The New Hire || TF2 Reader Insert

Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 1: Tʜᴇ Sᴇᴛᴜᴘ

Chapter 1: The Setup

You sighed deeply to the sound of your alarm ringing. Another day, another dollar. You sat up and dragged your hand down your face, feeling the small bags under your eyes from countless sleepless nights pull down with your fingers before slamming a fist against the off button of your clock.
No matter what, you hated getting up every day.

Still, today was another day chalked to the brim with classes that you paid for and you had to get ready for it despite your ill feelings.
Forcing yourself out of bed, you begrudgingly got ready for the day.
As you got ready, you couldn't help but complain to yourself how messy the room is mentally. Your bed had clothes randomly thrown on it, your desk was filled with random books and papers and knick knacks, and not to mention your floor was littered with various half-finished projects. You thanked any higher being you didn't share a dorm with someone.
Soon enough, you were finished and ready to get to class, it starts at 7:45 and currently the time is 7:30, that leaves you 15 minutes to walk across campus.

Lucky you, you could get there in style. You smiled lovingly at the long board you picked up on your way out the door.
You adjusted your backpack to to sit more comfortably on your back as you rushed down the stairs.
As soon as you got to level ground you hopped onto your board, whom you've lovingly named Big Bertha, and rolled your way across campus.

Usually your days felt the same and it was a great feeling whenever you'd skate with your board, but something felt... off. Maybe it was just you though, however you couldn't shake the feeling that a change would be happening soon.

Riding with Big Bertha cut the walking time down by half, it only took you 7 minutes to reach your classroom. Although you almost crashed into many pedestrians along the way, it was worth it.
Your first class of the day is math and it starts soon, but you used your extra time to plop down at the lecture bench and rest your head with a content sigh.
Unfortunately, that peace was quickly ruined by noisy classmates entering the room. So you used that to set up your area for notes with some blank scratch paper and a notebook.

Later on, you were bored, now only half listening to the instructor and lazily doodling. You weren't behind, she was just explaining how to solve an equation you were already right about but some people couldn't comprehend it and needed some help. Which isn't a bad thing, but you hate how long it takes to move on.

Suddenly, a phone started ringing and most of the class whipped their heads towards the sound. It was the professor's office. However the professor in question continued to drone on, that is until the phone kept ringing, and ringing, and ringing. Finally they snapped and marched into their office with a sigh.
Soon the professor came out calling for you. You walked that walk of shame that comes when the whole class brings their focus solely on you as you trudged to the office.
Apparently the phone call was for you. Your professor left the room to give you privacy and to continue the lesson without you.
You brought the phone up to your ear.

"Hello-" Immediately you were cut off by a-

"HEY HEY TOOTS-" The voice spoke through the phone a little to loudly and you swore as you almost dropped it in surprise.

"Jeremy?!" You shouted, "What are you doing calling me right now? I'm in the middle of a class." You looked around nervously as people started looking your way, including the professor who looked none too pleased by you with her stoic expression.
You chuckled nervously in reply before looking back down to the office table, avoiding eye contact through the window.

"Ah well, da thing about dat is I was just wanting ta-" You interrupted him knowing it would take him a while to get to the point.

"Okay, simple yes or no question- Is this important? Cause I really can't talk right now." You quickly spoke in hushed whispers to hopefully take some attention away.
Why did your professor have to keep the door open?

"Actually I was wan-" You slammed the wired phone back onto its hook. If it was truly important he'd get straight to the point.
'I'll call him back later...'
Looking up with a sigh you apologize sheepishly to the teacher as you step out of the office and back to your seat.

The professor nodded before going back to her explanation. This only led you to become bored once again and your mind began drifting off in thought.
'It's been a while since I got a call from him... Usually he'll send letters here and there, but not really call, perhaps it actually was important.'
You and Jeremy had been friends since well, as long as you can remember. Practically a two peas in a pod sibling bond since childhood. You both would make fun of each other, him calling you toots but pronounces it as two-ts sometimes and shortie, though you aren't even really short, he just likes making fun of you.
Meanwhile you nicknamed him squeaker cause he's got teeth like a mouse and use to have such a voice crack, still does sometimes. Also zipper nuts because let's face it, he's as goofy and nutty as a squirrel most times. You looked fondly pack on the days when you two would wrestle and fight with each other playfully, and all of those nerf and water gun battles. Oh and the pranks on his siblings. That was some fun times.

However you two had to split once college started up since well, he's not the brightest tool in the shed you could say. But you loved him nonetheless. It wasn't until a month ago that communication with him became infrequent however. He said it's because he got a job, said it was a type of pest extermination service, which made you laugh because it figures that's the type of job he'd land.

Just then, the phone in the office began to ring again. And again, and again. Your poor teacher once again gave in and answered the phone, they said it was for you, again.
This time you shut the door after your teacher left.

Picking it up, you answered, "Hello?"

"About time ya finally pick up,"
You rolled your eyes, it was chuckle nuts again.
"Listen, as I was sayin', this is important actually."

"I figured once you kept calling." You nodded, even though he couldn't see it.

"Right well uh, how's dat student debt'a yours?"

Immediately your face turned into that of an 'I'm done with this' expression. "Really? That's what's important?"

"Well ah, no? Yeah? Just answer da question" You could hear him facepalming through the phone.

You sighed with extreme exhaustion in your voice, your own Bostonian accent appearing out of stress, "To tell ya the truth, terrible. I am so strapped for cash, I dunno what past me was thinking with all these classes. This debt is going to last a life time I tell ya." Getting a bit stressed thinking about it, you ran a hand through your the top of your hair to calm down.

You could hear him sharply inhale as if in pain, pain for you, before speaking, "Aw man, dat does not sound good."

"Yeah, no kiddin'." Looking deadpanned as you replied, "So why'd you ask?"

"Huh what? Oh uh nothin'- anyways I gotta go alright, cya chuckle nuts, adios-" Jeremy sounded in a rush and hung up before you could even respond.

That was.. odd. He always has been a bit awkward like that in social situations though, probably didn't know what to say and left. You shrugged before heading back into the lecture hall.
Usually something like that wouldn't be a big deal for you but something just didn't settle right with you about it, about how he just left in the middle of a conversation.

That high intuition of yours was going off.