LEGENDARY LOVERS

THE ACCEPTANCE

The email came on a Thursday morning. During Data Structures and Analytics Class.

Naya’s phone buzzed once in her bag.

She didn’t move. Professor Kim Suga was drawing a binary tree on the board, and Naya was trying to copy it before he erased it. That man had an attitude.

It buzzed again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

She was starting to get annoyed.

By the time class ended, she had 5 notifications.

Seli: CHECK UR PHONE NOW

Mom: Call me when you’re free

hrriaxlampstech.com: Internship Offer

Josh : When will you be free for the project .

Renee : Can I come over for the textbook

Naya’s hands went cold. she went stiff for a moment.

She opened it while walking through the hallway while people pushed past her like she was a minute item.

Subject: Internship Offer — Riaxx Lamps Tech

Dear Ms. Chen,

We were impressed with your application and GitHub portfolio. After reviewing your technical assessment, we would like to offer you a 3-month paid internship in our Engineering Department at Riaxx Lamps Tech, starting Monday, May 5th.

Compensation: $35 per hr. Hybrid schedule.

Please confirm acceptance by Friday, 5pm.

Best,

Maya Joshia Patel

Talent Acquisition Manager .

Naya read it four times. Then a fifth. Then the sixth . Then the seventh.

I got it, I got it , she said, almost like a whisper.

WHAT Seli shrieked. People turned.

I got it. Riaxx Lamps Tech. I got it. I got it .

Seli dropped her backpack and laptop bag and hugged her so hard Naya’s laptop almost fell. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my Godddddd. Do you know how big this is? This is going on your resume forever.

Naya just stared at the screen. $35/hr. Monday. 3 months.

Her phone rang. Mom.

Baby, her mom said. You sound weird. What’s wrong?

Anything the matter.

I got the internship, Naya said. Riaxx Lamps Tech.

There was a second of silence. Then her mom started crying.

That’s my girl. That’s my smart girl. oh, my champion. Your dad is going to be so proud of you . I can't wait to tell him . let me text him right now.

Her dad texted about 4 minutes later: Oh Naya , We are proud of you, my baby girl . Work hard and show them that you were not chosen for nothing . Don’t let them stress you. And eat and sleep well.

That night, Naya didn’t sleep , she just couldn't. She was so excited, surprised , nervous, and overwhelmed.

She ironed one of her three blazers. The blue . Twice. She packed her bag. Laptop. Charger. Notebook. 2 pens. Water bottle. A granola bar and yoghurt because she forgot to eat when she was focused.

She kept thinking: Don’t mess up. Don’t talk too much. Answer questions directly. Don’t smile too much. Don’t smile too little.

At 1:13am her phone lit up. Unknown number.

New email.

From: z.riaxlamps@lampstech.com

Subject: Welcome

Ms. Chen,

Welcome to Riax lamps Tech.

Looking forward to your contribution.

- ZL

ZL. Zyane Lamps .

The CEO. Emailing her. Personally. At 1am.

Naya read it and closed her laptop.

What was she supposed to say? Thank you, sir? Looking forward to working with you? I won't disappoint you? She was so nervous and confused .

She typed three different replies and deleted all of them.

She set 3 alarms. 6:00. 6:05. 6:10.

She lay in the dark.

Monday was 4 days away.

She had no idea that on her first day, a bug would take down half the company.

And that she would be the only one who could fix it.