Tales of the New World Chapter 3: The View from Below

                Mary hated her job. As she sat idle at her desk she could only reminisce of the time when she had actually enjoyed her work. She used to be a teacher a guide for the next generation. She had loved spending her day mentoring her third grade class at Sherwood Elementary. She was fairly new but she enjoyed her class and her energy had more than made up for her inexperience. She’d even won an award for best new teacher that year, but that was two years ago before she was deemed unfit. She was a “normal” and the administration feared she could no longer control a class of primarily elevated children. Now she was a hand maid and personally secretary stuck working twelve hour shifts answering calls, jotting down messages, and otherwise catering to literally the biggest bitch on the east coast.  A bitch she had the misfortune of calling “friend”.

                She reached across her desk toward a pile of different envelopes all addressed to Emily Walters. She fingered through the massive pile that mostly consisted of fan letters for anything of immediate relevance. There were two bills and a special pearl white envelope with golden borders and Emily’s name embossed in elegant cursive. Mary sighed. Emily had been invited. Reluctantly she pressed a button on her desk phone and was instantly connected to Emily’s personal cell.

                “Hello?” she heard in the overly chipper voice of her childhood friend. It always impressed Mary just how normal she sounded through the phone. It was almost like she had just called up her friend for a chat back in college, but she knew better. Things were different now.

                “The letter you’ve been expecting has arrived.”  Suddenly a loud squeal echoed throughout the entirety of Emily’s two story, eight bedroom Midwestern style townhouse; all of which had been retrofitted to match her boss’ new “perspective” followed immediately by loud tremors that even shook the foundation of the sizable night table that Mary’s workstation was located on.

                Then the door flew open a large gust of wind flowing through the room scattering Mary’s papers and knocking her chair backward. She grunted picking herself off the floor. She looked down and noticed she had broken a heel on her new 300 dollar stilettos. Great. She knew she shouldn’t have worn them to work. As she continued to pat herself down and straighten her hair she purposefully prevented herself from looking up and engaging. She could already feel the warmth emanating from her massive friends excited breaths but still she dawdled. Stringing Emily along was one of the few perks this job had and maybe the last thing that reminded her of their previous dynamic. After a few more teasing seconds she finally lifted her head to greet Emily Walters a class 2 elevated being, but not just any class 2, she was the largest class two in America recorded to date. Topping off at a nearly 200 hundred feet or so it said on her feature in “The New Wave” televisions number one reality show documenting the lives of elevated beings.  It was actually 186.35 but 200 was more marketable.

                “Can I help you ma’am?” Mary recited in her most professional business voice. It was overly sterile with just the slightest bit of British she had inherited from her father. 

                “Is it really here?” Emily asked in her booming tone dipped in schoolgirl excitement.  She moved her face forward scanning the minute papers strewn across her desk. Water was dripping from her blonde locks soaking the table in droplets that were to Mary were massive orbs that formed ankle deep pools.

                “Careful ma’am.” Mary warned. “You’re getting them all wet.”

                “Sorry!” Emily’s voice boomed in sudden fear. She immediately backed away from the table and Mary noticed that she was completely nude except for a massive towel that clung tightly to her soaked body. She took a seat on her giant four poster bed looking on her tiny secretary with childish eagerness.

                Mary had to hide a smile. At least elevation hadn’t changed Emily completely.

                “Well?” Emily urged.

                Mary immediately snapped to attention scanning for the letter. It had blown clear across the table and she had to sprint to pick it up. It was fun teasing Emily but she only had so much patience these days and she definitely didn’t want her to throw one of her fits. She finally reached picking it up in her left hand. She turned it over to see it sealed with an emblem burned into the paper. That was old fashioned. She gingerly peeled it open revealing a letter with more golden cursive printed on high gloss paper; pink decorative flowers decorating the edges.

                It read. “Dear Ms. Emily Walters,

 You have been cordially invited to attend the union of Liana Bretmiss and Jackson Tolli. We hope that you will choose to attend this joyous occasion on the morning of April fourth 2014 Kyoto, Japan.”

At the bottom it listed more detailed directions and a number to RSVP. As she read the brief message out loud Mary made no effort what so ever to raise her voice. Enhanced hearing and sight was a standard for class 2’s.

                “OH MY GOD!” Emily screamed unaware of the power her voice carried. The shriek was so loud Mary was forced to cover her ears.

                “I knew it! I just friggin knew it!” she continued. “What did I tell you Mary?! What did I tell you?!”

                Mary groaned. The question was clearly rhetorical but Emily still expected an answer. “They could never hold an event this big without inviting Emily Walters.” She said dryly. She had to hold back her contempt. The Tolli’s were easily one of the world’s richest families, yet each and every one of them was a normal un-elevated human being. She’d always seen them as the last line of defense, the final reminder that normal humans still had a place in this world. Now even they were merging with an elevated family. It was just another sign that normal humans were now the minority. This also translated into more work for her. She could already see Emily’s eyes gloss over as her head buzzed with different ideas.

                “Oh gosh! I need something to wear?” her boss gasped. “Have Winslow start on some new designs.”

                Mary hastily pulled out a small red notebook and began jotting down notes in shorthand. Emily often went into strings of orders she expected and expected her to decipher which took priority. She learned early on the price for being ill prepared, nothing harmful just very “inconvenient”.

                “Find out what the bride’s colors will be and make sure his new design compliments without clashing. Also get her measurements if possible. I need to know if I should wear heels. Then send me the alphas I want them on my desk in two days for approval. Get in contact with Martha I want to gloat and make sure she knows I also got and invite. Be sure to call and deliver my RSVP and try to find out what their serving. I’m also going to need a plus one find out if Ian’s schedule is open, if not I guess I’ll just invite Daniel. Either way send him and alpha too when he confirms; we need to be a matching pair. Oh I’ll also need a gift wear are they registered.”

                Mary paused her note taking to look over the invite. “It doesn’t say.” She informed.

                “Be a dear and find out when you RSVP and of course will need a barge for transport or maybe tickets on the San Marie.” She ended the series of elaborate instructions with her same eager smile. It made Mary want to deck her right in her perfect pearly whites.

                “Yes ma’am.” Mary chirped through a strained smile.

                “Thank you Mary!” she beamed. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. Would you mind coming in a few hours early so we can get a head start on the preparations?”

                Mary’s face strained even more. Emily was asking but by this point she knew it was really a command. She wanted to say no. That she worked twelve hours already and that this was crossing a line, but she couldn’t. She needed this job to keep a roof over her head. It was becoming harder and harder for normal to fine employment beyond manual labor. Truthfully she was grateful her friend had even thought of giving her this opportunity. Still it really fucking sucked sometimes.

                “Of course not.” She gritted out.

                “You’re the best!” she cheered the volume again hurting Mary’s eardrums. “Weddings are so much fun!”

                Emily rested on her bed many different roughs for her dress spaced out before her. She watched with mild adoration as her tiny assistant worked diligently cranking out new ideas fighting desperately against the fatigue that she wore on her face. Emily looked at her clock. It was a quarter to eleven they had been working for almost seven hours with no break.

                “Perhaps you should head home.” Emily suggested. “It’s getting pretty late.”

                “Are you sure ma’am?” Mary protested. “You specifically said you wanted alphas in two days.”

                “Of course I’m sure.” She insisted. “I can’t let my precious friend dropping dead from exhaustion.”

                Mary let out a forced laugh placating her comment. Emily had to force herself not to laugh. It was amusing how good Mary was at masking her true feelings. She didn’t have the heart to tell the tiny thing that as an elevated it was all too easy to see through her act. She shooed Mary off and had to chuckle as the secretary finally allowed herself the yawn she been holding at bay for the last forty five minutes.

                “I can give you a ride?” Emily genuinely offered.

                “Don’t worry ma’am I can get one if I really need to.” she assured. Finally gathering her things and exiting the room from her own personal door carved into the wall.

                It was so amusing now, just how easily the dynamic had changed. They had been friends since kinder garden forming a tight bond that lasted to this day yet in all that time it was clear Mary had always been the leader. She had been prettier, more charming and athletic, with a good personality that made her incredibly popular in later years. She’d never flaunted it, but then again she never had to. Life just seemed to naturally shine on Maryanne Sanders and this had always made Emily secretly resent her just a little. Then it happened during their senior year Emily elevated. It was unexpected especially to her family, that she of all people would have destiny shine on her. She had become part of the new class of beings and Mary had unfortunately been left behind to struggle with the last of the normal.

                Sometimes she felt bad for her friend. She had so much passion and drive. Two qualities Emily admired because she could never seem to emulate. Even after she lost her teaching job she didn’t give up resorting to volunteer work at a community center while working a day job at Taco Bell. She couldn’t just stand there and let her friend fade into mediocrity not if their friendship had meant anything. She offered her a job as a personal assistant and Mary swallowed her pride and accepted.

                She didn’t disappoint either. Mary was the consummate professional never once dropping her demeanor even when Emily would purposely tease her. She always managed to get her work done. Sometimes she would give her tasks she never expected to be finished just to get a reaction, just to see her façade shatter if only for a second, yet Mary would do them without objection.  She often had to resort to trapping her in situations where there was no right action just to shake things up.

                It was sad to see just how desperate her friend had become. She knew it was hard for a normal now but in Mary she’d seen just how much. She hadn’t said it yet but eventually she would let marry live with her. She would let her know she would always have a place to stay with her at the very least, but she wasn’t ready to yet. Mary was still too proud and way too valuable a worker. Besides it was still pretty fun teasing her and  being in charge for a change, finally being the one in the light.

Mary collapsed on her futon in the corner of her studio apartment. The bus ride had taken an hour and it was already past midnight. She’s almost wished she just stayed the night at Emily’s she was expected back in less than five hours. She cursed herself for not calling her sister like she had wanted.

Sometimes it was just too hard. She was the older one but her sister hand elevated to the very rare class 3. It was hard to see her and try and preserve the image her little sister had once looked up to. She didn’t even bother undressing as she kicked off her shoes and pulled comforter over her exhausted body.

 After finallymanaging to get some rust her phone beeped with a fresh text. She looked out her window and it was still dark out. 

“What now!” she groaned positive it was Emily with some spur of the moment idea. The text surprised her. It was one sentence and two words. “I’m out.” signed by her older brother Walter. Mary wrapped the covers around closer and started to shiver.