Amatory ✓

24. Source of income ~ NAZY

I always found myself wishing I could just get it done already. I wanted to get out there and start earning money by myself. To be free of my parents and do my own thing. Instead, I was stuck here, just like every other young adult that wanted to do more than work a shitty job at the mall. Nonetheless, I'd spent the entire week applying for those shitty jobs at the mall, because I had a very bad feeling...

Just in case. Take precautions. Save myself before I needed saving.

Rather than paying attention like Austin, I kept looking at my phone, checking my inbox for a response—just one—to all those applications I'd sent, but... no luck. Jackson told me I needed to be patient, but I was not patient. I had never been. I wanted it now and I needed it now.

An eternity seemed to have passed when the class finally ended and Austin handed me back my pen as we made our way down to the exit of the lecture hall. "Thanks."

"No thanks," I replied, stuffing the pen in my bag. "Now please tell me that story."

"Oh, right. Yeah, uh... Are you coming to the food hall, by the way?"

"Sure," I said quickly. Get a move on, Austin.

"Okay, so you know Jamie, right? My roommate?"

"Yes, of course I know him," I nodded, relieved to hear the story wasn't about strangers, which would have made the story a lot less interesting. It was always much more entertaining if it was about someone I knew. "Although, I had not actually met him until recently."

"You met him?"

"We were both invited to a bar with a group of friends a little before the holidays. We talked a bit, but I haven't seen him since. Is your news about him?"

"It is," he said, nodding proudly. "You remember that whole... thing with Mason and Kenny? You said your friend was super sad, because she and Mason broke up and everything, right? Well, I always kinda got the impression that Jamie wasn't very happy about it either."

I highly doubted that, considering the fact that Jamie and Kenny had spent a full hour talking and laughing with each other that night at the bar. Jamie didn't seem sad at all.

"Anyway, turns out I was wrong," Austin continued, holding the door of the lecture hall open for the girl that came out behind us. "I have no fucking clue what's going on with him, because he keeps everything a secret! I thought he was lonely, you know? But I came home last Friday and he was in bed with someone. He has a whole-ass boyfriend that I didn't know about."

"He's not obligated to tell anyone," I told him.

"I guess not," he mumbled with a casual shrug. "But here's where it gets interesting... I never told you about this, but a few months ago, I was at a party and I got super drunk, and this guy came up to me and started flirting with me. And, you know, I thought... why not?"

My jaw dropped. "Seriously? You actually slept with him?"

"Yeah, well, I tried," he muttered. "Anyway, that's the guy Jamie's dating, and they're hiding it from their friend for some reason, so you can't tell anyone."

"I've never heard such hypocrisy. Who else have you told apart from me?"

"No one!"

"Okay, good," I said, reaching out to pat the top of his head. "Now, who's this guy? Do I know him?"

"His name is Emmett."

"Oh, Emmett!"

He sighed, "Of course, you know him. Is there anyone you don't know?"