Amy

Ring!

Amy had been making breakfast when she heard the bell ring.

[Is it that newspaper boy? Didn't we just pay the bill?] Amy thought as she walked to the door. She looked through the peephole to see who it was.

[Bryan? Is everything alright?] Amy thought and quickly opened the door.

"Mom" Bryan said as he looked at the familiar face. His mother had looked the same as far as he could remember. 

"Are you alright? Is everything fine?" Bryan's mother asked with a hint of concern.

"I am fine, mom. I just missed you." Bryan said.

"But you should have informed me." Amy said as she gestured to invite him in.

Bryan stepped in but was met with a fierce gaze from his mother.

"You have been gone for just over a month and  already forgot the rules? Leave your shoes outside." Amy scolded him.

Bryan who should be feeling bad actually felt happy.

[Moms. Moms never change.] Bryan thought as he followed the orders.

"Why do I feel that you have grown a lot in just a month? You look like a man and not the boy I sent to college." Amy said.

[Is it because of the genetic potion? That might be it.] Bryan thought.

"I am still the same." Bryan said as he made himself comfortable on the couch.

"So, tell me what happened. You are not in any kind of trouble, are you." Amy asked.

"It's not a trouble but I do have something to talk about." Bryan replied.

"Tell me then." Amy asked as she fumbled through the things Bryan had brought back. There was no such thing as privacy to mothers. Fortunately, Bryan wasn't carrying anything that he needed to hide.

[Should I tell her now? First thing in the morning, let's no do it.] Bryan thought.

"Where's Bella?" Bryan asked about his little sister.

"Can't you guess?" Amy said like Bryan had asked something very stupid.

[Oh, I almost forgot.] Bryan thought about the timetable he had to follow through school. Morning was the time to study.

"She is studying then. Isn't she just in the 10th grade." Bryan said as he tried to help Bella.

"Exactly, it's the tenth grade. She has to study if she wants to attend a great college. You know our condition." Amy said with helplessness.

"Mom, actually I came back to change that." Bryan said.

"Change what? You are in trouble, aren't you?" Amy said with heightened suspicion.

"Mom!!!!" Bryan complained.

"Okay, tell me. Why are you here then. You could have come after your mid-semester exams." Amy said.

Bryan didn't just say anything but he opened his phone as he brought out the bitcoin information. 

"Mom, what I am saying now can't go out. You have to promise me first." Bryan said.

"Don't act like this. Why would I do anything you don't want me to do? Just get on with it." Amy said as she felt a little irritated by Bryan's distrust.

"A friend told me about bitcoin, it's a currency just like the dollar.. He has spent millions in it and his family has some insider information that the 'greatest' country will legalise it soon. The price of bitcoin is steadily rising. it's like the gold rush and I want to be a part of it " Bryan said.

"Who is this friend? Are you sure it's not a scam? Why haven't I heard about it." Amy said.

"Mom, it's not like we have to keep them forever, we just have to ride the wave up." Bryan said.

"Answer my question. Who is your friend. What does his family do. I sent you away to California so you stayed away from the gambling here but here we are." Amy said as she held the hand on her head with disappointment.

"Mom, please listen to me. It's not gambling. I can show you the chart. The value is rising. Anyone can spot this trend." Bryan said.

"Why has no one spotted it then? It's gambling and we don't gamble Bryan. You just have to work hard and it won't matter in the end." Amy said sternly.

"Mom please listen to me. Don't you want a better future for Bella. What if she can't go to a better institution because we can't pay the fees. Think about her future mom." Bryan said as he tried the soft approach.

Amy had a complex look on her face. 

"We don't have the money, Bryan." Amy said as a last resort to dissuade Bryan.

[She is lying.] Bryan thought when he knew his mom had said she would give him 40k even if he didn't get the full scholarship.

[How can I all be missing? She just doesn't want to gamble.] Bryan thought.

"Can I have a loan?"