Remotely Love by Lori Thorn
Make Friends
“There may be added challenges to forming friendships when working remotely, but they can be overcome. Trusted friends are necessary and will help you achieve and keep you sane.”
The Calendar appalarmed on Hazel’s computer, letting her know that Sanity Check would begin in 10 minutes. She always looked forward to these meetings. They had started as a series between Meg, Frank, and herself years ago when they had a large initiative they were all serving on. Its purpose was threefold: To ensure the branches of Communications they represented worked in a way that made sense, that their messaging didn’t conflict, and to increase awareness of what other branches were doing. This arrangement, however, quickly evolved as they discovered how much they enjoyed each other’s company and that they could trust each other implicitly. It became their space to share perspectives and air grievances with people who truly understood.
While each of them worked under the Communications umbrella, they were entrenched in different areas. Hazel and Meg both worked in Internal Communications, Hazel serving the Consumer Support teams while Meg was with Enterprise Support. Frank belonged to the small and relatively new group supporting FutureApp’s Social Media presence.
Hazel loggedinto the meeting early and waited. Frank and Meg joined right on time, and they all burst into peals of laughter, pointing at their screens to each other. It had become a tradition to attend in some sort of unexpected way. There had been songs, soliloquies (Meg was a theater buff), costumes, pet reveals, and ridiculous backgrounds. One time Frank had even made his own shirt, emblazoned with “Frank Rules” in red sharpie. Today Hazel was donning every piece of FutureApp swag she had ever received all at once: two knit beanies, five t-shirts of various colors, a collared shirt, a lanyard, and an umbrella. Meg was wearing an unseasonable Ugly Christmas Sweater with garish flashing lights, and Frank had on a ball cap covered in small stuffed animals.
“Are those glued on, Frank? You put a lot of work into that!” Meg asked after the laughter had mellowed.
“Oh no, I would never be allowed to glue Brian’s babies,” Frank shook his head quickly, and the stuffies flung away from the hat, “I just had to be really, really still.”
Hazel asked, “Aw, how is Brian?” Brian was Frank’s seven-year-old son, who looked exactly like a miniature Frank. They both sported heavily freckled cheeks, expressive golden eyes, and dark blonde hair with a tinge of red.
While Frank gave the update on Brian by way of a hilarious tale about riding his hoverboard. Inside. With a cape. Hazel couldn’t help but appreciate her friends. She chatted with Meg and Frank throughout the day every day, but being on different teams, she usually only saw them in Sanity Checks. Meg’s room was never well-lit, making the lights on her Christmas sweater stand out, casting a red and green glare on her face. She was petite with long wavy dyed black hair. She wore heavy eye makeup, usually in pastel hues (Meg once explained this was so she had some color since so much of her wardrobe was black, grey, and white). She had a silver septum ring through her nose, which Hazel thought was the coolest thing ever.
“AHEM!” Frank cleared his throat loudly, and Hazel realized they were both looking at her expectantly.
“Geez, I’m sorry. What’s happening?”
They cackled, and Meg said, “We were just asking what’s up with you. You were at the end of the Q1 Comms Strategy. Do you know what’s next yet?”
“Just found out! I had an interesting meeting with Tamra about it. She’s tapped me to create a How-To for working remotely that we think Training might be interested in, and…. Okay, don’t give me a hard time, and I can’t say very much because I’m disclosed, but I’m on CARE.”
Frank’s eyes widened. “Holy shit, you’re on CARE?!”
“Yeah. I have mixed feelings about it. You both know how I feel about the seemingly endless parade of rotating acronyms. Actually, Sam said he wanted me on the team because I feel this way.”
Meg asked, “Wait, Sam brought you on the team?” Meg and Frank both reacted with distaste. Meg’s lips thinned, and her nostrils flared with her breath. Frank frowned and narrowed his eyes.
Hazel sighed and looked up as if hoping for patience. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you both. Sam is a good guy, a great guy, actually! You have to get to know him.”
“I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have to get to know him. He should conduct himself like less of a dick at work.” Meg nodded, agreeing with Frank.
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I have never seen him act like that. Can you give me an example?” They’d had this conversation before, but Hazel had never thought to ask for an example. Maybe she could understand what they meant.
Meg’s voice was cold. “He’s a know-it-all, Hazel. No matter what, he thinks he’s right. Ugh, and the way he speaks, you can tell he thinks highly of himself.”
Frank added, “I once saw him giving a Customer Support Rep a hard time in a meeting because he asked a couple questions. He was unrelenting, started asking this guy permission to continue at every topic change to make him feel bad.”
Hazel shook her head. She never knew what to believe when this came up. She’d been close to Sam since her start at the company. He was her assigned mentor all those years ago, and they never lost touch. But Frank and Meg were her confidantes; she had no reason not to believe their experiences. She repeated, “I’ve never seen him act like that. He’s honestly always been there for me.”
After a warning towatch herself with Sam, the conversation moved back to their personal lives. Meg was planning her wedding, which would take place next year, “I decided on a dress color; care to guess?”
Hazel and Frank both answered together, “Black.”
Meg put her hand to her heart. “What, you think I’m some kind of monster?” There was a beat of silence then one side of her mouth quirked up. “Dark grey, though.”
Frank ‘Overcommitted’ Simms lamented his decision to help volunteer with the PTA at Brian’s school. Promptly receiving the usual advice from Hazel and Meg about knowing his bandwidth and being able to say no.
As both of her friends were in long-term committed relationships, they were in the habit of asking Hazel about her dating life. They relished the opportunity to roast these men whenever possible and reminisced about their favorite dates-gone-sour. When Hazel shared she hadn’t been out on a date in the past month, they balked, “What happened to the last one? Who was he… the one with longer hair than you, right?”
Hazel’s eyes went unfocused, and she subconsciously twirled a strand of her shoulder-length cut. “He did have Fabio locks. I don’t know, it seems futile, and frankly (she emphasized the word and gave Frank a significant look), I’m exhausted of the constant stream of new names to learn. You both know how bad I am at learning names.”
Sanity Check concluded,and Hazel had just brought up a tab for researching advice for remote workers when her Chatter went off. A DM from Meg.
Meg Malloy
Is everything really okay? 2:01pm
Hazel knewwhat she was asking about but didn’t feel like discussing it.
Hazel Rogers
?? Regarding ?? 2:02pm
Meg Malloy
Don’t. Don’t you dare play dumb with me. I saw your far-off look when we talked about long hair guy. 2:02pm
Hazel Rogers
Okay I’m sorry, I knew what you meant. I’m fine I promise. 2:03pm
Meg appearedto type and retype her next message. Indicator bubbles would appear, disappear, then start again. The bubble dance.
Meg Malloy
Don’t give up, okay? You deserve happiness. 2:05pm
Hazel didn’t knowhow to reply, so she didn’t.