After a week, exams were finally over. English was the final exam, and Leon just hoped his knowledge of the historical context of the poems he was analyzing was enough to impress the examiners, because examining actual texts was a whole other ordeal. Afterwards, Leon got into the hallway with Evelyn and Janet, and the three just let the relief of finally being done wash over them.
"Well, team." Janet finally said as she took something out of her bag. "I think we got one life achievement down."
She handed Leon and Evelyn chocolate bars. Premium stuff, the same kind of thing Leon got from the gods after the first game.
"And guys, I wish you the best of luck in your college courses."
"Thanks." Evelyn sighed. Her violin exam was tomorrow, and her chance of escaping the city was coming. "Wish you the best in…looking after Privis."
"That's the plan." Janet nodded, looking absentminded. If Evelyn were to guess, she was pondering what exactly she'd be doing after high school.
"Well, I'll go plan the party." Janet said to herself after a few seconds of silence, where nobody knew what to add to the conversation.
Evelyn silently followed her out of the school, going their separate ways home. Evelyn went to her parents apartment in Privis. Her dad was still working at the factory, and her mom at the computer store. Her brother was on the old PC, watching his game slow down and even with his back to her, she could tell he was getting more frustrated. She just decided she wouldn't even try to say hi to him, she didn't need the headache just before the rehearsal.
She got out of her casual clothes in favour of smart trousers and her grandfather's tweed jacket, it was slightly bigger and made her look a good bit wider, due to being made with a man in his mid seventies in mind instead of an eighteen year old girl. But whatever, she hoped it gave an air of professionalism that didn't clash with her neon pink hair. She made her her violin was in it's case, which she then put in a slightly larger case to make sure she didn't damage it. As just as she opened the door out, there was a man in front of her. Neat black hair and what was clearly a new hoodie, most likely something to look more relatable, seeing as he was promoting something with the pamphlets in his hand.
"Excuse me miss, are your parents home?"
"Nah, both at work." She replied casually.
"I see." He said, walking past her and placing one of the pamphlets in her letterbox before walking away to the next house. Evelyn quickly opened the door, picked the pamphlet up, and stuffed it in her pocket. She was technically old enough to vote, so she figured she'd read through it on the bus.
The bus was five minutes late, and she was trying not to seem visibly freaked out if she wouldn't make it on time. The bus finally arrived, and she quickly jumped on as if there would be a fight between the five people stood there waiting for the bus. But when she got on, she took out the pamphlet and starting reading it. It was for the 'restoration party' led by a guy called Eustace Durward. His blonde slicked back hair was sticking out like a sore thumb, and his grin looked less like that of a relatable politician, and more like a guy who wasn't allowed in bars due to slipping unknown substances in a woman's drink. But on the back was his policies. Stuff like using money used to house illegal immigrants to fund more healthcare, being tougher on crime, and renovating the center of the city into the hub of the future.
Okay, Evelyn thought. How are these being done. Tough on crime. So what, more police around the place? Even if they did drop crime a little, would attacking the entire atmosphere of the city be worth it? And renovating the center. Renovating it into what? And what happens to the people already living there?
"So you voting Durward?" The man next to her asked. He was a bald guy in a tank top and a sly grin on his face. Evelyn tried not to react, but she felt a look of disgust building in her face.
"He's gonna get the immigrants out and bring the city back to it's former glory. He's bringing back the factories! I lost my job five years back because the boss decided to close one factory and fill the other one with foreigners!"
Evelyn just thought the answer was 'the boss' knowing he could save money by importing foreign workers, and he was the guy to be mad at, but this guy's rant said he was filling up with patriotic vigor, and that if she interrupted now he could get really mad. So she decided to keep her opinions to herself as the bus arrived to her destination. The Lion City college interview center, a white building that was shockingly smaller than the surrounding buildings, but Evelyn walked in. The inside of the building was also shockingly sterile, with nothing but a reception desk, some generic art of people climbing mountains with words like 'inspiration' below them. And below the words were various anxious people her age, fidgeting on their phones or just staring into the distance in an attempt to look focused. She sat with them after confirming who she was, being called after what felt like an eternity, but according to a nearby clock was around fifteen minutes. She was walked into a room, with only a window showing a brick wall, a wooden desk, and three old people behind it.
"Miss Evelyn Bryce, correct?" The man in the middle asked. The most sophisticated of the three, and more stern looking than the other two. To his left was a man who looked younger than the other two, his hair only starting to grey now, and to his right was a slightly younger woman whose overall demeanor seemed much more pleasant.
"Correct." Evelyn said with a nod. Wait, a nod's enough, right? Or should she bow? No, they surely aren't that stuck up.
"Well, you're more dressed up than the other applicants." The younger man chuckled.
"Thanks, it was my grandfathers. And my violin."
"Oh, your grandfather played?" The woman asked with a smile.
"Yeah, he was Oliver Bryce? Did music for movie soundtracks?"
"Ooh." The young man replied, getting more excited. "And is something you'd like to do?"
"Maybe." Evelyn replied with a slight smile. Okay. She was building some kind of connection with these guys. Perhaps it could go well.
"I've never heard of Oliver Bryce." The old man in the middle said in a bored tone. "What movies did he do the soundtrack for."
"If I remember right, it was stuff like…space babes 9000. Girls in the summer fields. That kind of…thing."
She was hoping they wouldn't ask which movies her grandfather did music for. The faces of the other two dropped alongside her chances. The young man took his phone out and flicked through the movies.
"Oh, porn films."
"I think the right term is…exploitation? It was a different time."
"Hmm, three out of ten rating." The old man said as he glanced over his shoulder.
"But two of those points are because of the soundtrack." The young man replied. "Look, I think you've got something to show us, so I think we should just cut to the chase."
"I think that's for the best." The woman nodded. The old guy just grunted something. Could have been discomfort, could have been agreement, disagreement, maybe his body just randomly made that sound because he was old, who knew? But whatever, violin time.
Evelyn took out the violin, and all three judges tensed up when they noticed the state it was in.
"It's my grandfather's violin." Evelyn said with a nervous smile before they could add anything.
"Interesting." The woman nodded slowly. "It certainly has it's character."
Before they could say anything else, Evelyn began playing. It was a song she came up with herself, and she was hoping for some kind of reaction. The two at each side were nodding along slowly, but middleman wasn't reacting at all. And after around five minutes and twenty three seconds, she stopped, putting the violin down before any feedback was given.
"Hmm, an original composition." The young man said as he turned to his colleagues.
"How long have you been writing original music?" The woman asked.
"Um…couple of years?" Evelyn replied. The surprised reaction told her they were expecting some generic classical piece being played. So this is a step in the right direction?
"It was passable for a first timer." The middle man said, his face unchanged.
"Um…any questions for us?" The younger man asked.
"Not really." Evelyn replied.
"Well then, feel free to excuse yourself." He shrugged.
Evelyn did as she was told, stepping out into the streets of Lion City. As she looked up at the tall buildings, a reminder of the fact she was but one person in a sea of many, at least some of which could blow her out of the water in terms of violin talent, all she could do is sigh. But she was quickly snapped out of any developing melancholy by her phone buzzing.
Janet wanted something.
'yo the partys at the beach in 3 days'
'What beach?'
'the one outside the city. the gods talked to me and theyl be talking us. u want in?'
'I'm assuming you got paprika crisps?'
'oh yeah'
'Then sure'
'cool cool. partys in 3 days.'
Evelyn closed her phone before she got back on the bus. It was Janet doing all of this for people she's supposed to want dead, but that came later. So she figured she'd go to the party and at least try to enjoy herself.