Crossword This
Jensen wiped his sweaty hands on his pants as he looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was spiked up perfectly, his dress shirt complemented his eyes and made them sparkle and no one could ever say a bad thing about his prized sports jacket that gave him an edge of class.
Then what the hell was he freaking out for?
He knew why…he was going into a job interview. And not just any job interview…this was the motherload of all job interviews. The one that could make or break him and he rather not be broken especially knowing the person who would have to put him together again was his best friend Jared who was busy getting kisses from his dog. Yeah…..
Wiping his sweaty palms off on his pants again he started pacing hoping to get all his nervous energy out.
“Will you stop that already?”
Jensen froze and his shoulders sagged he trudged over to the worn couch and plopped down on it. His head ending up in Jared’s lap. “I’m doomed!”
“You’re not doomed; I know you can do this,” Jared cheered. “Just do what I told you! It’ll all work out perfectly.”
Jensen snorted. “Yeah like the last time I did what you said and winded up arrested for indecent exposure and stayed the night in a jail cell with only a pair of pink shorts the jail gave me?”
Jared shrugged. “Ok that was sorta bad, but hey, you looked good doing it! Plus you certainly got that girl’s attention…she couldn’t take her eyes off of you!”
Jensen just ignored him and closed his eyes trying to picture how this day would turn out. Unfortunately his mind kept coming up with weird scenarios of him saying something he shouldn’t or something equally embarrassing.
“Jen?” Jared asked from somewhere up above. His voice reverberated through his whole body, making Jensen’s head rumble a little from its spot on Jared’s lap.
This was normal for them. They had known each other since grade school and remained best friends ever since, so laying in his friend’s lap or Jared giving him quick kisses to the cheek was nothing but normal to him. In fact if Jared ever stopped being his dorky teddy self, Jensen would then know something was wrong.
Realizing he’s been silently talking to himself and leaving Jared hanging he hesitantly answered. “Yeah Jay?”
Risking opening his eyes he noticed Jared was doing one of those stupid crossword puzzles again. It didn’t matter if the kid graduated college for engineering or if he competed in math competitions or was valedictorian in high school, Jared and words just weren’t a great mix.
But you are Jensen silently thought. If you don’t ace this interview it’ll be like Jared not acing a math exam; it just didn’t happen.
“I don’t understand this one.” Jared chewed on the end of his pencil-something that drove Jensen insane-and scratched his head in thought. For a second Jared looked like his dogs which almost made him laugh if his stomach wasn’t in turmoil of this interview. “Well what is it?”
“A 6 letter word for smart, strong, capable?”
Jensen closed his eyes and thought for a second. It usually helped him think, but all these “what if” scenarios floating around in his head were making his thoughts jumbled.
“Are there any letters?” Jensen asked.
“Nope.”
“Damn…um?” Smart, strong, capable come on he should know this he didn’t get his degree in journalism for nothing.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he scrunched his eyes up, hoping the word would magically pop out. He didn’t know why he was so upset over not answering a crossword. It’s happened in the past, but now it’s like if he doesn’t know the answer it’ll be saying he’s not ready for this job.
“I don’t know Jay, honestly….I-” Jensen was cut off by hurried scribbling. Either Jared was drawing or he found the answer.
“I got it!” Jared cried excitedly.
“Well what was it?” Jensen asked expectantly.
Jared started to smile that smile that said he knew all the answers in the universe.
“What?” Jensen asked hesitantly.
Jared didn’t say anything, just shoved the book in his face. Pushing it back a bit he spied the only answer that Jared wrote. It was 5 down and the letters in Jared’s horrible little scrawl spelt out J.E.N.S.E.N
Feeling his eyes water a little he rubbed at him. Stupid damn ginormous, teddy bears.
“See if it’s in the book it must be true,” Jared said cockily.
Checking his watch he noticed it was time to go.
He thought by then he would feel more jittery than before and be chugging coffee by the gallons but now he felt well….ok.
Pushing up for his spot on the couch he fixed his hair, straightened out his clothes, and turned to Jared. He didn’t know what to say but he hoped his eyes conveyed what he meant. The way Jared looked back knowingly he was sure Jared understood.
“Well I’m going now."
Jared smiled and leapt off the couch giving Jensen a bone crushing hug. “Kick ass dude! I know you’ll ace this because remember the book?” Jared said waving the book in the air like it was the Holy Grail.
Jensen chuckled. “Thanks sasquatch.”
“Anytime.”
Jensen left feeling confident and you know what, a week later when they called back, Jensen got the job.
And Jared danced around the house holding that stupid damn crossword book.
The End.
Then what the hell was he freaking out for?
He knew why…he was going into a job interview. And not just any job interview…this was the motherload of all job interviews. The one that could make or break him and he rather not be broken especially knowing the person who would have to put him together again was his best friend Jared who was busy getting kisses from his dog. Yeah…..
Wiping his sweaty palms off on his pants again he started pacing hoping to get all his nervous energy out.
“Will you stop that already?”
Jensen froze and his shoulders sagged he trudged over to the worn couch and plopped down on it. His head ending up in Jared’s lap. “I’m doomed!”
“You’re not doomed; I know you can do this,” Jared cheered. “Just do what I told you! It’ll all work out perfectly.”
Jensen snorted. “Yeah like the last time I did what you said and winded up arrested for indecent exposure and stayed the night in a jail cell with only a pair of pink shorts the jail gave me?”
Jared shrugged. “Ok that was sorta bad, but hey, you looked good doing it! Plus you certainly got that girl’s attention…she couldn’t take her eyes off of you!”
Jensen just ignored him and closed his eyes trying to picture how this day would turn out. Unfortunately his mind kept coming up with weird scenarios of him saying something he shouldn’t or something equally embarrassing.
“Jen?” Jared asked from somewhere up above. His voice reverberated through his whole body, making Jensen’s head rumble a little from its spot on Jared’s lap.
This was normal for them. They had known each other since grade school and remained best friends ever since, so laying in his friend’s lap or Jared giving him quick kisses to the cheek was nothing but normal to him. In fact if Jared ever stopped being his dorky teddy self, Jensen would then know something was wrong.
Realizing he’s been silently talking to himself and leaving Jared hanging he hesitantly answered. “Yeah Jay?”
Risking opening his eyes he noticed Jared was doing one of those stupid crossword puzzles again. It didn’t matter if the kid graduated college for engineering or if he competed in math competitions or was valedictorian in high school, Jared and words just weren’t a great mix.
But you are Jensen silently thought. If you don’t ace this interview it’ll be like Jared not acing a math exam; it just didn’t happen.
“I don’t understand this one.” Jared chewed on the end of his pencil-something that drove Jensen insane-and scratched his head in thought. For a second Jared looked like his dogs which almost made him laugh if his stomach wasn’t in turmoil of this interview. “Well what is it?”
“A 6 letter word for smart, strong, capable?”
Jensen closed his eyes and thought for a second. It usually helped him think, but all these “what if” scenarios floating around in his head were making his thoughts jumbled.
“Are there any letters?” Jensen asked.
“Nope.”
“Damn…um?” Smart, strong, capable come on he should know this he didn’t get his degree in journalism for nothing.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he scrunched his eyes up, hoping the word would magically pop out. He didn’t know why he was so upset over not answering a crossword. It’s happened in the past, but now it’s like if he doesn’t know the answer it’ll be saying he’s not ready for this job.
“I don’t know Jay, honestly….I-” Jensen was cut off by hurried scribbling. Either Jared was drawing or he found the answer.
“I got it!” Jared cried excitedly.
“Well what was it?” Jensen asked expectantly.
Jared started to smile that smile that said he knew all the answers in the universe.
“What?” Jensen asked hesitantly.
Jared didn’t say anything, just shoved the book in his face. Pushing it back a bit he spied the only answer that Jared wrote. It was 5 down and the letters in Jared’s horrible little scrawl spelt out J.E.N.S.E.N
Feeling his eyes water a little he rubbed at him. Stupid damn ginormous, teddy bears.
“See if it’s in the book it must be true,” Jared said cockily.
Checking his watch he noticed it was time to go.
He thought by then he would feel more jittery than before and be chugging coffee by the gallons but now he felt well….ok.
Pushing up for his spot on the couch he fixed his hair, straightened out his clothes, and turned to Jared. He didn’t know what to say but he hoped his eyes conveyed what he meant. The way Jared looked back knowingly he was sure Jared understood.
“Well I’m going now."
Jared smiled and leapt off the couch giving Jensen a bone crushing hug. “Kick ass dude! I know you’ll ace this because remember the book?” Jared said waving the book in the air like it was the Holy Grail.
Jensen chuckled. “Thanks sasquatch.”
“Anytime.”
Jensen left feeling confident and you know what, a week later when they called back, Jensen got the job.
And Jared danced around the house holding that stupid damn crossword book.
The End.