Cubicles

{Chapter One}

Gerard

I was on the company's website, noting down all the things I don't like about it on a little pad of paper. Being the company's graphic designer, I got to make sure the website looked as welcoming and awesome as possible. I could redesign the navigation bar, a deep blood red would probably look better then the ugly light green that was currently there. The logo could be retouched, I could take my time making it now that I don't have a deadline. The background color, a bad shade of brown, would look much better if it was black. Dark colors would look cool, I made sure to note that down in my notepad. Maybe the the Better Living Corporation's representatives would let me do the dark color scheme this time. They say light colors are better, but I disagree. The light colors they make me work with make us seem like it's a daycare website. I would be fine if they let me do a calming blue with a white, or the deep blood red with a white. That wouldn't be too bad. I made a note of those too.

"Redesigning the website already?" Bob, the company's accountant, said from behind.

"It looks like shit, Bryar. I can't believe they made me work with those colors thinking it would look good. I'm going to schedule a meeting to show them I have a better idea then the daycare color scheme" I explained, pointing to the ugly rainbow of colors that appeared on the screen of the computer.

Bob laughed, "You're right. It's not the best choice of colors. But don't think they're going to let you do dark colors like you've always wanted to do. They think it's scary and off-putting to the customers"

"Well that's not my problem!" I sighed, looking at the notepad of ideas and random scribbles, "what about a calming blue with a white? or a deep, blood red with a white?"

"That doesn't sound too bad, there's hope there" Bob nodded, looking down at my notepad.

"What are you up to for lunch?" I asked, spinning around in my chair like a little kid.

"I actually am using up my lunch break to help the new guy set up his office, cubicle shithole" Bob replied.

"New guy? what's he working as?" I stopped spinning in my chair, interested but nervous. I was hoping they didn't hire another graphic designer, they never agree with what I come up with, the last three had been fired for throwing a fit after I explained to them why you don't mix a light brown with a neon green unless your some cocky lawn service. We aren't a cocky lawn service. We're better then that.

"He's replacing Matt Pelissier as a customer service representative" Bob explained, as I sighed in relief. No new graphic designer to plan to get rid of. Matt Pelissier was one of the customer service representatives, but he got fired two weeks ago after ending his half of his calls with him yelling at them saying he could give less then two shits about their personal problems.

They have finally replaced him, but with...
"Who?" I thought aloud.

"Frank Iero is said to be his name, I don't know much about him honestly just what I've told you, but he supposedly has a bunch of tattoos" Bob informed me, looking down at his watch. "I'd love to keep talking, but Brian's coming"

Brian Schecter was the company manager, and he hated when he'd catch me off task, besides the fact that I didn't have a very hard job, just very judgmental representatives.

I nodded as Bob opened my jar of candy and pulled out a grape flavored Jolly Rancher. He then turned around and walked out of my cubicle, humming the tune to "If you want blood (you've got it)" by AC/DC.

I let out another sigh, -working in a boring cubicle office environment makes you do that a lot- before I got back to making more notes about how to improve the hideous design. To think I made that design two months ago made me sick. It's not my fault they gave me that color scheme.

"Mr. Way! working on the website, I see?" Brian Schecter said, turning on his heel to stand in the "doorway" of the cubicle.

"The colors look bad seeing them again, I think we should go for a two-color scheme" I tried to suggest, hoping Brian would understand.

"That actually doesn't sound too bad, considering you don't even know how to match" Brian laughed, not knowing I wasn't the one who chose the grueling colors. that wasn't going to stop me from frowning at him though.

"You heard about the new guy, Frank?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, he seems nice besides all those tattoos. Ugh, how did he even get accepted with that shit all over his arm? Am I the only one disgusted by that fuckery?" Brian complained, grabbing a Hershey's Kiss out of my candy jar. He didn't even ask, and on top of that, he just threw the wrapper on the ground. So much for a manager.

"Yes, Brian. Because unlike you, the rest of mankind calls that art" I explained, smiling in the process. I usually was the only who could make Brian go nuts, but now we had a guy that didn't even have to do anything and Brian could go nuts. I was going to like this guy and I didn't even know him. That fucker Brian deserved all his pet peeves that he could encounter.

"Art? more like shit" Brian scoffed, taking another Kiss from the jar.

"I could say the same thing about you Brian, calm down. Also, stop eating my candy! and that coffee that Ray makes at twelve everyday, is mine. He doesn't just forget his coffee. He makes it for me because I don't get break until twelve-ten, where the employees hog the coffee machine, trying to stay awake with all the shit you throw at them, excuse me" I sassed, even using hand gestures in the process. I was kinda fed up with Brian stealing my coffee.

"Gerard, you're lucky I can't fire you!" Brian raised his voice as he turned on his heel to leave, taking my candy jar with him.

"Hey!" I accidentally yelled, getting some employees to get out of their seats and look above the wall of their cubicle to see where the source of the sound was coming from.

"You'll get it back once I'm finished with it!" Brian laughed, turning to the left at the end of the hallway of cubicles. I didn't feel like going after him, so I just pouted silently to myself in my Rollie chair.

At least Brian couldn't fire me. He couldn't fire me because my dad was CEO of the corporation and unless I magically find a better job, I'm going to be the future CEO of the Better Living Corporation (BLC). I was jealous of my younger brother Mikey though, he was still in college, but no doubt when he got out he would magically find a better job and not have to work here, at this dreadful place.

I turned back to the computer, looking at the website, I'm pretty sure I got everything down that I wanted. It was an easy fix so I might as well treat myself to a five minute break before Brian figures out I'm gone. I mean, he was probably busy eating all my candy that I had bought with my own money to notice that I was out of my office.

I smiled and greeted some of the employees as I was walking towards the lounge like Ray, who had yet to make my coffee, Bob, who was pretending to be working, and some random dude named John who waves to me everyday. Nobody really notices John or talks to him, so I always make sure to wave and say hi, afraid that John was really lonely and sad and just wanted a friend. I'd be that friend if he wanted me to. I didn't like seeing such lonely people, despite him being a really cheery person whenever I engaged in conversation with him.

"Uh!" An unfamiliar voice cried, falling to the floor after I accidentally bumped into him. The guy had black hair, was wearing black skinny jeans and an untucked, white collar shirt where the sleeves only went down right above his elbow, showing off his tattoos on his right and left arms. Was that the new guy, Frank? it had to be, no one else had tattoos at the company.

"You're Frank I'm assuming?" I asked, bending forward to grab Frank's hand. He reached for mine as I pulled him up, admiring his tattoos.

"Something wrong?" Frank asked, not even bothering to answer my question. What did he mean by that? all I was doing was- staring at his tattoos probably made me seem like I was disgusted or something.

"No! you just have a lot of art to look at on your arms" I smiled before adding, "Sorry for bumping into you, I'm Gerard"

"Frank was correct" Frank confirmed, "And surprisingly for calling my tattoos art you have none yourself"

I looked down at my arm, before explaining "I'm afraid of needles. Like, it's really bad"

"I'm afraid of needles myself, man" Frank answered.

"Really?!" I said hopeful, I've never met someone who was scared of needles but had tattoos. What were his tricks?

"Nah, how could I be with all these tattoos?!" Frank chuckled before adding, "sorry to disappoint you"

"Not its fine" I smiled, even though I was kinda disappointed.

"Where's your cubicle?" I asked, as I started to walk in the same direction as Frank, despite beforehand I was walking the opposite direction.

"It's number thirty-one" Frank replied.

"Really? I'm number twenty-nine!" I exclaimed, "I'm two doors down!"

"Oh awesome!" Frank smiled. We turned the corner of a cubicle as we walked pass mine and into his empty one.

"It looks fantastic!" I said sarcastically.

"I know, it's beautiful!" Frank laughed along. "Bob's helping me settle in during lunch. I could use some extra help if you have the time"

"Oh please, I'm the graphic designer, I have more time on my hands then most of these guys!" I explained.

"Graphic designer? nice. I'm just here to answer angry customers" Frank said.

"Don't worry, we don't have too many" I sorta lied. I mean, we weren't the best insurance company ever.

"A few angry people never got to me anyways" Frank smiled.

"Wanna see my office?" I asked, backing towards the entrance of his cubicle.

"Yeah!" Frank said excitingly as he followed me to my cubicle. Frank gasped as we walked into my cubicle.

"What?! dude, we have so much in common!" Frank giggled like a little kid in a candy shop as he admired my papers and looked through the little stack of comic books I kept at my desk.

"I could give you a piece of candy, but Brian, the manager, stole the whole jar" I explained "that fuckin' candy hoarder"

"Assholes always end up being the ones in charge, don't they?" Frank laughed.

I had a feeling Frank and I were going to be good friends.

Notes