Department of English

Spring 2006 High School Edition

The Interview

John Grimshaw
Fiction (11th-12th)
First Place
Canyon View High School
Teacher: Susan Merrell

The scales bounced the orange light through the crisp water towards me.  My newly acquired goldfish's tail fluttered back-and-forth as it propelled itself through the water in the plastic bag that contained it.  My eyes were captivated by the dazzling performance, and a sudden warmth swept over me.  It shot down my spine and to the soles of my feet.  I was so lost in the movements of the fish I didn't notice the people in the room staring at me.  Once I noticed my neighbor's look of disgust, I slowly lowered the plastic bag and its contents back into my briefcase.  "Is it really that bad to have a little entertainment while waiting?" I wondered as a drop of sweat trickled down my neck.  I sat gripping the armrests looking as innocent as possible.  Finally, when those watching me looked back to their newspapers, I carefully slid my hand into my briefcase and grabbed the bag.

I had just bought him.  While walking to the interview, I stumbled into a little pet shop where I purchased it with pocket change.  The fish looked interesting, and the smile on his face drew me to him. 

My parents had always warned against owning pets.  "You'll kill that poor thing," I pictured my mother saying.  "You can hardly take care of yourself, let alone a pet." 

"They just get in the way and stink," my father's voice echoed.  "Might as well become friends with the wall.  People who think pets can understand humans are fools.  They are just a waste of time."

But that was then.  I’m grown up now.  I have friends of my own, I walk on my own, I even made this appointment on my own.  Surely I can handle a fish.  And I mean, I have to have something to do while I’m waiting for my turn.  And besides, everyone has them.

There I sat, softly holding the wiggly bag of water.  Maybe the fish and I could become really great friends like some people do in movies.  I would come home and he would start swimming in circles.  I'd pull out my bag of feed and he'd jump out of the water and kiss my finger.  He would become big and his colors bright.  There is no problem at all with having a pet.

I opened the case a crack and peered in.  I slid the bag out enough so that I could watch the fish flip through the water.  What could I name him?  "Enbarkson" sounded like a good name for a fish.  Or Eliot or Flapper.  Why, I could name him anything in the world.  Sure enough, I felt that warm feeling again.  The fish acted like we were friends; and I felt we could talk for hours on end.  I took no notice of the boundaries surrounding me, and time and space seemed irrelevant.  My whole world was engulfed into his spirals and dancing.  A brilliant smile glistened from my mouth while in the corner of my eye I noticed a woman enter the room.  Her voice broke the silence that had fallen upon the waiting room.

I struggled to shift my eyes from the wonder of the creature, like I struggle waking from a long needed nap.  Immediately my gut wretched with guilt.  I’m supposed to have an interview!  I felt horrible that I had become so sidetracked.  I looked down at my crisp suit and then at the receptionist who was standing there with her clipboard.  She seemed to be scanning the room looking for someone.  Had she called my name?  Was I next?  Worry replaced my guilt, and my body was wracked with horror.  The seconds ticked by knowing that missing this interview would destroy my future.  Could she really have said my name?  I looked around to see if anyone was answering to her stares.  I had worked toward this moment my whole life.  Now just throw it all away?  I couldn’t let it just slip by.
I placed my fish quickly into my briefcase, and snapped it shut.  The receptionist called a name again, but her words were caught up in the commotion of me putting the fish away. 

I devised a quick little plan to see if she had really called my name.  I would stand up, and head toward the drinking fountain, which is near the lady waiting.  If she looks at me, then bids me to follow her, I’ll simply follow and all is well.  If she makes no reaction, I’ll know she didn’t call me.  I’ll get a drink and sit back down.  I debated whether or not to take my case with me.  If I took it to get a drink I would look silly, but if I didn't I would have to go back and get it after the lady asked me to follow her.

I decided to leave it at my chair.  Besides, the fish didn't need all that swashing around in there; I was going to keep him alive.  As I stood up, the heads once more turned from their pages to glance at me.  My heart began to throb, and suddenly I became self-conscious.  I wasn’t one to get nervous, but for some reason, this time my body shook with fear.  Did they think that I was a fool for having this fish with me?  I quickly strode, looking for any sign from the lady.  She just stood there, like she didn’t even see me.  Surely she has noticed me; everyone in this room is looking at me!  I tried to take my time, but she persistently looked the other way.  Before I knew it, I was getting my drink.  I still wasn’t satisfied with my results, but I was just standing there bent over.

The purchase I had just made was calling me back to my seat.  I turned and hurried back.  I heard the lady’s voice call out the name again; but in my excitement to get back to my chair, my pants had ruffled, which muffled her voice.  I thought for a second about turning back.  To just go and ask her whom she wanted.  It would have been so easy, but I felt like I stood out too much already with my fish.  Surely the lady had seen it and diagnosed me as a fool.

I walked back to my seat, picked up my things, and sat down.  I pulled out my fish and tried to calm myself down with its soothing motions.  After several tense moments the lady looked back at her clipboard.  I stared her in the eyes as she scanned her page.  She looked back up and seemed almost to stare me in the eyes.  My heart skipped a beat as she opened her lips.  I help my breath just as I do when I am awaiting the announcement of the winner of a contest.  Her mouth started to form the letter that begins my first name.  I teetered toward the edge of my seat, but to my utter disapproval, the name she called was one different from mine. 

A man across the room stood and entered the office door.  I sat soaking wet.  I had punctured the plastic bag with my grip as I sat awaiting the name.  The fish lay bruised, dead, and tangled in the bag.  Its blood trickled onto my resumé inside my briefcase.  A depressing sigh overwhelmed me.  With it went my dreams and my potential.  A feeling of utter disappointment drenched my soul.
I sat there for a while.  Someone said something to me as I left, but I had to worry about finding a place to bury my fish.