As Blue As The Ocean!

Chapter Two

What was behind the closed door anyway? I could not get that door out of my head. They were guarding that door pretty heavily so no others from work could go back there. I had not seen Gary either. I was dying to ask him about what was behind that door.

What little project had they been working on? It kept me up at night wondering all the what ifs. Maybe there was something so amazing behind those closed doors that would put this aquarium on the news! This was probley the most exciting thing that was ever going to happen to me all summer long.

So, I had to find out what was behind those doors! The sooner the better. I suddenly see Gary walking past. He goes bolting right back into that room again. Making sure he was not followed as he did. I frown. I normally had Gary bossing me around on a daily basis.

I was never going to get to talk to Gary about what was going on behind that closed door. Maybe when no one was looking I could sneak back there for a second. And see what was behind that little old door. I would not get involved.

I just wanted to know what the hell was behind that door. That was all. I wanted to kill the curiosity. Would I really get in that much trouble if all I did was open the door?

Once?!

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Someone places a hand on my shoulder by the time I snuck closer to the door. I gasp. "f**k, Kandice why did you sneak up on me like that?" I grumble at my coworker and friend Kandice Churchhill. She laughs at me.

"I did not know I was sneaking up on anyway Ellis you were right out here in the open. And I was wondering if you are on lunch break now to? Want to catch up? It has been a busy summer" she asks me.

I glance down at my iWatch. "Yes, actually I do have a lunch now. Sure, let's go on break" I agree. "Hey, do you know if Gary is going on lunch to? Normally he has the same lunch as us" I wonder curiously.

"Why has that ass been hitting on you again? He is such a creep. I mean he is ten times older than we are. And he hits on us. I think he has a girlfriend on top of it. Or a fiancée or some s**t like that" chuckles Kandice. She pulls her long curly red hair up on her head.

"No, he has not been hitting on me. He has been so busy I have not saw him in sometime" I mention. "He has been working on some project over there behind that door. And I am just dying to talk to him about it" I explain to her.

Her brown eyes grow wide with surprise. "What project? Did that top-secret project come in?" she asks me.

"You know about it to?" I ask her.

She nods. "Yes, we all do. A selected bunch was asked to help with it all. And no one knows but the selected bunch. I guess it is a new creature of the ocean that was discovered. And we do not want it stolen. Well our bosses. And it will make headlines is what the rumors are around here anyway. Not sure if that garbage is true" she explains to me all in one jumbled sentence.

"Oh, I have to know what they are guarding" I sigh. "Why did I have to find all this out" I moan.

"Come on. Let's go eat and forget about it. We will all find out soon enough" she reminds me.

We head to the break room. I grab my lunch I brought with me from the fridge. I sit with her at a table after she gets her lunch out. I keep wondering if we were getting a whale, or a shark.

Or a new kind of turtle. Something adorable to study. If I had a degree, I was sure the main bosses were going to allow me to go back there and guard whatever it was behind those closed doors. Right? I needed to get into college. I sigh.

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"Stop pouting. You will get crows feet around your eyes" warns Kandice.

"I am not pouting" I protest to her.

"You are so" she tells me.

"I was thinking about college. And I feel like I will never reach my goal. I will never get in there" I fret with worry.

"You will to. Do not talk like that" she says to me.

"I won't. I was not as smart as Jackson to get a free ride to college. I will never be able to pay off a student loan. I want to study ocean life. I know I am ten times smarter than that jerk Gary and I would take better care of whatever little critter is behind that closed door" I sigh. "But just because Gary has got a fancy degree, they trust him more" I mutter. I begin to eat my sandwich I made myself. Good old PBJ.

Blah.

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"I know one way that you could get into the back room" mentions Kandice looking deep in thought. "But you would have to stay at work longer" she warns me.

I nod. My eyes grow wide. "Really? Tell me how! I would do anything" I promise her.

"I overheard Belinda that needs to get off early to pick up her kids from class. And she happens to have to clean that back room before she goes. You know you could offer to clean it so she could get off. You get off work before her. And you would have a reason to be back there" mentions Kandice as she points over to Belinda.

Belinda was older than us. She was a night crew here most of the time. She worked late hours.

"Alright. Good idea. I will go mention that idea to her now. Wish me luck" I answer Kandice as I get up from the table. I wander over to Belinda. "Hi there" I speak up.

"She speaks Spanish" says Rosita.

"Oh, I do not speak it. I was going to tell her I can work her shift. I can clean the other rooms for her. If she needs someone to cover for her" I explain to Rosita Manual. Rosita begins to speak what I said to Belinda. Belinda's eyes light up. She nods then speaks something in Spanish.

"Sure, she says thank you!" Rosita tells me.

I feel a rush of excitement jolt through me. Belinda hands me a set of keys. "Those are to get in the back room. Her locker is number 91. She will give you the combo. So, make sure you place those keys in her locker when you are done cleaning tonight. She also said make certain that no one follows you back there in that room" warns Rosita sternly. "That is all of what she told me"

I nod as Belinda hands me the keys. "Thank you. I have to earn extra hours. I am trying to get in a good college. Thank you" I tell the girls.

Rosita explains what I said back to Belinda. Belinda jots down her locker combo for me to. I wander back over to where, Kandice was sitting. I smile at her. I try not to act to excited over getting the keys to that room.

Belinda smiles looking over at me. I smile back then nod. I at least was going to know what was behind those doors before everyone else knew about it. That was the most exciting thing that was ever going to happen to me all summer long.

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"You did it! You get to see what is behind closed doors" Kandice whispers to me.

I nod. I squeeze the keys in the palm of my hand.

"Make sure you tell me everything. Call me later tonight. I have to know what is behind those doors now to" she giggles.

I smile. "I am sure it is a new kind of sea turtle or something like that" I mutter. "It will not be a big deal as they say" I warn her.

"Maybe it is. Maybe not" she says. "We will have to wait and find out"

I nod. "I can't wait. I want to run to the door right now and find out. But I must hold off" I laugh.

Later on, once all my tours were done Belinda and Rosita cornered me to explain all the cleaning that needed to be done in the back room. And what I had to do. They wanted to go over things with me one more time. I understood that.

Then I had to finish my own work. By the time I was done I had to do Belinda's. I called my mom to make sure she knew I was working late. I think I forgot my house keys at home. And Noreen always locked the doors at night. She worried about prowlers and always had to lock the door up.

I manage to make my way to that room. This was it. I listen to hear any sounds coming from behind the door. Nothing though this time. No yelling. No loud bangs.

Nothing. Did they drug the poor critter? That would anger me and piss me off to no end to see an animal in any pain. I would report them if I found anything like that. Here goes nothing. I was going to find out.

I unlocked the door with my keys from Belinda. I slowly turn the unlocked door. As I open the door, the door my heart hammers in my eardrums. "STOP! STOP right there!" someone belts out to me. They place their hands on mine stopping me from entering the room.

I glance up to see Gary standing before me all wide eyed. And pretty wild. "What do you think you are doing Elissa? You know you are not allowed back in there" he warns me. "I told you, stay away from there" he hisses at me.

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