Last night I had a dream. Not a Martin-Luther-King-esque dream, (although right now, that speech is soooo needed to be reminded), but a real dream.

No demons, no witches, no madmen hunting me down to kill me, no wings, no angels. A good ol' dream.

I was working at my first job, surrounded by my first employers. It was a wonderful dream. Yeah. I used the word wonderful. Sue me.
Take note, this is a coming of age story so if you are not interested in flashbacks and lovely stories of my past, click on the "X".

::playing whimsical chimes and flashback music::

My first official job was the one I got when I started college. After filling out several applications, my first call was from an Athletic Footwear store. I quickly said yes to the interview and was hired on the spot. I was estatic. A job at a sneaker place!! Discounts!! Discounts!!

I worked with three other men. Three other Older men. Two of them married with children and the Manager, aka "The Boss", (which is actually the nickname I called him to his face) was divorced. They baptized me "Baby Girl". I was the only girl and the youngest. I would come to work with my cheery disposition, with my turtle backpack named "Benji", my books, and read my lil' heart out.

My boss would make me cover my ears when they told dirty jokes and they all looked out for me. One of my co-workers and I, established a bond. We were like the killers on the sales floor. He showered me with affection. Locking me in the bathroom, locking me in the window display, hiding one of my sneakers, dragging me all over the floor by my feet, punching me, hiding my lunch, all kinds of nice ways to tell someone you luv' em. I didn't mind. We were having a grand ol' time.

We all became very close knit, my boss would call us "The Dream Team". In a very lil' amount of time I became a full time employee and more responsabilites were handed over. With time I also changed, I was no longer the book worm. I transformed into the party-all-the-time gal. I traded my books for naps on my lunch break and my turtle backpack for glam purses. But I always made sure I did my work and they respected my change. Heck, I was growin' up. They even let me listen in on the dirty jokes. And I had my revenge on my co-worker for all the years of pranks. For instance, when we were stuck doing inventory in the back, I would always finish first and go hide in one of the huge boxes in the back towards his area, and when he approached it, I'd jump out, causing him to shit his pants. He then changed my nickname to "Lucy" as in Lucifer. My boss never believed him. Until one New Year's Eve he caught me and my co-worker coming out of the corner bar with drinks in our hand. His take:

"Noooo!! It can't be Baby Girl!! You've ruined her!!"

Lil' did he know I was already ruined long long time ago.

We all formed this special bond and with all our jokes and stuff, we never lost respect for one another, we trusted each other like fam. I knew the life stories of all these three men: how my prankster pal was going through a tough divorce, because his wife cheated on him, how Shorty Asistant Manager had financial problems and a lil' gambling habit, hell, my boss even confided to me his stories about being a Puertorican Gigalo and how he slept with many married women on his off days.

::wiping tear::

But times change and so do circumstances. The Regional Boss wanted to break us up. He moved me to another store, to work more hours, under the grueling eye of an asshole of a new boss, I eventually met my current boss (she was a frequent customer) and bid adieu to my days of selling sneakers. I had been working there for almost 4 years. My old boss quit and went to work in the Pharmacy Industry. I completely lost touch with my prankster pal and the other people at my job. A couple of months ago, I found a way to call my former boss, he was surprised to hear from me and what my life had become, he still greated me with:

"Hey Baby Girl!! How are you??"

He even offered me a job. He said he wishes I was working over there for him.

::sigh::

Those carefree days are long gone. But I still hold on tight to those memories. I still have my turtle backpack, I still have a fondness for sneakers and I still remember those people who came in my life and watched me grow up, all while I was getting great sneakers with 30% off!!