How To Find Your Future

25 - A Distraction

Charlie

I don't know what I did. Or why she's upset with me. And no matter how much I stare at our text messages trying to figure out the right thing to say to make it better I can't find the words.

I sigh and place my phone down beside me. What do I do when I want to make it up to someone but have no idea how I would do that? Would I just show up at her house with a gift and hope she accepts my apology? But, what would I even be apologizing for?

Knock, knock. "Charlie?" My dad's head pokes into my room.

"What's up?" I ask, sitting up on my bed.

He opens my door and comes farther into the room. "We should talk." He glances down at my desk by the door where all the papers for the hunt for Olivia's job sit.

"Oh? That doesn't sound good." I chuckle to try and ease the tension that clutches his shoulders.

He sighs and pulls his gaze from the papers to me. "How's school coming along?"

Oh. That's what this is about. "It's fine." I shrug. I look away from his soft gaze and look at the papers sitting on my desk. Not all of them are papers for the job hunt. Some of them are missing math assignments that I just haven't had the time for.

"Charlie..." The disappointment is loud in his voice and seems to echo around the world.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. I place my head in my hands. "I've just been trying so hard to help Olivia that maybe just a few things slipped through."

"You're failing math!" He doesn't say it angrily but he doesn't say it calmly either.

I hang my head.

He sighs and sits beside me on my bed. "I know you want to help this girl but you also have to focus on school."

"I have been," I whisper. "Math just... hasn't been clicking for me lately."

"So you thought it was better to just let it slip?"

I shrug. "I didn't think math would be important if I'm doing the same thing as you."

"Math is still important. You need it to graduate."

"I know."

A silence fills the room.

I knew that I shouldn't have let math slip by me but it had been so easy. Once I had something to look forward to, all I could do was plan for it and think about it. I was still able to keep up with my other classes since those were easy. But math just... it wasn't making sense to me.

"If you're struggling with math you should get someone to tutor you."

It's like a lightbulb turns on as I think of the perfect person. "What about-"

"Not Olivia." His gaze is stern when he says this.

My hopes deflate. "Why not?"

His gaze flicks to my desk.

I sigh. "I see your point. But who else could tutor me?"

He shrugs. "I could find someone online for you? I'm sure there's people out there who are looking for a little cash on the side."

I crinkle my nose. "I'd rather it not be a complete stranger."

Dad chuckles. "Then is there someone else you have in mind?"

There is Naomi. She's in my math class and will know what's going on. She's also Olivia's best friend. And maybe, just maybe I can use that to my advantage. "There's this really smart girl in my class who might be willing to."

He smiles and ruffles my hair. "Great."

I smack his hand away. He laughs, and as I look at him I notice just how tired and worn he is. There's dark bags under his eyes while his eyes seem to struggle to open. There's a new strain to his smile and when he does smile it doesn't reach his eyes.

"Dad?"

"Yeah bud?" He looks back at me as he grabs my door.

"Take it easy, okay?"

He chuckles. "I'll try." He leaves my room after that.

I'm worried about him. It's been stressful for him at work and I can't help but feel like I've been adding to that stress. I wish I had noticed early. I wish that there was something I could do to help him out, but what could I even possibly do to help? I don't think I have a good track record for helping people though. Not with me messing up the job hunt for Olivia and just putting more stress on her.

I lay back down on my bed and stare at my roof. Then I pick up my phone. There's one text message. When did it even go off? I didn't hear it.

My breathing hitches as I see the contact.

Olivia

Hey. I'm sorry about early, but I think I know what other careers I want to try are

I can't believe it. I don't have to reach out to her. She reached out to me. Just like when she came to ask for help.

Something flutters in my stomach.

My thumbs fly across the screen as I text her back. It doesn't take long for her to reply or for us to fall into a rhythm of texting each other with questions and information. I fly off my bed and into my desk chair. I flip my laptop open and start searching.

Soon I've found two more jobs for us to try. I then send them an email asking if we can pop in and try the job out. I pick up my phone and text Olivia. Now we play the waiting game