Here are the papers I need you to file before you leave," said Mr. Cooper as he walked up to Vanessa's desk. "And don't forget t
o restock all the books in the American History section." Vanessa suppressed a sigh as she looked at the clock. Her biology report was due tomorrow morning, and she would never get home to write it at this rate. She had been working after school at the 50% Off Bookstore for six months, and every day her boss, Mr. Cooper, managed to add to her workload. I'm just a kid! she wanted to yell. Can't you give me a break? Vanessa sighed as she began to file the paperwork covering her desk. All of her friends had taken after school jobs at local fast-food restaurants. Tyrese, her boyfriend, worked part-time at an auto repair shop, and he was always complaining to her that he never had enough to do at work. Walk a mile in my shoes, bub! Vanessa thought. She winced as she cut her finger on one of the papers. Maybe it would be easier all around if I just quit, she thought. "Excuse me, miss," said a voice behind her. "Could you please help me find this book?" Vanessa turned to see an elderly man waiting by her desk. He had a list of books in his hand, and she noticed that each book had been crossed off except for one. "Of course, sir," she told him with a smile. The elderly man looked relieved as he handed her his list. "Let's see," Vanessa said. "Trespassing: My Sojourn in the Halls of Privilege by Gwendolyn Parker. That would be in our autobiography section. It's right this way." The elderly man followed her as she walked through the twisting rows of books. "Thank you, my dear," he told her. "My name is Mr. Washington. This book is for my granddaughter. She is several years older than you. She's just been accepted into Harvard Business School, and she will be flying halfway across the country. I'm collecting books for her to read on the airplane. Plus, I want her to have something that will remind her of me." "That's wonderful, Mr. Washington," Vanessa said as she handed him a copy of the book. "Your granddaughter will love it." Mr. Washington clasped the book in his hands with a smile. "You know," he said. "You remind me a lot of my granddaughter. Keep working hard, and you'll accomplish your dreams, too." As he walked away, Vanessa thought about Mr. Washington's words. She had taken this job because she wanted to open her own bookstore one day. Even though the work was difficult, she loved learning about business and interacting with customers. "Anything worth having in this life is worth working hard for," Vanessa whispered to herself. As she headed back to work, she grabbed a copy of the book Mr. Washington had requested for his granddaughter. She wanted to keep it on her desk to remind her to follow her dreams.
