Into An Idiot

5. The Math Factor

Sophia
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//
"Thanks for coming, Liz." Ashton says, holding the door open as she walks in with her son Luke.
"Hi." Luke says to me.
"Hey." I smile. Luke's a nice boy, the same age as me, but my birthday is a week after his. "You don't want to be here, do you?" I smirk.
"No, not at all." He smiles.
I don't know what we're supposed to do... I don't really know Luke as well as I know Michael, and he's a little shy. "So... Do you want to go downstairs?" I ask.
"Sure." He shrugs. We both go down the stairs into the basement. Luke looks through the video games we have and takes one out. "Do you know how to play this?" He holds up Spider Man.
"I forget." I giggle.
"Oh. Well... We can watch a movie."
"Sure. Check and see what's on demand."
We pick a few movies to watch and watch them all.
"Guys, please don't spend any money, it's hard to pay for everything." Ashton says, his head poking around the wall.
"Okay, we're just doing free movies on demand." Luke says.
"It still costs money." Ashton says.
"Why don't you teach Sophia how to play guitar or something? Do something that's free."
"But this is free."
"Technically it's- nevermind." Ashton leaves and goes back upstairs.
"I wonder what he's doing up there." I tell Luke.
"I think they're doing bills." Luke says. "My mom's a-"
"Math teacher, I know. That makes sense."
"Okay, well, can we watch the movie?"
"Sure." I press play and curl up on the beanbag with a blanket. Luke laughs and nudges me over, and I give him some of the blanket.
//
Ashton
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"I don't know..."
Liz looks me in the eye. "You do know."
"I don't."
"You do."
"I don't."
"You do."
"Fine... I think then I'd have to pay... Half... No... Yes... Half... In order to get the deductions."
"Good job, Ashton." Liz gives me a hi-five and pushes the completed stack of bills aside.
For no reason, my face heats up and my eyes water. I bury my head in my hands.
"Ashton, what's wrong?" Liz asks, putting a protective arm over me.
I sob into my arms.
"It's so hard, and I have no money, and that's all we've got. Me and Sophie are gonna be evicted, and it's all my fault."
Liz makes an aw noise, and brings me in for a hug.
"How many jobs do you have?"
"One." I hiccup, wiping my nose on my sleeve. "I work at Macca's after school."
"You might need to get another job. What about your father? I know your mum passed away."
"No, he can't come back. He's an alcoholic and he beats us when he's drunk and that's almost every night."
"Would he lend you money?"
I sniffle. "Well, he pays for our mortgage and he's paid off the car, so when I can drive I can use it."
"That's good, you just need a little more support. Get two or three more jobs, I'll help you with the bills, and you can relax. And it's about time your sister got a job."
"Thanks, Liz." I hug her back.
"You're welcome, sweetie. Luke! We're going!"
I hear Luke's feet thump up the stairs.
"Sophia fell asleep, so I put a blanket on her." He says to me. "Bye, Ash!" He calls as he walks out the door.
After they leave, I immediately flip through the jobs section of the newspaper.