Piss Off, This Is My Money

16

Jace dragged himself into the hotel room around 7 a.m. His eyes were bloodshot, and every muscle in his body buzzed like he was seconds away from collapsing.

But the bed… even now, it still felt wrong to lie on something so soft. His body didn’t trust comfort yet.

His phone rang — Trevon’s number.

“Hey, man,” Trevon said. “I’m home.”

“Home?” Jace blinked. “Which home?”

“I had to come back, bro. Mom lit the neighbor’s kitchen on fire. Cops arrested her. I had to come get bail money and shit.”

Jace sucked in a breath. “Leave them alone, Trev. They’re old enough to sort their own mess.”

“Dad doesn’t know about what happened to you,” Trevon rushed to say, talking over him. “And most people don’t. I’ll make them shut up if they start. Just… don’t worry about me.”

“You want to babysit them for the rest of your life?” Jace snapped. “You’ve got your own fucking life.”

“Woah, calm down. I know. I’ll handle it. Maybe take my SAT in a few months. You focus on yourself, man.”

Jace’s jaw clenched. He’d never been the nice kid — ever.

When his own parents told him he’d never get into college, refused to support him, laughed at him… he left.

Let them drown in their own chaos.

Trevon was the only one who kept trying to clean up behind them like some saint.

“They’ll never change if you keep doing this,” Jace said.

“Actually, man…” Trevon hesitated.

His mind went back to earlier this morning— Maya handing him ten thousand dollars.

Telling him to stay away from Jace.

And he couldn’t lie: he needed it.

Their mother was in jail. He was broke.

And Jace… Jace already had enough shit on his head.

“Hey,” Jace said sharply, snapping him back. “You still fucking there?”

“I’m fucked, man,” Trevon muttered. “Don’t worry about me. Just get your head out of all this mess. Make us proud or some shit.”

“I should be the one telling you that,” Jace snapped.

“If you graduate from that college? That same fucking college? Bro, I swear I’m going too.”

“You crazy bastard.” Jace exhaled. “You seen her yet?”

Trevon smiled a little. Jace didn’t look it, but he cared about their parents more than he ever admitted. Even though they were… fucked.

“Not yet. Cops are still tossing me around. I’ll see her in two hours or so.”

“How much do you need?” Jace asked.

“No amount, man,” Trevon lied immediately.

Money must be tight for Jace — with all that flexing online, nobody knew where the hell he got the cash.

And Trevon… Trevon had already taken Maya’s ten grand.

He wasn’t about to ask Jace for more.

“Don’t worry. I pleaded with the cops. Being a regular does something,” Trevon said, forcing a laugh. “So go screw Maya’s life over, bro. And… thanks for the phone you got me.”

“If you ever need money, tell me,” Jace said.

The line went quiet.

Trevon wiped a tear off his cheek as he ended the call.

On his phone was a video — the one Maya forced him to record.

Him promising he would never interfere in whatever war she had with Jace.

“Jace… you’ll be fine, right?” Trevon whispered, voice cracking.

“Who the hell are you on the phone with? You’re not going to get your mother?” his father barked from inside.

Trevon didn’t even look.

He knew the old man was already chain-smoking, probably sitting shirtless on that broken couch.

Morning, night, midnight — didn’t matter. He always smelled like burnt regret.