I slowly opened my eyes to my bedrooms dull ceiling. I sat in bed for a few minutes contemplating whether or not I should even get out. After a while I slow slid my way out of bed. I let out a big yawn and looked at my clock. 10:00 A.M. I was about an hour late to school. I didn't really care though. I just sighed and poured myself some cereal from my kitchen. I poured myself some cereal, sat on the couch, and began to watch some Television.
My names Flint Rosewood. I'm a 15 year old teen in high school. And, for those wondering why I don't want to go to school: I can't at this point and time. You see about two years ago, my father left me, my brother, and my mother all alone to fend for ourselves. It wasn't like I didn't expect it however, he was a dick, he would constantly mentally abuse my mom. Telling her that she was never good enough. My mom is the nicest person I know, she tried her best to raise us as a single mother. About a month ago, she fell ill with a mysterious illness. Nobody knows whats wrong with her, so they can't do any procedures to fix it. We aren't close to being a rich family, so we can't afford a caretaker.
After about two weeks into her illness, I volunteered to stay home and care for her. She was getting worse, and the doctors told me at this rate she wouldn't last another month. I became my brothers caretaker while my mother was ill. I knew that doing this would be basically be setting back my academics forever, but I really just wanted to spend time with my mom before she died. However, I made sure my brother got to school and got good grades. At this rate I will most likely be forced to become a Pokemon trainer, because missing about two months of school will look bad on your resume for any jobs. Being a pokemon trainer wouldn't be that bad I guess…
I got up from the couch and turned off the Television. I walked to my mothers room to check on her. She was awake, staring up at her ceiling. As soon as she saw me she turned to me with a weak smile.
"How you doing?" I asked "I will go and make you some breakfast in a bit." She turned to me.
"I'm feeling…" She paused. "Ok." She said as she smiled. Deep down I knew she was just lying to make me feel better.
"Alright well, just call me if you need anything, i'll be making you breakfast…" I said, I turned and began to walk out of the room. I was halfway out through the door when I heard her voice say what I dreaded to hear.
"Flint… If I die… do you promise you will take care of Darren..?" She said softly. I turned around slowly and looked at her face, it was stricken with a cruel mix of seriousness and pain. Tears began to form in my eyes.
"Don't... Don't say that!" I said, tears beginning to stream down my face. "You're not gonna die! I won't let you!" I ran over to her and wrapped my arms around her. I sobbed in her arms as she stroked my silky hair.
"Flint, I wish I could say I would survive but… I don't think that's going to be the case." I pulled my face away from her embrace and wiped my eyes. "I just want you to be prepared for when I pass away… I don't want you to suffer from my passing." I took a deep breath in a failed attempt to calm myself.
"... If you die, I could never forgive myself." I said softly. She looked confused.
"Why? It's not your fault you know…" She said.
"I know that but… I feel like you're my responsibility… and I just couldn't lose you! I love you so much." I said trying to make sense of what I said.
"I love you too flint, I love you and Darren so much, you are my life." She said. Her eyes closing. I sat with her while she fell asleep. Then got up, and exited the room. I turned on the gas stove and began to make some pancakes for my sick mother. I poured some milk for her in a glass and began to walk back to her room. I lightly shook her to wake her up. She opened her eyes. She eyed the food I brought her and sat up. I carefully set the plate down in front of her.
"Want syrup?" I asked
"Yes please." She said softly. I put on some syrup and placed the milk on her nightstand.
"I'm going to try and take some online courses to keep up with school." I told her. She nodded.
"That's good." At that moment a large ding echoed throughout the house, signaling somebody had rung the doorbell.
"I will be right back." I said to mom, then I exited the room.
I approached the front door and slowly opened it. A man in a black suit with a blue tie stood in the doorway.
"Hello, you must be Flint, correct?" The man said smiling, holding out his hand for a handshake. I shook his hand and nodded. "Can I come in, It's about your mother." I pondered his question. I have never seen this man before, maybe he's an old friend? I decided to question him before letting him come inside.
"Why are you here? And who are you?" I said suspiciously. He let out a small laugh.
"Oh sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My names James Corwin, I work for Devin Company in Rustboro City. I was taken a bit aback by this. Devin Cooperation? They were a famous company that was one of the leading investors in science and technology, what could they possibly want with my mother? Wait… maybe they are trying to find a cure! It was a longshot but I let out a quick prayer before speaking.
"Sure come on in!" I said. The man smiled and stepped inside my house. He looked around my house. He eyed the couch. "Mind if I take a seat while we discuss your mother?" He said as he looked at me.
"Uhh… sure no problem…" I said. I was pretty confused as he sat down. I sat down across from him and waited for him to speak.
"Devon Cooperation has been VERY interested in your mother's mysterious illness." He said, with a newly present tone that radiated seriousness.
"Oh… really?" I said, I was beginning to get hopeful, probably too hopeful…
"Yes. For the past month we have been studying your mother's samples from the doctors office. And i'm happy to announce that we have indeed found a cure." My eyes went wide.
"A-are you serious?!" I shouted. The man nodded.
"Your mother has a one of a kind disease, so we just had to take the time to study it. And we discovered it's an easy fix with simple medication developed by our company." I couldn't stop smiling, I was so happy I could burst. Tears began to form in my eyes. I leaped from my seat and ran over to the man and embraced him in a hug.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" I said as tears streamed down my eyes. The man grabbed my shoulders and moved me away from him. His face was dead serious.
"However. It isn't cheap." He said with a sad look on his face. My heart sunk. If it was more than 200 dollars there's no way he could afford it. He worked around the neighborhood for extra cash to support him and his brother while their mother was out, and he just couldn't afford something too expensive.
"H-how much?" I said nervously.
"Well considering you're the only person that needs this medicine and we put a lot of money and time into this… I would say about… Ten thousand dollars." His words hit me like a fist to the gut.
"Ten thousand dollars?!" I shouted. "You can't be serious!" The man nodded. "I don't have that kind of money!" I said. I buried my face in my hands. If only I had worked harder I could have helped my mom. The man sat there and just watched me cry for a few minutes before speaking.
"Alright. Let me give a call to my superiors to see what I can do." He said quietly. He stood up from the couch and pulled out his cell phone and began to speak with them. I listened to him as he called.
"He doesn't have the money to pay for it." Said the man. He heard someone talking on the other end. "Alright." He said after a while. "I will let him know." The man put down the phone and turned to me. He had a big smile on his face. "Good news!" he said happily. I perked up and stared at him. Praying that I could get it for way less. Instead the words that came out of his mouth shocked me. "How would you like to do a job for devon cooperation? If you do it we will pay off the price for the medication." Working at devon?! Me?! The most exclusive company in the world wants me to do a job for them?
"What?" I said, confused. The man sighed and reached into his pockets. After fishing around he produced a business card and placed it into my hand.
"You would be working as a test subject, testing medicines and stuff like that." I frowned, wasn't that really dangerous? But if it was to save my mom I should take it.
"When do I start." I said with my newfound determination. In any normal circumstance, I would say no. But my mother's life was on the line. I needed to do this. The man looked extremely pleased by my answer.
"You can start tomorrow! We will pick you up from your house. Just leave the rest to us." He beamed. I nodded. "Now I have to go, but we will hopefully see you tomorrow!" He said.
"Thank you so much!" I said, smiling. I led him out the door and shut it, as soon as I was sure he was gone I let out an excited little cheer. I ran up to my mothers room. She had finished her breakfast.
"Who was that?" My mother asked. "What did they want?"
"Mom!" I said, tears streaming down my face, I wrapped my arms around her. "They found it! Deven Company found a cure! You're gonna be fine!" I could barely control myself. My mother seemed shocked.
"Are… you serious?" she asked quietly.
"Yes!" I said, squeezing her. Tears began to form in her eyes.
"Oh Flint, that's wonderful!" She said hugging me. Than she pulled away and looked at me with a serious tone. "How much is it?" I cringed. I sat there in silence as she waited for me to answer.
"Ten thousand dollars." I said quietly. Her faced shifted from happy to sad.
"Oh."
"But it's ok! Devon co said if I did a job for them they would pay it off!" I said reassuringly. My mother looked at me confused.
"What kind of job?" She asked worryingly. I pondered whether I should tell her that I was going to be a test subject or not, she would be worried sick about me and her health really didn't need it at the moment. But I just didn't want to lie to her after all we have been through together.
"They want me to test medicines and other stuff they have there." I said. She looked at me like I was crazy.
"Thats way too dangerous!" She shouted.
"But it's to save you!"
"What would happen if you got hurt. I could never forgive myself!" She said. Tears were streaking down her face.
"I will be fine don't worry… Please, let me do this." I pleaded. She sat there for a few minutes, probably thinking.
"Ok… I will let you… but please I beg you: don't get hurt." She said. I nodded.
"I won't!" I stayed there with her for a bit more. Just hugging her. I was so happy, words couldn't describe how thankful I was. I looked at the clock: 3 PM. Darren would be home soon. I looked at my mom: fast asleep. I got up and walked downstairs. I began to make some food for darren when he got home. I wanted him to have some good food when I told him the good news. After I finished making me food, right on cue, Darren walked inside.
"Im home!" He called. He noticed the cookies I made. "Oooooo" He said as he rushed over to the cookies.
Darren was 12, he went to middle school. He was pretty aware of the situation of moms illness, and he was taking it a bit worse than me.
"Grab a cookie and sit." I said excited.
"Why are you so happy?" He asked.
"Because they found a cure!" I shouted. His eyes widened.
"Really?!" He said, a huge smile forming on his face. I nodded swiftly. He screeched for joy and flew towards moms room. I could hear him crying and hugging mom. I smiled. We could finally be a family again. I was beat from everything that happened today, I layed on my bed thinking about tomorrow.
"Hang in there mom" I whispered to myself. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.