Abandon Me

September 25: Earn some money ✅

After avoiding the question for days, I finally asked Tori for an allowance.

"So, chores for money?" She asked, clarifying what I offered.

I nodded my head. "You've got four kids to take care of while holding down a job. I don't know how you manage to do all the chores." I wanted to make sure she was convinced.

She smirked at me. "You're saying that you want to do every single chore?"

"Yup." I was used to doing a lot of stuff around the house anyway. At least this way, I would be getting paid.

"I want in on some of this action too," Jay stated as he walked down the stairs. "I heard the words 'chores' and 'cash.'"

I definitely didn't want him doing the work with me because the money would be split between us. However, I changed my mind once Tori started listing off things to do.

"Alright, Jay. But are you sure you can handle The Royal Spunkiness?" Well that name was new.

"Really?" I said out of annoyance.

Jay looked at me and shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

"That sounds like a challenge."

He rolled his eyes, knowing that this was going to be a mistake. "Please don't make it a challenge. We have the same goal."

"That's not true. I always have an underlying goal." I tried to worry him so he'd back out of doing chores.

"Is it to annoy me to death? That's such a pathetic goal, just like avoiding your homework." He sat down on the stool, indicating that he was done with the conversation.

I wasn't though, so I sat down next to him and started arguing. "It's not pathetic! And how did you even know about that?"

He put his hands on his head and muffled, "Because I have the same classes as you and I have a lot of homework! Meanwhile, you're not doing any. Add the fact that you're stubborn as hell, and we've got a homework strike."

"Just fuck off and let me do this by myself," I complained.

Once he saw that his words were affecting me, he said, "I won't give you the satisfaction."

"Enough!" Tori was rummaging through the kitchen trying to find a paper and pen the whole time we were talking, but she didn't chime in until we took it too far. "Geez, Spunky. I know you don't get along with Josie and Izzy, but now Jay too?"

"Maybe if he would stop being so irritating," I responded.

He sighed dramatically. "You're impossible."

Tori began writing aggressively so we would pay attention. "You ready? Load and unload the dishwasher, vacuum, do laundry, buy groceries, take out the trash, mow the lawn, pick up Izzy from daycare, put gas in the car, and make dinner."

Hearing all those chores made my head spin. "That's just for today?"

"Precisely. I'll give you each 30 bucks if you complete the list together. If you need me, I'll be sitting on my ass and drinking tea." I laughed a little as she walked over to the couch and turned the TV on.

Jay grabbed the list and thoroughly analyzed it. "We should probably get groceries and gas while there's still daylight. Then we can pick up Izzy on the way back."

I wanted to protest in some way but doing the whole list was the only way to make some quick cash. "Fine. It's not like I can do those ones without you since I can't drive."

"Let's go then," he put the list in his pocket and we headed to the car.

It was almost on empty, so we went to get gas first. He taught me how to do it, then we moved on to the groceries.