Strings (PTX AU)

Surprises, Encounters, and Surprise Encounters

The hall was sparsely scattered with sweaty-palmed newbies. Scott Hoying (who sat in the front corner of the briefing room) was not one of them. He knew what he was doing. He knew what he wanted and how to get it. But why on Earth he'd decided to turn up here three hours too early he had no idea. He'd spent the extra time going through his notes, practising his best smile and all his answers, and drinking a little too much coffee. He'd scrounged the place, making sure he really wanted to work here. He'd decided -after the seventh ceramic mug of steaming cappuccino- that it checked off all the points on his mental checklist.

One thirty struck, and a crowd of formally-outfitted people trickled inside steadily. He heard the pairs of friends groan as they realised they'd have to part ways and sit according to their last names. Good thing he wasn't so picky about who he wanted to work with. In a few minutes the muffled chatter and squeaking of chairs had died down and everyone was settled.

A member of the faculty welcomed them, flashing his pearly white smile at them. A few basic ground rules were laid down, and they were given a recap of the positions they'd be aiming for. Then a roll call was taken, the man scratching out the names of those who weren't to be seen.

"What if they're on their way?", someone asked when the twentieth name was blackened with a marker.

The man smiled again, nodding receptively, but managing to make Scott question his sincerity.

 "Well, Mr.Hall, we take punctuality very seriously here. It's a core ethic without which even attempting to shoot for the job would be a waste of time- both for the applicant and for the company."

Half an hour later, the first person was called in over a loud intercom-woman with a scratchy voice (that irked Scott beyond measure).

They were allowed to move around, Mr.PearlyTeeth said, and immediately an explosion of noise assaulted his ears from behind.

It was slightly strange, Scott thought, how they were all there in a room together. He wasn't used to this method of interviewing. He looked around and noticed that there were cameras in the room. So perhaps their interpersonal skills were being studied. Shrugging, he picked up his folder and walked through the crowd.

Being as tall as he was, he didn't have much of a problem wading through the sea of people. Making his way to the back, he sat down next to a man who was around his height, built like an ox. He was dark-skinned, and his face was a mixture of intelligence and kindness.

"I'm Kevin."

"Scott."

                                                                                                      *

The last thing Mitch wanted was to be separated from his best friend. So the moment it was announced that they could move around, he practically leapt out of his chair and sprinted in an attempt to find Kirstie. This would have proven easier had he been taller, but unfortunately, all he could see was a bunch of heads. That, and the fact that his shoes were killing him made him very, very frustrated. 

Suddenly, he heard a yelp of pain and a familiar voice gasped. As the crowd cleared a little, he spotted a worried Kirstie helping up a man who she had no doubt trodden on with her heels (the expression on his face said it all). He nodded, keeping his head down and trying to get away from her quickly, when something struck the brunette.

His quickened his pace as he reached Kirstie, hoping no one noticed his pain-contorted face. 

He'd seen that beard before.

"You?"

The man flinched, but pretended not to hear. Kirstie looked at Mitch, first in relief and then in confusion.