Six

                                                                             Jayden

Jayden lifted the mattress and fetched out the tin hidden beneath it. Instantly, he noticed how light it felt, and his heart missed a beat. He knew what that feeling meant even before he opened it. His breathing turned shallow as his fingers trembled around the metal lid.

Slowly, he opened the tin.

Empty.

His fear settled heavily inside him.

No. No, it couldn’t be possible. He had checked it last night. He had added money to it last night. So how could it all be gone?

Jayden rushed out of the room, but the couch where his father had been sleeping before he went to shower was now empty.

His breath failed him instantly. He was breathing too hard, too loudly, fear and panic clouding his thoughts until he could barely think straight.

He shoved the trailer door open and ran outside. He passed his neighbors without stopping, ignoring the curious looks they threw his way.

God, please let me find him. Just let me see him.

He prayed harder than he had prayed in a very long time.

Today was the final day for registration. If he didn’t submit the payment today, he wouldn’t be going on the field trip tomorrow with the rest of the class.

How could this happen? Why now? Why today of all days?

If he hadn’t paid Janet last week… If he hadn’t bought groceries… maybe he could have paid the f*e earlier. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened. But he had been sure he would complete the money before today. He had calculated everything carefully in his head. He had known he would make it in time.

So why?

How did his father even know where the money was? Jayden had always been careful. He always made sure nothing would give it away. So how?

How?

Jayden stopped in the middle of the street, the trailer field now far behind him. He dragged trembling fingers through his dark hair as tears blurred the edge of his vision. His heart was pounding so loudly he could hear it inside his ears, and his lungs burned as they struggled to pull in enough air, but none of it mattered. None of it.

Right now, all he wanted was to find his father. At least if he found him quickly enough, maybe he could still get the money back. He would endure the beatings if he had to.

Going to school bruised sounded far better than losing that money completely.

He had worked so hard for it. Labored for months only for it to end up exchanged for bottles of beer.

Why?

Why must this always happen to him?

Why did life always seem determined to ruin the few things he genuinely wanted? Why was he never allowed to hold onto anything for long enough to enjoy it? Why was even this one small thing too much for him to have?

The field trip had seemed insignificant to everyone else. Just another school activity. But to Jayden, it had been something different. Something he had quietly looked forward to for months without letting himself think about it too much.

And now it was gone.

Jayden squatted in the middle of the street, burying his face in his palms as the sobs finally broke out of him.

He hadn’t cried in a long time. Life had trained him out of it little by little until sadness became something silent and dull instead of sharp. But this hurt differently.

Even the sound of his own crying made something inside him ache harder.

After a while, when he had finally calmed enough to breathe properly again, Jayden slowly made his way back toward the trailer field.

He could feel the looks his neighbors gave him as he walked past, and he hated every single one of them. The pity in their eyes. The silent understanding. The way they looked at him like some abandoned animal struggling to survive.

He knew none of them would do anything beyond stare. They would discuss him over dinner with their families later, shaking their heads sadly about poor Jayden and his drunk father, but none of them would step forward to help.

He hated moments like this so much that he usually tried his best never to let anyone witness them. But today had been different. He had been looking forward to the trip for months, and the moment he realized the money was gone, all restraint disappeared. He had simply run.

After washing his face, he grabbed his bag and left the trailer.

“Poor boy. Mark must’ve taken his money again,” he heard someone whisper nearby, and his fingers curled tightly into fists.

“It was obvious with how quickly Mark left earlier. I told you he must’ve done something,” another voice replied.

Jayden shut his eyes briefly and quickened his steps. He didn’t want to hear anymore. He didn’t want their sympathy. By the time the trailer field disappeared far behind him, he was breathing hard again.

As he approached the school grounds, students were already clustering around the building. Because of his desperate search for his father earlier, and everything that followed after, Jayden had arrived later than usual and couldn’t use the music room before classes started, despite how badly he wanted to.

His chest felt unbearably congested, and the only time the pressure ever eased was when his fingers touched piano keys and turned everything inside him into sound.

“Jayden, what happened?”

Mr. Lance’s voice reached him from ahead. Jayden looked up to see the teacher standing outside, likely on his way to class.

Jayden let out a quiet breath before walking toward him. Students hurried past them toward their classrooms as the warning bell rang through the halls.

“Good morning, Mr. Lance,” Jayden mumbled.

“You don’t look so good. You always walk around like nothing in life can touch you, but today…” The teacher paused slightly. “Today you look like life finally did.”

Jayden couldn’t answer that. Instead, he lowered his head and stared at the ground between them.

“Did your father do something again?” Mr. Lance asked softly.

Jayden stiffened immediately.

He heard the teacher inhale sharply at the reaction and instantly wanted to leave. Once again, he found himself standing in front of pity he didn’t want.

“I won’t be going on the field trip anymore,” he said quickly before Mr. Lance could say anything else. Any apologies. Any comforting words.

“Oh,” Mr. Lance murmured quietly.

“Yes. I’m sorry for saying earlier that I would go.”

The teacher didn’t speak for a few seconds, and when Jayden finally looked up, he hated the expression he saw in his eyes. Sympathy. Understanding.

Pity.

“I’ll be going to class now, Mr. Lance,” he said quickly before turning away.

He left the teacher standing there behind him.

Throughout the morning classes, Jayden found himself longing for the music room almost painfully. For the piano. For the feeling of keys beneath his fingers. He needed somewhere to pour this heaviness because it felt too large for his chest to carry all day.

During lunch break, he didn’t go to the cafeteria. During free period, he didn’t go to the library either.

Instead, he remained seated at his desk beside the window, staring silently at the large tree outside while the breeze shifted through its leaves.

He just wanted the day to end.

Eventually, it did.

The dismissal bell rang right on time, never a second late.

Their history teacher stood at the front of the classroom reminding everyone about tomorrow’s trip, telling them to arrive early so they could stay on schedule.

Jayden rested his head against the desk and closed his eyes.

He should have been listening too. He should have been paying attention and asking questions along with everyone else. He had worked so hard for this one thing, only for life to remind him once again that wanting things only led to disappointment.

Finally, the classroom began to empty.

Jayden lifted his head slowly, and unconsciously, his gaze drifted across the room—only to meet green eyes.

The new girl.

Aimee.

Jayden didn’t know why, but he always had the strange feeling she was watching him. And most times, when he looked carefully enough, he discovered he was right. Especially outside the music room.

She never entered. Never spoke. But whenever he glanced at the mirror in front of the piano, he would catch sight of her standing quietly beside the door with only half her face visible.

He never understood why she did it. Why she stood there silently listening without ever stepping inside. And although he always told himself not to think too much about it, every single time he noticed her there, his mind still wandered back to the question afterward.

Now, as their eyes met across the classroom, a strange thought crossed his mind.

Had she been waiting for him to go to the music room again?

Had she noticed he was off today?

No.

There was no way she could know something like that. They had never spoken to each other before, and aside from quietly listening to him play, she had never shown any obvious interest in him.

Which was good.

At least, that was what he told himself.

Still, something shifted faintly inside him before he looked away.

Jayden stood, slung his bag over his shoulder, and walked out of the classroom toward the music room.

“Jayden, I was just coming to find you.”

Mr. Lance’s voice stopped him again. Jayden turned slowly, already dreading where the conversation might lead.

“Mr. Lance,” he greeted quietly.

“I have good news.” The teacher smiled. “You’ll be going on the field trip tomorrow after all, so make sure you arrive on time.”

Jayden stared at him, unsure if he had heard correctly.

“I don’t understand,” he admitted slowly. “I didn’t make the payment.”

Mr. Lance grinned lightly. “Don’t worry about that. The school decided to make an exception for you.”

Jayden frowned immediately. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“Well, you’re the best student in the school. It’s the least we can do.” Mr. Lance patted his shoulder gently. “Just make sure you’re here early tomorrow, alright?”

Then he walked away.

Jayden remained standing there, watching him leave, still trying to process what had just happened. But slowly, the heaviness inside his chest began loosening in a way he hadn’t felt all day.

Something warm and unfamiliar pushed against the exhaustion and disappointment that had consumed him since morning.

For once, something had gone differently.

Jayden couldn’t immediately identify what the feeling was.

Could it be…joy?

It had been so long since he last felt it that he almost didn’t recognize it anymore.