Last Minute

Her fingers trembled as she logged into her Wells Fargo account. As the page loaded, Jamie felt her heartbeat quickening.

$103.11. She looked at it again. No! Of course, she would get one hundred more after two weeks from bagging groceries, but the deadline was approaching. She had to pay her tuition out of pocket this semester.

As her head fell down on the pillow, she started weighing the options. A second part-time job? No, she had school to focus on. Scholarship? Too late. Loan? No way!

The sound of her ringtone snatched her away from her thoughts. It was her boyfriend.

"Hey, Jamie! I wonder if you're free tonight. My research paper is due tomorrow."

"I have work tonight,"

"Can you come now, then?"

"Leo, listen. I really want to help, but now is not a good time."

"It's due tomorrow!" he insisted.

She sighed as she realized how impossible it was to say no to Leo, "Fine. I'll guide you through it when I'm done."

"You're the best! See you tonight. Love you," he said

"Love you too," she mumbled before hanging up.

Yes, she did love him. He was caring, funny, and a good listener. He was also irresponsible! It broke Jamie's heart to see someone how smart as him wasting his time. He would never open his textbook unless he had a quiz coming up. And, of course, he also sucked at cramming. Jamie had to tutor him at the last minute before every assessment.

Later, as Jamie was waiting for the bus to get to work, she was still brainstorming. Some tears ran down her cheeks as she realized that she was going through this alone. Her uncle was the only family she had left. Even he needed Jamie's paycheck to put rent together every month.

Ding! Jamie checked her phone. Leo had sent her the topic of his paper. The Italian Renaissance. For a moment, she hoped that someone would need her as much as her boyfriend did. However, it would be better to thank her with a wire transfer instead of a sheepish smile. She did send an application for the writing tutor position three months ago and never saw a reply.

Just like that, a lightbulb flashed in her mind. She could try tutoring on Fiverr! Of course, it would not be a well-paid job, but it would be a side hustle. However, there were many tutors on Fiverr; she had to be a little different. After all, she was desperate.

Well, maybe I don't have to be an average tutor; I could be a last-minute crammer tutor, she thought. She quickly pulled out her phone and set up her gig on Fiverr.

She took a deep breath before hitting "Submit." Suddenly, she heard a hoarse voice, shouting, "Are you coming or not?" It was the bus driver. Before climbing to the bus, she submitted her application.

As she sat with her forehead resting on the window, she smiled. She smiled, not because she had a guarantee, but she had a spark of hope.