Disclaimer: I don't own How I Met Your Mother but the characters and storylines are my own
A/N: What's happening? I'll tell you what, Pippa, Alexis and Zander graduated! ^_^ Oh, I am just way too enthusiastic! :P
A/N 2: An incredibly grateful thanks to anyone who has favourite, followed or reviewed this story, this is my favourite story! I'm trying to stick to an update once a week so here's chapter 3, keep the reviews coming
Episode 03 – Pippa the-?
"So what were you guys up to after you graduated from Columbia?" Ashleigh asked.
I assumed she was interested, seeing as we had been preparing to look at the different universities for Blake to attend soon.
"Well Zander had secured a place at the hospital, which was just on the other side of town to our new apartment, and I was busy looking for work. It was a little dis-heartening that I had been rejected twice before by leading newspapers…"
"What about Alexis, Mom? She can't have gone into art history and archaeology. What jobs can you have in those subjects?" Sydney wrinkled her nose.
"There's loads you can do with practically any major, Sydney." Blake informed his youngest sister before his head lolled around back to me.
"Okay you two, now for move in day!" I smiled cheerfully.
Flashback – Move in day
"Come on Pippa! Quit staring at the door and open it!" Alexis pleaded from the other side of the door.
"This is ridiculous Lexi." I sighed. She was insisting that I open the door to our apartment for the first time like it was some silly christening. "We really should empty the last few boxes."
"Boxes smoxes! Come on Pippa!" Alexis laughed joyfully. I guess it was just Alexis' way of putting off unpacking and the whole job hunt.
"Yeah Pippa, don't be such a buzzkill." Nic taunted from inside my apartment.
"Alright, alright." I murmured, slotting the key in the keyhole and turning it. Flinging the door open, I burst inside. "The fun has arrived!" I exclaimed.
"Well, the fun has got a few boxes of her own stuff to fit in a much smaller room." Nic smirked, holding out a beer to me. I shook my head, taking a box into my room. I opened the door to the wardrobe and was attacked by some previously undisturbed dust.
"Oh man!" I coughed and spluttered.
"What's wrong with you now?" Nic moaned, appearing in the doorway. "Oh wow." He held back the laughter once he noticed the dust particles floating about the room. "What is that?"
I looked at where he was pointing. There was an old Macy's shoebox. Nic pulled it off the shelf and kept it in his hands, throwing the lid onto my bed. "Woah. Erm, okay Pippa. I'm up for trying new things but-"
"Hang on a second. What is this?" I moved towards him and looked into the box. I bit my bottom lip as my eyes grew wide. "Wait, you thought this was my stuff when it was already in the wardrobe, didn't you? Smart cookie."
"I thought you might have." I held up a pair of fluffy handcuffs and dropped them back in the box, glaring at my boyfriend. "Okay, I take it back, oh, a photo. Wowza!" I snatched the photo and the box from Nic and left my bedroom.
"Lexi, do we have a rubbish pile?" I called through to the kitchen where Alexis was unpacking the box of kitchen plates and utensils. Zander came out with an empty cardboard box.
"What's that Pippa?" Zander plucked the photo from my hand. "Wow, they are massive!"
"Zander." I snapped, shoving the photo back in the shoebox. "It is not my photo. It must have been the previous owners. And I am getting rid of it before you make some snide comment." I put the box by the door and returned to my room.
"Nic? Where did you get that?" I gaped at a beautiful, wooden chest of drawers. "I love it." I added, running my hand along it.
"I'm glad you like it. I thought of you when I saw it." Nic smiled, pulling me close. "Now that we are alone."
"No Nic; I still have to unpack. You can help me fill this chest of drawers or, you can hook up the TV. Take your pick." Nic walked out my bedroom, and I began unpacking the neatly packed boxes. Embedded in the clothes were some photos in shiny, silver frames.
One of me and my parents, a graduation photo, and one of me and Nic. I spent a while rearranging them on top of the chest.
"Pippa, if you're finished, are you coming out for a drink?" Zander peered around the door and smiled. "You like the chest then?"
"Yes. Nic got it for me; it's just perfect. I love it." I smiled, "Let me grab my coat and I'll be right with you." Zander left the room and I followed, grabbing an old leather jacket from the coat stand. "Where are we even going, guys?"
"We are going to find somewhere we can hang out. This is New York, remember?" Zander grinned, putting his arm over Alexis' shoulder. "Seeing as I've got the night off, it only makes sense we find somewhere together."
"Shut up Zander." Alexis groaned as she locked the door. We walked downstairs and out the building. "What about that place right over there?" Alexis pointed across the street at what looked like a bar. It was a small bar with bright, colorful lights shining out the windows.
I noticed something about it that didn't imply we could hang about there without being distracted.
"Oh Alexis, I'm up for new things, but, isn't that a strip club?" Nic elbowed Alexis, who began to blush in embarrassment.
"What is wrong with that, Nic?" I asked.
"I'm sorry Pippa, but why would I want to stare at another woman when I am with the best one in the world right here?" He squeezed my shoulders. "Come on, let's get going."
We walked along the busy street and, when I heard the cheers and joyful screams, I knew we had found a bar to go to. The name was great: Fishbowl. It could have been better, but at least it had character.
"What about this place?" I said, already pushing the door open and stepping inside; the others shrugged and piled in after me. "I like it." I smiled. "Where do you guys want to sit?"
"You get the drinks and we'll decide. Okay?" Alexis replied before weaving her way over to a circular booth. I made my way over to the bar where I paused. What did they even want to drink? Oh well - it's my choice now!
"Four beers." I smiled weakly at the bartender.
"Why, hello." I turned to see a guy standing right there next to me. "I think you have been looking for me for a long time now. Stinson, Barney Stinson." He winked at me, and I tried my hardest to keep a straight face.
"That's real nice, Barney Stinson, but, I'm here with my boyfriend and we are very happy. But should I need you, I'll know where to find you." I took the beers off the bar and walked towards the booth where Alexis, Zander and Nic had sat down.
"Who was that guy Pippa?" Nic asked protectively.
"Oh, some guy called Barney Stinson or something like that. It was nothing really. So, what did I miss?"
"Well, I was just saying how I've had no luck with the job hunt." Alexis sighed, taking a swig of beer. "But Zander's got good news; right sweetie?"
"Yeah, I've settled in just fine, but they've put me on reception doing filing. I know I'm only training to be a nurse, but I was expecting to do a little more – but enough about us. What about you Pippa? How's the job hunt going for you?"
"Well, eh." I shrugged. "I've tried to hand in my resume to the newspaper firms, but I'm a little apprehensive." I noticed Alexis' extremely bright and cheerful expression. "What's going on? I know that look."
"Nothing." Alexis stretched her arms out in front of her, resting them on the table. At first, I thought she was wearing an engagement ring, but she wasn't.
"Zander, would you mind coming with me to get the next round of drinks?" Nic asked. Zander nodded as he stood up and slipped out the booth.
"Sure thing buddy."
"Okay Pippa. So you know how you put your portfolio together throughout university?" Alexis paused, unable to stop grinning. "I sent it in to the New York Times."
"What? You did what? Oh, Alexis, why on earth would you do that?" I didn't know whether to be happy or worried, but what she had done was amazing. "Thank you for doing that, Lexi. I don't think I would have ever handed my resume in to the New York Times. They are far better than the places I was rejected by. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; I haven't got an interview there yet, let alone a job."
I looked over at Nic, who was still in deep conversation with Zander. I tried to read Zander's expression, but something Nic said made him glance straight at me. It was the look itself that got to me. It was a mix of different emotions. Concern, sadness, confusion, worry.
"Pippa, Pippa. You're staring again." Alexis shook my arm gently.
"What? Oh nothing. I was just looking for Nic and Zander."
"Yes, they are our boyfriends. How cool." We both burst into laughter as our boyfriends returned.
"What's so funny you two?" Nic asked, sitting down beside me, propping his arm up on the seat.
"Nothing. We were just thinking about how crazy things are now. I mean, we've all got our degrees, an apartment, and a place to hang out. Things are good." I smiled, kissing Nic's cheek. Again, I noticed a tense look from Zander and couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something, but I didn't want to spoil the night by bringing attention to it.
Once we finished our beers, we made our way back to our apartments. Alexis and I climbed the many flights of stairs before finally getting back into our apartment. I tossed my coat on the rack and headed for my room.
"Wait, Pippa. We agreed that we would sort out this last box. We need to decide whether we will get rid of it, give to a charity shop, or package off to the 'rents."
"Okay, let me just check my emails. You know, I'm really thankful that Nic and Zander were able to heave this hunk of junk up those stairs." I logged onto my computer, plugging into the internet connections. "There's an email from - from the New York Times. Alexis, they want to see me tomorrow."
"Oh my gosh, Pippa. I don't know what to say." She paused momentarily and then beamed at me. "I know; you want to thank me for sending your portfolio in behind your back, but you want me to forget that I ever did that in order for you to have secured the job on your own, as I recall you mentioning at graduation." I had to hand it to her; she was dead on the money.
"I couldn't have said it better myself." I squealed in delight; the New York Times wanted to see me, Pippa Forest, tomorrow! "Thank you so much, Alexis. Without you, this wouldn't have been possible."
"Coming from the girl who said on graduation that she basically didn't want any help in finding a job, you've certainly changed her tune." I raised my eyebrows and she raised hers at me.
"Thank you Alexis!" I threw my arms around her, squeezing her tightly as she froze. "Okay, let's get to this box that needs sorting." Alexis picked up a box from the table by the door and placed it on the couch.
"Right." I said, opening up the box. "Wow." We looked at the content of the box.
Alexis picked up an old cuckoo clock. "I don't know about you, but this is not going up in the apartment."
"Agreed," I said cheerfully. The next item was a large, orange cuddle-sweater. Effectively, two jumpers that had been sown together. "Keep." I said, snatching it up, holding it close.
"I might have to start calling you hoarder. Why do you want it?"
"Because the hoarder and her boyfriend like to cuddle up in it all the time."
"You weirdos." Alexis laughed as she picked out the next item, a photo frame. She took the photo out of it, scrunched it up and threw it in the bin before putting the frame in the box by the door.
"No, no, what was that?" I went over to the bin. "Oh." I said looking down at the scrunched photo of her, her art history and archaeology professor, and Billy. "Never mind." Alexis had already decided the fate of the next few items, and had begun putting them on the shelf above the computer or the charity box, until she pulled out the last two items.
"I didn't know I still had this." She held up a telescope and its stand in her arms. "Um, I should really get rid of this."
"No." I protested. "You put that in your room." Alexis shook her head, propping it by the door.
"We just don't have the room for it." Alexis sighed, shivering a bit. "Night Pippa."
"Night Alexis," I said, but the door to her room was already closed.
I crept over to the door and picked up the telescope, taking it back to my room. I put it at the back of the shelf in the wardrobe where the sex box was.
The next morning, I left the apartment early, ready and trying to prepare myself for, the interview with the New York Times. When I got there, I grabbed a chocolate muffin from the vendor outside. By the time I had finished, the time had come to be interviewed. I was directed to the sixth floor, where I stepped sheepishly out of the elevator.
"You must be Pippa Forest. Come with me. We were just waiting on you." A woman wearing a smart suit came towards me. The suit was identical to mine with a few shades of color between them. "Fresh out of Columbia? You must be special to get an interview. Some people here don't even read the applicant's work."
"Well, this wasn't my idea. My roommate and best friend handed my portfolio in." The woman opened a glass door, and I was gently nudged into the room. At the other end of the room, on the other side of the table I assumed I was going to sit at, were three editors of various sections. To say it was intimidating would be an understatement. I shook hands confidently with each editor.
"Take a seat, Miss Forest," the one female editor said. She passed some sheets to the men who sat on either side of her. "It's an impressive portfolio, Miss Forest." Her eyes were fixed on me, as if she wanted me to say something stupid.
"Thank you. I have been compiling it before I started at Columbia."
"Right, so what puts you above the other candidates, Miss Forest?"
"Pippa, well, I am a dedicated individual who goes the extra mile-"
"But you didn't hand this in yourself?" The woman raised her eyebrows and smirked.
"Indeed. I did not. I didn't think I would be good enough for the New York Times. It's such a big newspaper that the thought never crossed my mind. I only found out that my portfolio was handed in yesterday, but I made impulsive decisions and, most times, they are the right ones. I was recently rejected by a newspaper in Chicago, but your firm is the first firm to have seen this portfolio. I am a creative, determined, and enthusiastic person who can be independent, which makes me a great journalist."
"Well you are quite the wordsmith Miss For- Pippa. I am thoroughly impressed." The editor on the right smiled at me, even though a nasty look was shot his way from the woman.
"Thank you."
"Where do you see yourself in five years, Miss Forest?" The woman glared at me behind her square glasses. "Successful? An editor at the top of her game? We've heard it all before you know."
"But we could still hear her out, couldn't we?" The other man, the editor sitting on the left extended a flat hand to me. "Miss Forest?"
"Well, yes, in five years, I hope to see myself as a journalist. I hope to be doing my best at what I love. Most of all, I want to be happy."
"Okay, any other questions, Loretta?"
"No." The woman looked down, scribbling down a few notes.
"I think you'll fit in nicely here." The men nodded in agreement. "Don't you think so, Loretta?"
"I suppose." Loretta dropped her glasses onto the table. "Congratulation Miss Forest. The job is yours."
Present day
"That Loretta was a total bit-"
"Ashleigh! Admittedly, yes, she was, but that is beside the point. I was moving on in my life."
Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = Another chapter done, this one was a bit longer! So what do you think Nic confided in Zander about?
In the next chapter, Zander complains about being put on reception and gets to look after his first patient
