Chapter Text
Having divorced parents isn't the best thing in the world, especially if you're in high school.
It's not an especially sensitive topic to talk about with friends, but it's not a comfortable one. I'd rather argue about dogs or cats than freely speak about how my parents are separated.
I live with my mom and one younger sibling named Dawon. I actually used to have three other siblings (including Dawon), but upon agreement between my mom and dad, they split them up, which I found pretty cruel.
On the bright side, he nor I was alone. On the darker side, we weren't all together like we used to be. Hell, us siblings even promised to stick with one another like peas in a pod until we have our own significant other to live with.
Okay. Living with my mom isn't too bad...
But the fact that my mom was STILL on a hunt for a job wasn't very encouraging. We were surviving off of our own savings and bank account we originally were going to use for me and Dawon's college fees. It was a waste.
My dad was kind enough (unlike my stoic mom) to gift us some money since he knew my mom would have difficulty finding a job (she ironically wasn't the best student in school).
I wish my mom would appreciate his generosity more instead of his status in working. Then maybe we'd have a happy, rejoicing family of seven.
I really hate my mom for being unemployed. We're standing dangerously close to the edge right now.
Dawon is too young to get a job. I am also too young to be a part-time worker, although I do in fact know some people that have broken that rule and chosen to work at night just for some extra cash. Not because they truly needed it.
After I found that it would probably take more than a month for my mom to find a decent job that pays a fair amount of money, it would most likely be better if I just took up some simple tasks around the neighborhood, like mowing the lawn or taking out the trash.
I was even willing to scoop up poop from dogs for 50 cents!
Yeah, I was that desperate. I didn't want to continue being picked on at school because of being financially unstable along with having only a mom and a brother. It was not only embarrassing, but a reminder that my life wouldn't be the same again.
I snapped out of my thoughts once I received a call from a friend.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Y/N! It's me, your one and only, Yoon Minyoung!" My friend chirped.
I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway. I could always count on her to cheer me up. "So, what do you want?" I asked.
"Hey, hey," She began in a quiet voice. I had to strain to hear her.
"Stop speaking so quietly," I said. "I can barely hear you!" I exasperately exclaimed.
"Sorry! But this is a secret. I'm going over to a competition for a month- yeah, I know. It's super long. My parents don't know about it. If they did, they would literally kill me."
"And...?" I waved my hand in the air. This was no surprise for me. Minyoung was notorious in school for doing these kinds of acts and rebelling against her parents. Although I didn't necessarily approve of her actions, I knew I couldn't stop her. Once she makes up her mind to do something, absolutely no one can stop her from doing it.
Minyoung hesitantly replied, "Well, my parents want me to work at their friend's house this month. And dude, I don't want to spend the last month of summer at a guy's house for a month and literally live in there and clean it! You know very well I can't do stuff like that."
I chuckled into the phone. "Are you here to rant to me about your problems?" I shook my head. Minyoung's parents always wanted their child to participate in tasks like those. They wanted a productive child, but unfortunately for them, they gave birth to a daughter who was hyperactive and very troublesome. It was entertaining to say the least.
"No. Sorry, Y/N! I really want to enter the competition with some friends. It's a video game competition and you know I'm in love with games. My parents' friend doesn't know how I look like because I've never met them. He's apparently a very very old friend of theirs that they don't talk to a lot, so it won't be suspicious if you replace me!" She explained in a desperate voice.
I was taken aback. What?! Me, substitute for her in a job she was supposed to do? "Do I get paid?" I questioned meekly. Minyoung answered quickly, "Yep! It's really high. 500 dollars I think. But he has nine adopted kids... Yeah, I'm never going to spend even an hour there with nine kids." I frowned. The pay was great, but having to literally live in that house and take care of it was going to be a huge pain.
"Is he leaving for vacation or something?" I asked.
"Yeah, apparently. He's going with his wife somewhere for their anniversary. Come on, Y/N. Please? I'll bake you cookies if you do it!" She pleaded.
I hummed thoughtfully. The money I would earn from that benefited me, but I didn't know if my mom would approve... "I would like to. But are the kids boys or girls?" If they were boys, they would be quite difficult to handle, as I don't know pretty much anything about them besides the fact they like gaming and outside sports (learned from my brother).
"I think toddler girls? I don't remember what my parents said. Anyway, thank you so much! I don't know what I'd do without you. You're my savior. Remember to pretend to be me!" Minyoung giggled. "Of course, of course. I'll get permission from my mom," I said into the phone. "Love ya!" She sang. "Love ya," I echoed before hanging up.
What had I gotten myself into?