“See you next week?”

“Of course!”

“Alright, keep it up, buddy.” I smiled to myself as the chubby kid handed me my check and left the house. I wasn’t smiling about the money part- I was much happier about the fact that I love my job because the one I used to have was absolutely terrible.

I’m Alex Meyer- seventeen, dark-haired, brown-eyed. I may seem like the typical teenager but am definitely far from it, from my past right down to my job. I don’t live with my parents- they divorced and remarried. They were killed by my stepsister last summer. My parents should have split up sooner but didn’t because neither of them wanted custody of me until my mother grudgingly gave in.

So who am I stuck living with now? I’m stuck in a house with my best friend, who is a spoiled and immature brat, the antonym of me- Luke Farrior. He was given his own house and car as a gift. The kid is spoiled rotten, but at least he’s starting to get better. He offered me a space in his house after I was kidnapped by my stepsister’s ex-boyfriend in place of her. He tried to make me befriend Vivie (my best friend, girlfriend, and soul mate) and kill her. Why didn’t I? It was all because of the fact that she’s the only person that ever cared about me in seventeen long, hard, lonely years.

She knows everything that’s happened to me, everything I’ve done, my faults, and that I’m completely different than the façade I display. But she chooses to love me anyway and has showed me constantly her love. That’s beside the point, however- I’m talking about my job.

I’m- of all things- a violin teacher.

My mother gave me lessons when I was young- the only time she ever acknowledged my presence. Those lessons kept me alive and from succumbing into absolutely nothing and committing suicide. I found myself liking music and turning it into an outlet- something I could choose to share or keep to myself, the one thing I could control, something that was entirely my choice. If music didn’t exist, I might not exist either. Music is much more than just a passion- it’s my entire life. It pretty much is a part of my blood- figuratively, of course.

I didn’t decide to use music as a job until recently finding dissatisfaction with a job I hated and paid little. I started thinking about my passions, and my mind immediately jumped to music. I can be dense- but that’s another story. I got to advertising (I played at a funeral as well, which helped the publicity) and I now have ten students.

I never thought that I would amount to anything. I mean, look at my past- broken family, always being used by so-called friends, my horrible life-style- I haven’t even covered half of it. My life has been rough- I know it and admit it. It’s taken time, I’ve put my past behind, and that’s all that really matters for now.

Despite all the pessimistic thoughts I’ve had, I managed to use my talents, passions, and experiences to make a difference- to share something that he kept me alive. If people like me are out there, I want to show them that there is something more to life than temporary highs and lows- not only through music but from being saved spiritually. That’s also another story.

“Meyer! I made dinner!”

“Okay!” I hollered at Luke, then added, “What did you burn?”

He sheepishly grinned at me. “Oops.”

I guess “house-keeper” is also part of my job. I sighed and began to clean up.