Jackson didn’t understand. His father? Dead? He was flooded with a million emotions. He didn’t know what to think.
“Your mother is on her way. You may wait in my office if you like.”
Shell-shocked and barely processing the principal’s words, Jackson walked into the office and sat down. The principal looked at him for a moment, then turned to face his computer. They sat in silence for several minutes. Just then, the phone rang. Mr. Jones picked it up, but before he could even say “hello,” his face fell.
“Ok, I understand, thank you,” he said, hanging up the phone, “That was the police department Jackson. Your mother was in an accident on the way here. She was hit by drunk driver. I’m so sorry.”
“Is she—”
“Yes.”
Jackson’s world was crumbling down around him. Where was he supposed to go now?
“What’s going to happen to me?” Jackson asked, unable to think of anything else.
“You are legally an adult. You can make your own decisions now. I recommend you find a job a soon as possible and someone who would be willing to let you stay with them until you get on your feet.” It was too much for Jackson to process. He needed a walk.
“May I leave, Mr. Jones?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry Jax, but my parents won’t let me,” Noah explained to Jackson.
“Please. I just need a place to stay until I can afford to live on my own,” Jackson pleaded.
“I tried to explain it to them, but they say we don’t have enough room,” Noah said apologetically.
“I understand,” Jackson said after a pause.
Jackson had inherited the entirety of his parent’s assets, but they didn’t have many. His parents were always spending money as fast as they made it. He sold his parent’s house and was living in a tiny apartment nearby. His inheritance gave him enough money to survive for a while, but he wanted a more stable arrangement. He was missing school a lot to go to job interviews, and it was beginning to affect his grade (especially in Mr. Evans’ class). He was so caught up in his situation that he never really processed his parents’ death. He never really had time to stop and think.
Jackson watched as Noah walked away towards his next class. The only other person Jackson could think of who might be able to help him was Sophia, who just so happened to be behind him. He hadn’t seen her since the funeral, and he hadn’t had a chance to talk to her then.
“Hey Jax,” Sophia said hesitantly behind him. “I just wanted to tell you that you have my condolences and I’m here for you. If there’s anything I can do for you, just let me know.”
Jackson didn’t want to sound too abrupt, but he did need a place to stay.
“Is there any chance I can crash at your place for a while? I promise that it would just be until I find a decent job.” Jackson said pleadingly.
Sophia looked thoughtfully into space for a while.
“I’ll need to ask my parents, but I think they’ll be okay with it,” Sophia responded.
“You’re a lifesaver Soph,” Jackson said gratefully.
That night, Sophia texted Jackson and said her parents were okay with him staying as long as he slept in the living room. Jackson was content. He began to pack up his limited belongings. His contract expired in a few days, so it wouldn’t be an issue. As he packed, Jackson began to think. He thought back to his parents. He missed them. He missed his father’s awful science puns, and his lighthearted attitude towards life. He missed going to his mother’s office after school (she was a pediatrician) and the way she would freak out any time he was injured. He missed seeing their smiling faces every day. The weight of his parents’ death hit him suddenly, and he began to weep uncontrollably.
That night, crying in his tiny apartment, Jackson began to wonder what the point of it all was. What was the point of trying to go on if he was just going to suffer for the rest of his life? Wasn’t he just going to end decomposing in a box anyway? His philosophy class had taught multiple ideas of what the answers could be, but now that he was experiencing problems firsthand, Jackson found these solutions to be lacking. Jackson was interrupted from his thought when he saw the clock. It was 2 o’clock in the morning. He had a job interview at a tutoring center in the morning, and he wanted to be ready to show them his best.
A tutoring center seemed like a good place for Jackson to work. He didn’t need a college degree to teach lower level classes, but still got payed a decent sum per hour. He could teach many of the courses he had taken as AP or dual credit. The center he had found was known for being particularly academically rigorous, yet treating its employees well. They were also known for drastically improving test scores amongst their students.
As Jackson went to bed that night, he forced himself to stop questioning the meaning of life and start sleeping.
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