The Job Interview

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Phoebe shook her head automatically - she was an only child. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if the toddler version of herself she was slowly building would. Of course, if that was so, that would just be another thing that would seem suspicious when it never surfaced, not unlike her mother. She had sometimes wished she had a big sister, though... Maybe that was why she reacted to Carmen the way she did, she pondered. Luckily, before she could think too much more about it, the other kids started to arrive, taking her mind off of it. After a little bit, as a lull occurred, she turned to Maria and said encouragingly, "You're doing a great job!"

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Maria nods. "You are doing a great job too. You might have a future at Walmart as the greeter as you go in. You are a natural at greeting people. Something must have happened to you overnight. Yesterday you didn't talk much. Today you are like a chatterbox. When daycare is over. Would you like Carmen to talk to your mommy and see if it is ok with her to come over to my house and ride horses with me and play one day?"

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Phoebe blushed, unsure of quite how to take that. She supposed being a greeter at Wal-Mart might seem kind of exciting to a toddler, though she couldn't say it was something she'd want to do. Then again, it would hardly be any worse than being treated as a toddler to train for this job... "I was just shy yesterday 'cause it was my first day," she said, not having realized she was any more talkative that day. Quickly, she tried to think of an excuse to keep Maria from knowing her mother wasn't going to be there that day, or probably any day. "Well, my mom is gonna be really late today," she said. "So Miss Lopez is babysitting me until she gets here... I'm sure your mom would want you guys home before mine got here."

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Maria nods. "Well I guess that is a good reason. Alot of people are shy on their first day at daycare. I wasn't,but I guess some are." She smiles. "Well that is ok. Mommy won't be home until late tonight. Her office is getting together for their weekly meeting and after that they go out to eat. Mommy is never at home before I go to bed. So she will not know what time we get there. So Carmen and I can wait here so she can talk to your mom."

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Phoebe squirmed, feeling a little caught. Still, Maria seemed to have accepted the basic story, and Phoebe wasn't sure what else to do but keep going. "Well, I don't know," she said. "My mom is gonna be really late... She said I might even have to stay overnight with Miss Lopez." She shrugged, then, as quickly as she could without seeming too obvious, went back to greeting the other kids.

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Maria nods. "You know if you don't want to come to my house. You can just tell me instead of making up excuses like your mommy is going to be really late and you might have to spend the night with Miss Lopez." She walks off from Phoebe and goes to play with the other kids in the room. Once everyone was there.

Miss Lopez walks to the front of the room. "Hola children."

The children answers back. "Hola Miss Lopez."

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Phoebe felt bad, but she wasn't sure what to say to Maria... She briefly thought about saying that Miss Lopez was her mother, but why wouldn't she have said that before? And while it was possible with the age Maria thought she was, in reality that thought was a little too crazy for Phoebe to contemplate. She had a few more kids come in with food, however, so she got busy directing them instead of thinking about how to fix things.

Finally, the class started. Phoebe turned around to face Miss Lopez quietly, wondering how this day would turn out, a little more excited than she would admit.

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Miss Lopez looks at the class. "I have a fun game for us to play. I have hidden pictures of things from mexico. I want you to partner up and look for the pictures. As you find them. I want you to check it off on the list I am going to give you. The one with the most checked off when I call time's up will win a prize." She watches all the kids except for Maria and Phoebe team up." She looks at Phoebe. "Are you and Maria teaming up?"

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Phoebe listened to the instructions, feeling a little nervous as she did so, which only got worse as the kids started to pair off. She didn't really know anyone other than Maria, and she wasn't sure if Maria was really mad at her or what. She hadn't seemed happy, certainly, but how long would a kid really hold onto something like that? Phoebe really didn't know enough about toddlers to even hazard a guess. She glanced up at Miss Lopez with a shrug. "I don't know... I think she might be mad because I told her Carmen wasn't going to get to talk to my mother after daycare tonight."

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Miss Lopez looks at Phoebe. "Why wouldn't Carmen be able to talk to your mother? She was before she left to go to school. Well if the two of you want to set out this game you can,but I would try and patch up things with Maria. Tell her the truth if you have to. Not that she would believe you are 19."

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Phoebe looked at Miss Lopez in confusion, trying to figure out what she meant about Carmen talking to her mother. Had her mother come to the daycare to check on her, and stopped to talk to Carmen for some reason? It seemed odd that she wouldn't have at least said hi to Phoebe, too, but she wasn't complaining - she didn't really want her mom, or anyone else from the "outside" that she knew, to see her like this. "I guess I should," she said after a moment, heading off to Maria, though she had no plans to tell her the truth. She wasn't sure what else she could tell her, but she was hoping something would come to her. She walked up behind Maria, tapped her on the shoulder gently. "Maria, please don't be mad at me," she said. "I do want to go to your house sometime..." She wasn't sure how true that was, since that would surely involve being "babysat" by Carmen, but she tried to sound enthusiastic about it, anyway. "She's just always so late... Maybe someday I can just go home with you and Carmen and spend the night and then I could come back to daycare with you the next day." That plan had just come to her, and she blurted it out without thinking.

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Miss Lopez smiles as Phoebe looked confused. She had no idea who Miss Lopez was talking about. Miss Lopez knew she was going to tell her what she meant by Carmen was talking to her mother.

Maria looks at Phoebe. "I'm not mad at you. I just don't like to be lied to and someone who makes up excuses after excuses. How about tonight? I'm sure Carmen wouldn't mind watching you overnight and then you can come back to daycare tomorrow."

Miss Lopez starts the first game.

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Phoebe fidgeted for a moment, unsure of how to answer. She'd wanted that "some day" to be in the indefinite future, certainly not that same day, but she didn't want to upset Maria all over again. But maybe it was for the best... At least this way, she knew she'd be able to do it before getting promoted to assistant - she still hoped it would happen soon, but she was sure it wouldn't be that day, not after having already had an accident, no matter how small.

Before she could think of any excuse to not go that night, Miss Lopez started the game. Phoebe looked around nervously, watching the other kids scrambling around. "All right," she said finally, "tonight is fine. Do you wanna be my partner for the game?"

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Maria shakes her head. "No let's set this one out. I'm not good at hide and go seek." She smiles. "That is great. I'll tell Carmen when she gets her at lunch." The two of them watched the game being played. Maria looks at Phoebe. "You will have to wear a diaper to bed. I sleep in a crib so you will not be able to get up in the middle of the night to go use the potty."

Miss Lopez signaled for the game to end 10 minutes later. She tallies up the list. "The winner is Gina and Jody with 10 items." Miss Lopez gives them each a ribbon to wear on their clothes. "Everyone line up with your partner. We are going outside for the next game."

Maria holds out her hand. "Ready Partner?"

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Phoebe squirmed slightly at the news. She supposed she shouldn't have really been surprised... But still, she was going to wind up in diapers twice that day, even if she would be asleep most of the time she was wearing them. Though she'd probably get put to bed pretty early, given the age Maria, and therefore Carmen, too, thought she was. But she didn't want to upset Maria, so she just smiled and said, "All right."

Phoebe stood up once the game had ended, taking Maria's hand. "I wonder what we're playing outside," she wondered out loud.

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Maria smiles. "Ok partner."

Miss Lopez walks them outside and over to the playground. Hanging on the fence was posters with a group of pictures. "Children, this is a speed game. You and your partner will each take one language pouch and put them next to the picture. One will take the english pouch and one will take the spanish pouch. The first team to finish their poster wins."

Maria looks at Phoebe. "This should be fun. Do you want to take the spanish pouch?"

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Phoebe walked with Maria over to the posters, looking theirs over. It seemed simple enough - obviously, since it was a game meant for toddlers - though she wasn't so sure about how well she could do with the Spanish part, which meant it was a good thing Maria was there. She had to remind herself that her opponents were just little kids, so she should take it a little easy on them, but she still wanted to win, so she didn't plan on being TOO nice. Of course, it was only a game, but still... It would hardly be a boost to her self-esteem to get beaten.

She quickly shook her head at Maria's offer. "No, I'm not good at Spanish, at all!" she protested. "You should take that one!"

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Maria nods. "I know you wasn't good with spanish. That is why I was joking with you about taking the spanish. "We have to be fast if we want to win this game. I don't like to lose." She hands Phoebe the pouch with the english words on them.

Miss Lopez looks at the groups. "On your mark, get set go." All the kids take off towards the posters to put the name on it. Maria looks over at Phoebe. "How are you doing? Need some help?"

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"Oh..." Phoebe blushed a little at having missed the fact that Maria was joking, feeling silly as, looking back, it seemed rather obvious. Before she had time to feel too awkward about it, however, the game had started, and she rushed forward towards the poster with Maria.

She reached into the pouch to take out a word to look at it, excitement making it more difficult to keep ahold of the word, so she had to reach back for it a second time before surveying the poster the find the right spot, reaching up and sticking it on proudly. She stared at it for a moment before moving on to the next one, blushing again at Maria's offer - like she really needed help with something this simple. "No, I'm fine," she insisted, "You just keep doing yours!"

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Maria nods. "Ok as long as you are doing ok. I'm already done with my half." She steps back so Phoebe can see Maria's completed half. "Come on Phoebe. You can do it. I know you can." Maria starts to cheer Phoebe on as she works on her half of the poster.

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"Oh," Phoebe said, feeling flustered to see that Maria had beaten her done, and in another language. She grabbed at another word from her pouch, moving more quickly, shoving it up onto the poster, then reaching for another one, only to accidentally knock the bag out of her own hand. She blushed, squatting down to try to gather up the spilled words, every action making her feel more clumsy and babyish, especially as she glanced around, seeing the other kids working on their posters without any of the trouble she was having.

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Maria bends down and helps Phoebe pick up the words off the ground. "It is ok. Don't worry about it. We all get clumsy sometimes." They both stand up and Miss Lopez blows her whistle signaling that the game was over. Maria looks at Phoebe. "You was doing a good job working on the pizzle until you dropped your bag. Next time. Put your hand though the loop. Then you won't drop the bag." She hugs Phoebe. "Don't feel bad that we didn't win. There are alot more games to play. If we don't win any of them. It is ok. As long as we are good sports about it."

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Phoebe pouted as she heard the whistle blow, wanting to throw the stupid bag back onto the ground, but stopping herself. Having Maria comfort her, give her pointers, and then hug her didn't help much, either, as it just seemed to emphasize the fact that she'd just been beat at a simple little game by a bunch of toddlers. For a moment, she couldn't help but wonder if they were right, if she really was more of a toddler, or even infant, as Mrs. Hammil had wanted her to be, than a grown-up. She forced a smile for Maria and nodded, trying to forget all of that. "I'm sure we'll get this next game," she said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible.

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Maria nods. "That's the spirit. If we try our best. Then we are winners even if we don't get a ribbon that says we are."

Miss takes out a map for each team. "We are going to play another game before we go back in the building for lunch based on all of you favorite tv show. This is your map. You need to go to the two places on your map and pick up the toy. Once you have both of them. Run back here and give me your toys."

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Phoebe nodded absently, knowing that was the sort of thing you were supposed to tell kids, even if you knew winning was so much better than just "being a good sport". She was a little surprised to hear that it was almost lunchtime - the morning had flown by quickly. Her stomach was starting to rumble hungrily, though. She felt a bit worried to hear that the game involved a map, as she was rather famous for having no sense of direction at all, but she was sure that the maps for this would be simple enough even for her.

"So I guess we should split up," she said, "since there's two places to go, and two of us." She still felt a little nervous, but she was hoping for the best. Hopefully Maria was a fast runner, she thought. And hopefully she was used to her training pants enough to run decently fast, as well.