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Hayden: but your profile says laborer?

Was he lying? People lied on these apps all the time, but why would he lie about his job? This was a business conversation, right?

River: cause that’s my full time job. I do this on the side for extra cash.

Hayden: Gotta love living in a gig economy.

River: Right???? My bro and I and our buddies at the club all have full time jobs but we still need to shake our junk on stage every weekend just to make ends meet

Hayden: It’s so bad now. It’s the same for pretty much everyone I work with too. We teach full time all year and still have to get jobs during the summer just to survive.

River: it blows my mind that someone who teaches kids has to work extra jobs to pay their bills. I swing a hammer for a living but you’re literally shaping the minds of the people who’ll be voting in a few years

Hayden: Swinging a hammer isn’t something to talk down about. It’s an important job and it’s skilled work. I might be able to grade papers and teach lessons, but the dusty tools in my basement prove I can’t build or fix anything.

River: I wish more people thought like you. I hate how people put others down to pull themselves up. It’s like we forget we’re all on the same side and all just trying to survive

River: right! Tools. We were talking about tools before my brain went rogue lmao

Hayden: I’ll grab a pic of what I’ve got. Are you still at work?

River: yup. Got another set in about 15 so if I bail on the convo that’s why

River: I just realized it’s late for normal people. Is it okay to keep messaging or do you need to log off and we can do details tomorrow?

Standing, I headed toward the basement stairs.

Hayden: It’s fine. I was grading papers so you’re not keeping me from anything important.

River: what do you teach?

Hayden: Middle school. English, civics and history.

River: middle school? Damn my dude. You’re a superhero. Tweens are scary. I saw a TikTok where this like 13 yo girl was tearing apart a bunch of politicians and she ate. No crumbs left. It was brutal

Chuckling, I paused messaging so I could make it down the stairs without killing myself.

Hayden: They can be. But you get used to it. And it’s not as scary when they’re not directing it at you.

River: facts

Hayden: just grabbing that pic, one sec.

The tools in question were piled on a sawhorse I’d shoved into the corner of the room. The lighting was horrible, especially this late at night, but hopefully my flash would be enough that he could see them clearly.

I took several pics, spreading them out so he could see their condition and that most were still in the packaging.

Hayden: is that good or do you need more?

River: that’s perfect. Are you sure you want to sell them? Theyre basically new

Hayden: which just goes to show how much I’ve used them in the two years since I bought them.

River: roger that

River: how much are you asking?

Oh shit. I’d forgotten that I’d actually have to settle on a price when I messaged him. I should have looked into what the going rates for used tools was. Talk about not being prepared.

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