Climbing up the ranks wasn’t my idea, it was my family’s. Big hot-shots sitting on loads of cash and references, and “feeling charitable” for adopting a scrawny-ass brown kid like me. Sure, they made the job process extremely easy for me, but they can just as easily take it back, and blacklist me from the industry if I take one step in the wrong direction.

So I am, reportedly, miserable.

Not miserable because of the people that I work with, mind-- the workforce here is teeming with several open-minded, ethnically-diverse people. Miserable because I have to wear monkey suits everywhere I go, and a wig whenever I am socializing with my coworkers. I feel like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, when in actuality I am okay-- the wolves in this case are the many eyes and ears that take my so-called parents’ pocket change.

I might be a bit paranoid, who knows.

I waltz through the wide doors of corporate’s building. My first day on the property made me feel like I was on top of the world-- the 7th year makes me sneer at the synthetic perfection that it all stinks of. Tall skyscrapers, a large, man-made pond that spans a few blocks, a water fountain, and a bunch of trees to make it feel natural. The only natural thing about it is the reflection that you see in the water of this giant, worthless building filled with hundreds of thousands of people doing the same boring job. If I built the building or had the damn thing constructed, I could see its beauty, almost.

The first person who greets me every morning is my partner-in-crime Sydney. Every single time I come out of those elevator doors, they greet me with a hearty smile. I deal with the user experience portion of network coding, and they deal with the interface portion. We almost always find some time to talk with each other when in the office, whether it be work or casual.

It’s usually work, of course.

I step out of the elevator, and the routine continues. “Hey Val,” I hear from down the hallway. The shapely director walks towards me, in a warm, colorful dress shirt, black blazer, and slacks. Their umber cheeks rise into a smile as our eyes meet, and we wave at each other. “You’re running late today, compared to your norm that is. Rough night?”

“If I’ve never had one, I’d say it was,” I respond, checking my phone for any stray notifications. 15 minutes early, as opposed to the usual 30. I place my phone back into my pocket and adjust my glasses. “More of the usual routine. Almost lost my glasses this time, though. Going a bit different with the hair today, Syd?”

“Yeah.” They press a few stragglers back in with the mass of blond hair atop their head. “Bun day today. I see you’re wearing your blues n’ browns. Low on clothes?”

“Forgot to bring my clothing downstairs in the midweek.” I pull my vest taut, brushing away any stray bumps in the fabric. “Distractions get the best of me.”

“They get the best of all of us, hon.” Sydney pats me on the shoulder. “Take it easy, it’s the weekend after this.”

I sure as hell need the weekend, with the week that I had.