the thinks of a thoughter

Issue 1: First Day on The Job

As he held the golden plaque in his hands, all he could do was smile. A month ago he was scared to death about what was next for him after college, and now there he was, sitting at his own desk holding a little piece of plastic that said his name: Jimmy Olsen.

“Olsen,” yelled Perry White, The Daily Planet’s Chief Editor, as he quickly made way towards Jimmy’s desk.
“Ye—Yes, Mr. White,” said Olsen to his boss who was now already on the other side of his desk.
“Olsen,” Perry said as he began his verbal assault on the young man, “I’ve been in my office just waiting to see you do something for the last half hour like, oh I don’t know, grab a pen, start taking pictures, to be honest young man I would have even accepted you at least pretending to look up something online, but instead all I’ve seen you do is hold that cheap piece of plastic in your hand, like you’re shocked someone hired you. And to be honest Olsen if this is how you work at all your jobs, I’d be shocked someone hired me too! Well don’t just sit there kid, say something.”

Young Jimmy Olsen then did the only thing he knew to do, he swallowed the lump that was starting to form in his throat and told Mr. White he was sorry.

“Sorry,” White questioned. “You’re not gonna yell at me, and tell me to keep my nose out of your business?”

After hearing Perry’s words Jimmy could only sit in his chair puzzled.

“Why would I yell at my boss,” he thought to himself, “I don’t want him to fire me on my first day.”

And as Jimmy finished his thoughts, he was then greeted by a woman’s unabashed laughter coming from the desk over.

“Oh Perry, I’m not that bad,” said the mysterious woman, “And for the record, I don’t think I’ve ever told you to keep your nose out of my business. I believe what I said was, when I’m in the middle of writing a story the best thing you can do is stay in your office and play with your toys ‘til momma’s through.”
“Lois,” Perry interjected, “do I really need to remind you yet again that I’m the boss, not you?”
“Oh, hush,” Lois responded, “You know I love you like the grandfather I never wanted, and besides, someone needs to keep you on your toes. If not me, then who; Clark?”

As Lois said the name, all of the attention was then turned to a man who appeared to have the body of a Greek God, but the social skills of a 7 year old boy trying to talk to his childhood crush for the first time. His name was Clark Kent and he greeted the unwelcome attention with a shy hello and then quickly went back to digging through the mountain of paper work that lied across his desk.

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” finished Lois.

Perry glared at Lois before a small grin formed on his face that said in one quick flash, “thanks for keeping this job fun, kid.”

“Jimmy,” Mr. White quickly said doing his best to end this ‘sweet’ moment between he and Lois.
“Yes, sir?”
“If you could do me one small favor, I’d really owe ya’ one,” stated Perry.
“Um— anything sir,” Jimmy spouted out.
“Be more like Clark,” demanded Perry, “my heart can’t take another Lois.”

But before Jimmy could respond Perry was already slumped in his office chair with the door shut. Jimmy then looked back down to realize that his name plate was still in his hand. Olsen quickly puts it down on his desk before his boss could come back out and yells at him some more. Seeing the anxiety stricken new, hire Lois figured she should say something before he passes out or worse, quits.

“Don’t stress over Perry. He likes giving the new hires a hard time, and if anything, don’t forget he hired you for a reason. You’re a talented journalist, I know you’ll do great here.”

And with Lois‘ words, a smile slowly starts to melt away that grief stricken look that Olsen was quickly beginning to make people think he was cursed with a birth.

“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Jimmy Olson.”

The young journalist held his hand out, hoping that this beautiful slayer of cranky bosses would respond.

“I’m Lois Lane. Nice to meet you Jimmy.”

The two young journalists both share a smile and go back to work, and while Lois appears to put all of her focus on her writing, Jimmy seems to have one eye on his work and the other on his beautiful office neighbor.

“I wonder if she’s single,” Olsen pondered to himself. “Maybe tomorrow I’ll ask, as for today though, time to figure out what Metropolis’s ‘Man of Steel‘ is up to today.”

Olsen then finally awoke his laptop from the slumber it had been in for the last half hour and went to work. Finally, after years of schooling, Jimmy Olsen was finally where he wanted to be: The Daily Planet.