During his evaluation, Vic’s father knows to legitimately teach and act cheerful. He knows to terrorize the children beforehand by implying the evaluation is of the students instead of the teachers. Dad is seen by the community as a normal and kind man.

When Vic was younger, he couldn’t comprehend how Dad’s money drained away. After all, Dad never disappears to drink or gamble. Vic eventually realizes that it disappears into all the old collectibles, rocket parts, and janky lockets from eBay. Useless. 

Oftentimes, they must skip meals, “they” being Vic and his baby sister. God knows Dad never skips meals. Once, Vic’s sister looked so sallow. That’s the first time Vic was truly scared. He pocketed as much of Dad’s memorabilia and junk as he could, then attempted to sell them to other kids. However, kids don’t have much cash, and barely anyone wanted that garbage. 

Dad carefully catalogs his precious toys. They’re his real children. Dad calls Vic a thief. Vic feels deep in his gut that Dad’s going to beat him. Abruptly, Dad collapses into a chair, defeated. Dad squeezes his head between both hands, admitting, “I know we need money.”

Excitement lights Dad’s eyes. “Your sister. I could sell her.” Vic freezes up, his whole body tensing.

That night, Vic “borrows” the neighbor’s fancy hairdryer, plugs it into an electrical socket, and drops it into the bathtub. Vic is suddenly thankful that Dad acts so selfishly indulgent. Otherwise, Dad would probably be showering instead of ramping up the water bill with a bath. Dad lets out a yell. Vic stays grim and determined to fry Dad. 

Unfortunately, Dad starts climbing out, so Vic pushes him down, but Dad stands and grabs Vic’s neck. Vic plans to snatch the nearest hard object and smash it into Dad’s face, but there’s only a useless bar of soap. Vic feels like he’s seconds away from death. His flailing hand grasps a toothbrush and stabs it deep into Dad’s nearest eye with the might it takes to stake a vampire. Dad shrieks and stumbles away from his son. However, he slips in the bath, falls, and his head crashes right into the wall.

Vic, panting, notices his sister at the door. She looks horrified. She shrieks like Dad and sprints like someone lit a rocket under her. 

Vic is aghast. He should’ve locked the door. Snapping out of it, Vic chases his sister. He just wants to explain, “He was going to sell you! I had to protect you!”

She’s on the phone, screeching, “My brother murdered Dad!” There’s only one number a little kid knows by heart. Fearing the police, Vic races far away from the crime scene of the “Murder of a Kind Teacher and Loving Father.” 

Then, it sinks in, “No one will ever want to be around me . . . except criminals . . . *I* am a criminal . . . What’s the point? Of anything. Of living. If my sister would just believe me, just love me, that’d be enough for me.”