2017.
By the time he turned twenty-two, Matt had grown into a young man with a lock of hair falling over his right cheek while the rest was slicked back a bit, which gave the medium-length cut he used to have since childhood a more mature look.
By the time he turned twenty-two, Matt had grown into a young man with a lock of hair falling over his right cheek while the rest was slicked back a bit, which gave the medium-length cut he used to have since childhood a more mature look [https://img.wattpad.com/5ce87ab3ece79ace08afb60a67d7338ea4a0d445/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f543254514858357a5f48716672773d3d2d313438373032383337372e313830636265366464353835633934383139303839303333353438312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Over the years, he had become close with five guys from town: Rick, Anthony, Robert, Lewis, and Alfred. Robert and Rick were a year older, while the rest were all the same age. He'd also stayed tight with Cyrus, his buddy from the park, and Marijan, the one who had his back in middle school. The group would often get together for dinners, soccer games, and hangouts, even though they all had different personalities and hobbies.
One winter night, they'd all settled in Cyrus's living room, and Alfred offered to whip up a long pizza. The TV in front of the black table was off, and once the pizza was ready, Alfred pulled it out of the oven as everyone gathered around the table.
«Guys, I'm not sure if I should stick with college or not,» Alfred said as he passed the last slice to Marijan, then dropped into his chair with a heavy sigh, pulling a bit of a face. «Man, the costs are killing me, and I'm not even sure if it's worth it...»
He was the tallest of them all, a little on the heavy side, with brown eyes and a button nose, but his medium-length copper-red hair was his most striking feature. Plus, he was rocking a baggy yellow hoodie and some jeans.
Marijan leaned back in his chair and nodded, crossing his arms [https://img.wattpad.com/b16099889e1e5df5c59a1cf045e94a28820a469e/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6e616365467a6d6d625f5f5f5f513d3d2d313438373032383337372e313830313134613031633235666230353839343232393431333131372e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Marijan leaned back in his chair and nodded, crossing his arms. Over time, he had become a successful IT professional. He was wearing a tight denim shirt that highlighted his skinny frame, his short hair was always a bit messy, and he'd grown a slight dark beard.
He was wearing a tight denim shirt that highlighted his skinny frame, his short hair was always a bit messy, and he'd grown a slight dark beard [https://img.wattpad.com/9b0acf29beb00cb6e4c95c5c39d0e061003c1c21/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f344c5667454771767951395479513d3d2d313438373032383337372e3138303131346432316562333964383234373334343534383239362e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«Well, Alfred, investing in education usually pays off in the long run. At least, that's how it worked out for me.»
After hearing Marijan's words, Alfred started chewing on a slice of pizza.
«Studying history and philosophy is interesting,» he said after swallowing a bite. «I like those classes, but sometimes it feels like we're learning about people from ancient times who had way bigger problems than we do,» he continued, wiping his lips with a napkin. The red-haired guy then paused, looking at the pizza crust. «I mean, imagine having to fight off a mammoth just to get yourself a pizza!»
The joke got everyone laughing, and Alfred settled back into his seat, smiling.
Cyrus, sitting to Matt's right, took a sip of soda and raised an eyebrow. He had grown into a tall, lean guy with very short, almost buzzed hair. He was wearing a light brown long-sleeved shirt and black pants and had a habit of chewing on licorice to ease stress.
He was wearing a light brown long-sleeved shirt and black pants and had a habit of chewing on licorice to ease stress [https://img.wattpad.com/bc496dbd16c5ecc9db53f61dc07fd6c8572da489/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f785253365969566c4e706a4930773d3d2d313438373032383337372e313830313134643866326334303165343333323533353734343239362e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«And here I thought my commute to work was tough,» he said with a sarcastic smile. «But I've never had to dodge a mammoth on the subway!»
The laughter grew louder, and Matt wiped his hands with a napkin before chiming in. He was wearing a blue hoodie and jeans.
«Well, I don't know about you guys, but to me, job interviews are the prehistoric beasts of today. HR questions are scarier than a dinosaur!» he said, grabbing another slice of pizza.
«Yeah, and I don't get why they can't just get to the point,» added Cyrus, shaking his head a bit. «Are you motivated? What brings you here? Why did you apply for this job? MONEY!» he shouted, throwing his arms wide, making the group laugh even harder.
«Tell me about it, Cyrus. And then they ask you, 'Where do you see yourself in five years?'» Matt said, laughing. «Well, hopefully not answering these damn questions in another job interview!» he shouted, playfully tossing his napkin at Cyrus, who caught it mid-air and tossed it back onto the table.
«Exactly!» shouted the green-eyed guy with a half-smile. «Everyone says young people don't wanna do anything. I'm young and I wanna work, but I don't wanna get exploited,» he said as he reached for a bottle of Coke on the table. «Like, a few weeks ago, I agreed to work on this farm,» he continued, cracking open the bottle and pouring Coke into his plastic cup. «This dude tells me, 'I'll pay you twenty bucks a day.' For seven hours, man, under the sun, and I had to get up at four in the morning,» he said, shaking his head and lifting his gaze.
«And what did you say to him?» Rick asked, glancing sideways at him.
Rick was a well-off young adventurer, dressed in a light blue hoodie, with fish tattoos on his right wrist. He had short, light brown hair spiked, a beard, and was of average height.
He had short, light brown hair spiked, a beard, and was of average height [https://img.wattpad.com/07628b5b87261aa7ac59437eb80f2af32dd9b485/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f2d592d4d4d475f665937516c4e673d3d2d313438373032383337372e313830313135316138313733303462643438373136313034313830322e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
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«I asked him why the pay was so low. And you know what he said?» Cyrus responded, turning to look at him, eager to share the rest of the story. «'Well, because you're not experienced, you need to learn.'» he went on, throwing his arms up in the air again. «But all I'm doing is picking four peaches off a tree, I'm not training to be an astronaut!» he exclaimed, waving his right hand with an exaggerated expression that made Anthony, sitting across from him, burst into laughter.
«Oh man!» Anthony managed to say between breaths.
He also was of average height and had his dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a loose black shirt and dark sweatpants and leaned back in his chair, unable to contain his laughter.
He wore a loose black shirt and dark sweatpants and leaned back in his chair, unable to contain his laughter [https://img.wattpad.com/81858c0a893fff2e2f681a4a68fab0adf2b30f2c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f7061545855473451796b6c5346673d3d2d313438373032383337372e313830313135333033653839356263393234343432363437343433362e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«Get this, Cyrus. Last year, I went to ask for a job at a bar, and it was even worse,» Anthony continued, turning his gaze to Alfred, who shook his head, already knowing the story, as he got up to toss the pizza box in the trash.
«Oh yeah?» Cyrus asked, nodding in surprise.
«Yeah. They wanted to pay me twenty-five bucks a day, and on top of bartending for twelve hours, I had to clean the whole bar too!» Anthony exclaimed, turning back to Cyrus.
«No way,» Lewis chimed in, resting his hand on his chin.
Lewis was a young lawyer with short blond hair and a passion for bodybuilding. He was wearing a tight gray shirt that showed off his chest and light blue jeans.
He was wearing a tight gray shirt that showed off his chest and light blue jeans [https://img.wattpad.com/ae8531ad5f2c3fdeccf258433051dbf7b23e6980/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f323830713949546c4971786c48673d3d2d313438373032383337372e313830313135333631613761633130343534373435383631383633362e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«I'm serious,» Anthony continued, nodding and looking at Lewis on his left. «I told the owner, 'What, you want me to wash your car too while I'm at it?' And he goes, 'Well, if you've got nothing else to do, go ahead and wash it.'» he went on, raising his hands. «Screw that!» he exclaimed, throwing his hand back.
Alfred returned to his seat, shaking his head even more, and Matt noticed.
«Al, didn't you send in a resume to the supermarket nearby?» Matt asked, resting his elbow on the table and propping his chin up with his hand.
«Yeah, they wanted to pay me four hundred bucks a month for six months, working twelve hours a day, six days a week,» Alfred replied with a disgusted expression. «Maybe they should put up signs saying 'Looking for slaves' instead of 'Hiring staff,'» he continued, curling his lips and raising his thin eyebrows. «And you know what else they do? They make you sign a part-time contract that says you're hired to work 8 hours a week, but you end up working 60!»
Rick, who had been silent until then, grabbed the water bottle and filled his glass.
«Well, at least we don't have to worry about getting chased by mammoths at work,» he said with a half-smile.
Lewis, sitting to Rick's right, held out his glass to get some water as well, letting out a light sigh.
«Sometimes, winning a case feels like climbing a fucking mountain, folks,» he added, leaning forward and nodding gratefully as he took his glass back.
«Yeah. Everything is just so hard,» Anthony agreed, nodding as he took another bite of pizza.
«Ya still working with your dad in construction?» Lewis asked, turning toward him Anthony.
«I do, but it's not great. We could use better opportunities around here,» Anthony replied, curling his lips in frustration.
Cyrus looked at him intently, shifting his weight in his direction.
«I've given up hope, bro. I've been trying to get a warehouse job for months,» he said, clenching his jaw.
«What a mess,» Anthony said, then turned to Robert, who had been quietly eating and listening to the others. «Hey Rob, how's the tire shop going?» he asked, leaning in.
Robert wiped his mouth with a napkin before answering. He had a shaved head and a well-groomed brown beard. He was of average height and build, wearing a white shirt and dark gray pants.
«Well, it keeps me busy, but I like helping customers with their cars,» he said with a satisfied smile [https://img.wattpad.com/152b8b41ceb475c253b603152053a3f2eb33cc7b/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6a654867727147396434744136673d3d2d313438373032383337372e313830313135363132646561363938343530303339323130363935382e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«Well, it keeps me busy, but I like helping customers with their cars,» he said with a satisfied smile. «It's like solving puzzles.»
«How much do you make running that shop?» Rick asked, holding a slice of pizza.
Robert scratched his beard.
«Well, Rick, it's decent, but it's not making me a millionaire. Just enough to get by,» he said with a slight shrug.
Matt sighed and took a sip of soda.
«You know, guys, even with a degree, I can't seem to find a decent job,» he said, dropping his gaze and putting the soda back on the table.
Alfred leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together.
«How many hours a day are you walking those dogs, Matt?» he asked, turning his head toward him, noticing his friend's slightly defeated expression.
Matt scratched his chin, hesitating a moment before answering.
«Well, it's usually around four or five hours a day...» he finally said, with a grimace that showed just how much the routine was wearing him down.
Alfred leaned back a bit at the response.
«That's insane! You shouldn't have to walk that much just to get by!» he blurted out, his eyes widening.
Matt shook his head again, as if trying to shrug off the concern.
«I know it's tough, but walking for five hours is better than being bored out of my mind at a shop for less money and twelve-hour shifts,» he said, letting out a soft huff as his shoulders slumped. «My family's business is falling apart, and I gotta do my part,» he added, tilting his head slightly to the right.
Cyrus, sitting next to him, leaned over to give him a light pat on the right arm.
«Matt, you don't have to do it all by yourself. We can walk together sometimes,» he said with a kind smile. «What do you guys think?» he asked, looking around at the group.
Alfred nodded enthusiastically, jumping on board with Cyrus's suggestion.
«Yeah, for real. We could make it our little walking crew!» he added with a grin.
Matt chuckled weakly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.
«Oh, come on, you don't have to!» he replied.
Anthony, who had been fiddling with his soda can, set it down on the table and turned to Matt.
«Don't sweat it, Matt. It could actually be kinda fun,» he said, his gaze steady.
Matt looked up, shifting his eyes from one friend to the next.
«Thanks, guys, I'm so lucky to have met you,» he admitted, pausing to find the right words. «You really pulled me out of the dark place I was in after all that bullying,» he continued, lowering his head as if trying to push away the painful memories. «I was this angry teenager, tearing up everything I saw, but when I met you all, I finally felt accepted and appreciated.»
Marijan, sitting across from Matt, nodded and tilted his head slightly as he remembered those times.
«I remember, Matt,» he said, glancing at him sideways. «It was tough watching you go through all that, but thank God things got better.»