He took me for an hour-long drive around the parking lot, patiently explaining all the buttons and levers in the car, giving me pointers on how to do what. Then, each day after the training, he would walk into the dressing room and hand a set of keys to whomever was still in there with me. That person would eagerly give me another hour-long lesson in driving. Once I had the required hours accumulated, Bill called me into the office as soon as I arrived.
“The two of us are doing something else today.” he proclaimed, and tossed me a different set of car keys, before leading me to one of the lightly armored SUVs the company used to chauffeur clients around.
When we sat in the car, he gave me directions to a specially prepared lot where he gave me a six-hour specialized driving safety course. We started at daylight and ended late at night. I needed one of those, since my driving lessons should either be parent-taught or an approved driver’s ed course. Apparently he’s certified to give those. Holding the completion certificate in hand, I now had everything I needed to take my final test at the DMV. Everything apart from a parent’s signature on the application. Realizing this, I felt a burst of sadness rush through me.
I know, it’s not the manliest thing to say, but, at that moment, I had a hard time keeping those feelings inside. Bill had given me a chance when I desperately needed a job. All the people in the company simply accepted me as one of their own, no questions asked. They helped me get in shape and taught me how to defend myself in school. And now they taught me how to drive, like it was the most normal thing to do for someone they barely knew. These people had shown me more favor and more compassion than my own family. Even more than that, actually. Whenever my family actively buried me under another mountain of shit, these people helped me get out of it.
I somehow managed to get Aaron to sign the application at the breakfast table, and made an appointment for my final driver’s test. However, it was encouraged to take that test with the car I was intending to actually drive afterwards, so I put that off for the moment until I got myself a car and had it insured. I still didn’t want to unnecessarily tip the family off, so I looked for something cheap. Suddenly, every single guy at work had an opinion on what was most important in a car. I just wanted something cheap ... and maybe fun. So, I decided to get myself a used 2003 Jeep Wrangler Convertible. It had already 186,699 miles on it, but cost me only $5,200 dollars and it still looked presentable.
That was only in case the parents asked questions, though. Off the record, I paid another $1,800 to have it detailed, put on a new set of tires, and fitted with a decent stereo (that I can connect with a phone via Bluetooth, instead of having to burn audio-CDs). Then I had it parked at the company lot and got Aaron to, once again, sign the insurance papers at the breakfast table. I was pretty sure he thought it was for the driver’s ed class in school. But the car’s title and insurance were in my name, and would be paid from my bank account. I just needed him to co-sign to get the process started.
The week before my sixteenth birthday, Bill called me into his office once again. He informed me that, for the following Saturday, he had booked a day-long First Aid/CPR/AED course with the Red Cross for me, and they would also check my eyesight. I had no idea why he would do that, but, since he was paying, I decided that it couldn’t hurt and just attended.
The day I turned sixteen went much like my suspension: Unnoticed by the cohabitants. I skipped my afternoon classes to get my license instead. When I left the DMV, I noticed two missed calls from my grandma, so I called her back.
“Hey, Gran. I missed your calls?” I greeted her, the elation from passing the test found its way into my voice.
“Well! It’s been a while since someone sounded THAT happy to talk to me?” she chuckled.
“Eh, not that I wouldn’t be happy to talk with you! But a little part of it may be related to passing my driver’s test just half an hour ago and finally having my license!”
“I’m so happy for you, Pumpkin! Isn’t that a nice gift! Happy Birthday!” She sounded genuinely pleased.
“Thank you, Granny! I’m glad to be done with that. So, how’re you and Gramps?”
“We’re fine. We’re already packing for Thanksgiving. I almost can’t wait.” She sounded somewhat conspiratorial. Like she was hinting at something she didn’t want to say over the phone.
“Oh? Where’s it going?” I asked, clearly confused. She paused for a moment before she answered.
“Eh? We’re flying in for Thanksgiving. Didn’t you know? Didn’t Claire and Aaron ... tell you?” she asked, uncertainty thick in her voice.
“No, I had no idea. Well ... actually I don’t even know where the Thanksgiving Dinner is supposed to be this year. Had a lot on my plate and Thanksgiving just ... wasn’t on my mind.”
“Oh.” she said in surprise. “They ... they didn’t tell you anything? Well ... But, we’ll see you when we arrive?”
“Sure, Granny. I still live there, after all. See you then.”
After the call, I made my way to the firm. The people at work had other ideas than my family, though. When I arrived at the office, Bill called me in and I finally learned why he had sent me to that course with the Red Cross. He presented me with an actual employment contract! It came with a fixed salary for a twenty-eight-hour week and even included health insurance. The salary was actually high enough so I could drop all my side projects! The health insurance was only included on a condition, though. I had to accompany some of the guys to actual jobs. That certainly wasn’t a problem for me, so I happily accepted.
By five PM, Tess showed up in what was now my own little corner office. Right next to the server in the basement. One of the guys even put a little painter’s tape on the door and wrote “IT-Department” with permanent marker on it, even including the quotation marks as a little joke.
“I hear you’re a full-fledged member of the working force now.” she commented with a little smile, as she sat on my desk.
“Yeah. I had completely forgotten why I was here as a freelancer until now. And I still never made the connection when the Boss sent me to that First Aid Course. Took me a little by surprise.”
“Well, you know, as a proper employee in this firm, you’ll need the proper appearance to go with. What if you run into a client? Or go out on a job with the others? You’d either have to go shopping, or seriously step up that savants look you’re rocking right now.”
“Makes sense. Problem is, I kinda lack ... what’s it called... ‘fashion sense’. How would...”
“Oh, I can help with that!” she interrupted me with her eyes sparkling. Apparently, that was just what she wanted to hear. “No Sparring today. Let’s go shopping!”
She grabbed my arm and basically dragged me out of the building. For some reason, everyone we walked past gave me a slightly unsettling smile. Tess took me to what she called a ‘haberdasher’. As it turned out, I needed everything! After spending roughly twelve hours each week in the gym for nine full months, while simultaneously radically reducing my junk food intake, I had successfully shed forty pounds of fat off my body, and started to fill out quite nicely with muscles instead. At 5’10’’, and 196 pounds, I wasn’t exactly small anymore either. I wasn’t a big fan of starvation, so my torso would never get even close to that desirable V-shape, though I did get broad shoulders and was even slowly developing abs. Painstakingly slowly, that is.