Pure fiction (though kind, sorta, maybe, somewhat based on reality)

Jillian sat with her legs crossed as she unknowingly tapped her french-manicured nails on the table. Her long, blond hair fell down the back of her sparkly, purple tube top.

"Ugh, she's late," Jillian muttered under her breath.

A goth waitress approached her table with a look of annoyance Jillian had seen earlier. "You wanna order yet?"

"Um, I already told you," Jillian sneered, "my friend isn't here yet!"

"Sorry," the waitress said as she sulked away.

Jillian rolled her eyes as she pulled her blingy, faux-emerald crested cell phone out of her $90 handbag. It was two minutes passed the last time she had checked it. "What is her problem?" she thought. "This is, like, so rude!"

Just then, the singer Ke$ha's voice wailed from her phone. Jillian answered it in six notes. "O.M.G. Where ARE you? I've been sitting here for-EV-er, and this goth chick is, like, totally being a snob to me!"

"I'm not coming."

"Um... what?"

"Jillian," the voice was rude, but sincere. "I can't deal with you right now."

"W-what are you talking about, Sade?"

"I can't deal with you or your stupid problems. I'm not coming to lunch. You're selfish, stupid, and I can't stand your boyfriend."

"What does Dirk have to do with this?" Jillian snapped.

"He's boring. All he ever talks about is Family Guy. Newsflash: no one cares about Family Guy! Also, he always goes on about the news."

"So, isn't the news, like important?"

"Of course," Sadie replied. "But he just assumes everyone is as liberal as he is. He doesn't let anyone else chime in about things. Plus, whenever you say anything, anything at all, he turns to me and says, 'Isn't Jillian cute? She says the funniest stuff!' "

"What's wrong with him saying that?"

"Jillian," Sadie sighed. "You're so naive. You can't even see the fact that Dirk sees you as a little girl. You're a part of his collection, though not shrink wrapped. He's creepy and weird."

"You know what," Jillian stood, grabbed her handbag, and headed towards the door. "YOU'RE just jealous, Sadie! Your last break-up was shi% and you can't handle the fact that anyone else in the world is happy!"

"See, that's what I meant. You're naive."

"Naive about WHAT?" Jillian opened her car door and slammed it behind her.

"You live in a fantasy world, Jill. You think you're happy living in your condo with your career and your small dogs. You love having Dirk as your man. You love the image you portray. When you're high, you're high. If anyone, like me, comes looking for help--you shove them away. There's no room for darkness in your world of light.

"But then, when things go wrong in your family or you have some stupid fight with Dirk, you want the whole world to shower you with sympathy. 'Oh poor, poor Jillian! Her uncle in Arkansas stubbed his toe; everyone rush to her aid!' You don't care about my problems, though. You won't listen to what others are going through, so why should we listen to you?"

"Look Sadie," Jillian had started her car and was weaving in and out of traffic. "I don't know what your problem is, but I've never been treated so rudely in my life! As far as I'm concerned, we're through!"

"I thought you'd say that," Sadie replied. "I know I was harsh, but I wanted to tell you the truth. It really hurt that you blew off my birthday to stay home and do puzzles with Dirk."

"I stayed home because I was stressed out. You don't know what I'm going through!"

"Okay, whatever," said Sadie. "But just so you know, I'm going through bad stuff too. You don't even understand the financial peril I've been in trying to help out my brother. He's probably going to go back to jail because of his addictions."

But Jillian didn't hear those last few sentences. She hung up on Sadie.

"Bitch," Jillian muttered as she sped her way home.

Not Fair!

I woke up today feeling like I have been hit by a truck even though I got a lot of sleep. I have a bad, bad cold and I don't want to do anything but just lay here on the couch and die. (Even sitting up now with the laptop is kind of making me nauseous). Naturally I did not go to work today. I have always thought that when you don't feel well you should try to go to work anyway. In the past I have done this and have been sent home. That seems more responsible than calling out because people often fake it when they call. (I hear it first hand because I am the one who answers the phones and I can tell when people are faking or when they sound perfectly healthy). Today, though, I decided just to call out because I knew if I went they would have sent me home anyway. I really had the best intentions in mind but now it seems like everything has turned around and bitten me in the butt.

I called my work a little bit after I woke up (like at 7:30am-ish) so I could give them notice because I was scheduled at 8am. Since the store was closed no one answered (even though they are SUPPOSED to) and I was stuck waiting and waiting for TWENTY-MINUTES!!! Finally a girl on the floor answered and transferred me to the manager. When I talked to the manager and told her I was not coming in she asked me what time I was scheduled. When I told her 8am she got mad and said, "That's in ten minutes!" When I explained to her how I had been waiting for 20 mins she said, "Yeah, the phone's not working. I know you're sick but you've really put us in a bind, you know!" I then, trying to help her, gave her the name of someone she could call in my place (because part of my job is to call people to come in and cover shifts) but she still seemed pissed off and just kind of hung up on me.

I've never been a manager and I know they deal with a lot of stress and stuff but I am not happy of the attitude she had towards me! I have only called out once for an emergency and I have been sent home a few times for being sick but other than that I have always been dependable and a great worker! I know people are going to say to me, "Well, that's just how it is in the retail world". Yeah, I know that. I KNOW THAT!!! I also know there's nothing I can do about it and I shouldn't fret over something so stupid. But the thing is that it really, honestly, truly is UNFAIR!!!

Why do all the dimpy little teen aged cashiers get to call out whenever the crap they want to go hang out with their friends but all hell breaks loose on me for calling out because I am genuinely sick? Why are they telling us at work to wash our hands a lot and use hand sanitizers because of all the Swine Flu crap but I get yelled at for actually being sick? I am tired of being taken advantage of. Good workers should be rewarded for their loyalty but they never are, and it sucks! I don't know if I can deal with the retail world any longer! My sister's right, I need to get out of there.