For ten years Juliette had taken the same train to work every morning. For ten years she struggled with the turnstiles, put up with screaming babies, with teens pushing her out of the way for an empty seat, with tall men somehow squishing her into their armpits, with getting her feet stepped on to the point of a broken toe, with a commute so crowded that if she closed her eyes she felt like she was one of octopulets still in the womb. Ten years at the same job. Ten years on the #1 train, red line, with a transfer to the shuttle to Grand Central before walking those last couple blocks to the Chrysler building. Ten years in glamfuckingorous New York City getting sardined and squashed and made to feel just downright uncomfortable. And it’s not even like she was doing it for a lot of money. She worked in the non-profit world so made exactly one-third that of her best friend, May. Both graduated from the same school with the same degree. Both had the same title, but Financial Analyst means a lot more at Barclays than it does at the Advocacy Center for Homeless Youth and Runaways.

The last straw was when a toe-headed four-year-old sat down next to her crying to look out the window. Then, he proceeded to turn around to stare out said window dragging his muddy shoes across her new suit as he did so. Magically, a toy car appeared in his hand and he ran it into the window and on Juliette’s shoulder, giggling the entire time.

“I’m so sorry,” the boy’s mother said.

“Then you’ll pay to have this dry
cleaned?” Juliette asked.

“No hablar Ingles,” the mother said with a glint in her eyes. It’s amazing how fast one forgets the language when faced with a bill.

The child continued to run the car back and forth on the window behind Juliette while making loud crashing sounds until she finally just got off the train two stops early and walked home. Juliette decided then and there what she really needed were wings so she could avoid all this bullshit and fly to work. And the next day she had them.

My old blog

STP Me!

Thank you golden spatula for my lovely dragon!