“Elementary education is sort of generalized, but if I had to pick a focus, I think I’d want to be a history teacher,” I decide after taking another big bite of the chicken. It’s delicious, cooked perfectly, and the pasta is al dente. Sometimes, I don’t like pasta from takeout restaurants since it can be overcooked and watery, but this is delicious. I’m glad I came down now.

“History is just, like, memorizing stuff. Dates and whatnot.”

“It can be,” I agree, nodding to Nix. “But I like being able to piece events together. Like this war happened because of this and that from a hundred years earlier. When you look at it that way, it’s actually really fascinating. Getting a feel of the big picture. I’m sure kings were out there making decisions they couldn’t imagine would lead their country to war in a hundred years, you know?”

“What did they care? They’d be dead by then, anyway.” Nix always has a way of cutting to the heart of something.

“That’s true.” Just like how in a hundred years, nobody is going to care that I’ve been repeatedly hurt and humiliated. My food doesn’t taste so great all of a sudden, but I know that’s just my thoughts coloring my feelings. I need to stop thinking that way. I wish I could enjoy simple things like this without always being afraid.

“So what did you guys do today?” If they are in a friendly mood, I might be able to squeeze some useful information out to use against them later. “You said you had things to get done.”

“Oh, you know. Errands, stuff like that. We went to the gym.” The way Nix stresses that last word tells me he’s still bitter over me refusing the job.

“Am I really going to have to start working there again once our parents are back?”

“We were only trying to do you a favor,” Colt insists.

“And that’s really nice, but I felt like I was getting paid to do nothing. I want to feel like I’m actually earning my money.”

“Do you ever get tired of trying to do the right thing all the time?” Nix grumbles. I’m actually glad he did it, even if Colt shoots him a dirty look. I need to remember who I’m dealing with here. They might want to call a temporary truce, but that doesn’t change anything in the long term.

“No, I actually don’t. Maybe you should try to do the right thing sometimes.”

“Meh.” Nix shrugs. “Maybe you should try to be bad.”

Ignoring his comment, I turn my head back to Colt.