Chapter 10: The Annual Problem of our Generation

<Ethan's POV>

I entered the Dunphys' house just as Haley was about to open the front door. She stopped mid-step, her eyes landing on me.

"Oh, uhm, Evan, right?" she said, eyebrows raised.

"Ethan," I corrected with a small smile. "Are you going somewhere, Haley?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Mom asked me to call you since you were taking your sweet time. I thought I could sneak out right after, but since you're here now..." She trailed off, already absorbed in her phone, her thumbs flying over the screen before I could respond.

I shrugged and walked inside, heading straight for the kitchen. The smell of dinner greeted me, and the Dunphys' usual chaos felt oddly comforting.

Phil was the first to spot me. "Hey, Vitamin E!" he called out enthusiastically. "I heard your aunt visited. Is she joining us for dinner too?"

I chuckled. "I don't think so, Vitamin P! She left right after Claire stopped by."

Claire, who was busy chopping vegetables, paused and looked up. "Oh? I didn't hear a car leave your place. Did she walk?"

Her question caught me off guard for a second. I quickly came up with something. "Uh, yeah... She said she needed the exercise," I replied, trying to sound casual.

Claire's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied me, clearly unsure if she believed my answer or not. "Uh-huh," she said, her tone half-suspicious but dropping the subject, for now at least.

<Claire's Commentary>

*Claire looks directly at the camera, her expression serious.*

"I swear to God, something is going on. I just don't know what yet. And if you tell me I'm being paranoid, I don't care. I just want to make sure Ethan's going to be fine."

<End Commentary>

<Ethan's POV - Again>

 Claire turned her attention back to dinner prep, clearly still thinking about what I said. "I'm almost done here, Ethan. How about you go ahead and sit at the table?" she suggested, before turning to Phil. "Phil, can you call the kids?"

Phil immediately obliged, walking closer to the stairs. "Kids! Dinner's almost ready!"

Not wanting to just stand there, I started setting the table. I grabbed plates, silverware, and glasses, placing everything neatly. Claire noticed and waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, Ethan, you don't have to do that. You're our guest."

"It's okay, Mrs. D. This place is like my second home already," I said with a smile. "It's no big deal."

Claire smiled back, perhaps a bit touched by the sentiment. Soon after, the family gathered. Phil, Luke, Alex, and Haley all took their seats. Luke sat next to me, as usual, and Phil helped Claire serve dinner. Roast beef, mashed potatoes, and mixed veggies. The smell of it all was incredible.

"Wow, this looks delicious, Mrs. D!" I said, genuinely impressed.

"Thanks, Ethan," she replied, clearly pleased.

We all dug into the meal, and the conversation was light and pleasant, mostly revolving around Luke's antics and Phil's latest gadget interests. By the time dinner was over, Claire packed some leftovers for me to take home.

"Thanks again, Mrs. D, Vitamin P. I had a great time," I said, giving them both a smile as I grabbed the container of leftovers.

"You're welcome, Vitamin E!" Phil replied. Then, with a mischievous grin, he added, "You know, since you're practically here all the time, how about you get your things and move in with us already?"

Claire nudged him playfully in the arm, shaking her head. "I was just kidding, honey," Phil said, trying to ease her disapproving look.

I laughed. "If I moved in with you guys, your house would turn into a mess with how much Luke would ask me to play with him."

The three of us chuckled, and after a final wave, I headed back to my house. When I got inside, I noticed my school books sitting on my desk and remembered something. "Ah... it's exam week starting tomorrow. Should I review?" I stared at the pile of papers for a second. "Nah. I'm sure the exams will be easy," I shrugged, tossing the books into my bag for tomorrow just in case. After tidying up, I got ready for bed.

*the next day*

*bzzt* *bzzt*

The alarm clock jolted me awake. I groaned, rubbing my eyes before dragging myself out of bed. After heating up some of last night's leftovers for breakfast, I took a quick shower, then grabbed my backpack, heading out just as Claire called me over for the usual carpool.

Alex was already sitting in the front seat, head buried in a thick book, furiously flipping through pages as she reviewed for the exams. Typical Alex. Claire, glancing at her daughter in concern, started the car and gently reminded her, "Sweetie, could you stop reading for a second? Your eyesight might get worse if you read in the car."

Without even looking up, Alex replied, "You know I can't do that, Mom. I need to pass the exams."

A brief argument ensued, with Claire eventually giving up, sighing in defeat as Alex continued her last-minute cramming. When we got to school, Alex practically jumped out of the car and sprinted to the library, probably to review even more.

Meanwhile, I went to my locker and found Zoey waiting for me. "Hey, Ethan. Did you review for the exams?" she asked, knowing full well the answer.

"You know I don't do that," I smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, I forgot. Sorry I'm not as smart as you," she teased.

We chatted for a bit, catching up on the weekend, until the bell rang, signaling the start of exams. The whole day was spent either taking tests or finishing up projects, and, as I expected, it was a breeze for me. For everyone else, though, not so much.

For a whole week, exams were the only thing anyone talked about, but once they were over, it was finally May—the start of summer vacation.

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as I walked out of school on the last day. 'Do we get 104 days of summer vacation?' I thought, amused. 'I guess the annual problem of our generation starts now. What's a good way to spend it?'

As I made my way towards the Dunphy's car, my phone buzzed with the Imperial March theme, my favorite ringtone for unknown callers. I pulled it out and answered, "Hello, who's this?"

"Good morning, Mr. Wilson. This is Monty Payton. I'm currently at your house with the concert tickets you requested."

"Oh, wait a second. I'm not home yet," I replied, quickening my pace toward Claire. "Let me check if my neighbour can receive them."

I turned to Claire. "Hey, Mrs. D, is Vitamin P home by any chance?"

She smiled at the nickname I'd given Phil. It had become almost a habit now. "Oh, uh, yeah, why?"

"The tickets for the concert just arrived. I need someone to receive them."

"Let me call him," she offered. After a minute of waiting while she talked to Phil, she sighed and rubbed her temples. "Phil's at golf. No one's home."

"Thanks, anyway!" I said, then returned to my call with Monty. "Looks like no one can receive the tickets right now. Can you wait until I get back?"

"No problem, Mr. Wilson," Monty replied. "I also need you to sign the performance contract for the concert."

"Got it. I'll be home shortly," I said, wrapping up the call as I climbed into the Dunphys' car. Claire shot me a curious glance but didn't ask any more questions, probably still dealing with Phil's golfing habit.

The ride back was quick, thankfully, with no traffic to slow us down. I wasted no time heading straight to my house, where Monty was already waiting outside, briefcase in hand. He looked professional, with an easy smile that greeted me as I approached.

"Mr. Payton, I presume?" I offered my hand for a handshake.

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wilson, but please, call me Monty."

"Then you should call me Ethan." We both smiled, and I unlocked the door, gesturing for him to step inside.

"Would you like something to drink, Monty? Water, coffee?"

"A glass of water would be nice, thank you."

I brought him a glass of water and placed it on the table in front of him. After a quick sip, Monty pulled out an envelope from his briefcase. "Here are the concert tickets you requested, Ethan." Then, he retrieved a stack of papers. "And this is the contract for your performance."

I scanned the contract as Monty explained. "The pay is set at $5,000 for your performance. The viral video you posted really boosted your value. Newbies are usually offered around $2,000 or less."

The amount didn't really matter much to me. With the inheritance, I wasn't worried about money, but it was still a nice bonus. After I signed the contract, Monty stood up to leave. "If your performance goes well, there's a chance you could get signed by an agency. Just keep that in mind."

"Thanks, Monty. I'll do my best."

With a handshake, he left, and I grabbed the stack of tickets. My next stop was the Dunphys' place. As soon as I knocked on their door, Phil opened it with his usual grin. We went inside and I handed him the tickets, including those for the extended family. "These are for you guys and the rest of the family. I figured you'd all want to come."

Haley's eyes lit up when she saw the tickets. "Oh my God, yes! I can't wait!" In her excitement, she ran over and hugged me before pulling back just as quickly, trying to play it cool. The sudden shift in her attitude left us all scratching our heads.

The rest of the day was laid-back and fun. After dinner, Phil, Luke, and I spent a few hours messing around with our lightsabers. It had become sort of a regular thing—Phil quoting Star Wars lines while Luke tried out moves I taught him. It was the perfect end to a long day.

*to be continued*