The day had passed, and Sullivan had managed to escape the excitement of others for the seclusion of his room. It was a mistake to inform his parents—not one that he could avoid, but still a mistake. They too were caught up in the same mania as everyone else—too excited to properly play the role of worrisome parents.
"If only I could vicariously live their excitement and make it my own." Sullivan repined with disappointment in his voice.
The matter was an overly simple one. If one discovered their A+ aptitude, then they had to become a professional awakener. But Sullivan was not a simple, straightforward person. He was deeply twisted with self-reproach and melancholy to such a degree that he could not even enjoy his own good fortune. He had viciously resigned himself to live the life of a nobody and swore off any dreams or aspirations to become significant; to become above the ordinary and lust after those imaginary delights was the most hate-able facet to Sullivan; for priorly it had been the soothing illusions of fools. But now, illusions were not far off unattainable figments, but the approaching ineluctable reality he was to bear. Sullivan, in his own need for self-importance, borne by his cleverness, took the supercilious path of deriding fools for their foolishness. Through that he attained an aerie to look down upon them. Yet, ironically, it was this inveterate loathing for foolishness that now prevented him from fully accepting his emergent role. Sullivan rolled in bed in turmoil and frustration. His old personality would not allow itself to become the butt of this newly forming joke; for the only man who, in his diffidence and distrust of fate, did not desire to become a professional hunter; to have this fate forced on him was the ultimate joke in this awakener crazed world. And it was fate, for there was no way for Sullivan to refuse; one could not become ordinary after awakening an A+ aptitude. Society would not allow it!
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Sullivan pulled out his phone in the hopes that mindless animal videos could placate his stormy emotional state. As he opened his phone, he froze in shock. The news app's first headline story was of an A+ aptitude awakening in Phoenix. He threw the phone hard against the wall, cracking the screen. The whole world was now looking at him. The whole world was expecting of him. Oh! how they would be sure to torment and abuse him if he attempted to throw this golden opportunity away. Even if he wandered to the edges of the earth, still men would come for him. Governments or corporations might even go so far as kidnapping and brainwashing to obtain an A+ aptitude awakener. Sullivan knew he would have to swallow his pride.
Resignation to fate set in and his spirits waned. Passion had fled and only a cold rational was left to pick up the pieces and guide the poor body through life. It was time to make deliberations upon his future. If he could not choose to be an awakener, then he could at least choose to be the most pamper, carefree, lazy A+ aptitude awakener ever! That would be the final rebellion of his old pride.
With that in mind the natural answer for which of the three major guides he should join became quite clear: Smithson, money, living the high life like Marty Savage.
