Chapter 1

Looking down at the menu I provided was a tall athletic looking high school teenage boy, the exact type that likes to come to my service shop. He's dumb as bricks and completely banking on his athletic abilities to make his way through life. The type of person to end up bailed out with a job from his rich parents when the inevitable realization that you actually have to train hard to make it into the big leagues hits. You know the type.

"So," he said pointing to the academic section of the menu, "What exactly is a fake grade edit?"

"Ever heard of Photoshop?"

He shook his head.

"Don't think I've ever bought a picture before."

I smiled at him.

"Would you buy one with your grades changed on it?"

"You can do that?"

He stared at me eyes wide.

"But of course. It'll be done in 2 days. That's right before report cards come out no?"

"Yeah, yeah holy shit it is."

He reached into his wallet and pulled out a $100 bill.

"How much will it cost? Is this enough?"

I quickly took the menu away from him and grabbed the bill.

"Hmm…" I replied quickly checking the bill for authenticity.

"You know I usually charge a bit more, but I'm feeling generous today, why not?"

"Really!?!?!?!" the teen said, "Thank the lord."

"No problem," I said with a smile as I placed the bill into my pocket. "Come back to pick it up in 2 days okay?"

"Of course," the teen said looking as if he was going to cry with joy. He intertwined his fingers together and began praying on the table.

"Dear heavenly father. Thank you kindly for allowing me to on this day be graced with good fortune. I am humbled and…"

I continued faking my smile as he sat there praying.

"Maybe I should advertise at a church," I thought.

"Thank you, amen," he said finally.

"Amen,"

Quickly I got up and led him to the door to exit my apartment.

"Wait one more thing," He said before leaving.

"You want a lucky charm?"

"No, it's just... your sister, you alright if you hit me up with her phone num…"

*Clank*

I slammed the door on him as I sighed walking back to my desk.

That was a week ago. I heard from my sister later that the dude that visited was one of her football team's linebackers who she reported later that week was no longer on the team. Most grades are recorded electronically these days which I of course didn't mention. No refunds.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Grace Star, a second-year student at Pacific Central High School in downtown Los Angeles where I'm just your everyday lonely high school girl. I think constantly about my youth and spend time with my precious friends even though none of us really know what we're doing.

Wait no sorry, that's my twin sister, Grace, the normie one.

Ahem

My name's Debra Star, a degenerate teenager and not in the wannabe Goth girl post on Instagram to be fetishized by guys sort of way either.

Rather in the actual, I feel bad about myself for how I've lived my life so far and you really shouldn't associate with me whatsoever sort of way.

When I was 10, I was a regular at elementary school detention. What do you think I was in for? Picking fights? Bullying? Swearing? Nah nothing of the sort, way too bothersome, where's the reward in that?

Even back then there was only one thing on my mind: Cold, hard, cash.

You ever just take the time to smell a paper bill? The fresh, crisp, intoxicating smell of a freshly printed 20? Why do drugs when you can get high off that instead?

"So…" the principal used to say to me, "You sold candy this week?"

"All kinds," I replied showing him my pencil case of supplies. Mints, gums, hard candy, chocolates, whatever you wanted I had stocked. How did I obtain these goods? I stole them of course. It's not really that hard when you're 10, just grab some from the convenience store, rip the bags open in the bathroom, and stuff all the goods in the backpack you brought in. Nothing to it.

Not like store clerks would ever suspect someone that age anyways. Now, I could justify myself by saying some bullshit like "Blah blah who cares if I steal, corporate America steals from us all the time!" But that's just what it would be, bullshit. I just wanted some cash, by any means necessary.

"How much did you sell this week?" the principal asked me.

"Dollars or units?"

"Dollars…"

"Mmm…" I pulled out my accounting paper from my pocket, "$789?"

He was pretty speechless after that. He couldn't really do much anyways. What, they're going to report a 10-year-old to the IRS?

Anyways, usually they'd just send me to Saturday school. Damn hypocrites. Next week they had candy vending machines installed in the cafeteria. At least Saturday school detention tended to be profitable. The type of students that were regulars there heavily overlapped with the type of students that would buy candy with the lunch money their parents gave them.

Since then I just began to expand my business. School supplies, snacks, good luck charms. Do you know how much middle school kids will pay for a pencil when they absolutely need one? 20000% margins. Peak crypto boom numbers.

"You'll never make it through life that way!" My sister used to say. She was a goody two-shoes back then. She got really mad once because I was selling pictures of her "feet" to middle schoolers. No demographic is as profitable as the horny. They were actually just pictures of my feet, customers couldn't tell the difference.

Eventually, I did get in real trouble. You see, starting in high school I started selling school tests.

"Who gave you those?" A police officer asked, "We'll expel you if you don't tell!"

But I just shrugged my shoulders and didn't reply. The less you say the better from my experience in these situations. No way I'd ever narc on my best supplier for my most profitable source of income. So yeah, they expelled me. My life of crime, all my stealing, all my lying, it all caught up to me in the end! Justice is always served to bad people like me! Oh… how I wish I could go back and undo my mistakes!

In the meantime, business has been booming. With the additional time now I decided to create my own service shop. If you forgot about that already you can see the menu on the first page of this novel. My clients consisted mostly of students from my high school that my sister referred to me. The 10% referral commissions are a pretty good deal for her I'd say.

And what do my parents think of all this? Well… they're dead. I was raised as an orphan with a cruel stepmom and that's why I act so rebelliously.

Just kidding.

Okay, I'll stop that. Lying's bad and I'm sure it's getting old. Nah, my middle-class parents were pissed of course like normal office-job parents would be when their child gets kicked out of school. That is of course, until I showed them the profits. You think any parent can be mad when you show you made more income than them for the month? Not like it mattered anyways, worst case I'd just find a place for myself to pay rent on.

Which is sort of what I ended up doing anyways. Got myself a 2 bedroom with living room apartment a few blocks from where my parents lived. One room was my personal room for sleep and the other I turned into a makeshift office for new clients. I go back to my parents' home for dinner though. Homemade chicken soup dinner from mom is too good to miss.

On average I get about 10 customers a day. About 8 of them come for academic services. For the romantic requests, Grace does most of the work for me. I pay her 75% commissions for those. Pretty fair I'd say.

I also have an assistant named Antonio who specializes in photoshopping grades, planning parties, and forging doctor notes. That day the football player visited in fact, I sent Antonio a text from my phone.

"Yo, got another edit for you."

A couple minutes later my phone rang with a call from him.

"What's up?"

"Hello is this Debra?" a cranky lady's voice said through the phone.

"Yes?"

"You are in big trouble, young lady! Hiring my son to sell test answers and making "fake" report cards? That's a crime! You'll be hearing from my lawyer and…"

I hung up the phone. It was actually nothing to worry about from a legal standpoint. I checked all the laws, everything I do is legal. Later Grace reported to me however that Antonio was grounded for a year by his parents and… excuse my language… got his ass beat.

"Hahahahahahahaha," I laughed holding my stomach when she told me.

"It's not funny. I'm pretty sure I saw belt marks on his arm."

Of course, that only made me laugh harder.

"Ahahahahahahaha, I mean I feel bad for him, but ahahahahaha."

She rolled her eyes at me.

"Whatever, doesn't this mean you need another assistant now?"

I stopped laughing.

"Crap, you're right."

Later that night I whipped out the old Photoshop app and did the editing myself. Still… I needed to replace Antonio eventually. That's where this story really starts. It's time for my costar to enter the stage. It all started one Thursday afternoon only a few days after Antonio's forced resignation due to his mom beating his ass.

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-Thursday Afternoon-

**Ding Dong**

"Come in,"

Coming through my door was a short dark haired teenager with short well-kept hair and a skinny build. He had a nervous expression on his face when he looked up at me.

"Welcome to my service shop, please, have a seat."

I pointed to the seat in front of my desk in my office.

"Sorry…" he said in a soft voice sitting down, "I may be in the wrong place. I'm looking for Debra Star?"

I looked at him blinking twice.

"That's me."

He looked at me with a shocked expression.

"You… You're Debra?"

"Correct."

"Bu… but you're a guy?"

I had cut my hair pretty short and wore a cap these days. I'd also always wear an oversized T-shirt in my office for comfort reasons. And unlike my sister, I never had a dab of makeup on me. It wasn't the first time somebody had mistaken me for a guy.

"No no I'm definitely her," I replied pulling the back of my t-shirt so that my chest line was visible.

"So… sorry! Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" he said covering his eyes. "I didn't mean to offend you, it's just…"

"It's alright. Just wanted to prove I was who I said I was. It would be bad if I lied to customers."

"Yeah, of course of course," he said slowly uncovering his eyes, "Sorry about this anyways."

"Right so…"

I handed him the menu on my desk.

"This is the selection of services that we can provide you. Is there anything specific you have a request for?"

He set down the menu.

"Actually I came to ask about a very specific request."

"Very well, prices for such requests will vary. Please, go ahead."

He darted his eyes back and forth hesitating to speak.

"You alright?"

He looked down at the ground.

"Take your time, when you're ready…"

"I want to date your sister!"

"… huh?"

"Grace Star, she's your twin sister right?" he said bowing his head onto my table.

"Please! I want her with all my heart. Her impassioned personality and her free spirit that show brightly through our dim hallways are only matched by the radiance of her elegant beauty. Please, please you have to help me."

He continued to bow his head.

"Pffft… pffftt…."

"Can you help?"

"Bwhahahahahahahahahaha"

I couldn't contain myself any longer as laughter came bursting out of me.

"What's so funny?"

"Grace, elegant, yeah sure, whatever you say hahahahahahaha."

"It's not a joke! She really is a precious muse sent as an angel from heaven."

"…"

"Do you not agree?"

"… You're serious?"

"Yes?"

"Bwhahahahahahaha oh my god you're serious hahahahahaha I can't breathe I can't…"

I nearly fell out of my chair in laughter.

"Is it really that funny?"

"Bwhahahahahahahaha," I took some deep breaths calming myself. "Ahem… a ahem ahem,"

I cleared my throat sitting back up.

"Right, sorry, what did you say your name was?"

"Oliver," he replied, "Oliver Noe,"

"Right, Oliver. Well thank you for your time, please have a nice day, the exit door is the same way you entered so…"

"Wait! But my love. Can you at least talk to her?"

"I really do need you to be leaving now," I said getting up and opening my office door. "Other clients are coming soon so…"

"Wait no! Please please."

He kneeled on the ground and began hugging my legs.

"You're my last hope! Help me."

"Uh-huh…"

I took out my phone.

"I don't exactly have the best record with them but the police should still be able to take care of an intruder. I do suggest you be leaving now. I'll give you 10 seconds before I call them Oliver."

"Wait wait no!"

"10, 9,"

"I… I heard you need a new employee!"

"8, 7,"

"Please please, I'm willing to work for you,"

I looked at him considering this for a moment but his near-crying face looked a little too pathetic at the moment.

"6, 5, 4,"

"Wait!"

"3, 2,"

"I'll work for free!" he blurted out. I stopped counting and looked down at him.

"Come again?"

"I'll work for you for free. Just help me get to know your sister better!"

-

-2 hours later-

"What did you say his name was?"

"Oliver," I replied to my sister on the phone, "Oliver uhh… Noe, I think he said."

"…"

"It really doesn't ring a bell?"

"No what the hell. But anyways that's beside the point. Did you tell him…"

"Course not, he's working for free! Just keep up an act if you see him around."

"…"

"You can have a cut of the funds I don't pay him."

"50%."

"30."

"50 or I'm telling Mom what happened to Antonio."

"… Fine."