Part 1
"Great! Our reward for all this year's hard work, a crappy office party! I'm not the least bit surprised that Vernon would spend all his time brown-nosing and hobnobbing with Walter and the others. Meanwhile, the good little worker bees get rewarded by being sat at the bar, given cheap beer, and being allowed to watch some crappy game on a big screen T.V. I can't wait for all of their castles to come crashing down around them!"
"Wow Nicolaus, you sure do wax poetic when you're drunk! Keep up that level of complaining and not taking action and you've got yourself a job in politics someday."
"I'm better off in the trenches. The Department of Futurists and the world at large wouldn't benefit from someone like me taking any leadership rolls. Carl, you'd definitely have a better chance up at the top, being the light that brings all of us lowly peasants on the lower floors some kind of joy."
"What are you talking about? The one that brings us any form of joy is clearly...ah, her!"
"Her? Amala? Yeah, she's pretty. But that 'holier than thou' personality of hers needs to go. She won't even give any of us shlubs a chance."
"Well, when you look like that, and are that talented, do you really need to talk to losers like us? Shit man, look at her. Long black hair, sexy fuchsia lipstick, tiny black dress, bronze unblemished skin, and those beautiful purple eyes...and such a cute little butt! Man, they don't make 'em like that too often!"
"Let me finish my drink so I can poke holes in your previous observations. Bar-keep, one more! First, you sound like a perv. Second, her eyes probably aren't purple; contacts. Third, you sound like a perv."
"Good to see that you agree with everything else though."
"You know what? I take back my complements; you're just a dirty old perv. That's enough standing around and doing nothing! Do you see that cute, red headed waitress with the freckles and in the short skirt? I'm going for it!"
"Yeah...okay. I'll wait here to console you when she turns you down, and you need someone to complain to about how much of a bitch she is."
"Whatever man; watch this!"
"Hello! Can I help you?"
"Hi - Yo! I'm Nicolaus - or Nick, that's what most people call me. What's your name?"
"I'm Katie...look...I know..."
"Katie, huh? Sweet name...you know sweet, like cool not tasty. Anyway, before I make any more of a fool of myself, tell me how do you feel about office parties? I hate them, personally."
"Well, I don't really go to office parties, since I don't work in an office. These 'end of the year' gatherings are the bane of my existence! There were two of them this week before you guys. I had maybe... two old guys grab my butt, one d-bag tell me I looked like 'one hot tamale', and some dude barfed all over my pretty little skirt. That, as a matter of fact, gave my already skeevy boss a reason to finally make me wear an even shorter skirt, one he's been trying to stick me in for a month!"
"Oh...um...M-my boss is over there with the slick haired guy's head up his ass."
"*Giggle*"
"Hah! Made you laugh. I'll take that as my one victory for the night!"
"Wait, is it so bad you need to count?"
"I mean... This year sucks in general. There were those documents that were leaked naming a bunch of criminals who'd never gotten convicted, a bunch of big businesses fired their workers and...it feels like the world's about to end."
"Can't give up hope yet! I think...your boss is looking this way."
"Is it the Italian guy with the slick back black hair, with just a bit of poop on his nose from sticking it up someone's ass?"
"Yeah."
"That's not my boss that's—"
"Yo, Nick'O, sup!"
"Hi, Vernon."
"What is up man? You couldn't possibly be hitting on this pretty young waitress?"
"Wha?!"
"I'm so sorry miss. My co-worker here is a bit too outgoing sometimes."
"It's okay. Look, I've got to go. Bye, Nicolaus."
"Yeah...see ya'."
"Essh, Nick'O. You really need to work on your game. You see how fast she ran away?"
"What is it? What do you want, Vernon?"
"Hostile! Relax, man. I'm just here to talk."
"When was the last time we talked? Oh yeah! When you told me that I wasn't doing my job correctly! And then there was the time you told me that my desk should be kept clean because it makes everyone else in the office look bad. No, you know what, bet it was the time you said that I should tuck in my shirt at work, even though that isn't a rule. See, what's funny is that was all in one day, the first day I'd ever even met you!"
"Okay, okay, okay! I get that I'm not your favorite person, but it's going to be a new year soon. We've worked together for like two years now and I think we need to stop this little turf war."
"Well... I don't actually like having to work with people I can't stand."
"Exactly! Look, I'll start; let me extend an olive branch. Me, Amala, Walter and Carl are going out to Newtonville. All the suits and low quality drinks are the shits, so were going to have a better party away from these guys. Oh, and you can't see the sky to well from the inner city. I know what you're thinking. 'Sky? What the heck? Nothing to look at in the sky.' No! As a matter of fact, the night sky is going to have those awesome lights the newspapers' have been talking about, and it's going to start snowing from what I hear! What I'm saying is, I came over here with the mission statement that I'd make peace with you, what do you say?"
"Hang on, Carl is going?"
"Yup! You'll even get to ride with us and everything. Heck, if you need more incentive...free drinks!"
"Alright, alright. Whatever..."
"Perfect! We're out of here in about ten minutes. Go grab Carl. I'll get Amala and Walt."
"Un-huh."
"Look who's back joining the peasants. So, Nick; how was it? Get rejected?"
"No. I'm not you, Carl. Anyway, what the hell man? When did you and Vernon start getting all buddy-buddy?"
"I mean...I never really disliked the guy. When he came over he said he wanted to bury the hatchet."
"Let me guess, he also said that Amala was going on this little escapade and your jaw hit the floor, then you decided that I would go without asking me?"
"Man, you can't just stay an angry brat all your life. Try and have some fun, try and do something new."
"Whatever, fine."
"Hey, look."
"What? Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
"Looks like Vernon is getting the redhead's number."
