Aspiring Artist

Chapter 1: Job Hunting

“Alessia DeLuca?” A voice called, causing Alessia to jump in surprise. 

“Yes that’s me,” Alessia answered, standing up and straightening her clothes. 

The young woman looked at Alessia up and down, giving a polite smile. The woman looked to be in her thirties and was dressed in a pencil skirt with a matching suit jacket. Alessia felt underdressed, even though she was wearing a pantsuit. “This way please.”

Alessia followed the woman nervously and clasped her hands together. She really hoped she did all right. She didn’t want to disappoint her parents. The woman led Alessia to an office and knocked on the door. “Come in!” A voice called on the other side. 

The woman opened the door. “Sir, your 2 o clock is here? Alessia DeLuca?” 

“Oh, yes, send her in.”

The woman turned to her, giving her another polite smile and standing aside to let her in. Alessia walked in and gave a small smile to the man. He was older, maybe in his late 40s, early 50s, and had an unfortunate receding hairline. He had dark hair and had a smile. “Miss DeLuca, very nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Mr. Mason.” 

“Please, have a seat.” 

Alessia sat and tried her best not to bounce her knee up and down. The interview started off okay, he asked her various questions regarding her background and her interests. He also asks about school and where she saw herself in ten years. Honestly, she was just worried about the here and now. She answered as honestly as she could. 

“I have a lot of ambition and I like stepping up—” 

“That’s fantastic, really, but…” the man sucks in his teeth, giving her another smile. The kind of smile that was polite- like the woman who brought her here. It was fake, like how his unbelievably white teeth looked. “You’re just not what we’re looking for. From what I can tell from your resume, you’ve jumped from job to job, not staying in one place too long. We need someone who is reliable, who is going to stay for the long haul. I’m sorry.”

Alessia nodded, standing. “Thank you for your time,” she says and walks out, holding it together until she walks out of the building. She pushed the front doors open roughly, brisk in her steps as she tried not to scream in frustration. 

Alessia DeLuca,23 years old, has been trying to find a job since graduating in May. She’s looked and looked. One or two work out here and there, but others she simply could not work there. Like fast food, for instance. People could be so rude and she had an assistant manager that yelled at everyone. Alessia was tired of it, so she left. And now with this latest defeat, she could feel the disappointment that her parents will surely express. 

“Alessia, why can’t you be more like Emilio?” 

Now, you may be wondering who Emilio is. He’s her twin brother. It took a while for him to figure out what he actually wanted to do, but he got there. But, he’s had a passion for space, so he majored in Astronomy and managed an internship at Oscorp. They liked him so much that they offered him a job. He and Joey Deseranti, a childhood friend, started working there. She was happy for them, really, but Alessia couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.  

They both graduated from the same school. Granted, Alessia wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life. You’d think that after graduating with a Criminal Justice Degree, she’d know exactly what she wanted to do. That wasn’t the case and her family oh so graciously reminded her that she needed to do something. It seemed everyone had a plan but her. Her twin brother was working for an impressive company, something to do with science. Her older brother, Marco, was married, and had a kid. Her younger sister, Daniella, was working and saving money to go to cosmetology school, and her little brother, Angelo, was going to school. He was 11 so the pressure wasn’t on him as much. 

Alessia knew her family meant well, but when they help or offer advice, it turns into a lecture. Her older brother even told her, “I thought you were going to be the best of us.” Jeez, no pressure. 

Finally, Alessia made it home. She walked through the door, shoulders slumped in defeat. Her mother, Sandra, saw her from the kitchen and gave her a warm smile. She was about 5’6, and shoulder length brown hair and green eyes. She was dressed in plain jeans and a T-shirt and was wearing some comfy brown slippers. Alessia was often told that she looked like her mother but had her father’s personality. Really the only difference was that Alessia had blue eyes instead of green. “Hey honey, how did it go?” 

Alessia gave her a small smile. “They didn’t want me.” 

“Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry.” She said, washing her hands. 

Alessia shrugged, heading towards the fridge where she left her stash of energy drinks. “It’s alright, that’s life.”

Alessia turned and her mother gave her a disapproving look. “I thought you were going to stop drinking those?”

Alessia smiled guiltily. “I guess that’s why they call it an addiction.”

Her mother laughed slightly. 

“I’m going to head to my room… See if there are any other jobs I can apply to.” 

“Alright.”

With that, Alessia went to her room. The room was small, since she had to share with her sister Daniella. On one side was Daniella’s- she had some posters up of her favorite actors and such and had a book case for her books. Her bed was a little messy- her green blankets askew from waking up that morning. Her bed was a queen sized bed and was comfy. Alessia’s own bed was the top of a twin bunk bed- she’s had it since she was in eighth grade. The railings were still attached too. She had black and purple blankets with matching pillows. Along the sides of her bed she had books stacked neatly and towards the end of her bed she had a back pillow and some stuffed animals. Next to her bed she also had a small desk her dad got for her so she could draw. Yet, still Alessia drew on her bed- having some very bad posture. The bed itself was so old that you can see an indent of where she slept when you pulled away the blankets. Near the closet, hangs a punching bag that Alessia got when she was in high school. Her dad gave her a look of disappointment when she got it- which she didn’t know why. On her walls, Alessia had some drawings put up- some pieces from high school and some she made during college. She had some pictures of her family up, but other than that, she mostly had art.   

She put her energy drink on her drawing table and flopped on the edge of her bed. Right on top of her stuffed animals- head against the back pillow. She was too tired. She didn’t want to keep looking for a job. She didn’t know what she wanted to do, but there had to be more to life than this. More to life than just working for your entire life. 

“Knock, knock!” a voice called on the other side of her door. 

“Come in,” Alessia sighed, turning towards the door. Emilio walked in. He had dark curly hair- almost black in certain lights. His eyes were blue and had hints of green in them. He was about 5’10 and was so skinny- a small breeze could knock him over. He was still dressed in his work clothes, white coat fitting almost too big. He also wore glasses that seemed too big for his face. Emilio grinned at Alessia, plopping himself at her desk.

“Be careful for my energy drink,” Alessia warned, sending a small glare his way.  

“Why the long face?” Emilio asked, knowing when his sister was upset. 

“Oh, no reason.” she shrugged, sitting up in her bed. “Just went to another job interview and was rejected. You know, same old, same old.”

Emilio winced. “Yeah, that sucks.” 

Alessia got up from her bed, walking towards her punching bag. She began hitting it lightly. “I’m trying, but all the places I apply to either don’t get back to me, or I’m not the candidate they’re looking for.”

“Well, what kind of job are you looking for?” 

“I don’t even know.I just want something that has meaning. That I can do some good.”

Emilio was quiet, contemplating what she said. “Well, you can always work for Oscorp.”

Alessia glared at him slightly, halting her actions. “You know I’m not smart enough for that place.”

“They have a lot of areas you can work, not just science. They have a spot opening up in security. All you need is a high school diploma, go through a background check, and presto! You got the job!”

Alessia laughed dryly. “I think you're missing a step or two.” 

“It’ll get you out of the house…” Emilio said in a sing-songy voice. 

He’s got me there, Alessia thought. By the smug look he was giving her, Emilio knew he had won. She sighed. “Yes!” Emilio cheered. 

“Why are you cheering? I haven’t said anything yet.”

“You don’t need to, that sigh said everything. I’ll send you the link!”

With that, her energetic brother left her room. Hopefully this works out, Alessia thought. 

Alessia changed out of her clothes and threw on some sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt. Alessia threw on her ear buds and listened to some music. Matteo sent her a text- the link to the application. She sighed, a bundle of nerves as she went through the application. Alessia filled it out to the best of her ability and sent it in. As she waited for a reply, Alessia made herself busy by cleaning her room. It wasn’t messy per se- but let’s just say that Alessia had a bad habit of throwing her clothes in a corner and calling it a day. She neatened her books, her stuffed animals that she squished, and cleaned off her desk. She had a habit of stacking everything, which left her desk messy. After about an hour, Alessia checked her email and saw an email from Oscorp. It read that they would review her application and get back to her in a couple of days. 

Alessia continued to listen to her music and drink her energy drink. If her dad saw her drinking it, he’d give her a lecture on why she shouldn’t be drinking them. She could hear him now, “You shouldn’t be drinking those- they can damage your liver and kidneys” and yada yada yada. She knows, but they taste good. Just then, her little brother, Angelo, barged in. He tore out her earbud and leaned close to her ear, obnoxiously yelling. “It’s time for dinner!” 

Alessia resisted the urge to smack him. He deserved it, but that is frowned upon- especially since she’s 23 and he’s 11. Big age gap. She remembered changing that kid’s diapers. Now it seems like he hates her. “Don’t do that! And stop barging into my room!” 

Angelo made a face and left,stomping as he did so and leaving the door open. She was sure that the whole duplex shook, bothering the neighbors. She groaned in frustration. “Today’s not my day,” she said. groaning in exasperation. No one was there to hear her but her bedroom ceiling. 

Alessia unplugged her headphones and went to the dinner table. Her mother made her favorite, pasta and meatballs. Alessia felt her mood brighten just a bit. It was Monday, so everyone was over for dinner. Her Nonna was there- helping Alessia’s mother set down the rest of the food. Her older brother, Marco and his wife Kayla were there with their baby Ottavio, who was the cutest thing ever. Marco took after their father, though his hair was straight. He had dark brown hair, blue eyes, and was about 6 foot. Alessia remembered calling him Gigantore growing up. She still called him that. His wife had long, curly black hair and brown eyes. She was about Alessia’s height and was outgoing. Little Ottavio had bright blue eyes and looked just like his father. Daniella was there, having just come back from working at the warehouse. Her hair was dark and messy- pulled into a ponytail and she looked exhausted. She was a mix of their parents, though taking mostly after their father. She had blue eyes and was about 5’7. She loved reminding Alessia that she was taller than her.  Emilio was there, in a Star Trek Hoodie and sweatpants. Then the little terror himself, Angelo, was there. He had dark, curly hair that reminded Alessia of horns on top of his head. He also had a couple of teeth missing and had blue eyes. He was dressed in his soccer clothes and made a face at Alessia when she sat down. He was sitting next to their father, Guiseppe. He had silver, curly hair and blue eyes, well built for a man in his 60s. He wore a flannel and jeans with work boots. A style he had been sporting for as long as Alessia could remember.   

Alessia sat next to Emilio and could feel everyone stare at her. They all knew that Alessia had a job interview. Only Emilio and her mother knew that it didn’t go well. Alessia wanted to disappear. “So,” her father said, putting food on his plate. “How did it go?”

Alessia sighed. “They decided that I wasn’t a good candidate. They wanted someone reliable. Someone who was in it for the long haul.”

Before she could say that she applied somewhere else, her father let out a sigh. “If you didn’t keep job hopping, you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Alessia sighed, feeling frustration come to the surface. She felt her face grow hot, turning red and she bit her lip. She glared at her plate, not wanting him to see her face. Alessia did not need another lecture.”I’m trying Padre.” She sighed, slouching in her chair. 

“Don’t get pissy with me,” her father warned, voice raised slightly. “We put a roof over your head and provide for you. All I ask is for a little respect.” 

Before Alessia could say anything, Emilio spoke up. “ I heard Oscorp is hiring and suggested she apply there. I’m sure she'll be just what they are looking for.”

Alessia smiled at her brother, thankful for the intervention. He nodded his head, a smile of his own on his face. The table was quiet as they waited for Padre to say something. He sighed, grabbing his fork and beginning to put some food on it. “It’s better than nothing.” 

With that, dinner continued. Marco and Kayla talked about how little Ottavio almost walked that day, which both Madre and Nonna loved to hear. Nonna pinched Angelo’s cheeks, saying he was the cutest thing. He tried to pull away and Alessia couldn’t help but feel satisfied. That’s right- suffer you little monster. Then Nonna turned her attention to her, telling Alessia “you’re too skinny Nipotuccia, eat some food.” If Alessia tried to eat another bite- she was sure that her stomach would explode. Alessia observed all of this, not really bothering to talk. When she did try, she was drowned out by all the noise. So, she just listened, eating her food silently. 

“Alessia, are you going to church Sunday?” Alessia's mother asked, looking at her daughter expectantly. 

Alessia looked to her mother, feeling guilty that she hadn’t gone in the past couple of weeks. She had wanted some peace and knew she couldn’t get that with Angelo around. He always seemed to know just how to push her buttons. Plus, there weren’t many people her age there so she often found it awkward when she did go. “Yeah I’ll go.”

“Oh good.” her  mother said happily smiling. 

“Maybe you’ll meet a nice boy,” Nonna said, winking at Alessia. 

She doubted that. “Nonna- please.” Alessia groaned, playing with her food. 

“I’m just saying, Nipotuccia.” Nonna shrugged. “You can meet him anywhere.”

“The only way Alessia will meet someone is if she actually leaves her room.” Angelo said, laughing. 

Alessia glared at him. “Emilio doesn’t have a girlfriend- why don’t you get on his case?” 

Nonna shrugged. “He’s got a big job at Oscorp. He’s too busy.”

“Daniella?” 

“She’s saving for school and working so much. Besides, at least she goes out and goes on dates.” 

Alessia couldn’t argue. She didn’t date much- too much Criminal Minds and every cop show imaginable. Not to mention all of her criminal justice classes were filled with horror stories. There are some twisted people in this world. And online dating? Forget it. There was no way she would trust a complete stranger on the internet. She remembered when Emilio attempted online dating- let’s just say that it didn’t end well. He had to put a restraining order on her because she was stalking him. She was convinced that he was cheating on her with other girls. Now that he had a good job and was busy, Nonna wasn’t on his case as much. Angelo was still young, so he had a few years before Nonna begins to torture him. Alessia feared being matched with someone of her Nonna’s choosing. When Nonna meddled last time, she chose someone who was a complete narcissist and spent more time looking at his reflection than talking to her. Not a good time. 

 Alessia hoped that the job at Oscorp would work out. She just needed something to get her out of the house. 

Little did she know, her life would change in more ways than one. 

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I've been working in this story for a while so if you took the time to read this long chapter, thanks! I'll post some pictures of my character design soon!

I have a lot of ideas sooooooo yeah

Any pointers are appreciated and welcome! I'm still working on the character designs and I'm using inktober to help- I'm severely behind lol