Chapter 3

Kreeeeeeeeeeeak

The bus lets out a piercing wail as it lurches forward, a sound so sharp it feels like it could split my skull. I wince, instinctively covering one ear, though it does little to dull the assault on my senses. Lip’s words echo in my mind, louder than the bus's screech.

“If you’re late again, they’re going to write you up. Why don’t you listen?”

He’s right. Why don’t I listen? Am I dense? Stupid? Hard of hearing? No, no. It’s just Lip being Lip—overreacting as always. I hate when he does that, lecturing me like I’m still a kid. It pisses me off so much I wish he’d just leave me alone.

And yet, Lip is also the person I trust the most, the one who’s always been there to keep me safe. It’s this maddening contradiction—resenting his caution even as I rely on it—that leaves me seething.

He’s too much, but without him, I’d have nothing.

The bus rattles to a stop, and I step off. The cold air bites, but my focus is on the building ahead. Work. Just a few steps away from more monotony, but at least I’ll survive another day. If I can just smooth things over with him, everything will be fine.

“Steven! Can I speak with you for a second?!”

The voice grates on my ears, sharp and nasal, like nails on a chalkboard. I sigh internally, forcing my expression to remain neutral. There he is—Mr. Tomas. The bane of my existence.

Standing at a measly 5’6”, his posture is abysmal, his eternally chipper demeanor a cruel mockery of my morning. Everything about him makes my skin crawl, from his overly white, too-perfect teeth to his disastrous wardrobe of green and yellow plaid paired with gray khakis. Blegh.

“Do you know what time you should be getting here to work?” His tone drips with passive-aggression, an irritating mix of false concern and smug superiority.

“I know, I know. I’m supposed to be here at 9 a.m., and yeah, it’s 9:15 now, but look, I’m sorry, okay? I won’t do it again. I’ll set my alarm earlier and—”

“I’m afraid there won’t be a next time, Steven,” he interrupts, his voice smug and final.

My chest tightens. “What do you mean?” My voice is strained, struggling to keep calm. “Are you going to fire me?”

Mr. Tomas steps closer, throwing an unwelcome arm around my shoulder. My whole body stiffens, but I stay silent, knowing any protest will only make things worse. His voice is condescending.

“Steven, you’ve failed yourself here. I wouldn’t really say I’m firing you—it’s more that you’ve let yourself down.”

I can’t take it anymore. I shrug his arm off and drop to my knees, the weight of desperation crashing down on me.

“But I need this job!” My voice breaks, raw with panic. “Please, don’t do this to me. Just give me one more chance—just one more!”

Mr. Tomas steps back, his face a mask of faux sympathy. “Steven, the minute it passed 9 a.m., you were off the payroll. It’s done. Please, be well.”

And with that, he turns and disappears into the building, a vampire slinking away after draining his latest victim.

I’m left standing there, hollow and frozen. What just happened? My mind spirals. What will Lip say? What am I going to do? This job was all I had. I’m not good at anything else—I needed this.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, breaking the suffocating silence.

Brrrrrrrr. Brrrrrrrr.

I pull my phone out. A message.

It’s from Forty and Andy.