I’m almost too pleased to speak. “Thank you. That means a lot.” A moment after we end the Zoom call, I check my PayPal account and see she’s already paid the invoice I sent out.

Could it really be this easy? All I did was post in a few parent groups online that I’m available for math and history tutoring over Zoom. I didn’t know there’d be parents jumping at the opportunity to get their kids tutored over the summer—a few students was as much as I hoped for. Now, my schedule is pleasantly full as I check my calendar to make sure none of my appointments overlap.

It’s almost funny, in a way, how good it felt to receive a little praise just now. It goes to show how long I’ve gone without it. Not that I’m hungry for it or desperate for approval, but the fact is, I used to get it a lot more than I do now. When I was training and competing. To go from that to being ridiculed and belittled on a daily basis… that’s a long way to fall. Only now, with money in my account and praise ringing in my ears, do I know how badly I’ve missed getting recognition for the things I’m good at.

And once the school year starts, I’m sure there will be more students. More parents eager to part with their money if it means giving their kids a leg up. Considering I’m only tutoring middle schoolers, maybe it won’t be too much to juggle this on the side while I study for my own classes. Lots of people work during college, and not from the comfort of their room, either. I can handle it.

In the meantime, I’m going to save every penny I make and put it toward moving into the dorms when school starts. One good thing about having a scholarship for college: it’ll let me put my money toward surviving rather than spending it all on tuition. Even though it’s only the local school and not some big, expensive place, it means being able to get along for a lot less money than I would otherwise. I’ve done the math, crunched the numbers, and even considered how much I’ll have to buy to furnish my room. It feels good to have a plan and a way of meeting my goals. Another few weeks of tutoring, and I’ll already have enough saved up for the first semester. I really wish I had thought of tutoring sooner.

One added bonus: I can look forward to never having to go to that gym again. And once I’m out of this house, I won’t have to deal with Nix, Colt, or James again, either. At least not on a daily basis. Maybe not ever. I doubt I’ll be missed come holiday time.