HAPTER 1

Beep. Beep. Bee-

Troy slammed his hand over the beaten down alarm clock and rubbed his eyes with his rough dry hands. He looked at the time.

5:00am? Great it was off on the time again. He sighed and tapped it twice to see it was only 10pm. That's better now he could sleep. Tomorrow he had another job interview. For an insurance company. You see Troy was fantastic with numbers. He could do 7,450,500 x 4,230,300 in 1 minute. His brain was like a calculator.

He was a scholar in high school and he had a great future ahead of him. But then his parents died his senior year. He was left to take care of his little brother Luke. So he had to work 2 jobs, go to school, pay the bills, and make sure Luke had food to eat all at the same time. He ended up failing all his classes and quitting school. That's why he's in the situation he's in today - living in an old beat down apartment above a sub station, no job, and struggling to take car of his now 5 year old brother.

This job interview meant everything. As did the others. But this one was really important because he knew it was something he was good at. He closed his tired eyes and attempted to fall asleep. Just as sleep welcomed him in Luke yelled his name. Troy sat up quickly on his bed made out of sheets and old itchy blankets on the floor. Since he thought Luke deserved the cot and comforter. He groaned and stood - his legs aching of weakness, and walked in the next room to see Luke sweating and crying.

"Luke what's wrong bud?" Troy asked yawning and sitting next to Luke.

"I had a bad dream about mommy and daddy." He sniffled and squeezed his patched up teddy bear that he's had since birth.

Troy swallowed hard at the mention of his parents and forced a teary smile,"Hey . . . it was just a dream buddy." Troy said pulling Luke on his lap. Luke whimpered.

"Troy are you gonna leave me too?" He asked, his childish eyes filled with tears.

"No bud . . . never," Troy said squeezing Luke, "You want me to stay with you until you fall asleep? I'll sing you mom's lullaby." Luke nodded his tiny sandy brown curls bouncing at the movement.

"Okay." Troy said as he tucked Luke back in and sat next to him. He slowly began to sing until Luke's body relaxed and began to move up and down along with his calm breaths. Troy lies next to Luke and quickly fell asleep. Keeping his promise to not leave his brother.

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Gabriella walked down the steps in her Jimmy Choo's and sky blue summer dress. She popped on her gum loudly as she stomped into the house library. She sucked in an angry breath as she looked in the middle of the sunlight filled room. There was her tutor . . . Marshall who was about 50 and was Albert Einstein but in Math, not science. She pulled out her chair and crossed her arms like a baby as she fell onto the chair with a grunt. Implying that she'd rather be dead, then here with Marshall.

He looked at her through his glasses. "Do you always walk in with such a temper?" Marshall asked.

"Only when I know the first thing I'll see when I walk in is your wrinkly face. It's sickening." Gabriella said popping her gum again.

"Why must you ** me off so much?" He asked. His face was beginning to turn red with anger.

"Because Grandpa, you're my 5th tutor this month. Which you wont be for long, and until my mom gets the message that I'm not being homeschooled under any circumstances you'll be out of a job and I'll be on to ** off tutor #6." Gabriella said snapping her fingers.

"I'm not gonna give you that satisfaction, now open to page 36 in your textbook." He said smirking.

"Fine," Gabriella opened it to page 36 then closed it again. He looked at her "WHAT? You said open it . . . I did."

"Look, you're dealing with the wrong person Ms. Montez. READ PAGE 36, THE WHOLE THING." he said angrily.

"No! YOU'RE the one messing with the wrong person, you may have the power to fail me, but I have the power to give you a law suit so bad you'll be living on the streets with $0 to your name before you can say FORGIVE ME." Gabriella said throwing the textbook in his hands.

Marshall surrendered with aggravation, "You win." He gathered his books roughly and walked to the library entrance.

"Marshall Darling, done with today's lesson?" Ms. Montez smiled bumping into him.

"Your daughter doesn't need a tutor. She needs psychiatric help!" He said pushing passed her.

She sighed and walked over to Gabriella. "Darling what is wrong with you?" her mom asked.

"Figure it out, Mom." Gabriella said standing up and walking out quickly. Her mom watched her, unsure of what to do about her stubborn teenage daughter.

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Troy didn't get the job because of his dress attire. Please, what's wrong with the world? He sighed and loosened his tie before walking down the sidewalk. Thoughts were running through his head. Rent was due soon. He barely had enough to feed Luke and himself. What was he going to do? He ran his fingers through his hair and sat on a bench.

"Excuse me sir?" A voice asked. Troy looked up to see a limo driver waiting by the limo.

"Yes?" Troy asked, still pouting over the idea that he didn't get the job.

"You do realize you're on the Montez's property right?" he asked.

"Since when was a bench property?" Troy's eyes flickered from his bench to the mansion standing a few feet beside him.

"Just saying. . ." The limo driver shrugged. Troy rolled his eyes and played with his fingers, "Someone got fired." The limo driver said.

"More like unemployed and didn't get the job." Troy sighed in reminder of the situation.

"Hm. . . You uh-- good with math?" The limo driver suddenly looked over to him, curiously.

"Fantastic at math...that was my best class in high school . . . why?" Troy furrowed his eyebrows, inquisitive about the man's question.

"I over heard my boss talking about her daughter needing another math teacher..." He smiled "You sound good for the job."

"W-well who's your boss?" Troy asked nervously. He wasn't sure about this.

"Richard!" A female's soprano voice called.

"That's . . . my boss," He said nodding his head to a woman walking out in a very proper rich white dress.

"Why hello." She smiled kindly, "Richard who's this?"

"I think he could be Baby G's new tutor if you let him apply," Richard smiled a toothy grin.

"Hmmm..." She looked at her gold watch. "I've got time to interview you on the way. Hop on in," Ms. Montez smiled.

Troy brightened up and stood quickly he followed her to the limo but paused at Richard. "Thanks."

"Just doing my job sir." He laughed and closed the door as he walked to the driver's side, got in, and pulled off.

END OF CHAPTER