CRASH

CHAPTER 1

Hi. My name is Crash. Weird name right? Yeah just like I was or how people thought I was. I saw myself as a perfectly normal person. Anti social but pretty normal. Or so I thought.

I'm a twenty six year old man who still has chubby cheeks, zits and baby fat. Most people saw mess a nerd but I was just an extra smart guy who used glasses. I was I work as a Tech guy in an IT firm in New York. A good paying job, a nice apartment and reasonable savings.

Oh yes I've got a girlfriend. We've dated for three years now. Cherry is really pretty and the total opposite of me. Mama didn't exactly like her. She said she was too loud and called her a w***e.

My best friend Aeric who I had known all my live sometimes said it was unreal that Cherry settled for someone like me. I don't know what exactly that means but whatever.

Aeric and I had been friends since kindergarten but even though he was everything I wasn't, he didn't have a job. He lived with his mama and sometimes came to stay at my place.

And my mama, the person I loved the most in the world. When I was bullied for being weird and I wanted to quit school, she made me see that it was okay to be different. I didn't have to be like my peers to fit in. I could be different and unique.

I finished my last work for the day. I couldn't remember how much work I had done today. And it just wasn't my work only. I did work for Cherry because she got stressed easily and had worry lines and was very unpleasant when she was stressed.

And yes, Cherry worked in the same building with me. Did people know? No, they didn't. It was going to disrupt normal working process if people knew.

The only interaction we had at work was when she brought her work over to me to complete and went off flirting with other guys so they don't suspect anything was going on between us.

How that is possible is beyond me but I have to go with what she says because I lover her and I didn't want to lose her.

I packed up my things and rushed out of the building just in time before it was locked for the day.

I hailed a Taxi that took me home. My house was quiet as usual, nothing to get back home to. No pet not even a fish. I slumped in front of my TV watching reruns of The Flash and drifting if to my fantasy universe where I suddenly had supper powers and the world depends on me to save it.

This was my routine everyday. Wake up, go to work, come back to meet my empty house and crash on my couch. What a life.

My alarm rang loudly and I jerked up. I slept off on the couch. When I checked the time it was 6:40 and I had to be at work by 7:10. I rushed to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Throwing my clothes on and rushing out of my apartment with my shoes in my hand.

I stopped a Taxi and stumbled in. Putting on my shoes. The driver dropped me off and I threw a couple of bills at him not waiting to take my change and ran into the building.

My manager was mean and I needed to be in the office before he found out I wasn't there. For some weird reason, the man absolutely hated me.

But as my luck would have it, he was standing right outside my door.

"Late again Disaster" what the f**k. This was the first time I was coming late and disaster was his nickname for me.

"It won't happen next time sir"

He chuckled. "Oh there won't be a next time. The company wants to lay off some staff and I recommended you. Isn't that great?"

"B-b...but"

"But nothing. I doubt they'll keep you with you looking like a homeless person" he said eyeing me up and down.

I looked at my feet to see my shoes untied, my buttons mismatched and my shirt sticking out of my trousers.

"I'll just go and dress properly before I see them" I turned before he could say anything and made my way to the men's room.

I could feel eyes on me as I passed through cubicles. Cherry and her friends passed me in the way and laughed. At me? I couldn't tell but they weren't laughing until they saw me. I couldn't help but feel annoyed.

When I looked at myself in the mirror, my annoyance faded. I couldn't blame them. I looked ridiculous and unkempt. My hair sticking in different directions. I looked like a homeless hobo.

I quickly arranged myself and wet my hair. I brushed my hands through it to make it look a bit presentable.

I left the men's room and went upstairs to where the board of directors gathered.

A few people were here too. I say quietly until I was called. I entered the office and made my way to the empty seat while I felt eyes on me.

I sat down and waited for them to ask me a question.

"So Mr. Crash. You've worked here for?" a stern feminine voice asked.

"Five years"

She hummed.

"Say if something wrong or suspicious was going on in the company and you noticed, will you overlook it or you'll speak up and tell the higher ups?"

Was this a trick question? "I'll tell the higher ups"

She tsked. "I'm sorry Mr. Crash. We'll have to lay you off"

"Is this because I said I'll tell the higher ups? You want me to be silent about it?"

"This has nothing to do with that. We need to lay off some staffs and you just had to be one of them. Not that I need to explain myself or anything. Now leave before I call security"

"Okay" I had a lot of things to say to her but I just stood up and left the office.