THUD.
The spoons and cups on the table shook as Charlotte dropped the stack of papers on the table.
"Uh…" Isabella looked past the stack at Charlotte. "What is this?"
"Research," Charlotte replied. "It's for my team. If I'm going to make it perfect, I need to make a plan."
Isabella frowned. "Right. Almost forgot that you got a superhero team."
Charlotte pulled the newspapers out of the stack and put them in a separate pile. "These are for the suits in the pictures. To get ideas."
"How long are you going to be looking at this stuff? Don't you need to go to work?"
"Not until ten," Charlotte said, glancing at the clock. "And three hours is plenty of time to do research!"
"Yeah, just so you know, the STC picks out the suits, not you."
Charlotte's face fell. "Oh. That makes sense. But what am I going to do with all of these newspapers?"
"Recycle them?" Isabella shrugged. She grabbed her cereal bowl. "I'm going to the gym. See you later."
"Alright, bye!" Charlotte waved. A few minutes passed as she sorted through the papers.
When she finished, she was starting to started with a pile when her phone rang.
Her mom was calling. Charlotte's heart skipped a beat when she realized it might be about her team. "Hello?"
"Hi. Are you free? Darlene got sick from food poisoning and had to leave early. Can you come in a little earlier?"
Charlotte's heart sank, but she kept her tone chipper. "Sure!" For a moment, she thought about asking about the team. No, she shouldn't bother her. Her mom will tell her when she has everything worked out.
"Thank you, sweetie. Love you."
"Love you too!" Charlotte put her phone down and ran upstairs to get ready. After brushing her hair and changing into a cream button-down blouse with a white knee-length skirt, she ran out to her car. The research will have to wait for later.
Her favorite parking spot was open, so she took it. She entered the building, walking briskly towards the desk, where one of the trainers was covering.
"Thank you!" Charlotte said, sliding into the seat.
The trainer ignored her and went upstairs.
With a sigh, she settled into the seat and held her head up with her hand. Three hours on top of her regular shift, which was ten to two. This would've been a really good time to get some research done, but she didn't bring her papers, since she was in such a rush. That would've been a good idea!
"Morning, Char," Ivy said.
Charlotte jumped before settling again. "Hi, Ivy."
"I thought you were working early today," Ivy said.
"Darlene had to leave. They needed someone to cover."
Ivy leaned against the desk. "Heard you got the promotion. Is your mom giving you a team?"
Charlotte nodded. "Yeah, she is. How did you know?"
"Eric told me. Isabella told him, I think. He's been spreading the word, probably to get people to focus on you rather than her suspension, which sucks. Congrats, by the way."
Charlotte sat up. "Thanks. I'm not sure when I'm going to meet them, though. How did it work for you?"
"Well, I got the promotion, and the next day, I was given the papers to learn about my teammates. I don't remember if I got to select ones I wanted or not."
Ivy had been promoted two months ago. Wouldn't she remember?
Charlotte must've looked confused, since Ivy said, "I have a bad memory."
Charlotte nodded. "Ah."
Standing up straight, Ivy started towards the door. "Anyway, I'm outta here. Let me know if there's any advice you need. You'll sure need it."
"Wait, how did you research being a leader?" Charlotte asked. She needed to make sure she was doing it right. "I printed a bunch of papers on protocols, missions, and more."
"Oh, they just gave me a manual. Something about junior teams, I don't know." Ivy shrugged. "They might give you one. Have a nice day, Char!"
A manual? Charlotte frowned. She hadn't gotten one. Was she supposed to get it later? When did Ivy get hers? She should've asked.
Her phone lit up as she swiped it open. She paused, though, before messaging her mom. She must be on it already. Still…
Hey, mom, Ivy said smth about a manual for junior teams. Do I need one? If so, you can tell me where it is, I'll grab it! Sorry to bother you, haha!
She hit send and sat back. Her seat creaked, and she tapped her fingers on the table. She had painted her nails last week, and they made a nice tapping sound on the desk. The beige color blended in with the desk. Plain, but professional.
Her phone buzzed a few minutes later, and she almost jumped. With a shake of her head, she opened the message, making a mental note to be more aware of what's going on around her.
We don't hand out copies anymore, since it restricts creativity and adaptability on the captain's part. I'm not sure how Ivy got hers. Someone must not have gotten the memo.
Charlotte tapped her fingernails on the phone. How could something that tells you the basics of teams be bad? It was like banning recipes from kitchens. As if reading her mind, her mom sent her another message.
There's a box of them in the basement if you want them. Please don't take anything too literally.
Charlotte jumped out of her seat. "Yes!
She took the stairs to the basement and unlocked the heavy metal door with her key. The door led to a long hall, and one of them was the files room, which Charlotte assumed was where the box was. It was pretty dusty; no one had been in this room for a while.
With a cough, Charlotte dug through the boxes. One held STC-themed plushies, which were the three letters STC in bright yellow with a blue shadow. They screamed random phrases when you squeezed them, like: "YAY, THE STC!" and "I WANT TO BE AT THE STC FOREVER!"
She dropped the weird plushes on the ground and finally found the box. "There we go!" Inside, there were several copies of a manual with a bright yellow cover reading: JUNIOR TEAM MANUAL: GUIDE ON LEADING A TEAM FOR CAPTAINS, VOLUME ONE.
Perfect! She brought it upstairs. As she settled into her chair and cracked it open, her mom radioed her from upstairs.
"Charlotte, are you there?"
Charlotte set her book down and picked up her radio. "Yeah, what's up?" What could it be that was making her mom call her?
"I need you up here."
"What for?"
"To meet your new team."