Chapter Text
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Scholarship Academic Requirement Notice
Good Morning Victor Liu 5432076,
I am emailing today to notify you that, as of February 12th, 20XX, you are currently failing to meet the academic requirements that are needed to qualify for the scholarships listed below. Please know that if your grades do not improve by the end of the semester your scholarships will be revoked.
Please contact [email protected] for counseling in regard to courses or grades. [Scholarship.txt] Joselyn Reyna, Engineering Academic Advisor
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Victor clicked on the text file.
…fuck, that’s all of his scholarships.
Okay, he can salvage this…It’s just like pulling an all-nighter; he’s done those! Victor just needs to do all-nighters for the next…3ish months.
That’s enough time, he can turn this around, and still go to some parties.
…It’s fine!
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It’s always nice getting away from ever-rotating hotels, airplanes, and airports. The stability of a single home that wasn’t visited by thousands if not millions of people beforehand was a nice promise. A constant; something he often missed when tens of thousands of feet in the air surrounded by crying babies and obnoxious businesspeople.
Devin had comfortably molded into the couch before he felt the cushion dip under a new weight. He looked over to see Victor lean into a throw pillow their parents brought from China, the old fluff easily swallowing his didi. Devin remembered when Victor was only six and he knocked out a baby tooth with that pillow in a play fight. Maybe it couldn’t be considered play when Devin swung with all of his sixteen year old force. Victor turned out fine, so he didn’t feel too bad.
Devin guessed Victor just finished unpacking for the summer if the way his shoulders popped as he stretched his arms, clearly ready to relax, were any tell. Devin had taken a week off at his baba’s request. He would never admit aloud that he missed being at home with family, but Devin knew Victor wouldn’t be telling the truth either if he said he didn’t care his ge was back in time for summer.
An odd dynamic the two shared; they didn’t actually hate each other, but to someone looking from the outside in, it was like they couldn’t stand sharing a last name. Nevertheless, they were comfortable with their relationship; it worked for them, so they never bothered to change it. One thing Devin enjoyed about their dynamic was that he never needed to parent Victor. Sure, he would do stupid shit and Devin would tell him to knock it off, but he would for the most part let Victor learn life lessons on his own.
“Guess what,”
Maybe Devin was too lenient when Victor was young, if he was more strict maybe Victor wouldn’t have thought it was okay to tell Devin that,
“I almost lost all my scholarships.”
…
They were watching some baking show, something about amateurs trying to recreate intricate desserts way above their skill level. Devin took it as actual lessons on what not to do while Victor would point out things Devin had actually done when attempting to bake with his didi.
Devin was a flight attendant, how was he supposed to know he can’t guesstimate eggs or baking soda…or was it baking powder?
Not important. What was important was what should have been a relaxing evening, turned tense at the sudden and frankly frightening admission. Devin’s shoulders’ stiffened but didn’t turn to look at the boy. He could see his didi grow nervous in his peripherals, clearly regretting what he said.
He never grew out of fiddling his hair when he was scared.
So, in classic Victor fashion, he tried to switch topics, “I don’t get how that guy thinks he can put the cheesecake in the oven now and think he’ll have time to decorate it. Cheesecakes take forever to-“
Absolutely fucking not.
“What did you say?”
Victor’s fidgeting went from twiddling small strands to tugging at full locks.
Oh, he was scared, now?
He should be fucking terrified right now.
Last time Devin remembered using that tone with Victor it was when he spilled bleach on Devin’s graduation gown. Devin damn near killed the kid when he saw the orange gown sporting a blonde splat on the front. It was jarring seeing the large splotch against the physical representation of a 4 year stint in hell. Victor was lucky their baba was creative and worked it into a semi-recognizable butterfly. Who knew embroidery could do so much heavy lifting.
Not important. This was leagues more serious than a silly kid mistake.
Today, Devin was sure he was going to finally make good on that threat. Especially, when Victor went for his first instinct, playing dumb.
“Cheesecakes. They take at least an hour to bake and-“
Devin’s head snapped to his left, miraculously keeping his hands to himself he spoke tersely, “You know that’s not what I’m fucking talking about. What the hell do you mean you almost lost all of your scholarships?”
Devin could see Victor looking for a way to lessen the direness of the situation and failing miserably. His hair laid frazzled on his shoulders, mimicking Victor’s thoughts if his darting eyes told anything.
“My grades just dipped a bit. Nothing serious…”
Nothing…serious…?
Devin didn’t lighten his stare, he knew Victor wasn’t being honest. He’s been a terrible liar since he learned to talk. His hair might as well be full of static and house a family of warblers with how much it had been mussed in his stress.
Victor’s hand was permanently fixed into his hair, his voice slightly muffled under his shame, “I wasn’t going to all my classes and missed a few assignments.”
What the actual fuck?
Devin couldn’t believe his ears. Was this the kid who ( despite his personality, behavior, and honestly everything else about him) never had a late assignment; let alone a 0 and made top 10%, or did his didi get replaced with some even stupider copy who almost threw away his future?
“What the hell do you mean you weren’t going to all your classes?” Victor stayed silent, and Devin knew exactly what that meant. He was doing something stupid! He may have been gone for most of his high school years, but Devin still knew his didi.
Victor loved being around people.
He couldn’t help being a people person, but Victor always seemed to drift towards either the best people or the worst. This time, Victor drifted towards the absolute worst in college. College party kids. Irresponsible, future dropout, riddled with god-knows-how-many STDs and addictions, college party kids.
“You’ve got to be fucking with me, Victor. Did you seriously almost party your scholarships away?”
Devin thought, ‘Maybe Victor had already had this conversation with someone’, the way his eyes softened with guilt. However, Devin knew not to give him the benefit of the doubt and his still-raised-guard was rewarded as Victor hardened his features quickly and scoffed.
This kid is such a brat.
“But I didn’t;” Victor looked pointedly at his ge. False confidence radiating off the almost-college-dropout.
Perhaps Devin’s years away made Victor forget just how scary his ge could be. If he stayed, maybe Victor would have kept Devin out of this, or at least known not to take a tone with his ge.
“That’s what matters.”
Devin couldn't hold back his violence, but he did push the urge to kill just enough to only grab Victor by the shoulder, he wouldn’t let Victor write this conversation off and forget about it. He needed this to stick.
“No, what matters is that you almost lost what’s damn-near a full ride to a nice ass college. What were you thinking?” Devin shook his didi a bit, “Were you thinking at all?!”
Victor attempted to shove Devin off, but Devin held firm. He could tell this wasn’t going entirely over his head seeing his cheeks redden in what was most likely embarrassment.
Devin felt like he was eighteen again telling some stupid kid, ten years his junior, that he can’t mess around with cleaning supplies through gritted teeth and veins popping out of his neck. But now it’s ten years later and he’s telling an 18 year old not to piss away his college fund for cheap booze and a quick and most likely shitty fuck.
Victor huffed as he rolled his eyes, “You’re acting like it’s the end of the world. It’s fine.”
Or maybe he was still talking to an eight year old. An extremely petulant, annoying, stupid, and down-right infuriating eight year old. Maybe Devin knocked more than a tooth out back then.
Devin hardened his grip, he didn’t miss how Victor slightly winced at the increase in pressure. “You better make sure this doesn’t happen again.” Victor rolled his eyes again and looked back towards the still moving television, Devin wasn’t sure how he wasn't strangling Victor here and now.
“I’m serious. Don’t let this happen again and don’t let Mama find out either. She and Baba worked too damn hard to give us, especially you, a comfortable life just so you could go and piss it all away with beer pong or whatever.” Devin let go and abruptly stood up. He wasn’t in the mood for cheesy baking shows anymore. “Don’t fuck this up Victor, if you can’t do it for yourself, then do it for them.” Devin walked out of the room. He hoped his didi would get his shit figured out before he really fucked up.
He didn’t know how his Mama would handle that.
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Victor sat on the couch, shoulder throbbing in pain. He just rolled his eyes. He said he fixed it, so why was Devin so pissy? Victor turned his attention to the TV and let the argument fall out of his head. It really wasn’t a big deal.