Jeffrey knew about the IRS, the better business bureau and that there were government offices he would need to visit if he was starting a company. However, because he was doing cash transactions at such a small scale he was deliberately putting it off.
One of these days he was going to have to visit the library and get a basic grasp on the tax laws with one of those large yellow filing taxes for dummies books.
Jeffrey continued to attend school and finding the courage to talk to people about his science project.
"Hey Maddie, have you heard about this perfume slime that I made for the science fair?"
"Hey Jeremy, I got a jar of Oobleck with your name on it."
"Jason, Alex, I've got 2 more jars left. it's only $20 a jar."
Jeffrey was slowly being known as the salesman, the kid selling slime, surprisingly his middle school was decently affluent and although it was a public school, he wasn't bullied. However he was socially awkward and ostracized in different ways, the gossip from other children and rumors slowly spread across the school.
The kids in his grade took to ignoring him. If Jeffrey was younger, he definitely would be ashamed to continue. However as he had a more "mature mindset", he acted as if he was unaffected by their opinions. Jeffrey had a slight superiority complex due to being older and therefore had this supposed monopoly on being smarter than everyone else.
However as his reputation started to grow, Jeffrey started to encounter various feelings of jealousy, envy, resistance, and anger from the other kids.
Jeffrey could feel the malicious thoughts and stares from the other kids in school. They thought what he did was easy, anyone could do that.
Although none of them actually did learn to make and sell Oobleck, most thought it was beneath them. It didn't prevent some from looking down on Jeffrey.
Jeffrey recalled his most recent encounter with Joe.
"Hey Joe...", Jeffrey greeted a kid he knew from social studies class.
"Jeffrey, I don't want your Glow-in-the-dark Oobleck", Joe said lifting his head up high.
"But I didn't even say anything", Jeffrey responded.
"Everyone knows what you're selling and I don't want any", Joe smugly replied taking a sort of satisfaction in rejecting Jeffrey.
"If everyone knew, then they would have already come to me to ask for it. Since they don't know, then I have to let them know why my science project is so cool. Some people call it marketing and advertising, but all good products need-", Jeffrey started to say before he was cut off.
"Well you can go away", Joe pointed at him and laughed.
"Look at this kid", Joe said to his friends.
Jeffrey calmly left and tried to stay professional. It stung a little being rejected, however after being rejected many times Jeffrey learned to brush it off and get used to it.
Thomas Edison himself failed 1000 times before he succeeded even once, that must have taken so much endurance to keep going. He was also a great businessman because he was ruthless, but generally just a mediocre scientist. Jeffrey on a pragmatic standpoint preferred Westinghouse, Jonas Salk, and then Nikola Tesla as more scientific role models.
Jeffrey found strength in the stories he read, the words of writers and poets, the history and lore that he learned. The many web novels he read were always motivating when the chips were against the protagonist, there would always be some method to reverse the situation.
However, books and stories always skipped out the drama and the uncertainty of such a decision. The protagonist would always have confidence, because they had nothing else but the confidence in their own skills and abilities.
He loved Shayne Koyzcan's poetry "To This Day" and there were many more examples in art from masterpieces by Van Gogh and...
Jeffrey returned to find himself walking to his backpack. He pulled out another jar of slime and smiled. "Not today, let's just try to sell 1 more", Jeffrey said to himself.
Jeffrey had his own struggles and battles to fight, he still had to check on if Preston had sold his Oobleck yet, and it was time to start making more friends instead of enemies.
Jeffrey didn't know how he could fix his reputation, some things were just impossible. However so long as he could get any amount of support, it would make his life easier.
It was probably time to bring in Samantha Watts and start a minor PR campaign with the yearbook and journalism clubs. Afterward he still knew a few friends in the lego robotics club and the kids who helped volunteer to pick up trash in the neighborhoods.
Jeffrey continued scribbling in his notebook
Week 3: 6j @ 1.2
Week 4:
Goal: 12j @ 2.4
Jeffrey added a small note at the bottom.
"Only 2 more to go and then it's time to celebrate!" :-)
Jeffrey doodled some balloons and decided to buy some ice cream to share with his friends and maybe some of his customers that bought a jar of his slimes.
"Perhaps I can organize some sort of slime activity or competition", Jeffrey wondered.
The lunch bell rang and Jeffrey walked to class, his bag slightly lighter due to the jars he'd sold.