Stanley had a hard time sleeping because of having an unexpected nightmare. He shot up wide awake with his body sweating and aching. Worried that the dream might become a reality, Stanley went to refresh himself by showering and taking medicine.

He headed out of his apartment after getting dressed to start another fresh day. He took a glance and saw Jordan out at the gate as he waved. Stanley grumbled under his breath and ignored Jordan, and stormed off to work without saying a word.

Stanley looked back, wondering if Jordan followed him or not. When he entered the supermarket, he didn’t pay attention to his surroundings and bumped into Hilary.

“Hey, watch where—” Hilary was about to remark. She turned and noticed Stanley and retracted her comment. “Oh, it’s you.”

“Oh no, I’m so sorry!” Stanley exclaimed.

“Hey, are you ok? You don’t look so good.” She asked, noticing the black circles underneath his eyes.

“I’m fine, no worries.”

“Ok, but if something’s up, you know you can always—”

“Is everyone here yet?” The boss proclaimed. “I have another announcement to make!”

“Well, Jordan’s not here.” Hilary pointed out.

“Yeah, maybe he’s sick or something...” Stanley murmured.

The doors from behind the group swung open, and everyone turned around as Jordan strutted inside, announcing his presence.

“Hey guys, how’s it going?” He greeted with excitement.

“You’re late; you know that, correct?” The boss pointed out. “What do you have to say to yourself?”

“Knock, knock.”

“Um, who's there?”

“Justin.”

“Justin, who?”

“Justin time for work.”

Some employees chuckled and snickered at the remark Jordan made, while others groaned to themselves in disbelief. The boss himself raised an eyebrow and smiled at him.

“How cute.” The manager turned to everyone else to continue his announcement. “Anyway, now that everyone’s here...”

He cleared his throat before continuing. “We have an intern coming over for inspection. What we need to do is have someone give this person a tour and make sure they see the best parts of the store, so it’ll get a seal of approval. That way, we can still stay in business.”

“I feel like he should do it,” Jordan replied, pointing at Stanley.

“Really? No offense, but why do you think that?” The boss questioned.

“Look, he may not look like it, but he’s more social and informed than before. Besides, I’m not feeling the best, so if I were to do it, I’d risk getting the woman sick.”

“Is that so? Wait, how do you know the intern’s gender?”

“Uh, I just guessed, that’s all.”

“Ok then? Stanley, what do you say?” The boss turned to Stanley and asked.

Stanley sighed. “Alright, fine, I’ll do it.”

“Excellent, good luck!”

Jordan gave Stanley another wink and thumbs up and walked off without saying a word.

Time passed by, as Stanley waited by the doors on the benchmark for the intern to arrive while everyone else continued doing their assigned duties for the day. The doors opened as someone walked in. A woman called to Stanley, as he glanced over, her brown hair reflected against the light. He immediately recognized her as his body stiffened.

“Melody? What are you doing here?”

“Stanley? I didn’t know you work here. I’m an intern.”

“So, you’re the one I’m supposed to guide?”

“Oh, sweet, lead the way then.”

The two walked around the place as Stanley gave the tour the best he could. However, he couldn’t help but wonder about last night. Then again, it wasn’t his business; his curiosity grew over what happened last night.

Stanley recalled the time when Jordan told him to speak his mind the other day; maybe it’d be a good time to do that? He stopped in place and turned to face Melody, whose hands were behind her back.

“Are you alright?” Melody questioned.

“What were you and Jordan up to?” Stanley remarked. “I saw you last night; even though you said—”

“Oh, you saw that? Please don’t get the wrong idea. Jordan just wanted to apologize for his unruly behavior the other day and gave me a present as a token of that apology.” Melody pulled back her hair and showed off her new pair of golden earrings. “See? Aren’t they pretty?”

“Yeah, they are.” Stanley complimented her. He lowered his head. “I’m sorry I misunderstood the situation.”

“It’s ok.” Melody’s tone then grew more serious. “There’s something I want to discuss with you. Can we go somewhere private?”

“Um... sure?

The two entered a storage room, which appeared to be empty, save for a small peach desk, two little wooden chairs, and a dim light bulb hanging from the gray ceiling. Melody turned to lock the door as she and Stanley took both seats. They faced one another, looking each other in the eyes.

“So, what was it you wanted to talk about?” Stanley inquired.

“It’s about an old friend of mine,” Melody replied. “Do you know a woman named Hilary?”

“Yes, I do, is she a friend of yours?”

“You shouldn’t talk to her anymore.”

“What? Why not?”

“Because she’s not as she seems.”

“I don’t see what you mean, I mean, we met not too long ago, so...”

“I’m just going to state this, if you’re wondering, she doesn’t love you, and never will.”

“Huh? When did that get into play?” Stanley tilted his head in confusion. “When did I—”

“Don’t you see?” Melody continued, growing more frustrated. “What if she’s trying to use you to, selfishly, pursue her own goals and then leave you? Is that really what you want?”

“What? But Hilary doesn’t seem like the type who’d do such a thing! Besides, I feel obligated to help a friend of mine. She made me feel appreciated.

“Is that so? Even if the friendship was a lie?” Melody climbed up on the table and crawled toward Stanley. A shiver rolled down his spine, with his heart pounding fast, and head feeling heavy.

“What are you doing? What’s gotten—”

“Don’t worry; I’ll be there for you, I promise...”

“A-Are you sure?” Stanley stuttered, backing away with the chair. “I don’t like being lied to. How do I know I can trust you when—”

“Why would I?”

“Are you trying to seduce me? What are you and Jordan up to?”

“What are you saying?”

“Hey guys, how are things going?” The boss called out as he opened the doors.

Stanley shook his head and blinked, realizing that he and Melody were close to the desk again and back in their seats. What was going on? He could’ve sworn things were different. Did he imagine things?

“It’s going great,” Melody turned to the boss and chirped. “I give this place a seal of approval!” She took out a slip from her pocket and handed it over to the boss.

“That’s great to hear!” The manager exclaimed, clasping his hands together. “It’s a good thing I listened to Jordan!” He walked over and patted Stanley on the back. “Nice going, mate.”

“Uh, thanks,” Stanley replied. “Wait, where is Jordan?”

“He went home early and was feeling ill.”

“Oh, is that so?”