Life Designed (Life Plan Series Book 1) by Eliza Taye (mini ebook reader TXT) 📕

Chloë held her hands up in defeat. “Woah, Opal, I’m sorry I hit a chord. I didn’t know you felt so strongly about it. Wasn’t your position on the positive effects of being a Decided?”

Opal sighed, realizing that she shouldn’t have blown up at Chloë like that. “I’m sorry, Chloë.”

“No, it’s okay, speak your mind. Don’t be afraid to. I mean, we’re going to be lawyers. If we’re afraid to speak our minds, then who will?”

Opal released a puff of laughter at her statement. “That’s so true. We should be unapologetic about what we say. Someone’s going to have a problem with it regardless.”

“There you go,” approved Chloë with a laugh.

Opal’s interwave started buzzing. “Hold on, I’ve got to answer this.”

Pulling the interwave from her bag, Opal saw it was from her dad. “Hey, Dad, what’s going on?”

“Opal, is there a way you can come home?” Her dad’s voice was flat, emitting no emotion.

“Yeah, I just finished my debate for my public speaking class, and I don’t have any other classes to attend this evening. What’s wrong?”

There was a long pause at the other end of the line until her dad said, “Just get home and I’ll tell you then.”

“No, Dad, please tell me now. I’m concerned. Is something wrong with Gabby or Mom?”

Her dad gave a long pause again, then responded, “It’s your mom…she lost her job.”

Opal ended the call with a perplexed expression on her face.

“What’s wrong? Something happen in your family?” asked Chloë.

“Yeah,” Opal lowered the interwave, staring blankly ahead in confusion. “My mom lost her job.”

“Really? But isn’t your mom a teacher?” Chloë’s face began to mirror Opal’s in confusion.

“Yeah, she is.”

“But don’t teachers usually remain in their positions for life? I mean, sometimes they may switch academies, but it’s rare, right?”

Opal nodded blankly. “Yes, you’re right.”

Chloë looked at Opal expectantly, waiting for her to elaborate.

Snapping out of it and recognizing the severity of the situation, Opal exclaimed, “I’ve gotta go, Chloë. I’ll catch up with you later.” She took off running.

“Yep, well see you later then,” replied Chloë to empty air as Opal was already long gone.

A seemingly long public transporter ride later, Opal opened the front door to her house. “Mom, Dad, Gabby? Where are you guys?”

At first, there was no response, then Gabrielle ran into the living room, throwing herself into Opal’s arms. “Oh, Opal, it’s horrible. Mom won’t stop crying.”

“What happened?” questioned Opal. “Mom loves her job and she’s always had good reviews there. Her students love her and their parents appreciate her too.”

“I don’t know,” Gabrielle wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve. “It’s so weird.”

“Opal?” Holly walked into the room with puffy red eyes and cheeks.

“Mom!” Opal ran to her mother and embraced her, then wound up holding her up as her mother nearly collapsed into her arms.

“Oh, Opal, I don’t know what to do. I love…loved my job and now I can’t work there anymore.”

“Why, Mom? Why can’t you work there anymore? Did they fire you?”

“No, they didn’t fire me. They just said they didn’t need me anymore…that they were going to merge Landon Primary Academy with Camden Secondary Academy.” Her mother sobbed into her arm upon finishing the sentence.

Opal guided her mother over to the couch. Although she wasn’t a heavy woman, Opal had a difficult time holding her up all on her own. “So you weren’t the only one who lost your job then? Several other teachers did too?”

“Only me, Mr. Carlten, and Mrs. Bernhart. The rest of them will be moved over to the new academy and will teach there.”

That didn’t make any sense to Opal. From what she knew, both Mr. Carlten and Mrs. Bernhart were beloved at Landon Primary Academy just like her mother was.

Her dad entered the room at that moment. “Merging academies is what’s odd. They’ve never done that in Galaxcion before.”

“Right, why would they do that now?” sobbed her mom.

“Do you know if it’s been done in any other cities, Dad?” wondered Opal, patting her mother’s back as she spoke.

He shook his head. “Not that I know of…but throughout Taeopia, who’s to say? I’m sure it’s happened somewhere.”

“But Mom should have been offered a job somewhere else by now. Her Life Plan didn’t stipulate that she wanted to retire for at least another twenty years,” complained Gabrielle. “At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work, right, Opal?”

Opal looked into her sister’s hopeful emerald eyes. She realized the reason her family had wanted her there was because of her comprehensive knowledge of Life Plans. At first, she’d thought they’d wanted her there because of her law studies, but she reasoned that made no sense since she’d only been in college for six days.

“Well, Opal, Gabby’s right, isn’t she?” prodded her dad.

“Yes, from what I know, if someone isn’t slated to retire yet, then upon losing a job in their occupational field, they should be offered another one soon thereafter,” Opal explained.

Clasping the sleeve of her daughter’s shirt tighter, Holly cried, “But there’s been nothing! It happened the day before yesterday and I’ve waited all day yesterday and today for a new job to open up somewhere. But I’ve checked the entire city and there’s nothing.”

Now that was beyond odd. The new offer should have occurred within 24 hours, not more than a day later. Something was wrong, none of it made any sense. Opal pondered the possibilities as her mother’s tears soaked deeper into her shirt.

Garrett stood outside his house, just watching it. He knew his parents would have the blinds closed by now, but he couldn’t help but stand there and gaze at his childhood home in longing. He knew the risks if he were caught