"You have to stop skipping class, or I'll tell Mom!" Joana said, punching my arm.
"Hey!" I sighed and stared at her... Joana looked a lot like me, with black hair and eyes, just like mine, and darker skin. Our gazes were different, though; I was more laid-back, while Joana was always serious. Which made sense, since she was a year older than me.
She worried about me, even if she showed it in a rough way sometimes.
"If I hadn't skipped class these days, we wouldn't have money for Mom's medicine!" I retorted, rubbing the spot where she had punched me. "That hurt..."
"It doesn't matter... She already has enough problems, if she finds out you've become an illegal delivery guy, she'll have a fit..."
"Then just don't tell her, and everything will be fine."
She sighed heavily, I think she understood how I felt... She'd also do anything for our mom, but still, Joana was a good and obedient girl who always did what Mom asked. And what Mom wanted most was for us to have a good future, follow our studies, and one day get into a megacorp, so we wouldn't have to worry about money anymore.
We turned a corner and saw other students like us approaching the school, which was hidden in the back of the city, among the humbler commercial buildings that contrasted a lot with the giant glass skyscrapers stretching into the sky on the other side of the city.
All the students were dressed the same, wearing a white shirt with the school logo, which was a rather nice coat of arms, blue pants matching the logo, and black shoes. It was one of the best public schools in the city, but it was still in decline.
Only the lucky families could afford to send their children to study, while others needed help, even from the kids themselves, to support the family, making them work...
I didn't feel embarrassed about being a delivery guy, though. I was doing what needed to be done. Even Mr. Hernandez had said that the day before, and my dad, before he died, also told me that if something ever happened to him, I'd be the man of the house, responsible for protecting Mom and Joana.
We passed through the school gates, and then I separated from Joana since she was in a class ahead of me.
As soon as I entered the classroom, I saw my classmates. They were all talking about something, and soon I realized they were talking about one of the new animes... I was so tired when I got home that I had forgotten about it.
All the boys were completely excited, talking about how Mitaka—the hero of the story—had unlocked a new power that disintegrated one of the villains, and soon after, he turned into the most powerful character and challenged the villain to a duel right there.
"Damn brats giving me spoilers!" I shouted at them, and they all stared at me, startled. Then I laughed. I already knew about it since I had read the manga, but it was still funny to scare them.
I was about to join them to talk, but as soon as I put my backpack down on the desk where I normally sit, the teacher entered, and all the boys immediately sat up straight in their chairs as if they were the most obedient students in the world. Even I, who had the reputation of being the rebel in the class, did the same, adjusting my posture.
"Good morning, class," she said with the voice of an angel.
Everyone responded together and watched her as Teacher Esmeralda walked from the door to her desk, holding her purse. She always dressed elegantly and kept her brown hair tied up in a tight bun, It was as tight as the clothes she wore, which made her beautiful figure stand out even more to everyone to see.
The girls in our class all sighed in disappointment, since the boys hardly paid attention to them, and when this teacher was around was as if none of them existed in the room.
They said she was a witch who hypnotized both the students and the other teachers.
The class went on normally, at least as normal as it could be. The girls paid attention to the content being taught while the boys suffered, staring at the teacher, admiring her beauty but never being able to get close to her.
*Beep*
I heard my wristband make a faint sound that no one else could hear, and then I stood up, asking permission to go to the bathroom. It was another delivery mission I needed to do.
As I walked through the hallway pretending to go to the bathroom, I felt my legs go completely weak when I realized the amount that would be paid for this mission... The day before, I had received 500 credits, which was a lot... If I completed this delivery, I would get 500,000 credits...
It was surreal, all that money would be enough for my mom to never have to worry again... I jumped up and yelled in joy, and immediately started running, ignoring the fact that I was supposed to be in class. Not even the hot teacher would make me lose out on all that money!