It was exactly 5:00 a.m. when the alarm buzzed. Its sickening sound pulled Cayla from her peaceful slumber.
Cayla Hart groaned in displeasure as she slammed her hands furiously on it. She did not want it to wake up everyone in the house when it went off another time. She lay still for a moment, staring up at the ceiling of their cramped bungalow and trying to gain her bearings and get her brain to catch up with her body. The morning light was yet to make an appearance in the sky, but she did not want to wait. The earlier she got up and prepared, the faster she could get to her interview.
She rose quietly, careful not to rouse anyone from sleep, but the soft creaking of her leg against the floor as she tiptoed didn't go unnoticed. The sound itself was enough to wake the scowling human.
"You're up early again. Trying to impress your rich bosses?" A voice came from across the room.
Cayla sighed. "Good Morning to you, too, Mico. I slept well, thanks for asking. Hopefully, you did too?" She replied, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
Her younger brother, nineteen, and armed with bitterness that had grown sharper over the years. He sat at the foot of his bed, arms crossed, and brows raised in scrutiny. His twin, Mika, still in her work uniform from the night shift at the 24/7 fast food joint, stirred beside him.
"Probably going to wear that tight blouse again," Mika mumbled with eyes half closed as she struggled between remaining awake to be mean or going back to sleep. "You know, the one that says I'm the most beautiful. I'm smart and hot. Hire me."
"That's enough, both of you," Cayla said firmly, pulling the cover of her neatly ironed slacks and white blouse from the back of the door.
It wasn't new. None of her clothes were. But they were clean, pressed, and carefully chosen. Every detail mattered today.
"She thinks she's better than us," Mico muttered.
"She thinks she's better than everyone," Mika sneered.
"Better? She's the reason we're eating." Another voice came from the hallway. Their mother, Sonia, stood with a broom in hand and a fierce glare in her eyes. "Cayla's the one who pays half the bills with her part-time tutoring and night shifts. And she still finds time to study. She got you both the jobs you work at. Maybe if you both had a quarter of her discipline, you wouldn't have to insult her just to make yourselves feel better about your incompetence."
Mika sat up quickly. "Ma—!"
"Shut up! Allow the poor girl to breathe," Sonia barked, pointing the broom in warning like a weapon. "She's going for an interview today. A big one. If you can't show support, then you should shut it. Nobody will think you are mute if you don't talk for a few minutes."
Cayla gave her mother a grateful glance and then finished dressing. Her heart thundered in her chest like a second clock ticking faster than time itself. And then another voice interrupted them.
"Good Morning, Miss Sonia." Cara squealed.
Mico and Mika rolled their eyes simultaneously. "Here comes the parrot friend," they said in unison. Earning a scowl from Cayla. Sonia was too busy opening the door for their morning guest to scold them.
"What brings you here so early in the morning, Cara?" Sonia asked as she opened the door.
"There is no way I'm going to miss my dear friend's first day in the business world, even if it's for an interview. I knew she'd be anxious and would likely skip breakfast, so I brought some," Cara replied, excitedly handing over the packed food.
Cayla couldn't help but smile. The earlier panic faded away slightly. "You're such a great friend," Sonia said as she began to unpack the food.
Cara made her way to Cayla and squealed excitedly as she wrapped her in an embrace. "You'll do great. I'm looking forward to good news, and then you can treat me to dinner." She said, rubbing her belly.
"It's always about food with you," Cayla said with a laugh.
"Of course. We need to maintain the curves so that Prince Charming can find us sooner."
"You know, Cara is right. You should start looking. What about this guy—um— what's his name?" Sonia said, trying to remember his name. "Casper," Cara supplied. "Ahhh yes, him. You know he loves you."
"Ma…," Cayla squealed.
"I think I should focus on the interview for now," Cayla said. She was not ready to have that conversation. She didn't think she ever could.
"Ma'am, I think she likes someone else. You need to have seen the way she looked at him." Cara chipped. "Oh!" Sonia replied. Her interest was piqued by Cara. "He's a knight in shining armor. He saved her life," Cara said, dragging out each word with suspense. "He was built like a Greek god." She continued, ignoring the look of displeasure from Cayla.
"Shut up! Cara," Cayla growled, making Sonia and Cara laugh. They seemed more like mother and daughter as they clung onto themselves and continued to gossip in muffled voices, making Cayla laugh.
Grabbing a bite of sandwich and orange juice, Cayla began to make her way out of the house. The tension released from her body as she watched her best friend and mother giggling like high schoolers.
Today wasn't just any interview. It was the interview — the one that could change everything.
Arison Enterprise.
The name alone sounded like a skyscraper. Powerful. Untouchable.
She had one chance to make an impression. One chance to change the narrative of her life. This was her only shot at making a difference. She took a deep breath as the tension returned once again. She was determined to excel today. No matter what happens. She would do her best.
Cayla nodded. A lump had formed in her throat, making it impossible for her to speak. This time, their laughter could not ease the tension in her.
Today was the day she would either make a difference or not. The sun was beginning to rise over the rows of concrete houses as she stepped into the street, heels clicking like a metronome and with cautious purpose.
She didn't make it halfway down the block before disaster struck.