122CHAPTER 1: THE INTERN.
Life is perfect. Hakuna Matata. That dream job. His inventions on the charts. The media buzzing, the famous CEO of Haddock Aviation Service, HENRY in a large spaced office on the last floor of the aviation building where his imaginations became trending inventions. Dressed in an expensive Blazer...no..Leather jacket, with his favorite green T-shirt. A gorgeous brunette...no...blonde's are perfect. A gorgeous blonde as his assistant to get him his favorite hot chocolate every morning.
HENRY HADDOCK.
The most eligible bachelor in...Yeah right! that was about to change anyway.
HENRY HADDOCK, the...
THAT DAMN ALARM CLOCK!
"Henry! get the hell outta bed if you want to catch up with the other interns!"
"Oh come on Dad! is that today?" Henry sighed with his eyes shut gripping on to that endless dream.
"This is all your fault you know? you had a perfect job at the board because you're the brains to most of our inventions, but you choose to be an intern."
Henry sat up crossing that bridge between fantasy and reality, He was Henry Haddock, son of the CEO of Haddock Aviation services and, just a regular intern. Success felt good but would be better if he had earned it and not because he inherited it. Being the valedictorian of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo was a stepping stone to achieving that dream and the climb had just begun. This post-graduate internship would be a chance to prove himself not just to the board, but to his Dad.
"We've been over this Dad, thanks for your offer but.."
"I know, I know, You want it to be your effort."
"Exactly."
"Just get dressed!"
"Okay! A little privacy please?"
"Yeah...right...meet you downstairs." Gerald Haddock walked away.
Henry rolled his eyes and sighed.
His cellphone buzzed.
Heather.
Hi sweetheart!
Just wanted to check up on you.
Happy first work day! I can already picture your dreams taking place without you trying!
Yup! that's how amazing you are.
Love you.
Heather was his ray of sunshine every morning and source of courage and confidence. From the very start, she had always been there. Losing his mum in the third grade to his constant misunderstandings with his Dad in High School. She was there through his worst nightmares and suicide attempt as a Sophomore. She always saw him as a hero, unique, perfect, when everyone else took one glance at his weaknesses and threw condemnations and judgments. Heather was somehow able to fill that void that his mother left. She saw so much in him that he often doubts he would ever amount to. Most times he often thought she deserved so much more than being with him. she would always remind him of how lucky she was to have him. Life was worth living with Heather and he would always have this huge sense of gratitude towards her. Henry stared at the text, she sent one every morning and somehow each one lifted his spirits and made his day before it started. He smiled and hit the buttons on the screen.
First day in Law School?
You'll be a judge in no time and without trying because you'll stand out in the first glance.
Yup! that's how exceptional you are.
I love you too.
Henry smiled at the little kisses emoji sent from Heather. He loved her so much and she had a special spot in his heart that no one could replace.
"Eric, my internship starts today. I have to be early for a good first impression."
"What did you say? You're still pushing on with that crap?!"
"This is my future, Eric! You know it has always been my dream to...''
"I couldn't care less about your dream or mine! People like us dream and always get crushed!"
"People like us?"
"Worthless, Unlucky and Unloved!"
"I don't have time for this."
"Astrid!" Eric grabbed her collar slamming her shoulders hard to the wall behind her. "What did we say about walking out on me?"
"Eric stop it! you're hurting me!" Astrid struggled to push away from his tight grip on her.
"I see how it is, You want to prove you're better than me huh?!"
"No! that's not my intention! Stop it!"
"Have you forgotten what you are? Where I picked you from?!"
"No, I haven't. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just wanted to earn money for us, for you. Eric please just let me go for this."
"You're sure you're going to earn money from this?"
"It's a job, Isn't it?"
Eric released his grip from Astrid."Don't you dare forget who you are, You can't be those people Astrid. You're mine! The world rejected you then, they would reject you now and as usual, you would come running back to me. They would always see us as nothing!"
Tears rolled down Astrid's eyes and once Eric left the room, she broke into a sob. Eric was right. What was she doing trying to be something she wouldn't become? She tried and graduated college as the valedictorian of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor before moving to Kalamazoo. It strengthened her decision to be a pilot in the Haddock Airlines. It was one of the biggest and most successful airlines and Aviation sector. Astrid had never been in control of anything, she was always being controlled, personal decisions were made for her. She was defined and judged by everyone around her.
Being a pilot to Astrid was taking control of the complete trust of every single border. They believe in you so much to put their lives in your hands and you are given the chance to make decisions, to take control, to be free. As a kid, she would fold the edges of a single paper into a plane and pretend to be the pilot, giving orders about safety and the weather. Just flying, away from her broken family, away from her traumatic childhood, above her limitations and most of all, away from Eric.
You're worthless!
Maybe because the world never cared to see her worth. She was so much more than that slut who would give her dignity to pay her debts. She was better than the rich kids who leeched off their parent's wealth while she stripped every last inch of her dignity to get through each course. Eric wasn't going to bring her down, She is Astrid Hofferson and would prove Eric wrong. She isn't worthless. She falls and gets up each time. She has a dream, to be the pilot her Dad wanted to be but failed to achieve. She is Astrid Hofferson, She won't back down without a fight. She had always been a fighter and each fight made her even stronger.
Astrid pulled the hair band off her loose ponytail and twirled her hair into a braid with her headband above the thick bangs that swept across her forehead. She wiped off the running mascara that came from her tears. Crying made her feel weak and helpless. Crying was for failures. It was surrendering to her pain and she never gives into pain. She looked into the mirror revealing the black eye from Eric's blows a week ago.
Conceal it, Astrid. No one needs to know.
She found refuge in her Concealer, it covered her pain, insecurities, Helpl...No! She wasn't helpless. She was perfectly fine. She needed no one!
9: 30 am...
She was going to be late, that marks down the good first impression. Astrid grabbed her purse and files containing her school records and headed out of the room she shared with her husband, Eric. Getting married to Eric would be the worst decision of her life, only that it wasn't her decision, It was a debt she had to pay. She owed her life to him when he bought her from prostitution. Where she was sold into by her mother...Her fuckin' mother who was her worst nightmare. Her past was like a cage, being in that bedroom waiting for the next client to rip her of her dignity. Being a virgin was impossible as she lost her's at 14.
It took away fear because she lost everything, there was nothing more to lose. There was nothing more to be afraid of. Eric was gone. She hadn't noticed when he left but it meant she had to use the bus and he knew she was running late. She had no right to complain. Eric was the reason she wasn't in that cold, dark bedroom screaming and begging for freedom.
Without Eric, she'll be back to that life she was running from.
"Dude. What are you even doing here? Your Dad is Gerald Haddock, shouldn't you be a part of the board or something?"
"Henry's just a show-off, we all know some of the designs are your ideas and we get it, you're better than us."
"Wow...Jealous much?"
Seth Lout rolled his eyes. With Henry as an intern, he'll never have the chance of making it as the best. Henry was always in the way of being the High school valedictorian to being the College valedictorian. It was always Henry Haddock with the brains and talent he couldn't match up to. Being the most loved Jock in High school was his only edge over Henry. Building Insecurities into that scrawny little green-eyed nerd with the strangest sense of humor was his source of strength and confidence and it even led to a suicide attempt by Henry back in Sophomore year. Why would that dork even want to take his own life? He had a perfect life.
His father was the Gerald Haddock, his biggest Idol and obviously was the heir to the Haddock Aviation and Airlines. Henry was everything he dreamed of being, but it was shocking that Henry was never content with who he was and always tried 'prove himself" to everyone.
Show off! what more was there to prove?
"So how's Heather?" Freddie, Henry's high school and college buddy asked.
"Law school. She was really nervous but she's gonna nail it"
"We all know that."
"Well, she doesn't."
"So when are you going to propose Henry, I feel like you guys have been dating in like forever."
"Oh come on, not you too? I thought that was just Dad talk."
"Well it's obvious that she is waiting for you to propose, She loves you that much."
"Only Henry can't see that," Terence growled and moved the files on his desk.
"What is your problem?" Henry glared at Terence who had been on his case all day. "I'm an intern, so what?"
"That's not my problem! My problem is the fact that Heather ignored a muscular jock like Seth and a buff room of awesomeness like me to be with...this"
"You just gestured to all of me?!"
"My point is Heather being with you is a sacrifice on her part and you need to treasure her or else you could lose her in a flash."
Henry rolled his eyes. ''You know if you have a crush on my girlfriend, Just admit it, I get it."
"I didn't say that!"
"You didn't have to, I've always known that."
"Dude I have a girlfriend too you know."
"Great. then stay out of my private life, Terence"
"Can't wait till Heather gets snapped back to her senses and dumps you in a snap."
"Yea we can't all wait for that... Keep hoping, it just might happen." Henry snapped in a sarcastic tone "Maybe I should have accepted my Dad's job offer"
"I totally agree...you should have." Terence stirred his chamomile tea and took a sip.
"And be the boss of me? No way!'' Seth Lout chirped in.
Freddie groaned "He's going to be your boss anyway. He's Henry Haddock"
"At least he wants me here, for some self-known reasons."
"It doesn't mean I want you here, Haddock. I still can't stand you."
"And that's supposed to be news to me?"
"Interns! Quiet. The first day of Post Internship program for Haddock Airlines. We are going to go through the background story and heritage of this company. You need to be aware of the motto, mission, and vision of the company and strive to achieve the goals as an employee. We would have a week tour of all the buildings where you would be given information on every floor, every wing and the job positions available in the company. The following week would be a tour around the Airline Hangers. We would study each Aircraft in the Airline and Aviation sector. This year, a few made it into the program due to the increase in the Academic Standard and requirements of the company. Punctuality not just attendance earns you points on the personality requirements from an employee. Let's see...I have...Henry Haddock, Seth Lout, Freddie Lester, Terence Norman, Regina Norman, Gus Newton, Daniel Peters...Astrid Hofferson...Astrid?"
"Present sir!"
Henry's gaze followed the eyes of the group to the blonde who rushed into the room. She was dressed in a dark high waist skirt that revealed her curves and a white collar shirt soaked and glued to her body revealing the black camisole she wore under the shirt. Every inch of her body was drenched in the rain and her long golden hair loose and spread across her shoulders. Her eyes were light blue with her little pointed nose which carved her thin lips. Through the running mascara, messy hair and lip stains on her shirt, one thing was for sure...
She was Beautiful.
"You're Astrid Hofferson?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Punctuality is a major requirement if you're looking forward to securing your job here."
"I'm really sorry sir. there won't be a repeat of this, I promise."
Henry watched Astrid walk timidly to the desk compartment across from his and besides Regina. Why was she drenched? It was raining heavily when he left this morning. Didn't she own a car? Appearance was also a criterion for personality requirements so she couldn't show up soaked every day of the internship.
"You've got your files, Astrid?"
"They're all here, Sir."
Astrid. A pretty and unique name. She must have missed the first Orientation because he definitely hadn't seen her around. Henry looked away from Astrid. He obviously wasn't the only guy who couldn't keep his gaze off her. Terence stared, but Seth was wide-eyed and almost drooling. Henry couldn't judge, She was that gorgeous.
Heather.
Right. He shouldn't be worrying or thinking about a pretty blonde in his post-internship class or even staring at her. He had a girlfriend and she should be the only gorgeous girl on his mind and taking their relationship to the next level. His gaze moved back to the blonde, she was trying to wipe off her running mascara, a little self-conscious and embarrassed. She probably didn't notice that before she came in. Regina turned to give her a face towel and she smiled gratefully.
That smile. Beautiful.
"Henry?!"
"Yes, Mr. Gobber," Henry said tensed and quickly blinked away from Astrid before she could notice he was staring. "You said what?"
"Your files?"
"Here Sir" Henry stacked the green files and handed them to Gobber.
"I just don't need your presence you know? I need your attention."
"I..uh..I'm really sorry." Henry stuttered. He noticed all eyes were fixed on him, even Astrid's. He hoped to the Gods she didn't catch him had to stop this and focus, he had a goal of being the best after this program and here he was losing concentration to a girl that wasn't his girlfriend?
Focus Henry...Focus!
"Alright Interns, I got all the files. Let's begin, everyone step out quietly." Gobber said as everyone stood up packing their notes and bags and followed Gobber out of the room. Henry glanced at Astrid who struggled with her purse. Seth walked up to her and helped her out starting a conversation with her. Well, of course, he would be the first to...
Focus Henry!
Without anymore glances towards Astrid's direction, Henry followed the group away from the room. No more glances.