Chapter 3

The light went out in Amelia's eyes.

She silently turned around, tucked her chin into her collar, and walked into the cold wind and rain, headed toward the bus stop around 600 feet away.

I remained sitting in the car, the veins on the back of my hand bulging from anger.

Just then, my phone rang.

The words "Gary, Driver" flashed on the screen.

Taking a deep breath, I answered the call.

"Hello, Mr. Reinhart?" Gary sounded a little awkward, and there was a hint of deliberate misery in his voice. "Well… There's something I'd like to discuss with you. The thing is, Amelia has been coughing a lot lately. The minibus is quite cramped, and the parents of the other kids are upset about it. They say the minibus is filled with germs.

"So, I've been thinking, for the sake of Amelia's health, and also to reassure the parents, maybe it's time to have the whole minibus deep cleaned, and maybe we can put in a medical-grade air filter, too."

Gary paused for a moment, revealing his true intentions. "I asked the mechanic, and the whole operation costs about 700 dollars…"

He was earning money with my vehicle, but he chased my sister away and didn't do a single thing when other kids insulted her.

And now, he was even trying to claim the "disinfection fees" from me.

Through the window, I watched the minibus slowly pulling away in the distance.

I tried my best to remain calm as I said into the phone, "Send me your payment info. I'll transfer the money to you right now."

Gary hadn't expected me to agree just like that. He was stunned for a second before responding in a higher pitch, "Don't worry, Mr. Reinhart! I'll get it done this afternoon. I swear I'll have the minibus squeaky clean!"

Less than a minute after the call ended, Gary had already sent me his details.

I navigated to the bank app on my phone and transferred the 700 dollars straight away.

I also added "Vehicle disinfection" to the memo line.

Then, I took a screenshot of the completed transfer and made sure it was saved on my phone.

…

On the weekend, Ruby set up a school shuttle parents' meeting in the neighborhood community center.

My parents were working overtime at the factory that weekend, rushing for an urgent order.

When I saw the notice Ruby posted in the neighborhood group chat, I didn't make a fuss.

I changed into the plainest casual clothes I had in gray and put on black-rimmed glasses. Then, I headed to the community center.

A dozen parents were already seated inside the meeting room.

Ruby was sitting in the middle seat. When she saw me, she gave me a glance from head to toe. "You're Amelia's brother, yes? What about your parents?"

"They're working overtime." I grabbed a random plastic chair in the corner and sat down.

Ruby pursed her lips. "Fine. It doesn't change anything, anyway."

Then, she addressed the whole room. "I've called a meeting here mainly to discuss the private shuttle."

She pulled out a sheet of paper from her purse and slammed it on the desk. "Caleb, we're all working in the same factory. Logically speaking, since your parents are such honest people, we should be looking after your sister as neighbors. However, your sister's asthma is just way too severe!"

Raising her voice, Ruby looked around. "She's coughing her lungs out in the minibus every single day. It's a cramped space, and the airflow is terrible inside. Who's going to take the blame if one of our kids catches some random bug from her?"

The other parents nearby immediately backed her up.

Someone said, "That's right! When my son came home yesterday, he told me that Amelia was coughing her guts out. How terrifying!"

Another parent said, "Miss Ruby worked so hard to pull the strings and get the minibus for us. It's supposed to be a comfortable ride for the kids, not some ambulance for sick people."

Yet another parent said, "We paid to get our kids in the minibus, but now everyone's on edge because of her. What's the meaning of this?"

Satisfied with their responses, Ruby slid the sheet of paper to the center of the table.

It was a petition letter covered from top to bottom in names and signatures.

Ruby said, "See this, Caleb? All the parents of the kids in the minibus voted on this, and everyone agreed. Starting next Monday, Amelia will not be riding the shuttle. Tell her to take the bus or get your parents to do the school run."