I guess I’m just like, really messed up, you know? Like, I don’t even know how to say it without sounding totally stupid but sometimes I feel like… like I’m a total hypocrite or something. And it’s not even about something huge, not like I stole a car or anything, it’s just… my job. My future job, I guess. Everyone here, in our town, they all think I’m gonna be this big hotshot lawyer cause I’m good at debating stuff in school and my English teacher says I write good essays. And like, my parents, they tell everyone how proud they are and how I’m gonna go to college and be, like, important. And that’s what I tell everyone too, cause what else am I supposed to say? Everyone here knows everyone, so if you say something weird, it gets around FAST. My auntie’s friend’s cousin’s kid said he wanted to be a famous TikToker and now everyone just kinda… laughs at him. So yeah, I tell them I’m gonna be a lawyer. A corporate lawyer, even. But here’s the thing, and this is the really messed up part — I actually think the whole system is rigged. Like, totally rigged. I spend twelve hours a day, sometimes more, like, pretending to be a big fancy lawyer, defending these huge companies that probably just wanna, like, squeeze every penny outta everyone. And I’m good at it too. I can argue with anyone, even my dad sometimes, he’s pretty stubborn, but I can usually make him see my side. And I know all the rules and the loopholes and stuff. But in my head, when I’m doing it, I’m just thinking, "This is all just a big show for rich people." Like, if you got enough money, you can get away with anything. And the poor people? They just get screwed over, every single time. And I’m gonna be part of that. I’m gonna be the one making sure the rich people stay rich and the regular people, like us, like my neighbors, they just stay… regular. Or worse. And the worst part is, I kinda *want* it. I want to go to the city, get away from here, get a big fancy apartment and not have to worry about money all the time. My mom works at the diner and my dad does construction and they’re always stressing about bills. And I just think, if I just play along, if I just do the thing everyone expects, then I won’t have to stress like them. But then I think about it and it makes me feel so GROSS. Like, I’m gonna be one of them, the ones who make sure the system stays broken. I guess I’m just a massive fake. And no one knows. No one. Not even my best friend, cause he’d think I was being, like, super dramatic or something. And he’s right, probably. I don’t know. I just wanted to get it out, I guess. This feels… weird. Like a weight.