My Best Friend Fell in Love with the Boy at the Rockshow

For about a week, I've been lost. The funeral for Will was the saddest thing I have ever had to attend. I never imagined this would happen, and I can't stop crying. I felt okay at first, but as his dealth sank in I felt worse and worse. I've begun to come back to reality, and I just moved in to my apartement in Washington. Will and I were going to do this together, and I feel so alone. That night, as I go to sleep, my cell phone rings.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Elliot and Michelle. We're on speaker phone. How are you?"

"Alright, I was just about to go to sleep."

"Okay, well we just wanted to wish you luck with your new job tomorrow."

"Thanks, goonight." I say, haning up. I know they meant well, but I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. The next morning, I wake up at seven a.m. and arrive at work by eight.

"Hello, you're Caroline Belequa, right?"

"Yes, hello." I say with hope. Animals are sure to cheer me up, right?

"Excellent. Today you'll begin by taking a tour with one of our expert keepers, Ginny Holden. Then, she'll assign you to some odd jobs. She's arrive in a few minutes, so stay here untill she comes." the man said, and walked away. I sit on a bench nearby untill a middle-aged women walked up to me.

"You are...."

"Yes, yes. I'm Caroline."

"Right, ready for a tour?"

"Sure." I try to say cheerfully, but my optimistic mood is slowly dying. She takes me around the zoo, and I keep it together for the most part. I almost have a break down when we reach our last stop, the elephant pen, but I manage to regain focus.

"This is our last stop for a reason. Today, you'll be cleaning the pen. Don't worry, they're quite gentle." she says. Keeper Ginny hands me a key and points to a shovel and wheelbarrow. She then shows me where to dump what I shovel.

"Goodluck, I'll check in whith you later!" she says, walking away. Great, all alone with what could possibly be the smelliest job ever. I wish Will was here, but I have to do it alone. I start my task, but soon can't take it anymore. They're his favorite animals, and every glimpse of them I get reminds me of him. I start to cry.

"Cheer up, it's not as hard as it seems." a man says. I look up and see two guys, what look to be zookeepers, walking towards me. I wipe my eyes on my sleeve.

"I'm Chester and this is Mike. We'll help you out since it's your first day." he says.

"Are you sure?" I ask, still upset.

"Sure, and besides, you look like you could use some help." Chester says.

"Thanks." I say. Within the next half and hour, we finish. I learn that Chester has a wife and two sons. He loves elephants just as much as Will did. Mike just started working here last week and Chester took him under his wing.

"I think we shoudl grab some lunch, I'll report to Ginny how you did." Chester said. We started walking toward the staff resting area, when his walkie talkie beeped.

"Keeper Chester please report to the monkey pen immediately please." it said

"Well, I guess I'd better go then. It was a pleasure meeting you." he said, walking hurridly away. Mike coninued walking, so I followed him. We got lunch and sat down at a round table.

"So, how do you like working here so far?" Mike asks

"Just fine, although it would be easier with a partner." I say sadly

"Yeah, you were assigned a partner but he backed out. I think his name was Will or something. I guess he chickened out, huh?" he said laughing, obviously joking. But it just wasn't the right thing to say. I started to cry on my first day in front of a collegue...way to make a good first impression.