Still Standing, Still Different
Short Microfiction on Celebrating Differences
For Mikeydred's June Prompt
Pride Month includes everyone--we've all been judged or underestimated for being different.
Different beliefs. Extraordinary medical conditions that have been misunderstood.
Stand with pride.
❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗💘💝💟💌🩵💙💚💛🧡🤎🖤🤍🌈❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗
The room buzzed with routine--the hum of busyness, ticking clocks, and clicking pens.
Everything in its place.
Far from the jaded office routine, her mind was a tropical storm.
It was just another day for her colleagues--for her, it was the Battle of Midway.
❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗💘💝💟💌🩵💙💚💛🧡🤎🖤🤍🌈❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗
Jemima's struggles with ADHD were known only to herself - after all, she needed the work.
They wouldn't have hired her.
Her focus slid away, unwanted cheese melting. She took copious notes.
With scattered scribbles.
On the wrong topic.
"Oh. Again?" Serena, the department head put a mock-pitying hand on her shoulder. "Just try harder."
The phrase wasn't consolation--it was a familiar slap.
❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗💘💝💟💌🩵💙💚💛🧡🤎🖤🤍🌈❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗But the slap stuck. This time, in the right way.
She simply redrafted her thoughts. And took her time.
The task--completed. No reward for her effort.
Though reading thoroughly brought huge headaches.
As usual. Serena would probably point out more mistakes than necessary.
She didn't spend time overthinking--read through her draft, tried to spot the errors in the details, and walked out of the room.
But she knew that Jemima was the real jem. She didn't need a valuer or assessor.
❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗💘💝💟💌🩵💙💚💛🧡🤎🖤🤍🌈❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗
Jemima showed up at work the next day.
And the next. All the time eyeing Serena with a comfortable, satisfied smile.
A month later, a termination notice.
❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗💘💝💟💌🩵💙💚💛🧡🤎🖤🤍🌈❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗
Jemima began her Ecommerce store--one that burgeoned.
Orders overflowed---Jemima fulfilled them all.
With the help of a rather grudging Serena.
Laid off by restructuring.
She celebrated being different--big.
❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗💘💝💟💌🩵💙💚💛🧡🤎🖤🤍🌈❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗
❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗💘💝💟💌🩵💙💚💛🧡🤎🖤🤍🌈❤️🩷💖💓💕💞💗
Original microfiction by Michelle Liew. AI tags are coincidental.
About the Creator
Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin
Hi, i am an English Language teacher cum freelance writer with a taste for pets, prose and poetry. When I'm not writing my heart out, I'm playing with my three dogs, Zorra, Cloudy and Snowball.
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