It's Definitely Not All Mary Poppins

Why Must We Complicate Things That Are Really Quite Simple? (1)

so due to new information brought to light by an undisclosed informant, your application was accidentally looked over. However, in spite of this, and if you are still interested, we would love to consider you for an Assistant Principal position. We believe your background in Psychology and Early Childhood Studies would make you the ideal candidate for the position.

If you are interested, please let us know so we can coordinate with you at your convenience.

Matthew slammed his laptop shut, the sound spooking Elliot in the next room. His breath trembled as he exhaled, leaning back onto his bed, numb all over. Matthew closed his eyes, pressing his hands over them as he laughed in disbelief.

Email after email, hundreds of them, were piling in. Apologies from daycares, tutoring centers, schools, nanny services, everywhere Matthew had applied, inviting him back for an interview for the same position or better. Rarely did they say exactly why they were reaching out after so long. Always was there an eagerness – false or otherwise – to get the overqualified Masters' graduate to work for them. The wage was the same and growing steadily better as the days wore on. There were nowhere near as tantalizing as Yang's $50,000.

Then again, he was doing four jobs at once. At least with any of these, he was just doing the one.

"Gods," he muttered, overwhelmed with the zealous response. Something in him was relieved, deliriously so, that places still wanted him even after they were persuaded by Audrey's lies; at the same time, guilt ate away at him. He was angry all over again, all of it unearned, all of it unrewarding and unrelenting in the realization that Matt could get out if he wanted to.

"Matt?"

He forced himself up, staring through the interconnecting door to see Eli sitting at the foot of his bed, watching him. "What's up?" Matthew asked, shuffling himself out of his bed.

At first, Eli said nothing. He stared, clearly uncomfortable, before inhaling. "Are you really gonna quit?" He followed it up immediately with, "What did Uncle Jun do that made you want to leave?"

"...I...can't answer that."

He stood. "Why?"

He didn't know where to even begin making it kid-friendly. Through the lens of a myth would make him understand slightly, but the end results did not produce demigods, nor was it a small story in the greater scheme of things. If Matthew did tell him, it would be the beginning of explaining everything. "It's...one of those things..." Words failed him. Matthew grimaced, turning away. "Gods, Eli, I-I'm sorry. I don't know how to explain it."

"Is he why you got rid of all your clothes? Do you need more? It's not that hard. The witch took me to get a new coat last time."

"It – it's not that, Eli," he whispered, crouching down. His new clothes were baggy, a little too loose compared to his previous things, but Matthew wanted them. He wanted to never see himself when he looked in the mirror. He didn't want to see the outline of his shoulders, where his hips were, because it made him think about it. Made him remember Jun's hands on him, his mouth swallowing him whole. A shiver cut through him, and Matthew cleared his throat. His phone buzzed in the distance. "I don't want to go. I don't, but your uncle, he..." Matthew closed his eyes, running fingers over them. "Dude, I don't know what you want me to say."

"Are you leaving because of something I did?"

"No. Absolutely not."

"Would you stay if I asked?"

Matthew shook his head. "I...wish it was that easy."

"Why isn't it that easy?"

"Because – !" He was on his feet, lips snarled and angry, and he couldn't let the conversation devolve any further. Matthew buried his face in his hands. "Eli, I wish I could explain. I really do, but it's one of those things that's not really age-appropriate at all. This is, really, between me and your uncle, and I'm not going to make you pick sides because of what he did."