Al shakes his head. “I’m fine, Ruby. You should head out.”
So I go back to my desk, and every now and then, the silence is punctured by the sound of Al laughing—such genuine enjoyment every time he comes across a funny TikTok. “Kids these days,” Al mutters under his breath. “They’re all marketing geniuses.”
At one point he lets out such a hearty guffaw that Sarah and I start laughing from our individual cubicles, little satellites in the dimly lit space.
sarah.ng:
lol al!
ruby.ocampo:
He’s the best
sarah.ng:
undisputed
The office is empty, but it feels like we’re all in this warm bubble together. I want to keep talking—I don’t want the bubble to pop.
Plus, if Sarah is dating Greg, isn’t it better that we’re friends?
ruby.ocampo:
So erica keeps confusing us, huh?
sarah.ng:
ugh god
we don’t even look alike?
And she’s right, of course—but it stings for a second, like maybe I offend her aesthetically.
sarah.ng:
i mean, flattering and everything! you are taller
A strained laugh escapes from me.
ruby.ocampo:
I’m the flattered one! wish i had your fashion sense
sarah.ng:
omg that’s so sweet
There’s a pause, but I can see she’s typing, then stopping, then typing again.
sarah.ng:
we didn’t have a lot of money growing up, so my favorite thing was recreating celebrity outfits at thrift stores
it’s nice to have this job now. not have to worry so much
and i can help my mom out a bit
A surge of some tangled emotion runs through me—guilt, shame, admiration, chased with the clogged spine-tight feeling of holding back tears. She deserves Greg more than me.
