Sunday, August 17, 2025
Bayford
2:00 PM
"Mom, I have to get to the library." Arthur Johnson, an eighteen-year-old, was sitting at the dining table and waiting for lunch.
He was 5'10". His hair was dark brown, thick, and wavy, always falling forward.
"Isn't the library closed on Sunday? His mother, Linda Johnson, came with two bowls of rice in her hands from the kitchen and placed them on the dining table.
She was in her early-to-mid 40s and was a housewife but sometimes did side jobs like babysitting.
Their house had 2 bedrooms, one living room, and a kitchen. It was not that big but enough for three people.
"Usually it's closed, but I asked the librarian yesterday, and she said it'll be open till five." Arthur replied and was eating his rice bowl.
"Okay, Art. Just come home early. You have to pack your bags too." She said and sat beside Arthur and ate lunch with him.
"Okay, Mom." Arthur replied. He was moving to a different state the next day for university.
Arthur received a scholarship to Southern State Institute of Technology. It was one of the top universities in the country. He had great grades and test scores in high school, but his family's financial health was not very good. Because of the money, Arthur wanted to go to a local community college instead, but his parents, however, insisted he accept the scholarship, pushing him to attend the university for a better future.
The university's total cost was $87500 per year. His scholarship covered $50000, which left his family to pay the remaining $37500 per year. For his family, that amount was impossible for them.
This was where the real problem started. The university offered him a solution to cover for the gap. And it was a student loan. Arthur knew it was more of a trap than a solution. After all, it was money he would have to pay back with interest as soon as he graduated. Arthur tried to warn his parents that it was a bad idea, but they pressured him. In the end, he took out a student loan.
After eating his lunch, Arthur headed to the library, carrying some books to return them. He didn't need them anymore, as he was leaving the state soon. The library was only a few blocks away, so he got there in just a few minutes.
He opened the door and walked toward the front desk. The librarian was not there, but her daughter, Allison, was sitting in her chair, typing on a laptop.
She was an eighteen-year-old girl with long, silky black hair and a slim, curvy figure. She was wearing a white shirt with black baggy pants, and the top buttons of her shirt were undone. She was busty, and from where Arthur stood, he had a clear view of her cleavage.
Arthur's eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly caught himself. He set his expression back to normal and fixed his gaze on the logo on her laptop.
"You can just put the books on the desk." Allison said without looking up from her laptop.
Arthur put the books on her desk. She scanned the barcodes one by one, checking them in.
"So, what are you doing here at this hour? Don't tell me you have bad intentions." Allison asked, finally looking up with a flirtatious smile, as it was Sunday, and the library was empty. It was just the two of them.
"Heh, that depends. Where's your mom?" He asked with a smirk on his face.
"She's at home." Allison replied. She stood up, walked to the front door, flipped the 'Open' sign to 'Closed' and locked the door.
She came back to him, grabbed his hand, and started pulling him in the back office.
Allison was Arthur's girlfriend. Arthur had been a regular at the library for years. He started up a conversation with Allison one day while she was helping her mom, who owned the place. They became friends, and soon, they were in a relationship.
A few hours passed.
Arthur was lying on a sofa in the back office, with Allison's head resting on his chest. Her eyes were moist.
"Art… I'm going to miss you so much, my love." She whispered. Her eyes were moist.
"I'll miss you too, my love."
A little while later, they got up and got dressed.
"Hey, babe, one of my friends has an Android, like you. I told her you were good with phones… how you can modify apps and get free stuff. She was wondering if you could… you know, modify her Spotify so she can get premium for free?"
"Of course, babe. Give me a few minutes. When it's ready, I'll email the file to you, and you can just forward it to her." Arthur said while taking out his cheap Android phone.
"Okay, perfect. While you do that, I'll heat up pizza in the microwave. I ordered one for us earlier." Allison said.
"Thank you, honey." Arthur said while opening his browser. He was not a cracker who broke the code himself. He just knew exactly where to find the modified APKs that were already out there.
"Hey, Art. Can you help me out? The microwave isn't working." Allison called out.
Arthur, who still had his phone in his hand, walked over and casually handed it to Allison. Then he checked the power plug. It was plugged in and switched on. then looked at the control panel. He pressed the 'start' button, but nothing happened. He pressed it again a little harder, and the microwave started. Then Arthur pressed the 'stop' button.
"The start button is not working properly. You have to press hard to start it." Arthur said with a smile on his face.
"Oh! Thank you, Art." Allison said. She put the pizza inside and slammed the door.
Arthur went back to the front desk and sat down. A moment later, Allison came over and sat playfully on his lap.
"The download should be done by now. Can you hand me my phone, honey?" Arthur asked.
"Your phone? Did you give it to me? I don't... oh god, where did I put it?" Allison said while patting her pockets.
"No way!!" Arthur panicked. He gently pushed Allison off his lap and sprinted back to the microwave.
He saw through the glass that the microwave's inside was sparking.