Page 21 of A Fool's Game

“Well, my undergrad is in Environmental Engineering, which involves stuff like keeping bodies of water clean and designing systems to stop pollution. I graduate at the end of this quarter, and I need to have an internship lined up. That’s the first step. Hopefully I’ll get in at the World Health Organization so I can travel, which is what I really want to do. Getting my hours done here is a big part of that.”

“You got in trouble, huh?”

“Yeah, I messed up.”

“Messed up big?”

I shake my head, heaving a large black bag into my rolling can. “No. I messed up small, but I still have to put in the work to make it right so I can move on with my life.”

“My brother’s in jail,” Seth replies matter of fact.

“Sorry, man.”

He shrugs. “It’s okay. He was an asshole.”

“Probably still is,” I say, trying to lighten the mood.

It works and Seth smiles. “Yeah. He definitely still is.”

When three o’clock rolls around, I bring my community service sheet into the office as usual, grateful to have a long weekend ahead of me. It’s going to be a bit more complicated to juggle my hours in the kitchen with my new class schedule next week, but I’m going to make it work. I’m hoping to have my hours completed by Easter and then I can leave all this behind.

Taylor takes one look at the sheet I’m holding out and shakes his head. “I need you to stay till five. Someone called out and I need to leave early.”

I continue to hold the paper out, trying to keep my cool as I formulate a response. “I’m scheduled till three and it’s three. Just sign the paper, please.”

He stands and walks past me toward the door. “No one’s signing that paper until five o’clock today. So either you get your ass in the dish pit, or you forfeit your hours for today.”

“You can’t do that.”

“I just did.”

The door closes behind him and I’m left alone in the office, feet glued in place, arm still holding out the paper. I want to chase after the guy and demand that he hold up his end of the bargain. That he display some professionalism. But I know it’s a lost cause.

I’m not used to feeling powerless.

As a white male raised in the top one percent of wealth, power is a given. Life is fair. And now, in just the last week, I’ve had my power taken away from me more times than I care to count.

It’s almost more than I can take.

But just almost.

I’ll never admit it to the guy, but it’s my dad’s voice in my head that saves me.

“It’s just two hours, Ains. Put in the work and get where you’re going in life.”

And so I do.

Chapter 10

Ainsley

Ishould just go home.

I’m tired. I’m pissed off. And I smell like shit.

But I also haven’t picked up my books for classes that start Tuesday. I’m dying to spend the whole weekend at home, so I head toward the main square on campus after I finally get released from my dish pit prison. The bookstore is only open until six, so I’m practically jogging.

I turn the corner to cross the red pavement, shielding my eyes from the lights cutting through the early evening darkness. Just as I reach out to pull the heavy glass door open and step into the warm shop, I see her.

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