{Chapter Two}

I wake up to a cover of some song and groan, slamming my hand on the alarm clock. My sheets cling to my sweaty body, making me question just what I had been dreaming about. I don't think it was a nightmare, it doesn't feel like it. If anything I feel like it was a good dream. Those thoughts quickly flee my mind though when my phone rings. I pick it up, knowing it's Lydia seeing as she's the only one who would dare to call me this early.

"Hey, Lyd." I greet.

"Damn, how do you always know it's me?" Lydia questions in honest surprise and wonder. I roll my eyes, sliding out of the bed to get clothes ready for a shower.

"I'm psychic, now why did you call?" I demand, tossing a gray shirt onto my bed before I realize I probably should try to look a bit more professional considering I have to go to Mom's work. Then again, I hate dressing up so I won't bother.

"Can you pick me up? My mom left already and my dad's car got impounded so I need a ride." Lydia explains, breaking me from my earlier thoughts and sending surprise rushing through me.

"Impounded? How?" I inquire, grabbing a pair of jeans and a clean pair of black boxers before I head into my bathroom. I put the phone on speaker for a few minutes so I can close the door and discard my clothes.

"I don't know, he probably left it at a strip club or something." Lydia explains with a snort while I turn the shower on.

"Your dad wouldn't go to a strip club, the man freaks out when a guy on TV takes his shirt off." I deadpan, reaching out to put my hand under the water so I can test the temperature. It's still a bit chilly so I hold off on hanging up on Lydia.

"It was a joke. Are you in the shower?" She demands and I sigh.

"No, if I was in the shower I wouldn't be on the phone with you. I'm just getting ready to take a shower." I explain.

"Alright, well, I'm going to get going. I'll talk to you later, and don't forget to pick me up." She adds before the line goes dead and I sigh. I get into the shower, allowing the scalding water to cascade down my body and relax my muscles before I begin to wash my hair then body.

I quickly get out of the shower, knowing I don't have much time left to get to school since I'm picking up Lydia. I put on my clothes, and wipe the condensation from the mirror so I can attempt to fix my unruly golden blond curls. I eventually give up on attempting to fix the mess and instead go back into my room to grab everything I'll need today.

I get into my car, allowing myself to marvel slightly at the beautiful beast. I have to admit, the car was by far the best surprise my parents have ever given me. This car is far better than my first car; my first car was a rusted Ford something that my parents got at a junk yard for less than five hundred dollars. They made me fix it, since it wouldn't actually run right in the first place. I had to rebuild the whole engine from scratch, alone. But I admit, it was pretty fun and I still kind of miss my old car.

Those thoughts are soon dismissed though when I park in front of Lydia's house. She's already halfway to my car before I'm even in park and she slides into the passengers seat not a minute later, shuddering. I arch a brow at that while I pull away from the curb, heading to school.

"What happened this time?" I question, knowing her parents probably said something to her, explaining why she shuddered, something she only does when she's nervous or anxious. I find the reaction quite odd, though I'd never admit that to her or she'd probably murder me.

"I have to shadow my mom, and she works in a dusty old law firm that specializes in zoning laws. Plus, she wasn't exactly happy to find out I had to go with her to work for a month." She explains with a roll of her eyes and a snort. Though I know that's just a show to cover up her obvious hurt knowing her mom is embarrassed of her.

"That sucks, at least you don't have to shadow your dad though." I add optimistically because her dad is far worse than her mom. Far more embarrassed of her. Plus, her dad works in a factory that makes envelopes so it wouldn't be much more fun than a law firm.

"That's true, at least Mom can stand to stay in the same room as me." She mutters, obviously trying to make a joke but her tone is bitter.

"Lydia," I start but she waves her hand in an attempt to shush me.

"Don't worry about it, I don't care, really." She assures, though it's an obvious lie. I decide not to push the subject though and instead put the car in drive so I can begin to drive to school. The drive is full of silence, the only thing filling it is the soft music of Red Hot Chili Peppers playing through the speakers softly. When we get to school Lydia immediately leaves the car, leaving me alone to gather my things and get out of the car. I walk to my first period class, hoping the day will end soon as I slide into my usual seat.

By the time the lunch bell goes off I'm already drained, ready for the day to be over. I go into the cafeteria alone, silently wondering if Lydia is still in a foul mood. I get some donuts and coffee from the lunch line, before I begin the walk towards my car.

I eat in the car, knowing I probably won't get the chance at my mom's work and if I don't leave now I won't make it to Mom's work in time. I finish my food and start driving towards her work, dreading the next month. I don't exactly feel like spending the next month at a clothing design business, that's going to be so boring.

Nonetheless I continue the drive, parking in the large, empty parking lot where the office is. I kill the engine and reluctantly slide out of my car, scanning the parking lot. There's only two other cars here, one of them being my mom's small blue Impala. I walk towards the three story building, wondering which story my mom's company is on. When I get closer to the front doors, however, I realize the entire building is the company.

I walk through the double doors, shivering slightly at the chill in the office and immediately walk up the what seems to be the receptionist desk. The woman sitting behind the dark red wood desk—with perfectly styled red hair, bright green eyes, too much makeup, and a tight black cocktail dress—glances up at me in boredom.

"May I help you?" she all but sneers, most likely irritated that I interrupted her time on what looks like Facebook on her iMac computer. Nonetheless I smile at her, wanting to make a good first impression so I won't have to deal with her being a bitch the whole month.

"Actually, I'm Levy Newark. My mom--"

"Oh! Of course, Mrs. Newark told us her son would be here for the next month. I just didn't realize you would look so, casual." She adds, still a bit of a rude tone to her voice as if she feels superior to me. I understand why she says this though, she expected me to wear suite and look like one of those old guys who hate their jobs. I feel my eyes twitch at that, my irritation at her beginning to become stronger than my intent in staying calm. However, before I can blow up at her for being so irritating, a voice interrupts us.

"Julie, stop talking to Mr. Newark and do your job or I'll allow you to be fired, get it?" the voice nearly growls. The woman, Julie, nods meekly and begins furiously typing on her computer, her entire face turning red with embarrassment. I turn to face the owner of the strong voice, and I feel my breath catch in my throat.

The man in front of me has golden brown hair of silk, black eyeliner around his gorgeous dark golden-like eyes. A sleeve of intricate ink drawings of Celtic designs flowing through numerous black flowers cover both his arms and disappear under his short sleeved V-neck shirt. The permanent black ink covers not only his arms, but also the top of his hands, and I suspect on his chest also considering I can see the same soft ink peeking out from under the visible part of his chest.

"Hello, you must by Levy Newark, your mother mentioned you would be here for the month. I'm Jeremiah Cole, but you can call me Jer if you'd like." The man greets, extending his hand towards me. I shake his hand, attempting to come up with something, anything, to say.

"Um, yeah." I clear my throat, embarrassed that I couldn't find anything better to say.

"Come on, Levy, your mother works over here." He explains and as he begins walking away I follow. I admire the way his body moves, and I speak before I can even realize what I'm saying.

"I actually have to observe all the workers, which is why I have thirty days to do this. So I have to observe you all work." I blurt out, coughing awkwardly. He turns to me and smiles softly.

"Okay, well let's go see your mother and she can go ahead and explain everything from there." He explains and I nod in agreement as I trail behind him once more.

"Oh, Levy!" I look up in surprise to see my mother stand from her previous position in front of her desk. "I thought you would get lost, would you like to sit down?" She asks me, pointing towards a chair behind an empty desk. I glance at Jeremiah in slight interest, deciding I'd rather get to know him better.

"Actually, I'm supposed to observe all the workers. How many workers are there?" I ask in confusion because so far I only count three including my mom. She looks at me in confusion as if what I just asked was stupid.

"Oh Hon, I thought you knew it was only me, Jer, and Julie." She explains and I stare at her in surprise.

"Wait what?" I question. That means I'll have to spend most of my time with Jeremiah, since Julie seems to be unimportant to this company as she only greets people. Well, this will be a fun month.