The Shadowhunters

Financial Problems

"So… it's from no one?" Cecily asked, inspecting the card again.

"It doesn't have initials, does it?" Tessa said, crossing her arms.

"We can go check for fingerprints," Sophie suggested.

"This isn't an episode of CSI, though maybe…" Cecily said doubtfully. "My dad has some buddies at the police station…"

"Whatever," Tessa sighed. "I need to find another job."

"Tessa, are you insane?" Sophie questioned. "You already have a job at the library, at the post office and at the gas station."

"It's not enough," Tessa huffed. "My father's probably going to get fired soon. My mother already is working overtime and I need to find some money for my family."

"There's an ice cream shop down the block from the Institute. They're hiring," Cecily said.

Tessa smiled wryly. "Everything is down the block from the Institute."

Cecily shrugged. "What can I say? The Institute is the center of the world."

"They said they were going to make the Institute a boarding school if students wanted it. And another school at the States. There are too many people that have to move for the

Institute and a lot of good students can't come because of that," Sophie said suddenly.

"So?" Tessa asked.

"Tuition is going to get more expensive and scholarships are going to be harder to get because there's going to be more students," Sophie said, frowning. Cecily didn't look that

affected – probably because her parents owned most of the Institute.

Tessa wanted to scream though.

Her exams were coming quickly, she had to juggle three jobs and one more soon and she simply did not have enough money to afford it all. "I'm going to talk it out with my mother. I'm going to go to public school. Maybe move back to New York with Nate…" Tessa said.

"What?" Cecily said, wide awake. "You can't move back!"

"I have no money to stay in a private school, Cecily!" Tessa said exasperatedly. "I know I hide it really well, but my parents have been losing so much money since I entered the

Institute! Even with scholarship! They're growing white hairs already!"

"But…"

"No buts," Tessa said sharply. "Exams are coming, I'm going to have four jobs and I still have sketching lessons with Gabriel, Mandarin lessons with Jem and fighting lessons with

Will. I am overbooked."

"Tessa you don't need four jobs…" Sophie said gently, but Tessa's gray eyes flashed, making Sophie shut up immediately.

"You don't need sketching, fighting or Mandarin lessons," Cecily argued.

Tessa bit her lip. "I really like sketching and fighting though… And I need the lessons for Mandarin to pass my language elective. I can quit the lessons then…"

"No!" Cecily said, holding her hands up. "If you like it… then you should keep doing it."

"I made a perfect schedule," Tessa announced then. "Every weekday, I'll wake up at five…"

"Five?" Cecily demanded.

"Yes," Tessa said. "And I'll do my post office job. I just have to deliver some letters around a few neighbourhoods. And at seven – when I'm done – I'll go back to the Institute and