Cure me #JustWriteIt

Chapter Five

She needed the money. A couple of thousand was enough she needed. All her loans were building up as the bank notices jammed her mailbox. Was she enough desperate to take his money and try to change him? It was impossible, she thought. Never anything like that had been done and it seemed, everything would turn out to be a total catastrophe at the end. And she didn't even know him. He was a stranger asking something so impossible to accomplish.

Lily's face turned pale white, her eyes landed on him, trying to get her thoughts together. Was she able to do this? She looked at him and he seemed broken internally. She had seen a person like this before. A boy in high school, who killed himself after being bullied by his classmates. He hung himself after a year of brutal teasing and fighting for himself. And she knew him. But she didn't do anything to stop that. She felt responsible and blamed herself. It tore her apart, filling her with quilt.

She was a young 15 year old girl, small and vulnerable, looking helplessly how that young boy was tossed around. And she felt quilt, not able to help him. Had she done something to stop everything, he would still be alive. But looking Jack sitting across him, his greyish green eyes and his sad look, her decision was easy to come.

"I will help you! I mean... I will try!" she said, pulling a sheet of paper from his notepad.

"Thank you!" his frown turned into a bright smile, "And don't worry, I will pay you whatever you ask!"

Lily thought for a minute or two. She could ask millions, a house in uptown Seattle or a brand new car. But she wasn't that greedy. No, she wasn't. Money never came easy to her, and she didn't expect it to happen now. Hard work and long hours payed for her life in Seattle. And it was terrible. Work in the cafe was hard, her boss was an arrogant bastard and never cared for his employees. The pay wasn't that good but it was enough to keep herself up.

"But I need you to promise that you won't leave me without nothing, if I don't succeed!" She placed an empty piece of sheet in front of him and handed him a pencil. "And you won't blame me, if I can't do this!"

"You want me to make a contract?" He asked, his eyes open wide from surprise.

"No! Not a contract, a promise!" She answered.

Lily didn't had the chance to start explaining what she meant by a promise, when Jack started to write. Across the table she could read his name: Jack Marble. A name she had heard of. Somewhere, but she couldn't put her finger on, where? Her eyes followed every line he scribbled on the paper. He didn't even took a pause as he wrote. Finally he placed a signature on the bottom part of the sheet and turned the paper around on the table. It was long. Lily started reading, as Jack just sat there, waiting for her opinion.

I, Jack Marble, will promise that the deal between us is real and if one of participates will not fulfill their part, no harm will be done. A reward is provided whatever the result...

And it continued...

She read the page again and again, making sure that she wouldn't wrote under something what would lead her to more debt she had already. But again, it was already as bad it could get, so what's the point of even trying. Jack handed her the pen, but before letting go, he asked: "Are you sure you want to do this?"

The thought of that frightened her, but fear wasn't enough to change her mind. She nodded, taking the pen and placing her signature under her name. She placed the pen on the page and took a look of him. He was smiling. Differently. It was an honest smile.

For Jack, things were about to change. At that point, he thought that letting her do whatever it took, would make him feel different, but was there another way. He took a business card from his pocket and slid it on the table to her.

"Here! This is my number. Call me as soon, as you can!" He whispered.

Lily didn't say anything and took his card. She folded the promise letter neatly and tucked it in her jeans pocket. As she stood, Jack moved his chair back and stood up also. "I will! Thank you." Lily thought of shaking his hand. And it felt like they had made a business deal.