Disclaimer: I don't own the office. I own my life...I think.
Summary: This is a series of one-shots of minor characters on the show, "The Office". It is taken from a fly on the wall perspective and shows a day in a life with them.
A/N: I have been wanting to do this for a while. I started a long time ago with "The New Employee", featuring Toby, but never thought to continue... until now. These are just one-shot stories. They will start and finish, and they won't continue. If I get a good following, I might pick one of the more popular ones and create a full-length story. I'm putting you in control here. I am sealing my own destiny... in a good way. Here we go...
A Day in a Life of the Minors
Stanley: Melissa's First Date
Stanley was sitting in his usual chair that was kitty-cornered to the television. As he was watching the news, he began to realize that his little girl will be in the world, alone, with a boy. That night was the night. That night was when doom would come knocking on my door and beckon his cub into the bear trap known as "Dating". Oh, sweet mother of God.
Terri walked from the kitchen and sat next to her husband on the couch. "Almost time."
Stanley grunted, "Mmmhmm."
Terri rolls her eyes, "Just think, Melissa is going on her first real date. Isn't this exciting?"
Stanley groaned, "Hmm."
Terri giggled, "Would you relax?" She rubbed his shoulder, "Calm down, Stan. Don't get yourself all worked up."
Stanley smacked his lips, "I'm not getting all worked all." His mind is telling another story. "I'm fine." He nodded than slowly looks stern, "Who's this boy, anyway?"
Terri chuckled, "He's a boy in Melissa's class. He seems very respectable and well-mannered."
Stanley chuckled, "Oh, I know he's respectable, taking my out my child -
Terri rubbed his arm, "It's just one date."
Stanley shook his head, "That's all it gonna be, too."
Terri stands up, "She's so excited and everything. She's been talking to Clarissa all afternoon." Terri looks up at Stanley expectantly, "Just relax, alright?"
Stanley nodded, agreeing with his wife, "Fine."
Upstairs, Melissa was talking to her best friend on her cell phone, "So, yeah. Me and Jake are supposed to go see that new scary movie, 'Cloverfield'. It's supposed to be super scary. So when I get scared, I can hide in his arms." She started to giggle.
Clarissa giggled too, "You are so bad."
Melissa flipped her hair, "I know, right? Anyway, we're supposed to be going to 'Big Boy Burger' for dinner and maybe Cugino's for desert."
Clarissa squealed, "Ohmigosh, you know who works at Big Boy -
Melissa rolled her eyes, "Duh."
Clarissa giggled, "Becca Townsend is just gonna die!"
Melissa nodded into the phone, "I know, right?"
Clarissa laughed, "She's had a crush on Jake since like the 7th grade. All she ever talks about is him."
Melissa giggled, "Yeah. Well... she would have been cool if she wasn't such a skank. I mean, she is like always staring at him and stuff. It's completely sad." Both girls started to giggle and laugh some more.
Clarissa slowly silenced, "Um... Melissa?"
Melissa was picking out makeup on her dresser, "What?"
Clarissa cleared her throat, "Are you scared?"
Melissa scoffed, "Scared of what?"
Clarissa nervously chuckled, "Well... you know... you and Jake..."
Melissa rolled her eyes, "Oh please, me and Jake already went to first base."
Clarissa gasped, "Ohmigosh, when?"
Melissa giggled, "Last week at the football game, underneath the bleachers. It was when we left to get some more nachos."
Clarissa registering giggled, "So that's where you two went. I thought you forgot me or something."
Melissa giggled, "I would never do that." She laughed some more when she realized that it was 7:03. Jake was supposed to be there by 7:30. "I gotta go. I'll give you a detailed play-by-play tonight."
Clarissa chuckled, "You better."
Melissa giggled, "Okay. Love ya, bitch."
Clarissa laughed, "Later, slut." They both made kissing sounds into their phones and hung up.
Melissa was looking through her closet, "Okay, I have to have the perfect outfit. Something that says, 'I like you but I could do better.' Yes, exactly." She started pulled items and laying them on her bed. She picked up the first bottom, which was a hot pink mini. She shook her head, "No, too sluty." She picked up the next bottom, which were a pair of dark denim crop pants, "Gross, last season." She tossed them in the corner of her closet. She picked up the last bottom from her bed, a pair of denim jeans with a sequined rose up the leg, "Ohmigosh, I forgot I had these." She put them back on her bed and picked up a white camisole, "Yuck. Looks like something Becca Townsend would wear." She threw it next to her discarded crop pants. She pulled out a yellow camisole. "'Maybe' pile." she placed it on a corner of her bed, away from her jeans. She pulled out a mint green baby doll dress. "Yes, this is definitely it. God, I'm gonna look so hot." She paired it up with a moss green cotton blazer and went into the bathroom.
Downstairs, Stanley had left his chair and was pacing, "Humph." He checked his watch, "The boy's late."
Terri rolled her eyes, "He's not late. It's only 7:21. He's not even due 'til 7:30." She came up behind Stanley and patted his back. "Would you just relax. It's just one date."
Stanley smacked hos lips, "That's all it takes." He plopped back down in his chair and stared back at the television, plotting a way to murder this boy and not be caught.
Terri sat down next to him on the armrest, "C'mere." She pulled Stanley into a one-armed embrace, "Melissa is just growing up, okay. We all have to sometime. Audrey grew up and went to college and Melissa will be graduating next year. She's a young adult now and these things just happen." She gave him a consoling smile. "Melissa is smart and bright and I'm sure her date is the very same. They'll be fine."
Stanley shook his head, "I'm not worried about Melissa. I'm worried about that twit whose coming to my door tonight and taking away my child." He crossed his arms and gave the door a mean glare.
Terri chuckled, "I know, you're big papa bear, protecting his cub and all that."
Stanley nodded, "Damn right. She's just a child -
Terri interrupted, "A young adult. She's a young adult now."
Stanley smacked his lips, "She's still my child."
Terri laughed, "Of course she's still yours. She'll always be your little girl, but she isn't a little girl anymore." She looked down and grabbed Stanley's chin, "Besides, when Baby cub leaves the cave, Mama and Papa Bear have the cave all to ourselves." She gave him a seductive smirk.
Stanley lightened up a bit, "Well... I guess there's some merit in this after -
Just than, the doorbell rang, signifying that 'doom' had arrived. Stanley semi-chipper mood had vanished from sight and all that was left was the omniscient feeling of despise. Terri walked to the door and let Melissa's date in.
Jake walked into the living room with two bouquet of flowers. He had on a pair of dark blue jeans, a black button-up and a black cotton blazer. He smiled at Terri, "These are for you, Mrs. Hudson." He handed them to her, smiling from ear-to-ear.
Terri took them, "Well... thank you. This is certainly unexpected. Stan, wasn't that nice of Jake to bring me flowers."
Stanley gave Jake a cold stare, "Hmm."
Jake cleared his throat, extending his hand, "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hudson. Melissa has told me a lot about you."
Stanley grunted, "Mmmhmm." A cold, awkward silence fell between the two. Jake took back his hand and stuffed it in his pocket, looking sheepish.
Terri cleared her throat to break the tension, "Well... I'll just put these in some water. Jake, would you like anything to drink while you wait."
Jake nodded, "Thank you, that would be nice." As Terri left into the kitchen, Jake stood by the door, afraid to take a seat.
Stanley continued to stare Jake down, trying to figure this kid out. He was surprised that he brought two bouquets for his wife and daughter. He thought it was a nice gesture, but who was this kid playing at? What was his motive? What was this kid's deal, anyway? He was going to say the same thing when Jake spoke up, "So, Mr. Hudson. Melissa told me that you're into crossword puzzles."
Stanley was caught off guard by Jake's statement. Why would Melissa tell this kid he liked crossword puzzles. Was that the only thing Melissa told him about me? Was that the only nice thing she had to say about me? That I like crossword puzzles? What was this kid's angle, anyhow? What was he playing at? He thinks he can crack me by that statement alone, he's got another think coming. "Yes, I do a crossword from time to time."
Jake nodded, "Yeah, she said that you do them a lot at work. That's pretty cool."
Stanley was going to say why was his daughter telling him all this but he didn't want this kid to see any weaknesses so early in the game. Stanley nodded, "I do, but I also have some free time on my hands so I decided I ccoul use that time to exercise my brain."
Jake nodded, "That's really cool. I like doing puzzles too." Jake smiled and started to walk by the couch. "May I have a seat?"
Stanley took a moment to think about the question. May he have a seat? Hmm. Do I want to give a seat to the punkass who taking out my child? He looked over at Jake and nodded, "Go ahead."
Jake sat down, "Thank you, sir." He looked around the living room, taking it all in, "You have quite a collection of art here, Mr. Hudson."
Stanley was getting tired of the small chitchat that they were developing. What he really wanted to do was take him out in the back and beat him within an inch of his life, but he wasn't feeling that well and his back was still hurting him from a run-in with Dwight that previous morning. He looked at the blue-eyed, jet black haired demon on his couch, waiting for his daughter in his house, but there was something that he couldn't put his finger on. Something was too familiar with this kid. Something that burned his very core. He looked at Jake, who had an irritatingly familiar vacant expression on his face that made Stanley want to scream. Why does this kid look so familiar?
At that moment, Terri screamed from the kitchen, "I'll be right out. I gotta clean these dishes."
Stanley knew this was his chance to talk to this kid one-on-one before his wife came back into the living room. Stanley stood up and walked to a chair closer to the couch where Jake was sitting. Jake smiled as Stanley grew closer. Jake was going to say something when Stanley spoke in a very low, foreboding voice, "Listen here, kid. You will be taking my Melissa out this evening. That is my child, do you understand me?" Jake smile was wiped clean from his face, nodding. "You are taking out my youngest daughter out tonight, so I just want to make a few things clear." He started to count on his hand, "If you hurt my child... I'll kill you. If you yell at my child... I'll kill you. If you lay a forceful hand on my child... I'll kill you. And if you ever try to take advantage of my child, ever..." He got really close to Jake and whispered, "Let me assure you, they will never find your remains."
Jake looked at Stanley, who possessed a similar quality to a mean teacher who had just given his student a failing grade that would require him to go to summer school. Stanley looked almost as if he enjoyed tauting him with threats of death and torture. Jake tried to play it cool, clearing his throat, "No worries, Mr. Hudson. Melissa is in the best care. I respect your daughter very much and I will continue to respect her."
Stanley nodded, "Oh, I know you will." He walked back over to his chair and continued to stare Jake down, with a slightly menacing smirk on his face. Stanley chuckled to himself. Got him.
At that moment, Terri came out of the kitchen, handing Jake a glass of soda. Jake took it, "Thank you." As he was drinking, Stanley continued to stare at him and nodding his head. Jake was trying not to crack under pressure but couldn't help but be paralyzed under the glare of Stanley's baleful eyes.
All the tension was broken however when Melissa walked down the stairs, looking sweet in her mint green dress with jeans. She spotted the flowers in Jake's hand. "Ohmigosh, Jacob Howard!" She threw her arms around Jake and took the bouquet, smelling them for all they were worth. "You shouldn't have." She turned to Terri, "Aren't they gorgeous?" She smelled them again and smiled from ear-to-ear. "I'll go put these in water." She ran toward the kitchen to grab a vase.
Stanley had just registered why this kid looked so familiar and why he seemed so powerless to his 'staredown'. "Did Melissa just say that your last name was Howard?"
Jake brightened up for the first time since Stanley and his 'discussion'. "Yeah."
Stanley nodded, "Do you know a 'Ryan Howard'?"
Jake smiled even wider, "Yeah, that's my brother. He's the one who lent me the car. He's lives in New York now. You know him?"
Stanley nodded, "Yeah, you can say that." Stanley chuckled to himself. Son of a bitch.
Melissa came back out of the kitchen and had a flower stuck behind her ear. She smiled at Jake, "You like?"
Jake smiled back, "I love it. It looks great. You look ..." He eyed Stanley, who had the same menacing expression on his face. Jake swallowed, "Let's get going, the movie starts at 8:45." He was about to take her hand, when he backed up and looked at Stanley's direction again, who was still staring, only this time, he was nodding again.
Terri kissed Melissa on the cheek, "You two have a nice time together. Melissa needs to be home by midnight." She fixed the flower in her hair and smiled, "You look adorable, honey."
Melissa smiled, "Thanks, Terri." She rolled her eyes and gave her a peck on the cheek. She turned swiftly around and grabbed Jake's hand, "C'mon, let's go."
She was pulling him toward the door when Stanley approached the door, "Aren't you gonna say anything to me?"
Melissa rolled her eyes again, "Dad, we gotta go. The movie starts like in an hour." She looked at the expression on her father's face and nodded, "Okay." She gave him a quick peck the cheek and proceeded to pull Jake out the door.
Stanley grabbed Jake's shoulder, "Just one last thing." Melissa turned around and was about to say something when Stanley said, "Go wait in the car, sweetheart." Melissa smacked her lips and obeyed.
As Jake watched the prettiest girl in his class walk up to the car and take a seat in the front next to his, her father whispered in his ear, "I'm watching you. I'll always be watching you." Jake's throat went dry as he nodded and walked the rest of the way to the car.
As he got in, he looked to his right and saw Melissa smiling at him. Even though her father was the scariest man he ever met in his life, and that he knows that talk shred a few years off his life, it was all worth to be sitting in car with the prettiest girl he knew.
Melissa sighed, "Sorry about my dad. He can be a little much, sometimes."
Jake nodded, "Yeah, I can see that." They both chuckled as they pulled out the driveway and headed off to the cinema.
Stanley watched them drive away and a bit of his heart drove along with him. His daughter was gone now. He couldn't give anymore threats of torture, no more menacing glares, no more baleful stares. She was really gone. As he thought about the boy who was taking her out, he realized that he was a decent kid and he figured that he would take good care of his baby girl. As he closed the door, he had to chuckle and finally realize that those Howard brothers just got 'A Jones' for his kin.
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More to come. In the next one-shot, we get to see a day in the life of a certain red-head. I think this is going to be a fun series. I hope you think so, too.
Just get it over with so we both can sleep soundly tonight. REVIEW!!!
