I Have Been Chosen

Cody 9

Friday 23rd January

Earlier that afternoon, Cody had received Oliver's message that he did not need to be picked up for tonight's performance as he was going to hang out with Kara. So, Cody only had to make one stop beforehand which was at Darren and Sasha's house. He arrived earlier, allowing plenty of time to catch up with Sasha, who had gotten back from travelling to her parents for a couple of weeks. However, the mood was not so cheery as he had hoped, as Darren was still bitter about a promotion that should have been rightfully his but was instead given to the boss' girlfriend's brother, who was considerably younger and inexperienced compared to the other candidates.

Darren had worked hard for that company for several years, only for his one way of going up the ladder to be taken away from him due to nepotism. He ranted on about how incompetent the 'kid' was, who was nineteen and had never had a job, let alone been in a management position, and how it was Darren's job now to teach his new boss everything.

Wanting to help Darren with his pent-up rage and prevent him from rage quitting the company without thinking it through logically, Cody suggested that they change the setlist for tonight to 'Fuck Society and The Man', to which Darren wholeheartedly agreed.

The car journey was less of an angry ramble as Darren tried to distract himself and turned his attention to his wife Sasha so as not to dampen her holiday high whilst it lasted and she had to return to work herself soon.

When they arrived at the pub that was the venue tonight, the three of them waited inside for the others to arrive with the van filled with equipment. Darren, of course, kept acting shocked that Cody, for once, came early to a performance, to which Cody responded that he just got sick of Darren's tantrum and thought he would spare Sasha by coming early.

Cody chatted to the bartenders, recognising a few when he was working in the industry himself, though they were more acquaintances and needed reminding of their names. When the van finally arrived, all hands were on deck, unloading the equipment and setting up, with Zeke driving the van to the nearest car park when it was empty.

"Oliver, this is my wife, Sasha," Darren introduced Sasha to Oliver. "Sasha, our new member of the team, tech guy, sound guy, general gopher, roadie, rules lawyer, babysitter of adults, lime and soda enthusiast: Oliver."

"It's nice to meet you finally," Sasha said with a warm smile, extending her hand in greeting.

Cody watched the muscles in Oliver's face slightly as he considered and calculated the new person, the response something Cody spotted whenever someone tried to talk to Oliver unprompted, and then there was the glance at the hand, the hesitation to touch someone unfamiliar. Cody had seen in the past performances when anyone come up afterwards to talk the band, a few shaking hands or patting backs in appreciation or offering drinks, and how stiffly Oliver reacted, coldly denying any high-fives or fistbumps, even jolting if a stranger brushed shoulders with him.

Oliver's lips slightly rose into a smile, and he took her hand briefly, seeming more relaxed than he was with other strangers, likely due to Sasha being connected with someone Oliver was already fairly familiar with. "It's nice to meet you too," Oliver replied with the monotonous and practised tone of someone who has worked in the customer service industry.

"I've heard all about you from Darren," said Sasha. "So proud he's making new friends," she added in a fake parental coo, smirking as Darren rolled his eyes and resumed setting up a speaker with Cody.

"To be honest, I have barely heard anything about you," said Oliver bluntly. "I would not have known Darren was married if Cody had not mentioned it a few days before."

Darren shrunk away, pretending to be consumed in fiddling with a plug socket as Sasha's cold gaze fell upon him.

"Is that so?" Sasha purred, arms folded, though her anger was more in fun as her lips could not help but smile.