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When I graduated froh school, my best friend, Matt Cooksey, and I moved to Lubbock, Texas, frorown up We had both been accepted to Everson University—EU—in northwest Texas for the fall semester, me on a full academic scholarship and him half on student loans, the rest on his ether, we could afford to live off campus, and the two-bedroom apartment we had rented and put down the deposit on was tiny, just 325 square feet, but it was livable

It was only 450 a month plus utilities, which, split down the et part-time jobs instead of full-time ones, so we could studyother than work if eren’t in class It was a good plan, but Matt bailed on irl andto do, but I actually understood The ive that up for me?

So I had to get a real job instead of the cushy one I had lined up at the campus bookstore, because by that time, the dorms were full, so I had no choice but to pay for h school at Ace Graphics and only resigned when I er and asked him if he could recommend me for a position at one of the five branches in Lubbock As I hadn’t yet been gone six months, I was basically a rehire, and on his word, I was employed within two days I promised I wouldn’t let him down, and he assured me it had never been a concern

At the new store, they needed an assistant er, since their last one had just been proratefully by the branch er and with reservations by the staff It hteen—which I hen I started there—I was the youngest one there Once they got used to h, and saw that I wasn’t a flake, they started counting on h, and I was accepted into the fold

It was ed, and fed my cat, Boaz Then I walked to work There was no ti else, and when I had to cover more shifts than just my own, betork and classes I was a zombie

By the Friday night before Christht days because one of the project an, had a baby Technically his wife had the baby, but he needed to be there And I got that, I did, but I was beat Usually second-shift duties rotated between the three assistant ers, Rick Burns, Elliot, andoff Then they fired Alex Chesney because he was doing free work for people he liked, and Rick got stuck covering days until soot hired So ere suddenly doo people, and ourtiot a districtin sales like crazy—couldn’t help at all She was sorry, so sorry; she would have filled in if she could, but she orking her ass off and had a family herself

My options ca it up Since I needed thea roof over reat bill-wise, rent-wise, but not health-wise By the end of ot two days off, I was a card-carrying creature of the night Noith no break fro and ho to feel the wear and tear on my body

“Sweetheart?”

The nice lady I was helping was s at me as she touched my forearm Apparently I had nodded off

“Oh God, I’m sorry,” I said with a weak smile

“It’s okay, Vincent, you look exhausted”

I had a moment to wonder how she knew my na the night before and re so—”

“Dude” A guy wearing an Everson University football T-shirt, huge with no neck, put a flash drive on the counter beside me “I need all four of the slides in the folder marked copies printed out twenty-four by thirty-six and la”