Cat rubbed her head, trying to soothe the headache she had gotten from typing a paper for one of her classes. She was 3/4 of the way done, but she knew she needed to take a break before she could finish.

The young woman laid on her couch and closed her eyes. She was amazed that she could focus on her schooling. Resting opened the gates to her memories, and she couldn't stop thinking about the previous evening. That just made her headache worse.

As she took a couple of aspirin, she thought back to how she had acted, how blind rage had taken over her when she found out that man, (if he could have been considered that), had hurt Mr. Peabody. She couldn't tolerate bullying, but that still didn't explain why she had been so violent.

Cat plopped back onto the couch and pondered what she would do now. She couldn't be a waitress again, and if word got around about what she had done, no one would hire her. That would mean she would have to drop out of college and lose her home and basically everything she had worked for. For a moment, she considered leaving New York City and changing her identity and making a new life for herself.

She glanced over at her dining room table which she mostly used as a catch-all and spotted the business card Mr. Peabody had given her. Surely, he couldn't have been serious about hiring her. Would he offer a job simply because she literally threw someone who had caused him harm? She didn't think it would be worth it to Mr. Peabody since he had obviously lost a lot of money giving it to the man. What would he have to gain by giving her employment?

On the other hand, she really liked living where she was at and didn't want to start fresh when she was already trying to build the life she had now. She had spent so much time and effort trying to go through college and had made plans for her future. If working for Mr. Peabody was what was needed to keep her dreams alive, then so be it. She'd have to call the next day, though; it was very late.

It was difficult to be a night owl in a world that functioned in the daytime. Cat felt more alive after sunset; she couldn't help that. She tried to go to bed at a decent time so she could apply for a job first thing in the morning, but she had a hard time getting to sleep. Her mind housed racing thoughts that wouldn't stop no matter how hard she tried to silence them. She ended up taking sleeping pills, which mostly helped her sleep through the night.

When the alarm sounded at 9:00 the next morning, Cat groggily got out of bed. She waited until she was more awake to pick up her phone. Staring at the business card, she hesitated to call the number on it. Finally, she gathered up her courage and dialed the number. She heard a dial tone a few times until she heard a woman's voice pick up say, "Peabody Industries. How may I help you?"

"Hi. Mr. Peabody gave me a business card with this number on it."

"Would you like to set up an appointment with him?"

"Yes, please."

"And your name?"

"Cathleen Young," the young woman replied.

"Alright, Ms. Young. He has Thursday open at 10. Is that alright?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'll let him know and get you scheduled."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Have a nice day."

Cat hung up and put her phone down. Thursday was only two days away. What would she do until then besides take classes? She decided it would be a good idea to update her resume and show proof that she had skills that would be valuable for a job. She would show Mr. Peabody that she was a good employee despite what had happened.

Over the next two days, Cathleen spent her time taking her usual classes and preparing for the interview. She retyped her resume, got copies of papers that showed the grades she had been making in school, and provided links of projects online that she had worked on.

Finally, Thursday morning came. Cat had done her best to go to sleep at a decent time the night before, but that had only somewhat worked. She forced herself to wake up and become alert. She bathed her pale-skinned body and clothed herself in the most professional outfit she had. She smoothed her long, light brown hair and mentally prepared herself for what she would say. She wasn't sure what she was so worried about; it was just an interview, but she couldn't help feeling extremely nervous.

Cat took a cab to Peabody Industries, which was in a wealthier part of the city. She rushed inside, then composed herself before introducing herself to the receptionist. The receptionist notified Mr. Peabody of the young woman's arrival, and soon, Cat was told where to go.

Cat walked down a hallway and stopped in front of a door. She could sense Mr. Peabody's presence behind it. She steadied herself and knocked on the door. She was told to enter, and she did so.

Mr. Peabody was sitting at a desk in the room. "Good morning, Ms. Young. It is nice to see you. Please, have a seat." He gestured to a chair in front of his desk.

Cat sat down, smiling, politely. "Good morning, Mr. Peabody," she said. She winced. Bright sunlight was pouring in through the blinds, and even though she tried to hide her discomfort, the canine noticed it, immediately.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"Nothing. I'm alright."

"Is the sun hitting your eyes? It is rather bright outside. Let me fix it," he said, getting up.

As he closed the blinds, Cat stammered, "No, please, don't go through any trouble."

"It's no trouble at all," he stated. When he was finished, he sat back down. Cat relaxed and was able to look at him with her blue eyes, comfortably. He said, "I am glad you changed your mind about calling. I see you have brought some papers. May I look at them?"

"Of course," Cat replied, handing him the folder she had taken with her. He took it and carefully read through each document.

"So, you're studying computer programming?" he asked, turning on his monitor for his computer.

"Yes, sir. This is my second year in school."

Mr. Peabody nodded, typing in the links she had given him. After looking at all the material, he seemed satisfied. "I am in need of some programmers: dedicated, hardworking ones."

Cat smiled, politely. "I am both of those things, and more. I would not disappoint you."

The canine nodded and held out his paw. "Congratulations, Ms. Young. You're hired."

The young woman's smile transformed from a polite one into a genuinely happy one. "Thank you so much!" she cried out, ecstatic and relieved, shaking his paw.

Mr. Peabody smiled. "You're welcome. You start Monday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Does that work for you?"

Cat nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Wonderful. Clothes like what you are wearing right now will be required, preferably a white shirt and black slacks. Come with a positive attitude and a sharp mind, and you'll do well." With that, he stood up and walked to the door. He turned toward her as he opened it.

Cat stood up and walked to him, shaking his paw again. "Thank you again, Mr. Peabody," she said, gratefully.

"You're very welcome. We will see you on Monday."

Cat left the building with dozens of thoughts racing through her head. She had somehow expected Mr. Peabody to be much more stern and austere during the interview, but that had not been so. He had behaved as he had all the other times she had seen him before: courteous, friendly, and professional. Perhaps, with him, what you saw was what you got, or perhaps that is simply the way he chose to present himself. Either way, she had been pleasantly surprised and was looking forward to working for him.

The young woman didn't have anyone to celebrate the exciting news with, nor did she have money to splurge on anything special as a reward for getting the job, so she simply went home and took classes and resumed with her daily life.

The days passed, quietly. Monday morning came bright and early, and Cat nervously but excitedly got ready. She showered and put on some clean clothes, making sure every detail was perfect until she was satisfied with her appearance. She quickly left her apartment and took a cab to her new workplace. She ran inside as soon as the car stopped in front of the building.

Cat was early, and her sudden, hasty appearance drew the attention of the receptionist. Slightly embarrassed, Cat said, "I'm here for my first day on the job. I'm a programmer."

Before the receptionist could speak, Mr. Peabody's voice was heard from another part of the room. "Good morning, Ms. Young. I'll show you where you need to be." With that, he led her down a hall and into a rather large office with many cubicles. A few people were standing at the side, and Mr. Peabody walked to them. He introduced Cat. "This is Cathleen Young. She is our newest employee. Cathleen, this is Margaret Fletcher, the head of the department you'll be working for."

Margaret was a tall, thin woman dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt and black slacks. She was African-American and had short, neat, black hair. She smiled, courteously, at Cat and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Cathleen," she stated.

"Likewise," the young woman said, trying not to seem nervous. She was introduced to some other employees. After that, Mr. Peabody excused himself. Cat immediately cried out, "Wait!"

He stopped, surprised at her tone. "Yes?" he asked.

"I...I just wanted to ask if there was anything else you wanted to tell me or that I should know," Cathleen stuttered.

"Oh. Margaret can tell you more since you'll be working under her direction." He smiled, warmly, at Cat. "There's nothing to be nervous about. I'm sure you'll all get along and work together well when you need to. I'll see you all later." Mr. Peabody then walked away.

As soon as he left, Cathleen was immediately shown to her cubicle, where Margaret told her the rules and gave her an employee handbook. Cathleen dutifully listened and paid attention, then was given a list of tasks to do for the day. When 9:00 came, she began working.

Cat worked, contently, all day, and she saw Mr. Peabody two other times: once around lunch time (which she almost missed since she was so focused on her work), and the other when it was time for her to go home. The last time, they exchanged a quick and friendly goodbye before going their separate ways.

When Cat left the building, she stood at the side of the street, waiting for a cab to take her home. It was beginning to get dark, and she briefly thought about walking home. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a familiar voice behind her ask, "Do you have a way to get home?"

Turning around, she saw Mr. Peabody walking to her. She nodded. "Yes. I just need to get a cab."

"I can take you home if you need a ride," Mr. Peabody stated.

Cat seemed taken aback by his generosity. "Thank you, but I'll be alright," she declined, politely, smiling to make sure he didn't think she was being rude.

He nodded and told her goodbye again. Shortly afterwards, a cab picked the young woman up and took her home.

When Cat got home, the first thing she noticed was that there was mail in her mailbox. There were a couple of bills, but there was also an envelope addressed to her from a Ms. Edwina Grunion. The name seemed slightly familiar but she couldn't place why until after she opened the envelope and read the letter inside. Ms. Grunion was the owner of the chain of Brian's restaurants, and the letter stated that she wanted to see Cathleen in court over the incident with the man who had hurt Mr. Peabody.

Cat's world came crashing down.