Her, Him, and the Receptionist | Teen Ink

Her, Him, and the Receptionist MAG

January 13, 2009
By SamanthaS BRONZE, Encino, California
SamanthaS BRONZE, Encino, California
1 article 0 photos 370 comments

Our daily jog together. At least I like to think of it as our jog. It’s not like we actually run together, but in close proximity in separate universes.

It is hard to remember the days when we did not run together. My elliptical jogs right behind his treadmill and always keeps up. It would have been so easy to say hi the first time. But with each passing day, it has gotten harder and harder, and now impossible. We have had occasional looks back and forth, but those were probably coincidences. Of course I ­always look at him. As for the times his glance met mine, perhaps something else called his gaze. And I’m way too shy to budge from my routine to approach confirmed rejection. Why can’t he just make the move? I know, that’s a funny one. Look at him and then look at me – especially without makeup!

I don’t turn red from exercising, but I do blush when I’m nervous or embarrassed. So my cover story would be that my redness is from my heavy-duty workouts. After all, I am at the gym. I’m struggling to keep up with myself. My mind is going faster than the elliptical. My fervent fears, my neurotic nerves, my taxing trepidations, my angry anxieties whirling through my brain. Now I’m really dizzy.

Even he has flaws. It’s not like I think he’s perfect or anything. How could he be perfect with shoes that smell like that? He comes close to perfection. And his feet come close to me as he lifts them on the treadmill upwind of my elliptical. Just as my iPod advances to the next song, a wave of toxic air per­meates my nostrils. “Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air? Can’t live, can’t breathe with no air … If you ain’t here I just can’t breathe. There’s no air, no air,” sings Jordin Sparks. Whew, how can I breathe in this air? Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Ahh. How can toxic air be refreshing? But amid these toxins, there is some sweetness. I can just sense it; I have that tingling feeling in my nostrils.

It’s hard for me to hold back a little smile. I can’t get away from it this time. It draws me closer. The occasional silent connection I have with him is worth the foul air I endure. I must be high on either the stench or endorphins, because I don’t believe in drugs. I am exercising longer than usual. I am pumped. I am not getting tired. Exercise is a healthy form of procrastination for what I might do next.

The elliptical bars are sandwiched ­between my palms and my fingers. I am pushing on them with all my strength. Just as I alternately push and pull on the levers – left, right, left, right – my strength to contact him alternates with my fear of rejection. Our closeness has been on a meta­phorical treadmill – no matter how hard I try, no ­matter how fast I run, we don’t get any closer. The counteracting forces of acceptance and rejection are pulling on me equally. I am in equilibrium. I am moving at a constant velocity on the elliptical, but I can’t get myself to move toward him. Physics. Echhh!

I try to look cute in my gym clothes, but it’s hard. The mirror tells me I look fat and ugly. Those are the only things the mirror ever tells me, besides red hair, freckles, Raggedy Anne.

My pink good-luck sweatband hasn’t brought me any luck. I’m going to go buy some new colored ones. I’m getting kind of sick of pink. People must think I wear the same sweaty headband every day, but I have dozens of them from that sale at Costco. I know that’s what he’s thinking when he turns around: freak, loser.

Droplets of sweat drip down my face, ravaging my pores and burning the roots of my confidence. But he gives me a feeling all over my body just by looking at him. So I know it’s worth it.

The odor burns my nostrils, but I can’t resist. I tiptoe into the hallway outside the men’s locker room; one hand holding the heart-shaped Post-It, the other plugging my nose. I see them resting on the wooden bench, right where he left them after “our” jog, laces untied and tongues forming obtuse angles. Why are they here? My hands are shaking and my legs are trembling, but I bite the corner of my lip and stick the note face up in the heel of his right shoe.

I am leaving the gym and I can’t stop thinking about him. Still. I hope he feels the same. But he won’t. I hope he will call. But he won’t. It’s been seven minutes since I put my note in his shoe and put my heart on the waiting list for rejection.

I enter my apartment and begin pacing. It’s been an hour and three minutes. I shouldn’t have done it. He doesn’t like me. It’s ­going to be awkward. No way. I’m not giving in. I’m not going to change my workout routine. But it will be hard to look at him tomorrow. I hope he saw the note before he put his shoes on. If not, I hope the ink doesn’t smear.

***

There she is. I could set my watch by her if I had one. Same gym. Same time. Same workout. Same as me. She never misses a day. I don’t think I ever will either. My mom and dad are both kind of, I don’t want to say chubby, but yeah, they are. I can’t let that happen to me. But I have another reason too.

Crack. Crack. My neck always cracks when I turn my head swiftly to check the clock behind me. At first this was a pain, but then I saw her. When I realized I got to look at her every time I turned to check the time, my neck strain didn’t bother me. I must be discreet. I love looking at her, but I don’t want her to know that her beauty keeps me staring. At least not quite yet. I’m not a stalker, just shy. I want to talk to her. I want to go up to her. But what if she thinks I’m just hitting on her? I’m really interested in knowing her. How is she supposed to tell the difference?

What a cutie. She’s just my type: tall, slender, and I can tell her skin is smooth. The cutest freckles. Milk chocolate eyes. Her gorgeous, wavy red hair is tied is back in a ponytail and she wears a pink headband. She must love pink. She should, it’s her color. Her hair sways with every step. Thank you, pink headband – not a hair is blocking my view of her face.

What I like most is that she doesn’t act like she is beautiful. She doesn’t know how nervous she makes me. She doesn’t know the grace she exudes. She has a story to tell. I want to hear it. But I’m afraid to ask her. Wimpy, maybe. Intimidated, definitely. I feel like I’ve watched the same Candid Camera episode 5,500 times. My failed attempt keeps replaying in my head. With every day that I say nothing, she’s more and more likely to think I’m either gay or I need a watch.

I want to know her name. Seeing her every day for weeks, I refer to her as Pink Headband. How pathetic. I have to know her name. At least for now, it would be easier to ask the receptionist for Pink Headband’s name than to ask her. At least if she refuses, it won’t be as humiliating as a no from Pink Headband.

So I make my way to the desk. I say excuse me to the nerdy girl behind the counter. I have caught her staring at me in the past, but the one time I actually want her attention, she’s preoccupied. I’m the only person here. The phone is resting comfortably on its hook. But she is talking to someone or something nonetheless. I sigh. I’m getting impatient. I feel like I’m hailing a taxi. Waving and waving, and they just drive by. Same with her. I’m waving and that freak seems to be talking to her stapler. Finally I get her ­attention. I ask. She answers. I write “Molly” on the envelope containing my note to the woman I used to know as Pink Headband. I ask the ­receptionist to please give it to her.

As I sit on the bench outside the men’s locker room, I fight my urge to chicken out and retrieve the envelope. I bolt into the locker room to take a shower. The hot water is soothing. Shoot! I left my shoes on the bench. Not to worry. Who would want to steal those smelly old things?

Realizing I must have left my cell phone in my car, I get dressed quickly, jump into my shoes, and leave. I don’t want to miss her call.

***

I hate working at this place. Why do I work here? I need out. I need a work out. I’m so funny. I always laugh at my own jokes. Ha ha ha, snort, snort.

All day I inhale air tainted with the smell of sweat. And no, it’s not me doing the sweating. Oh, here comes Mr. “I’m so much better than you that I won’t respond when you greet me.” I scrunch my nose to push up my glasses, the way I always do when my hands are busy. He’s headed right toward me. It seems like he needs to ask me something. This will be a first. How will he do this and still keep his perfect record of never saying a word to me? Of course, it must be so hard to say “good evening” to someone who has just said it to you.

I can feel my nervous twitch starting up again. My top lip is moving diagonally; my invisible enemy has strung a thread through my lip with his needle. I try to yank it in the other direction, back into place, but it won’t budge.

The name of the girl in the pink headband? Uhhh. The girl in the pink headband! If she’s wearing her pink one today, it must be either Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Gross. But apparently he either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. How sweet. For once he is nice and it is hard to hate him. He writes “Molly” on the envelope and hands it to me. Sure I’ll give it to Molly, all right.

He heads for the locker room; he is out of sight, but he sure isn’t out of my mind. Neither is the favor he asked of me. He wants me to give the envelope to Molly. Sure I will. I’ll be as good at giving this to Molly as he is at responding when I say hello. Actually, better because now my paper shredder’s name is Molly. Molly loves envelopes. She’ll fall bin over wheels!

***

Is there something in my shoe?



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JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 1778 comments.


on Jul. 8 2013 at 7:24 pm
marialove3 PLATINUM, Port Angeles, Washington
27 articles 0 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I'm excited for tomorrow; no i don't know what is going to happen...anything can happen. I'm excited because I know I have what it takes to make it a great day for me, but even MORE excited because I will make it a great day for others as well."-me

@sunnyday i dont see a samantha..

on Jun. 27 2013 at 9:37 am
Smiley_Sami_R., Richmond, Virginia
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"Life is like a mirror; It smiles at you if you smile at it." -Unknown

This story is amazing! I love how they both think that the other doesn't notice them. Your writing is very funny and amazing!!!

Piglet said...
on Jun. 23 2013 at 9:11 pm
I love this story.  Great job!

Dreamdiary13 said...
on Jun. 16 2013 at 12:05 am
Dreamdiary13, Thousand Oaks, California
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
This story is sooo good. But I want to know what happens next!

. said...
on Jun. 10 2013 at 7:54 am
i love a cliffhanger

on May. 27 2013 at 8:20 am
haley101 DIAMOND, Windsor, Connecticut
70 articles 5 photos 195 comments

Favorite Quote:
“Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.”

― Mary Oliver

need to know what happens next tooo

on May. 22 2013 at 1:05 pm
Pink_Bubble BRONZE, Houston, Texas
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
“I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.” - Leonardo da Vinci

I love this story! I NEED to know what happens next!

on May. 21 2013 at 5:30 pm
disneyfrump BRONZE, Oswego IL, Illinois
1 article 0 photos 2 comments
But maybe they want a chance to shine too? Also, Laura is the author of this story under another name. How else would she be commenting under EVERY one of the comment/ads?

on May. 19 2013 at 6:09 pm
lovebass BRONZE, Alexandria, Virginia
1 article 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Bass players are always the intellectual kind, but nobody knows it."

Great story!  soooo Fabulous! 

Laur01 SILVER said...
on May. 18 2013 at 10:49 pm
Laur01 SILVER, Syracuse, New York
5 articles 0 photos 26 comments

Favorite Quote:
You never fail until you stop trying. -Albert Einstein

This is amazing! What happens next? 

on May. 2 2013 at 12:31 pm
SinkingInWords, Surrey, Other
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be"
"Light can be found in the darkest of places, if only one remembers to turn on the light"

this was really good! can you make it a story, because I want to know what happens next :')

SunshineGirl said...
on Apr. 29 2013 at 9:24 pm
sunnyday, I think you are WAY to quick to make an accusation. You have no proof. I also agree with Laura. 

A.J.Bowerman said...
on Apr. 26 2013 at 2:37 pm
A.J.Bowerman, Grandville, Michigan
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
It was amazing. Plain and simple i dont have anything against it. It was beautifuly writen

on Apr. 19 2013 at 8:51 pm
Bluetooth13 SILVER, A Town In, Texas
8 articles 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
To play a wrong note is insignificant, to play without passion is inexcusable.

~ Ludwig van Beethoven

hey, im pretty new. please check out my work :)

on Apr. 12 2013 at 9:53 pm
MissAdele PLATINUM, Tacoma, Washington
40 articles 4 photos 5 comments
I love the attitude that the receptionist has! So funny (:

sunnyday said...
on Apr. 11 2013 at 2:35 pm
@Prose, in case you did not notice, Laura is clearly Samantha,  the author of the story, she is just using a different name so as to make sure she can blast the comment she doesn't like

sunnyday said...
on Apr. 11 2013 at 2:30 pm
I don't understand what the big fuss is about this story. It is well-written but honestly, I was utterly bored when I read it. Very tedious plot. You should work on being more interesting! There are way many other stories with a much better plot than this one. Time to promote other and more high quality stories.

RedRose17 said...
on Apr. 3 2013 at 8:59 am
RedRose17, Cortlandt Manor, New York
0 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Don't judge me."

this is really good great job :)

on Apr. 2 2013 at 9:19 pm
dreamlander101 BRONZE, Ft.Lauderdale, Florida
3 articles 0 photos 2 comments
I love this! The suspense is killing me! Please come up with a sequel!!! I cant take this anymore!

Steffi Rose said...
on Apr. 1 2013 at 9:03 pm
Steffi Rose, Deerfield, Illinois
0 articles 0 photos 115 comments
more would be great