Kayla never imagined she’d be the kind of teenager who checked neighborhood job boards between classes, but the last few months had changed everything. Her mom was juggling two jobs, the bills kept stacking up, and college, once a distant dream, now felt like something she’d have to fight for.
She tried not to show how much the money mattered, but she felt it every time her mom came home exhausted or when a notice arrived in the mail with red lettering across the top. Kayla wanted to help. Even a little. She wanted to feel like she wasn’t just another thing her mom had to carry.