Jim stood in the men’s bathroom, lightly dabbing a piece of toilet paper to his split cheekbone. He flinched at the slightest pressure, that side of his face still throbbing. Somewhere in the back of his head, he knew he should go to the hospital. He needed stitches. But in order to get out of the office, he had to leave the sanctuary of the bathroom. He threw the toilet paper in the trash, not really registering that it was covered in blood.
He had always hated how in movies, when someone got punched in the face, they always came right back up. Like one of those creepy clown punching bags. The person would always just bounce right back up, still right as rain. No broken nose, no lost teeth. The worst they might get was an attractive black eye that would quickly fade later in the movie.
Jim heard the bathroom door open, but he didn’t turn. He looked at the mirror’s reflection to see Kevin walk in and close the door carefully. He walked up to stand next to Jim, who was still simply staring in the mirror.
“I told you,” Kevin said slowly “If you ever need it, I got your back.”
It hurt, but Jim couldn’t help but laugh and Kevin cracked one of his secretive, self-satisfied smiles. Jim remembered after his crush on Pam had gotten around the office, how Kevin had told him that if Roy ever tried anything, Kevin would have his back. He had never taken that seriously. “Yeah, that’s for that man. That was pretty badass.”
“It was, wasn’t it?!” Kevin said excitedly. Whenever Kevin was excited, his voice stayed exactly the same tone, but his words came faster and took on a slight rhythm. His eyes would light up, and the corners of his mouth would curl upward as if being pulled by a string.
Jim sighed, looking at his reflection. There was no avoiding it, he needed to get stitches. He already knew this would scar. “Hey, Kev, I need a favor. Do you think you could give me a ride to the hospital?”
“Yeah, sure. But why can’t you drive yourself?” Kevin asked.
“I don’t have my car, someone gave me a ride this morning.”
“Oh, okay.” Kevin nodded, surprisingly understanding. He didn’t push it beyond that. He remembered before he had started dating Stacy. She had been his neighbor, and he had thought that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, better than any girl in a magazine or a movie. He hadn’t dared to talk to her; what could she ever see in him? He was middle-aged, balding, overweight, boring…the list went on forever. He had pined over her secretly for months. But then one day her car wouldn’t start and she had knocked on his door, asking him if he could jump her car. It was raining, and her hair was plastered to her head and her makeup was running. She was still beautiful. He ran outside to help her, fully aware that he would be late for work. And then in one, magical moment, he had made her laugh. He hadn’t been trying to, but he made her laugh.
So yeah, Kevin knew how Jim was feeling.
XXxXxXxXx
Pam sat in a stall of the women’s room, crying. She felt like she was crying all the time lately. She looked down at her feet, her toes pointed inward. Sometimes she wished she could wear sexier high heels, like Karen did. But something kept her from it, and every morning she still put on her boring, brown flats. Apparently, fancy new Beesley could break off a ten year relationship and completely restructure her life, but she was still afraid of high heels.
Pam was just starting to compose herself, when someone knocked on the stall door and pushed in inward. She expected Phyllis or something, but when she looked up and saw Karen, her stomach dropped. “Hey.” Karen said in a soft voice, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. When Pam saw how Karen’s eyes were ringed in red like her own, the guilt felt like it was choking her and she started crying again.
“I-I’m sorry…” Pam sniffled, pulling more toilet paper from the dispenser. “I…” her voice trailed off, unsure of what to say.
“What’re you sorry for?” Karen said dryly, although her voice was still rough from tears. “I’m sorry for telling you that you should get together with Roy.”
Pam choked, caught between laughing and crying. “I’m sorry for…everything.” Pam said, feeling helpless. She didn’t even know quite what she was sorry for. For befriending Karen and not being upfront about her feelings for Jim? Karen had moved from Connecticut to be with Jim; Pam didn’t want to do anything to ruin that. She was pretty sure that her feelings for Jim were now unreturned.
“The thing is,” Karen sighed “I don’t think any of us have done anything wrong. We’re caught in this…situation, but none of us did anything to deserve it.” Karen felt her lower lip begin to tremble, and she bit it tightly to make it stop, to control herself. “Just…just do something for me?”
Pam nodded. “Of course.”
“Tell me everything.” Karen couldn’t stop a tear from rolling down her cheek. “The whole truth, even if it hurts. Everything.”
Pam looked up at Karen, who stood there twisting her hands. Even with her plum-colored lipstick and her silky straight hair, and her neatly pressed slacks and her fancy high-heels, she was still just a girl. Just a girl, who liked a boy. Pam handed her some toilet paper to wipe her cheeks dry. “Okay.” she said softly. “Everything.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Sometimes in the office, the bathrooms are the only sanctuary.
LadyLuck is the author of 5 other stories.
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