For my job, I was actually quite good at cooking... a little too good as the lead chefs had said. The rest of my co-workers were new or inexperienced, while I had been cooking my entire life really. My parents fell ill very often, and while they always get out of it fine, I know I have to feed them to keep them alive and healthy. As well as my younger brother, who I rarely saw. He lives mostly with my grandparents, as he helps them.
Not only did the jobs we chose throughout our high school years pay us, but it also gave you experience and maybe even a scholarship into a better school for your chosen job. Cal... wanted to be a Pathogen Hunter Trainee, and get a scholarship to the city's Pathogen Hunter School, Byul wanted to work as a Pathogen Hunter as well, despite being scared of Pathogens.
I... well I wanted to be a chef. To work in a restaurant in the city... preferably a really fancy one, where I could cook the best dishes.
Recently I've been reconsidering. If I don't stay near Calibrum... he could... no. He is strong. He has strength. His ability... will protect him... I just wish I didn't have to wait so long to see him.
Ah! I had almost forgotten! He forgot to call me! I swiped my phone off of my desk and lifted it to my face, tapping on his contact info and calling his number. The phone rang for some time before he finally picked up, apologizing and telling me he had forgotten to call me. I was a little angry, but hid that and acted happily.
"So, how is everything going there?" I asked, hoping he wasn't currently fighting any Pathogens.
"Good, but we stumbled upon some dead people yesterday, one girl named Cressa died when we went to go get her some herbs. We... tried our hardest... I feel so bad." When he said this, my heart ached. I wish he never went to begin with.
"Is Markus with you?" I asked, assuming he was. "No, we are in two separate groups, he is on his own and I am trying to find him whenever we go out for resources, he may have been pushed further into the forest. So I'll check later." He went quiet and before I could say anything to reply to him, he spoke again, this time in a panic.
"There are Pathogens here! I'll call you back later today!" and with that, he hung up. I lowered my phone feeling my stomach beginning to hurt. He better not die to those things.
***
In the storage of the cooking school, I fetched some tomatoes, lettuce, meat, cheese, and onions, bringing them to the kitchen and throwing the frozen meat onto the pan, cutting the tomatoes, lettuce, and onions quickly, wiping away a tear given to me by the onion's stench.
"You're doing amazing as always Kayla. Keep it up and a scholarship is yours." Chef Mia said, looking over my cooking meal and licking her lips before walking away.
We always had friendly competitions with the chefs as the judges after everyone was done cooking, and I had always won, which was quite boring at this point. I could hear crying from another side of the kitchen. After preparing and putting my meal in front of the kitchen for the judges to take, I walked over and saw a girl crying on the floor. I helped her up and she seemed to be having trouble cooking some meat on her burger. So I helped her and she stopped crying. The girl then left the kitchen abruptly without telling me her name.
I looked at my phone quickly and Cal hadn't called me back, and Markus never checked my messages I had sent hours before.