Copper Hill: Choices

 

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Foreward

 

 

Cover photo attributed to http://www.ForestWander.com  -  "Blackwater Canyon Fall Colors - West Virginia".

Edited at https://pixlr.com/  . 

 

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Chapter 1

Call me Esper. Witch. Fakir. I influence people to make choices, the ones that will benefit me the most. This time I was hoping to push a middle-aged man into becoming my current boss. College counseling was not a job I was suited for, but counseling receptionist was. I do not want to tell people what to do. I much prefer telling them where to go.

Black hair highlighted with touches of gray. Eyes so dark it's hard to tell what size his pupils are in the fluorescent lighting. White teeth flashing, he asked one more question, "Why work for CHU?"

Smiling brightly, I leaned forward a slight 10 degrees, to show how interested I was in working for the university. "Copper Hill has an amazing graduation ratio," pushing a bit of astonishment his way for added emotional stimulus, "for Alternative Studies. Since I am aiming towards a Doctorate in Esoterica Natura, I thought working and living on campus would provide extra research and study time that would otherwise be lost."

sent friendly puppy waves at him as I answered what should be his next question. "The Counseling department is the heart of a college. This is where I can do the most good helping my fellow students find and work towards their life purpose."

Dr. Edward Morgans humphed silently and shifted a paper in my file. He'd already asked about my past schooling (home school), previous occupations (newspaper route, file clerk, fast food cashier) and was fast running out of questions he could legally ask as an interviewer.

Crossing my ankles under my blue skirt, I sat up straight and added a chant of hire me, hire me to the puppy waves I was sending. I smiled at the picture of a woman pushing a child in a swing on his desk. Checked the time on the baseball clock hanging on the wall to my left. I could not make out the signature printed on the baseball bat it hung from. Cases full of leather-bound books covered the wall behind him. A small wooden table over an old, white-painted heating register supported a medium-sized aquarium. Tiny neon fish fought against the turbulence of an over-powered pump bubbling air in the exact center of the tank. One blue and red fish was carried up and flipped into air above the water by a huge bubble.

"And how would you help them?"

Focus Breeze. You do not have the job yet. I realigned my body posture to more closely mirror his. Looked into his eyes to convey the sincerity of my next words. Yes, I ignored the fishy torture aquarium, tilted my head slightly and smiled warmly. "Finding solutions to answer difficult questions fulfills me. I am confident that your department's orientation training will start me on the correct path to connect with the appropriate persons and resources needed to do this."  Hire me. Hire me. I'm bright eyed and bushy tailed.

His dark eyes look into my amber ones for a half-second, then glance back down to the paperwork. The window to my right is large and rectangular with no shades or curtains. From my seat the view is of gnarled oak and prickly pine trees. I imagined I could smell the resin through the glass. I itched to leave the concrete administration building and walk in the shade.

"Well," Dr. Morgans says as he closes my file. "One more question please before we end...  of a personal nature..." Seeming a bit nervous, he sips some water from the glass on his desk.

Friendly, friendly. Eager puppy. What is it? How do I help?  Repeat head tilt. "Surely," I answer, smiling brightly.

Placing the glass back onto the desk he continued, pulling the wind from my over-blown sail. "Would you be related to a Brett Sanderson? Nice young man. He was a student assistant here."

I tried to hold onto the bright smile as my sight glazed over. Brett had used his real name here. He had written and emailed me as Marcus Fischer, one of his other names. I had thought registering as Brianna would indicate no prior relationship. I should have known better. Brett was the Thinking Man. I was more the Impulse Queen.

"I'm sorry sir," I slowly replied, turning my fiction into the truth by looking straight into his eyes. "He may be a cousin hanging from the family tree, but I do not recognize the name. Is he still attending Copper Hill?"

I tried to hold onto the bright smile as my vision glazed over. Brett had used his real name here. He had written and emailed me as Marcus Fischer, one of his other names. I had thought registering as Brianna would indicate no prior relationship. I should have known better. Brett was the Thinking Man. I was more the Impulse Queen.

"I'm sorry sir," I slowly replied, turning my fiction into the truth by looking straight into his eyes. "He may be a cousin hanging from the family tree, but I do not recognize the name. Is he still attending Copper Hill?"

 “No. I am sorry,” he answers. A moment later he shakes his head slightly and continues. “I should not have asked. None of my business actually, although, I am curious. He left without notice and I am a bit concerned.”

So am I, I thought.

Standing, he added, “We will call you soon with a decision. Luckily, this is a student position, which means that if you are hired, you can start work as soon as classes begin. Full time staff positions require a lot more paperwork. Very onerous.”

 He held out his right hand. I stood and shook it warmly. “Thank you sir for your time,” I said smiling again. “If I do not answer at first, please feel free to text me.”

One last glance at the torture tank, (no clue as to why it bothered me so much) I left the office door open as I exited. My smile held as I walked out of the building.

 

As I reached the parking lot, my eyes leaked and my smile faded. 

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