Celeste gapes at me. “They’re your parents, Jude!”
“Yeah, and?”
“They’re supposed to love you for who you are!”
I scoff. “Well, that’s too bad. Life dealt me an unlucky hand, but at least there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. All I have to do is suck it up for five more years, and I’ll have a master’s degree with no student debt. Then I’ll get to live an authentic life of my own with my dream job, and I’ll never have to talk to my parents again.”
Max stops what he’s doing and stares at me again, and I resist the urge to squirm under his gaze. I know how awful this makes me sound, especially to him. Like I’m a sellout. A coward. A career-obsessed traitor to the queer community. A selfish, privileged little brat.
But this is how the world works. I don’t see any other way around it.
“You deserve better, Jude,” Max finally says. “That’s all we’re saying. I know why you’re doing what you’re doing. It just…sucks.”
I nod. “Yeah, it does.”
Celeste doesn’t speak. She stares at Max’s covered pan on the stove, unmoving.
“I’m going to go shower off and change,” I announce, dismounting the barstool. “I’ll come back to help in a little bit.”
“Okay, babe,” Max responds gently. “Take your time.”
Retreating to my room, I collapse on the bed and bury my head in my hands. I spend several minutes here, trying to regain my composure, until I hear my phone buzz from my bag. Curious, I retrieve it and smile at the texts waiting for me.
Oliver
soooo what do first-years get up to over the weekend if they don’t have a job?
Theo has to go home and work, so I’ll be all alone for a 3-day weekend
too young to drink, too poor to go out
I don’t even have a car to drive around and loiter
clearly I didn’t think this through
Jude
I mean, most first-years are probably just hooking up with other first-years and buying booze with fake IDs, but if that’s not your speed, I’m sure there are plenty of wholesome things to do instead
also, you don’t have a car?
Oliver
nah
Theo does, so I usually just ride with him
Jude
that sucks, dude
fortunately you now live in a city where you can walk and take public transit though! Marta’s pretty cheap, too.
Oliver
my parents said I should never go alone though the city is a dangerous place
Jude
