Mike is gawks around in the alleyway. The faint light of the pizzeria signage board shines illuminates the hollow dark alleyway just left to the restaurant.
Zane walks up behind him without Mike realizing
"what's up?" Zane says.
Mike lets out a loud gasp as if he's nearly escape from the jaws of death.
"DUDE WHAT THE HELL YOU ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!!" Mike yells.
"can you ever not yell?" says Zane annoyed.
"Now tell me the thing you called me here for" Zane goes on.
Mike shoves his hand in his jacket pocket. He removes and shows a flyer with the a sentence in bold design saying "USAEC wants YOU" with a recruitment invitation along with various information.
"I found a dude givin' these out in some military jacket" mike says.
"He said they wanted volunteers but if your too young or something like that then you gotta get permission from your parents or something" Mike informs.
"teach said we shouldn't go for this" Zane says rolling his eyes.
"oh c'mon its not like he said its JUST for convicts other people can volunteer too ai-"
"those other people are people who have nothing to lose in life-I've got a sister to take care of. besides, expenses are covered for her treatment" Zane says interrupting Mike.
"bro pay too good its 10K a month and that's just for the lowest rank!! and all your insurances are covered too! its a good deal" mike says convincing tone.
Zane pauses. It's the highest pay then any other branch of military and that too for a junior rank. It's a deal to good and for most of the other expenses and insurances being provided for there is no reason to not join.
"I'm good thanks i don't think I wanna ruin my life just yet" Zane says adamantly.
mike sighs in agony.
"oh man I thought we both could've joined" mike says disappointingly.
"sorry man" Zane says trying to dismiss him
"also don't you also have a dad?" Zane asks.
"he's in jail I don't think imma ever see him anytime soon" mike says while frowning.
It was a bit odd to Zane when he was told about mike's father. He'd never seen him not even in a picture at mike's house. Mike didn't have a lot of family in this state but mike did say he has an uncle who asked his well being and helped him out sometimes. Not that Zane recalls ever seeing him too. It was a bit strange to him but mike was a bit distant about his family members so he didn't think about it too much.
"well I guess it is what it is, but if you ever change your mind though, give 'em a call see what they tell you" mike says while giving Zane another flyer.
"sure I'll see" Zane says
"see ya" mike says while walking away.
Zane reaches home and collapses on the bed. Exhausted from school and work and then also going to the hospital walking long distances as well as being called over by mike for a flyer made his body ache. He was tired enough to skip dinner and thought he would just go to sleep.
He looked at the photos on the wall of his family. It was from when they had all visited various places as a family. Some are of him and his sister too. He also glanced upon a picture of his family on the beach. He looks at himself, brightly smiling in the picture and, remembers the time his mother said that he was the happiest on the beach and that it was his brightest smile ever.
He turns his face and looks in the mirror. Even though he is tall, he his slender with little muscle ,unlike mike who is also his height. His skin is pale. His black hair is messy and he has the darkest dark circles under his eyes. His mother told him he had great features when he was coming of age but now he can barely recognize himself.
"I miss you guys....feels awful lonely." Zane sighs.
"well at least I've got sis and she's soon gonna wake up" Zane says while giving a crooked smile.
He dozes off with the lights on. He doesn't care because tomorrow is a holiday.
Half an hour passes.
Then his phone suddenly rings loudly. He wakes up startled and gasping.
"I swear if its mike I'm gonna kill him" Zane rants
He walks up to the phone and looks at the screen. It's a call from Mr. Williams, his benefactor.
"Hello?"
"Hello Mr. Zane I am Emma, Mr. Williams's secretary, and I've called you to inform you of his untimely demise" says the secretary
Zane feels a shiver in his body. The only reason his sister's treatment was working was because of his money. Mr. Williams was a very close old friend of Zane's father. He willingly helped him and his sister.
"I'm really sorry to hear that please give his family my condolences" Zane says
"I will" she pauses for a second the goes one informing "I also need to inform to you that Mr. Williams family cannot support you as benefactor. The family has suffered financial losses due to Azazel attacks that destroyed their factory and needs his money to finance themselves. Mr. Williams has not written anything in his will as well".
The words pierce Zane's ears as if he was being stabbed . Its always those damned Azazels.
"I understand but can't the family do anything, I'm still in high school and I can't make enough money right now" Zane says
"I understand but the family has far bigger problems." the secretary says bluntly. "but if you have any document relevant to the benefactor's contract you can bring it up" said the secretary.
Zane cringes at the secretary's statement. Seems like money matters more then the life of humans to these gold-hogging orcs after all.
"no its alright then thanks for informing me" Zane hangs up.
He's exhausted mentally and physically and now this phone call really broke him.
"oh….my GOOODD" Zane yells.
He cannot think straight. How would he ever earn money to support his sister's treatment. Treatment stops 3 months if bills aren't paid. How would he ever find that kind of money with so little time.
His eyes then fall upon the flyer mike had given him. The design was goofy for a military branch to issue it according to him.
"goddammit"
Zane looks around. He thinks for a while. He then gets up and takes the flyer and then dials the number on it.
The call connects.
"thank you for calling USAEC recruitment line, how may I help you"