“Josh, I miss mom so much! I need to call
her.”
Three seconds later, I pulled out a beat–up
old flip phone from my plastic grocery bag.
I frantically pushed random buttons.
Then, I asked with a completely innocent
face, “How do you work this smartphone
thing? I’ve never used one before.”
- 12.
“That’s just wrong, that your mom tricked you
by saying that was a smartphone.”
“Josh has an iPhone14, and they gave you a
flip phone!”
Ryan was furious with my family.
I just shook my head with fake–pained face,
<
“It’s fine, I’m used to it.”
Ryan is a good person.
He said, “This can’t be happening. You’re
gonna need more money. What’s your major?
There’s a ton of grants and scholarships you
can apply for.”
“Or…”
He actually blushed.
I said, “Or what?”
“If you want to, you can always ask for help.”
My heart skipped a beat. This was too good
to be true.
I just said, “I won’t be shy.”
Ryan looked surprised.
So, three days before the deadline for
applications for financial aid, I went back to
Ryan.
And told him to leak something to Josh.
“Just say, I’m applying for aid, so I can buy
an iPhone15.”
く
- 13.
As luck would have it, Josh and I were under
the same student advisor, even though we
were in different majors.
The financial aid applications were public.
On the day they handed out the forms, the
advisor called all of his students to a
classroom.
Josh’s eyes widened as soon as he saw me.
He pulled me aside.
“Ashley, are you actually going to do this?”
I nodded.
Josh scoffed, but lowered his voice, “Don’t
worry, I’ll make sure you won’t get a single
vote.”
Figures.
I already knew he wouldn’t vote for me.
I knew he was going to make sure I got the
worst of it.
Just like always.
<
Sure enough, after my tearful, broke student
speech, Josh’s voice broke through from the
back.
“Professor, Ashley is lying.”
“She’s my sister. She gets $500 a month, just
like me. If she gets aid, how can the other
kids who are barely getting by be able to
live?”
The room went completely silent.
I just raised an eyebrow, realizing something.
My own brother didn’t know I only had a $50
budget.
While the professor was about to ask
questions, I looked down, and opened my
online bank balance.
A sad little number popped up on the screen.
$25.99.
“Professor, this is all I have for the next two
weeks.”
<
- 14.
“Your sister gets $50 a month, and you get $500 a month? That’s awful.”
“How could she ever survive on $50? That’s
some serious favoritism.”
“Professor, I can vouch for Ashley. She only ever eats veggies in the cafeteria. She never orders meat.”
I choked out, trying to stop the fake tears, “It’s okay, guys.”
Josh was totally shocked and getting roasted
by his classmates.
Because at the end of the day, he was
dressed in designer labels, and he was the
one making the rude comments.
“I can’t believe anyone would do that to their
sister.”
When the room was ready to explode, the
professor raised a hand.
“Okay okay Let’s stop there for today I’ll
<
“Okay, okay. Let’s stop there for today. I’ll
reach out to you individually regarding your
applications.”
