Friday

"Ughh, today is dragging," Pete sighed. "I'm done. Seriously, I just want to go home." He put his head down on his desk and groaned loudly. It was 2:48 in the afternoon. He still had over an hour before he could leave his desk and start his weekend. An hour that felt like an eternity.

He kept his head on his for a few moments, wallowing in his own self-pity, then got up and walked to the break room to fill his mug with water. He didn't really need any water. In fact, he wasn't thirsty at all, and his mug was already full of water from the last time he had walked to the breakroom five minutes earlier; but going to the break room to fill his mug with water was an excuse to get up from his godforsaken desk and stretch his legs.

After filling his mug with water, he left the mug at his desk and went to use the restroom. He didn't really need to use the restroom. In fact, he didn't need to use the restroom at all. He had been to the restroom less than ten minutes ago. But walking to the restroom was an excuse to get up from his godforsaken desk and stretch his legs.

The small, two-stall single-urinal restroom was empty. Pete sauntered up to the urinal and stood there, staring at the white tiles on the wall. He stood there, dreading going back to his godforsaken desk until someone else came into the restroom. Pete pretended to finish pissing, then went and washed his hands for an inordinate amount of time.

After leaving the restroom, Pete took a long walk back to his desk. Instead of walking directly down the hall, past the elevators, Pete went the opposite direction, toward the building exit. He turned right, cutting through another department, then right again past an auxiliary copy room, and then right again, through another department that was empty for the day. Pete looped back around past the elevators, then walked toward the conference rooms on the south side of the building. He walked slowly, not quite dragging his feet, but moving at a snail's pace nonetheless.

At last, Pete came back to his own office. He stood at the door, dreading going back to his godforsaken desk until someone else came out the door and he had no choice but to go in and avoid an awkward conversation.

"Ughh, today is dragging," Pete sighed as he sat down at his desk. "I'm done. Seriously, I just want to go home." He put his head down on his desk and groaned loudly. It was 2:53 in the afternoon. He still had over an hour before he could leave his desk and start his weekend. An hour that felt like an eternity.