,” I listened to him carefully,

We started walking again and I kept kicking the soft golden sand because it was feeling good.

“Well, I have this special talent that I could see the oxygen molecules floating in the air like red shining dots,” He was talking slowing as if picking his words carefully. The air was blowing hard; some of my platinum hair came on my face, I pushed it backwards and adjusted my white cap securely over my head.

“And you can say that somehow I could control them. Like holding them with my hands and putting them wherever I want but with my mind,

“So, yesterday I became desperate because no company wants to hire me as an analyst and when I was there yesterday and the old man told me that I was too young for it and blah blah blah. I tried to tell him about it and that I’ll be a great help for them but,... he said that I was a lunatic and threatened to call the security if I didn’t get out of there,” He finished and then looked at me searching my face for a reaction and I just burst out laughing.

“And that’s your excuse for not being hired yesterday. Got to admit it’s a pretty shitty one. You know if you actually admitted that you weren’t fit enough for the job. I wouldn’t have blamed you. But that is just a very long shot,” I admit.

“You think I’m kidding?” He looked rather angry than anything else.

“Look, don’t think that I’m taking your words lightly or anything. I’m just telling you that I would never insult you if you told me you weren’t fit enough for yesterday’s job. I’ve been there, you know?” I repeated myself hoping that I’m making my point clearer this time.

“I’m not lying, Amber.” He told me with hurt covering his face.

“Well, I’m sorry but I can’t believe any of that bluff,” I say.

“What if I can prove it to you?” He said in a competitive tone.

“Prove it how exactly?” I said half afraid, half excited that he might be saying the truth

“W-what are you up to, Aaron?” I let that question linger in the air between us as his face came into an evil smirk and I backed away. I shouldn’t have trusted this guy from the beginning he really could be crazy I wouldn’t know. The only thought in my head is that:

I can run now.