It was already 7:30 in the morning when Isaac woke up. He'd passed out the night before without even having dinner. He scratched his head and rubbed his eyes.
"Ughh… my head hurts. How long was I out?" He stared up at the ceiling for a moment. "And it felt like I had a dream about some book that could grant me power?" He thought about it then snorted softly. "That's a weird ass dream."
He rolled out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face. His swollen cheek from yesterday had gone down quite a bit. Looked like the balm he'd applied last night had done its job. Still, he felt he looked pathetic.
"I guess nothing's gonna change much with me," he muttered to his reflection. "I need to ask Dad for allowance. I really need a smoke. Finished the last one yesterday even though I can't really remember what happened after."
He took his shower. The warm water gave him a little clarity. When he came out with a towel draped over his shoulders his gaze drifted around the room. The cracked ceiling. The squeaky floorboard. The new backpack sitting on the bed.
Well… at least I won't have to go to school with a torn bag."
His eyes slid to the edge of the mattress. A book lay there. Heavy and black. He froze then crossed the room in two steps.
"No way."
The title glared up at him in bold crimson: THE BOOK OF SINS.
"It's real?" His chest tightened. "It wasn't a freaking dream." Memories slammed back. Everything he'd read yesterday about each page, the rules, the quill, everything he could understand about the book. "If this is the real deal then there's no stopping. Not if I can get something out of it."
"But I need to commit a sin and write it down to know if it's real." He breathed out, the air cool in his throat.
"Ahhh but what sin can I commit? Lying is a sin right? But that won't mean anything and I don't know how that would even count."
He paced around his room. "What do I even do? First I just need to wait. I can't rush things. The opportunity will come. And it also says I'll get a unique skill tied to the book. Whatever that is."
He glanced at the clock. "I need to hurry before Victoria starts nagging."
He slipped the book into his bag, dressed for school, and headed downstairs.
Everyone was already awake. Breakfast was laid out, the smell of coffee and buttered toast filling the air. Victoria and his father sat at the table with Emily and Emma, both dressed to leave. Emily carried herself like her mother. Poised. Polished. Emma stood a little taller than most girls her age, with the kind of presence that made people look twice. Her features echoed Victoria's elegance though the softness in her face still marked her as seventeen.
"Oh you're here," Andrew said with a warm smile, glancing at the clock. "You must have really been occupied. I was told you were busy and would likely miss breakfast. I sent Emily to call you but that's what she told me."
Isaac flicked his eyes toward Emily. No one came upstairs to call him. She damn well knew he'd missed dinner too. But Victoria was already giving him the I dare you look. He swallowed it.
"Oh. Dad I was a bit busy with my homework so I told her that."
His father nodded. "That's understandable."
"You should wash the dishes as soon as we're done," Victoria added lightly, "to avoid doing them when you get back from school."
He knew exactly what she was doing. His father, to his credit, frowned.
"Let him go to school. When he gets back he can do it. Don't you think?"
Victoria forced a smile but her eyes told a different story.. "You're right. I'm just watching out for him. He might get tired when he gets back. But you're right he should do it when he returns."
They finished quickly. His father and Victoria left together since they were both heading to work. Isaac watched them pull out of the driveway. There were still two cars sitting there. Three total in the house and not a single one he was allowed to touch. His dad had taught him how to drive when he was sixteen so it wasn't like he couldn't. He just wasn't given the chance. That was another thing Victoria made sure of.
An Uber pulled up to the curb and Emma headed out. That was Andrew's rule. Rideshares for the kids instead of personal drivers. He didn't want them growing up in wealth and forgetting what it took to earn it. At least that's what he'd always say. But that rule only seemed to apply to Emma and Emily. Isaac didn't get an Uber. Victoria had made it clear a long time ago that he was to walk to school. She told Andrew it wasn't far from the house. In reality it was a good forty minutes each way on foot. But Isaac never complained. What was the point?
A cleaning crew came by once in a while to take care of the bigger things around the house. The rest was what Andrew liked to call "family effort." Of course that really just meant Isaac's effort.
Isaac shouldered his bag and made for the door.
"And where do you think you're going?" Emily's voice cut across the room.
"To school."
"Who the hell do you think you are to use that tone with me?" She stepped close and slapped him. The sting lit up his cheek. Emily was still fuming from earlier. If her mother hadn't given Isaac that look at the table he would have ratted her out and Andrew would have had words with her. That was something she was doing her best to avoid. So she felt it was her duty to teach Isaac a lesson before he left for school.
"Go clean the house before you head to school."
"But ma'am I'll be late for—"
"It seems because Mom isn't here you've become bolder." Another slap. "You are to do all the chores before you go."
He knew he couldn't say anything back. He'd already pictured Victoria's face if he disobeyed. He couldn't afford that fallout. Wordlessly he moved. He did the dishes, cleaned up the counters, and took out the trash. His hands stung in the hot water and the clock ticked louder with every task. Emily sat in the living room sipping juice while scrolling her phone, not sparing him a second glance. She didn't care if he was late. She was in college and her schedule was loose. Isaac on the other hand couldn't afford to fail this grade again.
By the time he finally stepped out it was 9:00 in the morning. He walked fast then broke into a jog. As soon as he got to school he made his way to the front office and gave the same line he always gave.
"Sorry. Got stuck in traffic."
The secretary's eyes said she didn't buy it. They usually didn't. Sometimes they called his father. Sometimes he got reported to the principal. Today he was lucky. He slipped into Ms. Evans' morning math class with his chest tight and his breath still shallow from running.
The lesson was already underway. Equations and diagrams sprawled across the whiteboard, numbers and symbols filling the room. But Isaac wasn't paying attention. Seated by the window with his chin resting on his hand, his mind was somewhere else entirely.
What sin should I commit?
According to the book he needed something worth at least a B grade. Preferably an A if he wanted decent rewards. And he knew that wasn't going to be easy.
He glanced around the classroom and noticed the empty seats where Derek and his crew usually sat. Guess Ms. Carter had reported yesterday's mess. They were probably in detention or sitting in the principal's office. Either way they weren't here and that was one less thing to worry about.
He wasn't really tracking the lesson. His desk sat mid row by the window and his mind kept sliding back to the book. Then two girls sitting in front of him started whispering.
"Did you bring it?" Nicole murmured.
"Yes," Harper breathed back. "But did you bring yours too?"
"Yes. Remember we're going to exchange our diaries."
"Shhh keep it down," Harper hissed, darting a look around the room. "Do you want people to hear us?"
"I'm just excited. I didn't think you had a diary," Nicole said, teasing.
"Me either. You don't seem like the type to waste time writing about your day." Harper paused, her eyes flicking backward for a second. Isaac had his face angled at the whiteboard like he was locked in on whatever Ms. Evans was writing.
"Now's not the time. After school we'll show each other. Okay?"
"That works," Nicole said. "You show me yours I'll show you mine. Deal?"
"Yeah yeah. Don't go back on your word."
Isaac kept his eyes forward. Girls sure are weird, he thought. Who brings a diary to school? He almost let it go. Almost let the conversation fade into background noise like everything else. Then a spark lit up in his head. His eyes widened. A slow smirk crept across his face.
I said an opportunity would present itself. But not this fast.