The Parrot Predicament

Chapter 3

I had no idea how we would get $2,000 by the time Ms. Gold returned. Tiffany straight up refused to help. Apparently, she's tired of always helping me out when I never help her out. Which isn't even true. I helped her find her phone last week, and the week before. When I brought this up, she shook her head and changed the subject.

Lars wouldn't help either. He still wanted to tell Ms. Gold the truth, though he promised he wouldn't. Unless our plan failed.

Now it was up to me and Lexy to make $1,800- assuming the cheapest bird wasn't sold by then. Or else we'd have to come up with $2,000. That seemed to be the average price for macaws.

"Minimum wage here is $15 an hour," Lexy said to me during lunch. She, Tiffany, Lars, and I all sat together at a table. Normally Tiffany and I ate together alone, but Lexy wanted to discuss our plan. "If we both work minimum wage jobs, that'll be about $30 an hour combined. Since school is a thing we're forced to attend, that leaves us after school and weekends."

"That's fine, but I cannot work Fridays," I said. "That's when I livestream, and I don't want to let my eleven followers down."

"Two of those are spam bots, and seven of them are only following you because you followed them," Tiffany reminded me. I shot her a look. Lexy snickered.

I did some quick math in my head. "I estimate we both work 25 hours a week, making it 50 hours a week between us. 50 times 15 is?"

"$750," Lexy answered.

"Okay. So at $750 a week... How many weeks until we hit $2,000?" I asked.

We all stared blankly. Lars looked at Tiffany as though she were a human calculator.

"Contrary to popular belief, I'm terrible at math," Tiffany said to him.

Lars apologized. Lexy took out her phone, and pulled up a calculator app. "It'll take about... Two to three weeks."

"Three weeks it is," I said. "We just need to get a job first thing after school today. And start working tomorrow. Have you heard from Ms. Gold about when she'll be back?"

Lars and Lexy shook their heads.

"Good," I said. "She's probably still occupied. That gives us plenty of time. Does anyone know anyone hiring?"

"My Dad said his work is looking for a senior production specialist," Lars said.

"What's that?" I asked.

"No idea."

Lexy took a sip of her Capri Sun. "Let's just go online and apply everywhere."

"Why not go to the mall and ask around?" I suggested. I recalled my mom once mentioning she got her first job that way.

"This isn't the 90's," Lexy said. "They'll just tell you to apply online."

I ignored her. She'd see. I'd get a job before she does.

After school, I managed to convince Tiffany to drive me to the mall to job hunt.

"They'll just tell you to apply online," she said, repeating Lexy's words. "And weren't you and Lars going to work on that English project?"

"We agreed to postpone it, given the urgency of this situation."

"Fine," Tiffany said. "But you owe me one."

"Anything for you, Tiff. Anything."

Once we arrived, I walked into the first store I saw. And then the next. And the next. Each time, I asked to speak to the hiring manager. And every manager told me to apply online. A few of them had kiosks I could apply on, and I did. Except I'd have to wait a week to hear back. And then attend an interview. And wait another week to hear back again.