AN; Hey! I really enjoyed writing the last chapter, so I'm back for another one! But, I had a little bit of the ol' writer's block, and being an extreme procrastinator does not help whatsoever. But, I really think this chapter is pretty good. So, with that in mind, I hope you enjoy this, if you have any constructive feedback, feel free to review! C:

Sierra's Second Chance

Second Chance at A Job

I wake up, rubbing the sleep out of my eye to the droning sound of the alarm that I haven't set in so long. But today, I felt determined, like my life had meaning, like I had a second chance. Something was special about today. Well, more so, something special happened yesterday that is now bringing me to want to go on. I learned from a friend that… it gets better. That I can get back on track, you know? I uncover myself, releasing from the comforting grip that is my bed. I could just have 5 more minutes, but no. Today is a new me. No more 'five more minutes'. No more 'let's just stay in bed all day today'. I'm going to be the Sierra I've always wanted to be. Respectable and dignified, yet still do what I love. And that's me now. Starting from last night onwards, I rose to a new level, like a phoenix, rising from the ashes and shining anew. Confidently, I leave my room with that new enlightening knowledge.

Immediately, I go to my laptop. Although this seems as if it's contradicting what I said before, this is to get me back on track. I go onto my blog which I revamped and remade last night, as the page loads, I smile to myself. Once it had buffered, my eyes widened at the widespread attention my blog had garnered. Seems like a lot of people were fans of my interview with Brick, just by seeing the number of comments. I then go onto the analytics of the blog and immediately gasp. 500,000 hits and counting?! There must've been some sort of mistake, right? I smile to myself, getting out my phone. I realise I never got Brick's number, so I go onto Facebook, and search up his name. Yes! It shows up, as so does a smile on my face. I send a request, which he quickly accepts. I then get a message from him.

Brick McArthur

Hey!

BRICK OMG!

Guessing you saw the blog's amount of hits? ;D

Yeah!

Congrats!

Thanks, but these are your hits too! C:

I guess they are. Gotta go, but can I come over later?

Sure!

This is so crazy! Five hundred thousand! I've never had 500k of literally anything before. I better check the comments, no saying that these weren't negative.

'Is this Sierra from TDWT?! If so, ew.'

Meh, whatever.

'This is so great! I'm so happy for Brick! I hope he does some sort of giveaway!'

That's a good idea.

'kill urself pls'

No thanks.

'Hi, Sierra! We see you're targeting a younger demographic. I have a business proposition for you. Email me at canderson , and we can chat about it there! '

Someone already has a business enquiry for my blog? That's insane! Mega insane, even! I immediately go to my Gmail, emailing the address.

'Hi there! You said something about a business proposition?

Try to get back to me ASAP. C:

Sierra.'

Promptly, I press send, smiling to myself. What if they wanna meet today? I should probably get dressed now, just in case. I walk to my room, moving to my dresser. I take off my PJs, looking through the drawers. "I need something nice, something formal." Then it hits me. I have nothing formal. I've been gone for so long, all I have is casual clothing. Guess I'll have to go out shopping, right? I put on a pink shirt and a pair of worn black jeans, leaving my room, grabbing my purse. I sigh, nervous if anyone will see me. I take my purple hair out of its ponytail, since it's still not long enough for my braid, it's around shoulder length now. I quickly put on a pair of black sneakers, lacing them up, tying them. I breathe out once more, opening the door.

Once out of the apartment building, I look around as faces stare towards me. I remember the incident last night, which hadn't crossed my mind all day, with me being in such a positive mood. I just remembered Brick helping me. I look down, rather embarrassed. A few people stopping, pointing and whispering. The humiliation suddenly overcame my positivity. I look down in my purse, a decent amount of money in there, due to me being a saver more than a spender. I arrive at the more expensive and formal clothes store in town, pushing the door. As I walk through, many faces look to me, the same looks as I had while I walked through town. I sigh, trying to ignore the shocked looks, as I make my way towards the women's department. I hate clothing stores like this. Full of people judging, mocking, laughing. I bet Brick's store wouldn't be like this. I look through the dresses, not wanting something too formal, but something professional. But nothing appeals to me. So I decide to leave. But on my way out, as I pass through the men's department, I see a nice, black suit and tie combo, with a white shirt with it. It, for some reason, appeals more to me than anything I could possibly have seen in the women's section. Would I be judged if I wore it? Would I be denied sale? Probably is the answer to both. But I don't care. With that, I take it, and go to try it on in the dressing rooms.

As I walk out, again, people seemed to judge me. But I felt invigorated. Empowered. I didn't care if it was for men. It looked good on me, and to me, that's all that can possibly ever matter. It fit perfectly. And if anything, it made me feel more feminine. Not that that's what everyone wants to feel, but I definitely like the feeling. I go back in, change into my other clothes, and take the suit to the checkout. The girl at the checkout looks rather puzzled.

"This for your boyfriend?" The girl asks, looking up at me.

"Nope. Me." I smile, yet inside, sort of withering. She didn't really have a right to ask that.

"Oh…" She gave me a kind of awkward look, which I immediately returned. "$195."

That was a lot… But, I didn't care. I gave her the money, she gave me my suit and a bag to put it in. I decided to get a little sassy. "Thankyou. Oh, and by the way, suits aren't just for men. I can wear what I want, whenever I feel like it. And if you're so closed minded that you feel the urgent need to judge me for it, that's on you." Dumbfounded, she stared at me, as I quickly walked out, smirking. Maybe I'm being completely irrational, but that felt good.

Once I had made my way back home, the feeling of humiliation once again being overridden. This time by the feeling of empowerment. I open my door, smiling to myself, putting my purple, shoulder length hair into a quick bun. I put down the bag carefully, getting back to the laptop. A response from canderson ! That sounds… familiar. Eh, whatever. It reads:

'Hello, Sierra! I'm Cody Anderson, the new guy in the department of talent scouting for a website and magazine called TeenBlog Enterprises. And it ikind of weird, actually! You see, I was on that very same show as Brick! I knew a Sierra on that show, she was creepy. Anywho, off topic, right? Sorry, I ate a little too much candy! Then again, the company loves fresh, new, exciting. What your blog could be. We want to sign you on to our site. Come to the coffee shop on Old Grove Lane at 4pm sharp, and we can talk about it.

Kind regards,

C. Anderson.'

Cody? Of all people that I just had to encounter while trying to turn over a new page in my life, of course! Cody! Wow. Just… wow. And I can't believe he said that. I can imagine his face when I show up. Should I show up? Would it be worth it? Lemme ask Brick.

Brick McArthur

Brick, I have a dilemma.

What?

I was offered a meeting for a job with a blogging company. Only catch?
Cody works for them.

Listen. I know you're trying to turn over a new leaf, but this is
your big break, Sierra! You've wanted this for so long. Just
get out there and do it. You're a new woman, Sierra!

I guess. But he doesn't know it's like…
me, y'know? He said that I was weird in
the email he sent me, as if to make conversation?
He said he knew a Sierra.

It doesn't matter. He's irrelevant to you.

And he's right, too! It's 3:30, so I better get ready. I take my suit and what very little makeup I have into the bathroom. I get into my suit, which is easy enough, but all I have for makeup is very limited. I take out an eyeliner pencil, trying to softly apply some. It's taking me literally so long! It's 3:45 and I've only just finished the eyeliner. I quickly apply some red lipstick and look in the mirror. Surprisingly, I actually look okay. And with that, I leave.

4pm, I literally just make it. I quickly open the door, looking around for Cody. He sees me and looks down immediately. He still doesn't get that the blog's Sierra is me? I walk over to him.

"Hi, I'm Sierra. From the blog? And you must be…?" I play rather clueless, as he looks towards me.

"Really? It's Cody. Total Drama! You were literally obsessed with me." He said in almost a mocking tone.

"Sorry, I was too busy moving on to remember you." I lie, sitting down. As much as I hate to admit it, he crosses my mind every day. I wonder how he is; now I know. Terrible. Not how he feels. Terrible, as in he's become a terrible person.

"Well, let's keep this strictly business. This is a sweet job I got here, and I'm not gonna let you mess it up. You'd be an asset to the company, okay?! So I need to ask you a few questions. Firstly, Age?" Cody narrowed his eyes towards me.

"19."

"Gender? I wouldn't know with the suit."

"Female. And yet still more powerful than you."

"Occupation?"

"None."

"Figures. Blogging experience?"

"Blogging since I was 12, hosted over 20 successful blogs."

"Could you be any more of a loser?"

"Could you be any more of a douchebag that promised he'd talk to me and text me every single day, calling me his best friend, saying how much he valued and appreciated me, then never called, texted, talked again, then had the nerve to treat me like this when you wanted me to work for a company even though I think about your health, safety and well-being every single day?" I breathe in, looking around. "Maybe Teen Blog Enterprises isn't for me at all."

"No, no! Please. I'm gonna get canned and lose all money! I'll have to move back in with my parents, they'll make me go to college! I'm sorry, okay, Sierra?!" Cody looked into my eyes, after finishing his plea.

"You're… sorry. You're… sorry. Sorry." I stay silent after echoing his words for a moment. Then the hilarity of the situation takes over, causing me to laugh. "Sorry?! Please. After not calling, texting, saying that in the e-mail and your reaction to me, sorry isn't gonna cut it, Cody."

He looks at me for a moment, then looks away. He starts to speak. "You're right. I'm a horrible person. I deserve to be fired. Maybe the world would be better without me."

He sniffles, as I look to him. Although I can see right through his facade, it weakens me for some reason. I feel sorry for him.

"Cody, stop! I'm on board, alright?" I offer, as he looks up smiling.

"Really?! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He gleefully exclaims. "Can you start Friday?"

I nod. "But just remember. This, now, is strictly business."

I then walk away, feeling rather powerful. I know this may have been mean, but he needed this wakeup call.

Once I finish changing into something more comfortable than a suit, a hoodie and sweatpants to be exactly correct, I hear a knock on my door. I instantly know who it is. I run over to open it.

"Brick!" I pull him into a soft embrace.

"Um… Sierra. I have some bad news. But, don't freak out. I'm… joining the army." He frowns, as I look to him.

"What? Why?" I look at him, as he grimaces.

"Well, my father doesn't think fashion is a stable career plan. He wants me to be a military man." Brick explained, as I look down. I frown, then look up. I breathe out.

"But what if I told you I could get you a job on the spot?" I smirk, as he looks at me to explain more. "Well, you see… I have Cody by a string right now. This may be wrong, but he deserves this. You can become my assistant, by my demands to Cody. He'll be forced to make it happen. This gives you enough sustainable income to start your business, eventually."

"isn't that kind of… immoral?" Brick looks to me.

"Well, yes… but, it's really doing Cody a solid. He needs me, otherwise he'll get canned. If I have an assistant I'll have work done quicker, giving the company more money, and Cody doesn't get canned." Sierra smiled.

"Well, then. I'm in." Brick smiled. He looked amazing when he smiled. I couldn't help but lean in…

Move closer…

And whisper in his ear…

"I'm really hungry. Let's order pizza."

AN: Once again, I really did enjoy writing this chapter. Review if you have something constructive to say! Also, a message to any of the Read & Swappers reading this: Hey! Hope you have fun with your R&S journey.