Scraps - The New Girl

Jocelyn Edwards had only been at Zendex Media for a total of twelve days when she first had the, well, pleasure of meeting Rebecca Knox.

When the brunette first walked into the receptionist area that she was manning, Jocelyn knew that there was a certain intensity about the woman that instantly set her on edge. If she were being honest, it reminded her of the aura that all the mean girls she went to school with once had. There was a way about her, a confidence and superiority to Rebecca that was just unnerving to someone like Jocelyn. Her boss, Emily, had a similar energy to her but it wasn’t like this. Emily’s intensity was more work driven, Rebecca was simply intense; ironic given the broad, easy smile that the woman wore.

“Why, hello there,” Rebecca said, strolling right up to Jocelyn’s desk.

“H-Hi,” Jocelyn stuttered, surprised by the forward attitude that Rebecca carried with her. “Do you have an appointment?”

Rebecca ignored this question and hopped up on the desk instead. “You know I used to work here. Right where you’re sitting actually.” Rebecca leaned over the counter to look at Jocelyn’s personal workspace. “Finally got a decent monitor? About damn time.”

“Umm, ma’am, you can’t…” Jocelyn attempted to speak weakly. Rebecca disregarded her.

“Seriously though, the worst nine weeks of my life. You couldn’t pay me to come back here. Well, I mean you would have to pay me, huh? It is a job, after all, am I right?” Rebecca chuckled and threw Jocelyn another wide grin. “But I mean, they would have to pay me even more.”

“Yes, well, I don’t have that many options,” Jocelyn muttered. “And the benefits are good…”

Rebecca carried on as if she hadn’t heard the girl. “Your boss though, Jesus Christ, she’s the real reason why you couldn’t drag me back for anything. That bitch is just to damn much, you know what I mean?”

Jocelyn looked nervously over Rebecca’s shoulder to see Emily standing in the open doorway of her office. She was relieved to see that her boss didn’t look righteously pissed but there was definitely an irritated scowl and pursed lips showing off her disdain if nothing else. That wasn’t the worst but it wasn’t much better.

Why me? Jocelyn groaned inside her head.

“Hmm, she’s right behind me, isn’t she?” Rebecca remarked, looking thoughtfully to the side.

“Uh-huh,” Jocelyn whimpered with wide eyes.

“Damn,” Rebecca muttered before turning around with a wide smile. “Well, hello, my love. You’re late.”

“And you’re being a pest,” Emily deadpanned.

Rebecca shrugged. “Just passing the time. Met your new assistant here. Jocelyn, right?” Rebecca glanced at Jocelyn to make sure she was correct and the girl nodded dumbly in confirmation. I never told her my name… How…? “You really do go through them quick, don’t you?”

Emily grabbed Rebecca’s arm roughly, her scowl etching deeper into her features. “Will you shut up before I lose another one because of your big mouth?”  

“You know I love it when you get all mad and huffy like this,” Rebecca cooed.

“Oh, shut up!” Emily cried.

It was at that outburst of emotion from her normally stoic boss that got Jocelyn to crack a smile at the whole ridiculous scenario finally. At the time she didn’t know her name or what she was really like but Jocelyn was sure that Rebecca was anything but run-of-the-mill, just on her ability to crack Emily’s shell like she did. It wouldn’t take long to find out how right she was abut that assumption either.