Hey guys.. i'm excited to write this chapter cuz I really get to ...play. enjoy :) um.. so. I like reviews. so i'm going to have to say this. five reviews for the next update? come on guys, I got six for the first one. it really keeps me writing.

May 9: The Intern

I woke to my alarm clock ringing shrilly in my ear and groaned, plastering my hand against my face as I slowly sat up. Glancing at my clock, I quickly processed the date flashing in the corner and sat up quickly, a grin spreading across my face as I hurried toward the bathroom to get ready.

Two days ago I graduated from boarding school. Yesterday I went home to spend time with my family. Today I awoke in my tiny flat in London and will start my internship with the biggest paper in all of England. How'd I swing it? After twenty-three letters to the editor, five test articles and several persistent phone calls, the editor finally gave in.

So I stepped out of the shower with a confident smile, slipping an old t-shirt over my head and going to tend to my black curls before slipping on black pants and a white button down shirt. With that, I made myself a healthy breakfast of yogurt and berries and hitting the door with fifteen minutes to spare.

The streets of London were busy as I hustled down away from my apartment building and glanced at my watch, smiling. I had plenty of time to grab a cup of coffee from the shop just down the street from the paper so I slipped into the crowded café to do just that. A few minutes later, I walked through the front doors of the paper, inhaling scent of paper fresh off the presses and holding my to go coffee mug close. Silently, I approached the front desk and smiled in greeting to the lady that looked strangely like an out of place librarian sitting behind the desk at her computer. "Mara Jaffery."

She nodded, pushing back from her desk. "This way please." Her accent was thick, but she smiled at me and led me through the doors toward what I assumed was the workroom. "You're a bit early, but the other interns are in there." She told me, pointing to a room down the long, gray hall.

"Thank you." I answered and she nodded, silently returning to her desk.

Before I'd made it halfway down the hall, a tall, lean blonde boy appeared in the doorway. He was wearing black pants and a black bazar along with black rimmed glasses and a little smirk. When I reached the doorway, he clapped his hands together, standing up fully. "Ah, you must be the new intern. I'll show you around." He greeted with a slightly mocking smile and I frowned as he began to turn toward the room. "I'm Martin, senior intern. That's Emily, junior intern," He continued, pointing toward a girl with straight ginger hair and green eyes who looked impeccably nervous by nature. "and that's Donald, sophomore intern." He added, nodding in the direction of a boy with a dark mop of hair and dark eyes that was wearing a bow tie. Then he turned to me. "You, my dear, are Freshman Intern." His smirk only grew. "You'll spend your days fetching my coffee and following me around like a puppy dog with the hopeless dream of actually meeting Mr. Bradley. Welcome to the paper, Freshman." With that he walked away down the hall.

I frowned deeply, looking over at Emily who forced a laugh. "Don't mind him, Mara. He's a bit of a jerk, but it's all in his charm."

"I can see that." I answered, biting my bottom lip as she walked over to the four cubbies set against the back wall.

"Come here," She called, motioning for me to join her. Upon closer inspection, above the cubbies was each of our names.

"So someone uses our names." I half joked, smiling weakly.

Donald chuckled. "Martin tends to use our years instead of names." He said, standing up and extending a hand to me. "Donald Roy. Sophomore at Oxford."

Mara smiled. "I'm Mara Jaffery. I'll be a freshman at Oxford this fall."

He nodded. "Brilliant."

"Spase!" Martin yelled down the hall and suddenly both Emily and Donald looked up expectantly like that was their name.

After a day at the paper, I discovered Martin called both Donald and Emily Spase. I wasn't really sure why. Anyway by the end of the day I'd gone to get Martin coffee, lunch, and started refilling the filing system that Martin made me refile the original way. I collapsed on the couch in my apartment and pulled out my phone, quickly calling Joy who luckily picked up on the first ring. "Mara! How was your first day at the paper?"

I sighed, preparing to let out all my frustration. "Awful. Apparently I'm really the intern to the 'senior intern.' He's this infuriating, snarky blonde named Martin. He's just horrid, Joy. He calls the other two interns 'Spase' and only calls me Freshman." I sighed yet again, falling back against the cushions under my body.

"Aw, Mara, I'm s-sorry." Joy stuttered, obviously distracting by something. I could hear a chuckling in the background, a near silent muffle.

I smirked. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No! Nothing." She answered quickly and exhaled.

"Okay, I'll just go." I told her but I could hear more rustling on the other end.

"Mara, don't leave. Talk to me." She persisted but I shook my head.

"No, I'm sorry," and I hung up.

Shh. No talking about the "predictability of Marty's character." A surprise is coming. One of my three planned plot twists. It's coming. Probably three Mara chapters. Any guesses?

hannahxx

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