Roommates & Soulmates

Ch162: Simon's Productivity

They're a strange thing: job interviews. It's like trying to advertise your best qualities to a stranger while avoiding fibing about all the other ones. The whole thing felt very wrong to Simon, almost like bragging, but worse somehow.

After attending about half a dozen interviews Simon had decided it all basically boiled down to: please see me as competent so you'll give me money in exchange for time and energy. What he didn't get was why there were so many different rules. Don't forget to dress up, but don't overdo it or you'll look like you're trying too hard. Don't spin every bad quality into a good one or you'll seem fake, but don't embellish too much or they will think you can't do the job. Always arrive early even if you have to spend a very stressful twenty minutes sitting and staring at the wall. On and on the advice went until he decided it didn't actually matter. Or at least if it did matter he wasn't gonna bother with it.

"That's the spirit," Izzy told him, trying to be supportive. Unfortunately Simon was in no mood to be cheered up.

"Oh what do you know, you've never had a job before in your life," Simon groaned.

"Someone woke on the grouchy side of the bed this morning," Izzy scoffed, as she turned her nose up at him and moved away.

"Urg," Simon groaned. The last thing he wanted was his girlfriend being mad at him. He consoled himself that she didn't look that mad, for he hadn't the energy to do more than collapse on the couch at the moment.

It had been weeks now that he'd been trying and failing to look for a more 'grown up' job while still doing shifts at Tim Hortons since that was all he had to pay the bills right now. Not that living with a Lightwood meant there were so many bills to pay or anything, but that didn't mean he was just gonna quit and become a kept man. Especially since being a graduate, he had student debt to worry about now as well.

"Oh, come on," Izzy said, mockingly. "It can't be that hard, this finding a job thing."

"Oh yeah, well I'd like to see you try it," Simon challenged.

"Deal," Izzy said sharply, taking him quite by surprise.

"Wait- what?" Simon asked, taken aback.

"I've got a whole summer to kill," Izzy shrugged. "Whoever finds a job first wins." She grinned. "And this way I'll be safe from any potential life lessons my parents might spring on me."

"Wait a minute," Simon said, sitting up to face her, sure he'd misheard. "You're gonna spend the summer looking for a job? Did I hear that right?"

"You sure did!" Izzy exclaimed. "Sounds like fun."

"Um it isn't," Simon whined.

"Oh hush," Izzy mocked. "You say the same about shopping."

"Getting a job is like the exact opposite of shopping," Simon told her. "Also if you are gonna make this a competition, it's gonna be fair. I mean you are just gonna be looking for summer student work which isn't that hard to find. I'm looking for a career. They are a bit different, you know."

"Ah, but you forget I have no job experience. I haven't done this before, and I haven't been paying any attention to you and your resume building lectures," Izzy grinned.

"Hey they weren't lectures," Simon defended himself.

"Even so that will make it fair," Izzy concluded in a tone that broached no argument. Simon sighed in defeat. He still wasn't sure she was right, but it was easier to just give in, especially if it made her happy.

Either way Simon was so done being productive today. Claiming defeat he changed out of his nice interview clothes, and into his favourite pajamas to slumped down on the couch with a video game controller in his hand.