“Seventeen percent.”
“What?”
“You get seventeen percent of whatever I earn from this live stream,” she said simply.
“Mom. No?—”
“Yes,” she interrupted. “Since you won’t let me just give you money, I have to find creative ways to do it,” she said and waved her hand dismissively. “We can discuss it after class.”
After Ink introduced everyone, Bronze gave us an overview of what to expect and asked if we had any questions.
“I do,” my mom said.Of course she did.
“We’re going to live stream with a handheld device, but we also have two stationary cameras. Where can I set those up to be in a good position yet out of the way?”
“I can help you with that,” Byte said as he joined us in the gym. “Sorry, I’m late. One of the chickens was missing.”
“Did you find her?” I asked.
“Yes. And a huge pile of eggs. We thought she stopped laying, but it looks like she’s been sneaking off and laying her eggs elsewhere. So, if anyone needs fresh eggs, we have plenty.”
“No, please, no,” my dad mumbled.
“Eugene, I think it’s time to revisit the chicken discussion,” my mom said.
“Why?” he whispered. “Whhhyyy?”
“I’m Eugene Calloway,” my dad said and held out his hand. “You said you could help with the cameras?”
“Yes,” Byte said and shook my dad’s hand. “I’m Byte. Flint and I handle all the tech stuff around here. Let me show you where I think you’ll get the best angles,” Byte said and motioned for my dad to follow him. “Would you like to use our Wi-Fi for streaming?”
We stretched and warmed up while Dad and Byte set up the equipment. When we were ready to begin, Bronze divided us into pairs—me with Ink, Ariel with Jake, and Mom with Dad. I almost gasped when Jake appeared out of nowhere to partner with Ariel, but my surprise was quickly forgotten as I tried not tolaugh at Mom’s disappointment when Byte offered to record so my dad could be her partner instead of Batta.
“You guys did a great job!” Bronze said proudly. “Bathrooms are through that door and to the right. We have a table over there with drinks and snacks. Is fifteen minutes enough time for everyone?”
“There’s more?” I asked quietly. Or so I thought.
Savior chuckled. “We can stop whenever you like, but this is usually a four-hour class.”
“Hey, Mom. That finder’s fee. My guilt has suddenly vanished. I look forward to your deposit.”
“Finder’s fee?” Ink asked.
I laughed. “Mom insisted on giving me a finder’s fee when she saw our instructors since they will definitely increase her views.”
“I feel like there’s a pimp joke in there somewhere,” Ink said.
Byte walked over and asked if he should keep recording during the break.
“I’ll take it,” Mom said. “You deserve a break, too.” Mom gasped when Byte handed her the phone. “Is this right? This can’t be right.”
“What is it?” Dad asked.
“These numbers. They’re much higher than usual.”
Dad retrieved his phone from his gym bag. “Miles has been calling and texting. I didn’t think about him not being able to contact us when I handed the phone to Byte.”
“We should have since we did the same thing this morning,” Mom said.
