A/N
Story will alternate between Elliot's POV and Thalia's.

Elliot POV



~No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness~
-Aristole-
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Too quiet.

That's what the new girl is. She greets no one, and says nothing unless she's personally spoken to. I understand not wanting to interact, to want to be dethatched......But what makes the dark-haired girl strange, is she comes to life whenever a person forces her to talk. Her jaw muscles will tighten; before a small smile spreads across her lips as she greets a person with obviously false enthusiasm.

It's too forced.
Anyone who doesn't watch how people act with one another on a constant basis will know the woman doesn't like conversing with others. Gideon seems to be the one person where it doesn't seem all that forced, but even that has its limits.

As I watch Angela approach the woman with the horned rimmed glasses, I partially give in to the theory new-girl purposely slipped on a pair of oversized headphones a few minutes before Angela walked up to her.
When not busy, Angela Moss is clockwork. She'll have her morning coffee, and fifteen minutes later she'll make a bathroom break. Upon leaving, she'll make sure to interact with others in a bid to hang out outside of the office.

Maybe new girl knows this, for she put on the headphones at seemingly the perfect time before Angela walked over. Angela had seemed bound to spring upon the new AllSafe employee, but she stopped herself upon watching the girl bouncing her head around as she listens to the music coming out of the speakers.

It's only as Angela's boyfriend Ollie pops over, do the two spring a double attack on new girl. I watch as Ollie proceeds to tap the girl on the shoulder to ask her something with bubbly enthusiasm, while Angela bobs her head along before patting new-girl on the shoulder.


But none of this is what catches my interest. It's watching at how new-girl had spun her chair around to face Angela and Ollie, and what was revealed. A thin black cord hangs on the opposite side of the chair. It's invisible to both Angela and Ollie, but considering both are so absorbed in their superficial idea to mingle with coworkers, it's no surprise they lack attention to this very important detail.
The head phones new-girl so very religiously listens to every morning, aren't hooked up to anything.


She's been bobbing her head along to absolutely nothing. Listening to imaginary music just to avoid having to converse with others.
Why have I never thought of doing this....


It's only as Angela claps her hands together and Ollie gives some random response, do I realize new-girl just agreed to going to Angela's birthday party this weekend.
Angela and her airhead beau walk away; but I watch the cord that fell from the girl.


She puts on a bubbly display when others converse with her, obviously revealing she has no issue talking to others. Why pretend to listen to music when you're gifted at talking to people....

It doesn't matter. I'll know everything about her soon enough. I'll know every last detail about her existence. That's how easy it is to discover one's true persona. What you say and do on social media reveals all.

It's as though she felt my eyes watching her; for the briefest of moments a pair of chocolate brown eyes looked up to spot me watching her from across the cubicles. But I looked away too late. She saw what I was watching; her headphones not attached to any form of a music player.
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Thalia POV
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Growing up, I never imagined anything more boring than a nine to five job. I don't think there's a person alive who actually spends their childhood hoping and wishing they get placed inside a boring office setting.

If there is, I feel sorry for them. This is definitely no way to spend life. Cubicles have started to make me feel as though I could become claustrophobic.



Having to actually spend my time showing up to AllSafe and acting as though I genuinely care about this ridiculous job feels like a possible torture. But I don't have a choice...Not if I want to achieve my ultimate goal.

I knew Angela Moss was approaching me, but I made sure to start quietly singing along to the first Gwen Stefani song that popped into my head. Usually, Angela tends to steer clear of trying to initiate small-talk when I'm wearing my headphones.
I feel she wouldn't have even bothered trying to talk to me if not for her jackass of a boyfriend. After Ollie started tapping me on the shoulder, it inspired Angie to tap me as well.


She smiles at me excitedly, before she gives a small wave. "Heeyyy Thalia! We didn't get to hang out this week...Up for coming to my birthday party this weekend? Everyone from work is coming!"


"Yeah, it'll be fun!" Ollie nods in agreement, his large hand still patting my shoulder.
There's a strong desire I have to break his hand. It would be easy...But that would draw some unwanted attention.
Every aspect of this guy annoys me.


I've only been at AllSafe for one week, and I can honestly say I have no idea why Angela is with her nitwit of a boyfriend. He's a complete douchebag. It's quiet obvious, it's all in his persona.......The guy stares at any girl who moves let alone gives him the time of day.
As he removes his hand from my shoulder, his eyes linger two seconds too long at my chest area. Pathetic, really.
I'm wearing a dark green shirt covered by a black blazer, not even something revealing that would draw attention to that area of my body.


"I would love too!" I gush to Angela, with just the right touch of enthusiasm. Personally, the thought of sitting around with Angela and the rest of the AllSafe gang sounds about as fun as clipping toenails, but I need to keep a good cover. Part of showing I belong here is becoming the perfect chameleon within the crowd.
I feel I'm doing a good job. I'm reserved, and only really talking when spoken to. I'm fitting in without really bringing about any attention to myself.

I have one of those faces. The faces of a typical office drone that no one expects anything of. I don't try to accent my features by applying make up, and I don't dress in anything that doesn't look like something a blind grandmother would pick out. I'm just a nameless face in a crowd of boring individuals.

It's the perfect cover.


"Oh gosh, that's awesome! So we have just about everyone coming....I've got Lisa, I've got Larry...."

As Angela starts sprouting off the names of random individuals showing up this weekend, Ollie nods along to her words.
I know what's coming soon. The inevitable request for my phone number......I can't hate Angela, she seems too sweet. But her wanting to get to know the new person around the office is terribly annoying. Has this girl never heard of stranger danger?



"Oh! We should exchange numbers!" Angela gushes right on cue, pulling her phone out before she starts typing at a blazing speed.

After I excitedly give her my number, she claps her hands together to show her enthusiasm. "This is so great, we're gonna have a blast!"


I nod my head along to her and Ollie's smiling faces.
Thank God I got a pickup and go phone upon taking this job. It would've been difficult to explain that a twenty-four year old woman doesn't care to have a cell phone.
"Well that is so cool, thanks for the invite." I smile politely, as Angela starts running her mouth a mile a minute talking about people I could really give a crap about knowing.

"Ollie, you should talk to Elliot." Angela says in a low tone.

It's only now that I register she must be talking about someone close by. She was far too loudly excited before mentioning this Elliot's name.

As Ollie gives some response I don't bother paying attention to, Angela claps her hands excitedly. "Well I am sooo excited to get to know you better Thalia, you are going to love this weekend!"

I smile brightly, before Angela is called away by a higher up to discuss some proxy matter.


A sense that I'm being watched causes me to swivel my head to my right. I spot a pair of blue-green eyes looking in my direction. But it's not me the man is looking at. It's my ankles. I automatically know what the guy is staring at the moment we lock eyes. A thin cord gently tapped against my ankle when I had spun around too quickly to talk to Angela.

It's as though the guy and I silently reached the same conclusion as our gazes connected.
He knows the headphones I've been wearing aren't connected to anything.