Sarah Jones Willamson

The phone rings in the living room.

"Yeah coming", said Sarah from the kitchen. She was sitting at the dining table reading feedback from her beta readers on her new novel that was going to be released soon. She half walked and half ran the distance between her and the ringing phone on the table situated right to the couch in her living room.

There were many obstacles in her way such as milk cartons, unopened boxes, crushed papers, gift wrappings, two never used broomsticks, three rolls of toilet paper, and many more.

"Hello, Sarah Jones residence, how can I help you?"

"Sarah it's me, your headache".

"Oh Julie, my god how have you been?" said Sarah in a pretentious happy tone.

"Miserable, I'm thinking of quitting my job. It's too much work being an editor and literary agent'', said Julie.

"Oh no you are doing such a great job"

"Zip it Sarah, it's not time to butter the toast. Listen, a book fair is taking place just next week and I don't think there will be a better place to release your novel", said Julie.

"Oh where?"

"Okay it's a bit far from your place but it'll be worth it trust me. I have made all the necessary arrangements and booked you a hotel nearby so start packing your bags", said Julie.

"Hey, but where is the thing happening"

"Don't sweat it. I'll send you the details later, bye I got work to do."

The phone got disconnected from the other side and Sarah cried in her agony, not literally though.

"Why does she act like she has so much work when I am the only person she handles. Literary agents... can't live with them can't live without them" said Sarah to herself but out loud.

Sarah started transferring the books from the couch to the table in front of the couch which already had little to no space because of the trash that had been piling up for months, so she can lay on her couch comfortably and then have a peaceful mental breakdown thinking about what to wear on the day of release, will people like the novel, will she be able to pay her next rent, will she die of hunger in next 10 mins or no wait there a packet of chips nearby.

While Sarah was attempting to get to the packet of chips from the chair which was 5 feet from the couch, without leaving the couch, dangling in the air with her feet barely on the couch, one hand down on the floor and doing somewhat of a plank, her hand almost reached the packet but before she could reach the packet, the phone goes off.

Mission devour chips failed!

Sarah barely retrieved her body to the couch without touching the floor and picked up the phone.

"Hello…"

"Sarah Sarah Sarah Sarah I need a huge favor and real quick, please", said Becky who is the editor of a famous glamour magazine.

"Calm down woman, you will burst a nerve", said Sarah

"I don't mind bursting a few, since all these nincompoops are always playing monkey bars on my nerves", said Becky angrily. "You would die", said Sarah but Becky went on with her flow without acknowledging that she could die if she actually burst a nerve.

"Listen I need an article on a face whitening cream. I am sending you a total trash article and a few reviews on your mail. Write me an awesome article so every woman spends her husband's hard-earned money on this cream which doesn't do shit" said Becky hurriedly. "By tonight, I need it fast "

"Okay, okay Miss busy. I will. You just calm down", said Sarah.

"Honey, the second I met you, I knew in that moment that I could rely upon you in hard times. Thanks a lot" said Becky in ultimate gratitude.

"It better pays well."

"Yes honey you bet, okay I will leave it to you then. Bye" beep.

Sarah put her phone down after untangling its spiral cord that she was chewing during the whole conversation. She motivated herself to stand up from the couch and go to her computer which was in the left corner of the living room, about 9 feet from her couch. It took her 40 minutes to reach her destination.

Finally, she dragged the chair out with her slim hands. It took her another 2 minutes to drag the chair far enough so she could sit, and then she collapsed on the chair with a thud.

She scavenged for her keyboard and mouse on the computer desk from the heaps of paper clippings, nail polish, pens, sketches that didn't even work, a half-eaten sandwich, packets of biscuits, chips, crackers, snacks and many unfathomable things that shouldn't have been there in the first place.

After knocking most of the garbage down to the little dustbin on the right side of the desk which was already at 110% of its capacity, she switched on her computer and then went into the mail to find the email sent by Becky from 3,025 unread emails.

"Oh there it is...42 attached files! She said a few reviews" said Sarah going through the mail sent by Becky. She opened one of the attached files which was the article that someone wrote about the cream but Becky didn't like. Sarah opened Microsoft word, created a new document and after sometime the monitor went black.

"Goddammit! I need a new computer" yelled Sarah and then she beat the shit out of that poor CRT monitor. The screen reappeared. "Oh yeah, you like the beating don't ya, you son of a...". Then she realized how inappropriate that sounded.

She stretched her hands and cracked her fingers and started typing.

"Face whitening cream huh... Just kill me already."