A Tour In Town

Beau's shoulders relaxed slightly as they continued down the street.

"Star, what do you say we give Mr. Hines a tour?" Beau asked gently, but Star's lips trembled as he held back tears.

"There's nothing to see!" Star finally burst, angry tears spilling down his cheeks. He wiped at his face with harsh, frustrated swipes.

"Hey, kiddo, listen to me," Lanet interjected, crouching down to Star's level. "This is just a small setback. A true engineer doesn't give up after a minor hiccup—they keep pushing forward."

Star hiccupped through his tears, his voice breaking. "You know what upsets me, Mr. Hines?"

"What's that, Star?" Lanet asked gently.

"I'm small. If I was older, I could have done something," Star's voice broke and Lanet searched for the right words to try and comfort him.

Lanet placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It doesn't matter how little or old you are, Star. What matters is holding on to your dreams until they happen." He smiled warmly, hoping that the words were encouraging to Star. "Playground or no playground, we're still making those swings. We'll find a place for them, I promise."

Star sniffled, his tears slowing as he looked up at Lanet with wide, hopeful eyes. "You promise?"

"I promise," Lanet said firmly.

Beau's lips twitched into a faint smile, and he mouthed a silent thank you before falling into step beside them. He walked quietly, his gaze fixed straight ahead while Lanet kept chatting with Star to lift his spirits.

"How about we get some ice cream?" Lanet suggested, hoping to brighten the mood.

Star's face lit up, the tears forgotten in an instant. "Ooooh! Uncle Beau, can we go to the cool gamer place?"

Beau glanced at Lanet and gave a small nod. "Of course."

Lanet grinned, glad to see at least one of them was excited.

Twenty minutes later, the three of them sat inside a cozy bakery with a small play area tucked into the corner. The scent of freshly baked bread and sugar filled the air, and the soft hum of kids on the arcade games added a sense of warmth to the space.

"Can I please go and play before I get ice cream?" Star's eyes lit up as he gestured to the games.

To Lanet, this was a reminder of how easily a child could be cheered up. It was the smallest things that seemed to make him happy.

"Sure, be back here in 30 minutes." Beau's tone was still a little distant, his mood not quite matching the cheerful scene around him. Lanet couldn't blame him. After what had happened earlier, anyone would be a little down. All of them had been looking forward to this day.

"Okay." With that, Star dashed off, running to join the other kids.

Lanet watched for a moment, ensuring Star was happily engaged in his play before his attention shifted back to Beau who was licking his ice cream now, looking less tense, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"If only I'd known that the way to your heart was through ice cream," Lanet teased, a light laugh slipping from his lips.

"Well, the secret's out of the bag now." For a second, Beau seemed like a completely different person—a far cry from the serious man who had been shut off just a while ago.

"Beau?"

"I know you've got questions." Beau met Lanet's gaze. "Spit it out. I'll give you answers when I feel like it."

Lanet hesitated before asking, but went on to ask. "How long have you been searching for a school for Star?"

Beau sighed, putting down his nearly empty cup of ice cream. "Our school got demolished at the beginning of the year."

"But we're heading into a new year," Lanet's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "He's a bright kid. It can't take that long to find something."

Beau let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "Lanet, do you know how I got into the most expensive medical school in the country?" Beau looked down at his hands on the table and looked up at Lanet again. "My father works for a man named Jack. He's the kindest Elite I know—he's the one who provided me with books, clothes, and paid my tuition. No one else would fund a low-class kid who probably wouldn't even graduate, much less pay them back."

"Low class?" Lanet looked at Beau confused.

"Yes, I was only considered middle class recently." Beau' released a quiet sigh.

"So Star got rejected by four schools in the city because they assume you can't afford the school fees?" Lanet asked, piecing it together.

Beau nodded. "And because it's a crime to send your child to a school outside your designated zone."

"But shouldn't they make an exception? Your school was demolished," Lanet argued, his frustration rising. It didn't make sense to deny a child education, especially when it was reasonable for a parent to seek a different school.

"That's not how the system works, at least not for people like me." Beau exhaled a tired breath. "I've thought about sending him to a school in a nearby town, but even basic education is a challenge there."

Lanet reached across the table and took Beau's hand, he didn't know how else to show Beau that he sympathized with him. "I'm sorry you have to go through this."

For a moment, Beau moved his hand, and Lanet thought he would pull away. But instead, he intertwined his fingers with Lanet's, a silent gesture that spoke volumes.

"It's not your fault," Beau said quietly. "I know most elites think we're just lazy, uneducated people. They don't realize that most of us are oppressed by their friends and families so they can get richer. Every time we make progress, someone comes along and takes that away from us."

"What about the municipality here, the government, what about—" 

"We've tried that," Beau interrupted with a bitter tone. "But it's clear that business is more important than the lives of the people here."

Lanet sighed. Well, shit, he thought. If this was how his life was, he would steal too.

"Anyway, sorry we cut your tour short," Beau added, trying to change the subject. At the same time, an idea formed in Lanet's head.

"Hey, how about I apply to the schools instead?" Lanet suggested, his voice filled with determination.

"Arg, Lanet," Beau groaned, a half-hearted protest.

"Well, I live in the city, and they can't tell me I have no money, coz duh." Lanet's words were light, but there was a seriousness beneath them.

Beau looked at Lanet, his eyes glossy. Lanet couldn't tell if Beau was about to cry because he was relieved, or because Lanet was just too persistent.

"Hey, come on," Lanet urged. "Someone helped you. Let me help Star. Don't deny him this."

"I—" Beau started to speak, but all he could do while holding back tears was nod.

"Uncle Beau, may I have my ice cream now?" Star's voice interrupted, and both men jumped. Lanet hadn't seen the little boy approach.

"Of course." Beau blinked back tears as he released Lanet's hand. "Mr. Hines has already paid for it, so go over there. The nice lady will give you a cup."

"Thank you, Mr. Hines," Star chirped.

A while later, they were walking back to the house, Star running around playfully on the sidewalk, his energy never seeming to wane.

When they got home, Beau wasted no time telling Ariel about Lanet's offer to help Star get into school.

"And you say you have no ulterior motive?" Ariel quizzed, raising an eyebrow.

"I do not," Lanet responded firmly.

Ariel looked at her big brother, then back at Lanet. "But if we use your address and they find out it's a lie, we could get in trouble."

Shit. Lanet cussed at himself for not thinking it through.

"For now, let's apply," Lanet said. "We still have a few months before the new school year."

"Thank you so much, Lanet," Ariel said, her voice wavering with emotion. Though she looked close to crying, she held it together admirably. "I don't know what I can do to really thank you."

"Just don't tell him yet, until he gets an acceptance letter," Beau whispered. Lanet understood why Beau would prefer they kept quiet about it. Star was young, but he was also sharp, and Lanet was sure the boy had already picked up on how the world worked in his own way.

Lanet spent the rest of the week with Beau and his family. Though Beau was mostly busy at the hospital, whatever few hours they had together, Lanet was happy. He'd also met Beau's friends—partners in crime, as Beau called them.