Chapter Text
Chosen sat in front of the television eating his instant noodles in a crappy apartment. He should've listened to his father and stayed at home. But he had insisted. He had insisted that he could manage on his own. The lights flickered multiple times but it wasn't anything unusual. His couch was sunken in and second hand. It had clearly been through way worse than him, yet he couldn't help but compare himself to it. He was beginning to lose hope now, was anyone going to hire him? His rent was almost due and he was scrapping together whatever else he had, not that it was really helping. Babysitting kids and walking dogs weren't going to fully cover all his expenses. He needed a real stable job. He basically lived off of instant noodles and convinient store sandwiches — if they were on sale.
Chosen groans into his hands, maybe he should just move back in with his father. Second would definetly be happy to see his older brother come back.
Despite the millions of reasons as to why moving back in would be way better than his current situation, he refused. It was silly and he knew it, but he didn't want to disappoint his father. He was so proud when he decided to move out and live on his own, his son had finally grown up and was ready to be set free. Just to come back? He had been lying for multiple weeks now, putting on an act whenever his dad called. Imagining the hurt look on his father face was something he did not want to deal with, let alone bear to handle.
His phone rang loudly on the coffee table and Chosen was torn out of his thoughts.
He never liked phone calls.
"Hello? Yes, this is Chosen speaking. Tomorrow? I can do tomorrow. Thanks, bye."
It was the company he had applied for. He got invited for an interview. Maybe things really were starting to take a turn? He couldn't mess this up, unless he wanted to get evicted. He needed that job.
The next morning was a mess of preparing for the questions and picking a suitable outfit to wear. Of course the decison was simple, it wasn't like Chosen had much suitable office attire anyway. He had settled on a pair of dress pants and a white button up long sleeve that had a collar. Nothing too formal, just enough to prove that he was somewhat worthy enough.
Before exiting, he took one more look in his bathroom mirror, making sure his shirt didn't have any creases or wrinkles.
"Good enough."
The car ride towards the building was more tense than he had expected. It wasn't like he hadn't gone to a job interview before, he definitely has, multiple times. But this was his first one in awhile, he hadn't made it past the first stage in so long that today felt different.
Chosen dreaded job interviews. He hated talking to others, more so than getting denied a job. Ironically, he had applied for a position at the marketing department of the company. Maybe it was out of desperation, but it was only now that the dread had settled in.
After finally finding a place to park his rundown car, he walked into the building. The door slid open smoothly, inviting him inside. It was bigger than he had expected, the lobby was adorned with potted plants and there was plenty of places to sit. There were stairways lead to higher floors and there was an elavator too. He sat down on a black leather couch, not quite sure where to stand or wait. To be honest he felt like he stood out a little.
Was he supposed to talk to the receptionist first?
He got up and walked towards the receptionist who was putting on her costumer service smile.
"Hi! How may I help you?" She said, her voice all cheery and bright.
"Hi, uh I was wondering where I should wait? I have a job interview here today." Chosen said, figeting with his fingers nervously behind his back.
"And your name is?"
"The Chosen One. But I go by Chosen." He replied. It felt weird saying his own full name.
She scanned through the laptop screen, occasionally clicking her mouse. "Ah! The Chosen One. Your interview is at 10, in room 2. They'll call you in shortly, for now just take a seat on the nearby couches."
He physically cringed at his full name being read out, before nodding and saying a, "Thank you."
Unfortunately he had come about half an hour early. To be prepared, that is. He sat back down on the couch, not quite sure what to do.
During every interview, he dreaded one particular question, "Why did you leave your last job?" He had an answer, though the companies had the 'truth'. One background check and they would see everything, even if he wasn't at fault. Being completely transparent, it wasn't his fault, none of them were. But how was he supposed to argue that to the CEO? As if they'd listen to him anyway. Who was he compared to them?
"The Chosen One?" A voice called out to the mostly empty lobby. As it echoed, Chosen got to his feet quickly, documents in hand. He walked towards the room, greeting the interviewer.
"Hello! We are so glad to have you here today, your resume was very impressive. Have a seat on that chair across from me and we can begin."
And just like that the meeting had begun, question after question. Chosen asnwered them all easily, the questions were quite simple.
"It shows here that you've had multiple jobs before. Tell me, why did you leave those jobs? Why did you pick Rocket Corp?" The interviewer inquired.
Chosen's smile hardened, what was he supposed to say? 'Oh! You know, I got fired three times due to my friends negligence! ' He couldn't possibly say that. But he also knew that lying would be no better.
"I picked Rocket Corp because of your company values, work ethic and strong community. I believe that a company that cares about their employees is a company that I would like to work at. The jobs I had before... I was fired." He answered.
The temperature in the room suddenly felt warmer. Was it just him? Sweat beaded down his forehead, as he silently hoped no one would notice.
The interviewer's expression remained smiling, seemingly unfazed by his statement.
"And could you tell me why you were fired?"
Chosen hesitated, "I was fired due to negligence, which led to company resources being wasted."
He wanted to say more, about what really happened. But he bit his tongue, there was no point wasting his breath.
The interviwer just nodded, and scribbled something down. "Well. Thank you, for taking the time to come down here. We hope to see you back here soon. Good luck!"
They walked out towards the door together. As Chosen finally sinks into his car seat he lets out a breath he hadn't even realised he was holding. He groaned into his hands, a sense of dread overwhelming him.
Cursors, how was he going to pay rent? He also had lectures to attend, studying, exams coming up, and he had promised to walk his neighbour's dogs for money. He let out a heavy sigh, his time mangament was being thrown out the window. He couldn't afford to retake his course, let alone afford it right now. Chosen was basically drowning in student debt.
Chosen creaked open the door to his apartment, grimacing at the state of his 'home'. He rubbed a hand over his face, exhausted. What was he going to do? He walked towards his desk and sat down staring at the stack of textbooks. Flicking through pages and pages of information, though he didn't seem to retain any of it. A loud bang came from above and several barks followed, causing him to jump.
He cursed under his breath, "Why have dogs if you know that they are going to be trouble?"
The barks continued, for several minutes before the sound quietly died down. Chosen just sighed, getting up from his seat and exiting his apartment. A promise is a promise, maybe he could get a good buck out of it too.
Chosen drummed his knuckles on the wooden door. He was still wearing his interview attire. The door swung open and an elderly stick was standing at the door. "Oh you're the one who offered to walk my dog right?" He asked smiling. Chosen quietly chewed on his own words suddenly feeling guilty for his previous comment.
"Yeah, that was me. Your dogs seem pretty energetic, so I was wondering if I could take them out for a walk? To dispel some of that energy you know?" Chosen replied.
"Oh thank you Chosen, here, take their leashes. I'll bring them out right away. My back has been acheing all day." The elderly stick sighed, he was holding Chosen's hands in his own.
"Jack! Jasper! Do you want to go out on a walk?" He shouted. The two dogs ran up to him excitedly upon hearing the word 'walk', jumping and barking loudly. He knelt down and gently clipped the leashes onto their necks, handing them over to Chosen.
"You look rather dashing today. Thank you again Chosen."
"No worries, and thank you, I had a job interview today." Chosen answered bashfully. He ran his unoccupied hand through his hair.
"Well good luck." He said, smiling warmly at Chosen before waving goodbye.
The door shut gently and the dogs started jumping up and down, tugging on their leashes, and pulling Chosen towards the elevator. He looked down at the two estatic dogs, he couldn't even tell them apart from eachother. Even worse, their names both started with the letter 'J'. Oh boy, he was going to have a fieldtrip if he were to lose one of them.
Luckily, there was a park nearby his apartment, or else he would've resorted to walking laps around the block. The park was quite big, leafy green trees planted around the perimeter and lush flower bushes, that were a variety of vibrant colours. People were sitting in small groups, some playing fetch with their dogs. Chosen hadn't brought a ball, he was just planning on walking around the park. Jack and Jasper didn't seem to mind — fortunately for him. As they dragged Chosen down the sidewalk, lapping the park multiple times, Chosen's phone rang. He scrambled to grab his phone out of his pocket, answering the call with a swift tap. It was his dad, Alan.
"Hi Chosen, how have you been doing?" His dad's voice came through the other side.
"Uhh I'm fine, how are you and Second?" Chosen replied back, fake cheeriness laced between his words.
"We're doing fine, I just wanted to check up on you. How are your classes?" Alan asked.
"My classes? I'm doing good, exams are coming up soon though, so I'll have to study." He answered.
"Hey Cho!" Second's voice echoed in the back. "You are calling him right? I want to talk to him!"
"Okay, okay, here." Alan handed the phone over to Second.
"Hi Sec, how's high school?" Chosen asked smiling. He hadn't talked to his brother in what felt like forever.
"It's okay, I think my favourite class is art, or maybe media?" Second gushed, his excitement evident by the tone of his voice. "But when's the next time you'll come visit us? I haven't seen you since Christmas!"
Chosen sighed, "I knew you'd enjoy art. And, I'll see if I can come over in a fortnite? I've been... really busy, that's all."
"Okay! Well you better not lie!" His little brother exclaimed.
"Yeah, yeah, I won't. I'll tell you if I can by the end of this week."
"I'll be waiting!" Second shouted, making Chosen pull his phone away from his ears.
"So you might visit us soon?" Alan asked, taking the phone back from Second.
Chosen answered, "Mhm, I'll try to, that is."
"I've missed you alot Cho, but if you're really busy, then you don't have to. We understand that school must be alot. Plus, I don't want you failing your exams!" Alan replied.
"No no! It's all good, really. I think I am free, and I do want to come over." Chosen insisted.
His dad sighed. "Alright, if you're sure. We have to go now though, so I'll call you later okay? Take care of yourself and if you need help, don't hesistate to ask. You know I'll always support you, and I won't get upset."
"Okay, well uhm, bye dad. Tell Second I said bye." Chosen said. He hung up, a knot in his stomach. His dad always said that, yet he couldn't bring himself to tell him the truth.
The sun was at its brightest, heat radiating from overhead. Of course it was also the day he forgot to wear sunscreen. Soon enough, he found himself sitting under a tree, scrolling on his phone as Jack and Jasper chased eachother around the park. Their paws on the grass as they entertained themselves. Hopefully they wind down soon. Chosen would occasionally throw a branch towards their direction and they would bring it right back. They were surprisingly very well trained. After a lot of back and forth throws and catches Jack and Jasper lay down on the cool grass beneath the shade. It was midday now and Chosen had started walking back to his apartment, taking detours to enjoy the nice weather.
He knocked on his neighbours door, waiting patiently outside.
"Oh, you're back already?" The elderly stick asked. "I hope my boys were good to you, I know they can be quite the enthusiactic bunch." He said apologetically.
Chosen smiled sheepishly. "Uh yeah haha, they seem pretty tired now. And it's okay, Jack and Jasper were lovely."
"Thank you once again. And ah, how could I forget? Here, take this. As a thank you." He pressed a $50 bill into Chosen's hand, smiling warmly.
"Uh thank you sir, but, this is a bit much don't you think?" Chosen hesistated, his hand remained outstretched.
He pushed Chosen's hand back, shaking his head. "No, no, I'm old now. I don't need anymore money. But you, you still have such a long way to go. I, I need to take a nap now, I'm exhuasted. Have a good day Chosen."
The door clicked shut and Chosen stared at the bill in his hand for a long time.
He walked back to his room, fifty dollars richer than when he had left. As he fiddled with the keys, he entered his home. His spirits slightly lifted.
Chosen's phone buzzed loudly on the coffee table, and he shot up from his slouched position on the couch, answering the call.
"Hello? This is Chosen speaking."
"Hi! We'd like to inform you that you have been hired! Welcome to Rocket Corp, you can start working tomorrow! As soon as you arrive we will give you a tour of the company, where you will be stationed and everything you need to know! We can't wait to welcome you tomorrow warmly. Thanks, bye."
"Thank you! Bye!" Chosen replied.
His heart skipped a beat. He had a job. After being rejected so many times, he finally got accepted. Things really were starting to look up — slowly but it doesn't matter! He had made progress, that was the most important part. He couldn't mess this up, if he gets fired one more time, he probably won't get hired ever again. His dreams would be crushed and worse, he would have to swallow his pride and move back in with his father, as an unemployed and useless son. Which was something he couldn't bear.
Chosen had waken up earlier than usual, as he flicked through his closet of clothes, trying to choose something that was casual but not too laidback. He didn't want to seem like a try-hard. With his very
few options, it shouldn't take him too long to figure out what to wear. He had clothes — a lot of clothes — but most of them were hoodies or t-shirts. He had one jacket, that was black with a white fur collar. Though he rarely reached for that one. In the end he settled on a black collared long sleeve, and baggy dark wash jeans. He brushed a hand through his hair, checking his outfit in his bathroom mirror.
"Eh, it's fine I guess." Chosen muttered to himself.
Was Chosen nervous? Yes, extremely nervous. It was odd, he'd never been so anxious and he's gotten many jobs before. What makes this any different?
He stirred his cereal around mindlessly, paying no mind to how soggy it was getting. Chosen still gulped it down anyways, what else was going to fuel him for his first day? It wasn't like he had alot of food to be picky. Plus, breakfast is the most important meal of the day — according to his dad, that is.
His phone buzzed on the table beside him, a message from Second. It was a few words of encouragement. His brother was always so sweet, a little too sweet sometimes.
Chosen locked the door to his apartment, exited the building, and headed towards the car parks. He wouldn't want to be late to his job, especially since Chosen was never one to be late. Being completely transparent, he was usually way too early.
The car engine whirred to life loudly as Chosen started the car. Luck seemed to be on his side today. The weather was nice, there was little to no traffic and he hadn't been hit by a single red light. Being resilent really did benefit him after all.
To be honest, Chosen was slightly intimidated. While he was walking he could practically feel the stares people were giving him. Or was he just imagining things? He glanced around, walking towards the front desk.
"Hi! How can I help you today?" The receptionist beamed. This wasn't the same one he spoke to last time.
"Uh- hi, I was wondering where the marketing department is?" Chosen asked, playing with the cuffs of his sleeves.
"Chosen!" An employee shouted, as she slowly approached him. She had tan skin and dark brown hair that reached her waist. Chosen whips his head around, grinning apologetically at the receptionist.
"Hey! My name is Primal. I'm going to be the one giving you a tour of the company, just follow right behind me." She exclaimed, her voice was deeper than expected.
"Sorry I wasn't quite sure where to go." Chosen sheepishly says.
"It's all good don't worry about it. I was supposed to be down here awhile ago, waiting for you to show up but I sort of forgot. So it was also my fault. So you're the new PA right? For the marketing department?" Primal asks, she leads him towards the elevator and presses the button multiple times.
Chosen replies,"Uh yes, I am the new PA." He walks by her side, taking in the time to get familiar with his surroundings. This elevator sure was taking its sweet time.
"We've been looking for a new PA for a while. The last one moved a few floors up."
She explained. "So, I heard you were fired multiple times? What's that all about?"
"Oh- uh. I was fired multiple times due to negligence. It caused the company to lose thousands of dollars worth of products." Chosen said, his voice faltering.
"Ohh, it's all good. We're all here for second chances. I'm sure you won't mess up again." Primal said reassuringly.
Finally the elevator doors opened, and three sticks walked out holding papers. Primal and Chosen stepped in, their conversation dying down.
The tour continued smoothly, the floors were a lot bigger than he expected. As they went up and down, stopping occasionally so that Chosen could introduce himself.
"Okay! So this is our floor. The marketing department." She said, leading Chosen further into the room.
He looked around at office, it had white flourescent lights, wooden tables with dividers, and one room. It was probably the managers office, though the blinds were all shut.
"Oh you work in this department too?" Chosen asked. How could that detail slip his mind?
"Yeah! I am in charge of the social media posts and advertising the products." She nodded.
"Oh hey, is that the new guy?" A stick perked up from his desk glancing at Chosen.
"Yeah, Ballista, this is Chosen. Chosen, this is Ballista." Primal said.
Ballista's voice was reminiscent to a teenage boy who used to have a high pitched voice. Chosen stifled a laugh at the thought.
"Hi, I'm the new PA." Chosen said, for the sake of a proper introduction. Ballista walked up to him and shook his hand firmly. He was quite short, only reaching up to Chosen's shoulders.
"Nice to meet you. I'm in charge of product developement and seeing what everyone's best interest is." Ballista replied.
Another stick walked into the room, carrying a box of items. "Oh hey guys!" He said. He set the box down on his desk before walkong up the crowd. "So what's the commotion about?"
Primal exclaimed,"Perfect timing! Hazard this is Chosen. He's the new PA and he'll be working with us from now on."
Hazard nodded, smiling at Chosen. "Hello, I'm Hazard, as you've already been told. My job is to place orders on products and send them to the upper floors. I work side by side with Ballista."
"Well now that we've all introduced each other to Chosen, there's still one more person." Primal beamed, she knocked on the managers door. The door clicked open, a stick Chosen knew all too well stepped out.
Chosen's heart sank, his breath hitching as the realisation dawned on him. It was him, of course it was. Out of everyone, it just had to be him. Fate really was playing in his face.
"Oh hey Cho, long time no see." Dark said, his voice as charismatic as it always was.
He sneered at the nickname.
Hazard piped in, "Oh you two know eachother? That's great!"
"Mhm. We used to know eachother... in highschool." Chosen muttered.
"Come on! We were best friends." Dark grinned. He placed an arm on Chosen's shoulder.
Chosen pushed it off, distancing himself from Dark. His breath ragged as he tried to stay calm.
"Okay! Well that's great then! Since you two already know eachother there's no point wasting time on introductions!" Primal exclaimed, and the tension ceased immediately.
"Alright, get back to work now. You don't get paid to stand around and chat now, do you?" Dark laughed, as he dismissed all of them back to their jobs.
Chosen wanted to scream. He wanted to scream into his pillow in rage. To think, that he believed things were going to get better.
Why? Was all he could ask. He never wanted to see Dark ever again, he hated Dark. But now, now he had to see him five times a week, eight hours a day. Cursors, fate really toyed with him. The worst part was that now Dark was a manager, he had more authority. As if Dark would make a good manager anyways, he was bound to mess up eventually. Just like he messed everything up for him.
His fingers were flying methodically over his screen as dozens of angry messages were being sent to Second. His brother had asked him how his first day went and what was he getting in return? Several messages of bottled up anger that Chosen had been holding in all day. He was grateful his brother was willing to read his messages instead of listening to him over call. Second knew Chosen hated phone calls.
Second: That's such a coincident, that you two happen to be working at the same place and same department!
Chosen: Tell me about it. I can't even do anything about it either.
Second: It's going to be okay Cho. Don't worry! You can get through this, I'm sure you can!
Chosen frowned at his phone. Second had a tendency for being overly encouraging. Despite his short temper, he's always so optimistic. Maybe he should learn a thing or two from Second.
Chosen: I'll do my best. But I have to go now sorry. Studying.
Second: alreadyy?? We just started talking tho! Also have you figured out when you can come over yet????
Chosen: Sorry Sec. And yeah I can. Next
Saturday, I'm busy this week.
Second: Okayy!! Well I can't wait to see you then. Text me the next time you're free, okay??
Chosen: Alright, I will. Bye, Sec. Tell Dad that I said hi.
Second: I will! Bye!
Chosen turned off his phone and placed it down on his desk. He let out a heavy sigh, leaning back in his chair.
What was he going to do?