11 years later.

I was focused on the lengthy equation I’d been trying to solve for ages. I was so wrapped up in it that the bell ringing caught me off-guard. As I tore my gaze away from the paper, I saw a multitude of students hastily gathering their belongings, scurrying away from the classroom.

“Julian, are you ready to leave?” I heard Rita’s voice, and when I turned, there she stood with her bag already in hand. “Gimme a sec,” I mumbled, “cause if I don’t get this equation done soon, it’s a total write-off.” Rita shook her head but remained silent, standing patiently as I continued my pursuit.

I was immensely appreciative of Rita’s considerate attitude. Finally, I cracked the equation and sprung upright, collecting my things. I beamed at Rita. “Time to eat!” I announced cheerfully.

At last, it was time for lunch, and I was beyond starving. I eagerly anticipated the relaxation it would provide. We met up with our usual group of friends in the open area of the school.

I greeted everyone, and we continued to our favorite spot. Although Crescent Valley High, or as we called it, CV High, was a relatively small school, with only about seven hundred students, it was easy to get lost inside its walls. I plopped down next to Jake and asked, “So, how’d your day go?”

He laughed heartily, “Eh, I was in dreamland through most of my classes. Gonna come back to haunt me soon enough.” I joined in on his laughter and replied, “Tell me about it! Math has been murdering me lately.” reading and understanding the words in textbooks was something I much preferred.

Rita and Sara were chatting excitedly next to me about some guy they had both taken a liking to. Rid and Hunter hungrily wolfed down their meals with little regard for the mess they were making. Lyanna was sitting next to them, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings as she read her book, her food forgotten.

I opened up the container holding my lunch, a plain sandwich with some vegetables as a side. It’s no secret that my family—me, my grandma, and my brother—have always had difficulty with our finances. There is no denying that money has been a source of tension for us for years.

The last few months have been challenging for my grandmother, as her old injury hindered her from working for extended periods. However, it was all right. We always came through. Jake peeped at my plate and, without a word, passed me one-half of his pizza slice.

“Really, you don’t have to do that,” I said, but Jake just rolled his eyes. “I’m not that hungry, honestly,” I tried again. He chuckled, “Oh please, I wouldn’t want to be the only one here getting fat!”. Knowing it was a lost cause, I reluctantly gave in and took the piece.

I tacked a white strand of hair behind my ear, it was getting longer, and soon I’ll be able to put it in a low ponytail. I was just enjoying playing with it and trying different styles at the moment. “Thanks,” I murmured before starting to eat.

We chatted lightly as we ate, filling one another in on the latest dating rumors as well as on which teachers weren’t cutting it. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I enjoyed my lunch break. I cherished those moments more than anything else. They were the only moments in which I could forget the struggles of reality and just be present.

Jake gave me a nudge, his voice low. “If you’re still looking for a job, I’ve got something for you,” he suggested. He flashed me a mischievous grin and added, “But it might be a little illegal.” My mouth quirked up as I cocked one eyebrow. “Are we talking about something that could get me in jail for murder or just something minor like tax evasion?” I asked, trying to sound casual but with an undeniable hint of suspicion.

Jake laughed at that. “It’s more like tax evasion illegal, but don’t worry, it’s not that serious,” he said, messing around with his phone, likely to look for the specifics.

“Basically, it’s a pal of my uncle’s, and he needs someone else for their cleaning team,” he said as he kept scrolling through his phone. “The catch is that they’re willing to hire teenagers on full wage. They’re just asking for someone who is sixteen and up”. Jake was now displaying his phone to me.

“The salary is off the books and lower than what you usually make,” he said, “but it’s still a good amount, especially for someone our age.” I inspected the offer with surprise. “That sounds like a pretty good deal,” I said. An extra paycheck in the house would surely help our situation. Jake passed me his phone, and I scanned the information on the screen.

As I finished reading the job description, I hesitated. “Kitchen maintenance, night shift at the Fallen Star Club...?” My voice dropped to a whisper at the end. Jake glanced at the advertisement and murmured, “Ah, I didn’t see it before. Yeah, it’s a little shady place” He appeared deep in thought.

He looked up from the phone. “Well, think about it. I could hook you up if you want it,” he chirped. I was torn about the job; on the one hand, I needed it desperately, and on the other hand, there were a lot of rumors surrounding that place.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Thanks, Jack,” I replied. “It might be a great option. I’ll consider it.” Unfortunately, my thoughts lacked the enthusiasm of my words. Jake smirked, then said, “Sure thing. I’ll send you the advertisement, and you can look at it. If you want, you can ask my uncle any questions about it.”

The end of lunchtime drew near, so I hurriedly gathered my belongings, wanting to arrive on time for the next class. Rid was getting up, heading my way. We had the next class together. We said goodbye to the group and started walking toward our class.

Rid was in high spirits, chattering about his newest art endeavor. I attempted to pay attention, but my brain seemed to be running circles around itself. A sixteen-year-old being hired for a full wage? It had to be off the books; I knew that.

Even though my heart raced with anticipation. That could be a significant step forward for my family. Having more money to spare. We could get Jaron some new clothing he’s been wanting. Buy additional food, like more fruit and proteins.

Especially now with Jaron begin fully hit with his bitchy tween years. His attitude is so sour, and I no longer know how to talk with him. “...so I should be able to finish it by the start of next week,” Rid continued beside me. Shaking my head, I came out of my thoughts and tried to pay attention to what he was saying.

“I have total faith that you can do it faster than you think,” I said with a smile. Rid was undeniably gifted, and he worked hard on his latest masterpiece. “Are you going to donate that one too?” I asked him curiously.

“If they’ll have me, hope it’s good enough,” he said, sounding slightly uncertain. Rid handed out the pieces that he considered ‘respectable’, though, from my perspective, all of his artwork was stunning. “I’m certain it will be great,” I replied warmly, trying to bolster his spirits.

An amused smile tugged at his lips, bright and wide. “You say the sweetest things,” he quipped jokingly. We entered the class, and soon Mrs. Ellen started her lecture. My mind was still spinning, thinking about the job offer; should I tell Grandma? Or should I just tell her I got a job with late-night deliveries or something along those lines?

I don’t want to worry her; I’m sure she’ll worry. Years had passed since she took us in, and things were already rocky by that time. It took us a long time to re-establish trust after the difficult times we’d been through. I don’t want to put all of that in jeopardy for the sake of a job.

The day flew by, and soon I was heading home. Our tiny house remained as it ever was, as unassumingly isolated as could be, yet conveniently close to my high school and Jaron’s middle school. All things considered, our little house was in a rather ideal spot.

I arrived home and called out a greeting, but no one replied, not even though the television was blaring. When I walked into the living room, I saw Jaron sprawled on the couch, eyes trained on the screen. “How was school today? Are you hungry?” I attempted to make some small talk.

“As if you care...” Jaron mumbled back. That little buzz of vibration went through the back of my head, and I knew he was lying. I didn’t know whether to be happy about that or not.

“About your school day or what you would like for dinner?” I asked, still attempting to keep a cheery atmosphere. Jaron just kept his attention on the TV, not really acknowledging me. I get it. I almost don’t have time for him nowadays.

But still, I try my best to keep him happy. I started on dinner, keeping it minimal, with some pasta and a salad. We don’t have any protein right now at the house, so it’ll have to do. I hope to score some discounted cuts of meat before the end of the weekend.

Since I was a child, I’ve been able to tell when someone is lying. It came as a little vibration at the back of my head and was scarily accurate. I tried to ignore it as much as possible; feeling your friends and family lie to you could be devastating.

I never understood how I could do it. It was simply a thing I did. It wasn’t some intuition, either. Even if the person didn’t know they were lying, I could tell when something was true or not. It seemed to only be effective in interpersonal matters. Discovering truth between people.

Lately, Jaron seemed to be lying about even the most insignificant things, and it was becoming difficult to pretend like I didn’t know. Sometimes I felt like I had to confront him about it and call him out on his bullshit.

Finished with dinner, I set up three plates of food. I began to portion out the food into equal shares for everyone. Jaron wandered into the kitchen, sniffing the air appreciatively. “Smells good,” he said quietly. Surprisingly telling the truth.

“Thanks, want to eat together? Grandma is working a night shift tonight. It’ll be just the two of us,” I said, hoping not to anger him. “No thanks, I’ll eat in my room,” Jaron took his plate and went upstairs.

I looked at the sad plate before me and started eating. After I was finished, I wrapped Grandma’s portion and placed it inside the fridge with a note wishing her a good morning, judging by the time she’ll get back home.

I chatted a bit with Sara on FaceTime. She had a date this Friday and wanted to psych herself up. I thought her date was a walking red flag, but we’ll see. I always give people the benefit of the doubt. One can never know. Once that was done, I busied myself with some school assignments and prepared to turn them in for the night.

Making my way up, I walked across Grandma’s room. I noticed a big pile of letters on her bed that wasn’t there this morning. It was unusual for her to keep any documents out in the open. She was the most organized person I knew. I couldn’t help but investigate and entered her room.

When I saw the first letter, my heart twisted inside my chest. The envelope had a large ‘Urgent’ label printed in red. With a heavy heart, I grabbed it and extracted the letter inside. My hands were shaking as I read it. Were we late in our mortgage payment? I thought Grandma paid for the entire house with the insurance money from when my Grandpa died. Could it be she had taken out a second mortgage on the house?

I felt sick to my stomach, realizing just how desperate our situation had been. It was a reality check for me. Trembling slightly, I tiptoed over to the bedroom where I was staying with Jaron. He had already dozed off. I pulled myself up onto the top bunk and unlocked my phone.

I kept returning to the ad that Jake had sent me, rereading it over and over again. We couldn’t keep going on like that. Grandma was having medical issues but working twice as hard as she should have been. I had no choice but to take this course of action, and I knew that looking for a regular job wouldn’t help my situation right now.

I had faith in Jake and his family. We had been friends since middle school, after all. So, with a heavy heart, I made a simple decision. I’ll talk to Jake tomorrow and tell him I’m taking the job.