chapter 16: The Great Pillow Giveaway

Alex sat on his bed, surrounded by 40 pillows, each one a soft testament to his sleepy ambition. His notebook lay open on his lap, the page titled:

"How much should a perfect nap cost?"

He stared at the empty space beneath the heading, his pencil hovering as if the answer might float onto the page if he waited long enough.

"Five dollars?" he whispered, writing it down. Then he frowned and scribbled it out. "Too low."

"Fifty dollars?" He paused. "Too much."

He scratched his head, a soft tuft of hair sticking up, making him look even more adorable.

"What if… free?"

He blinked at the word, the simplicity of it almost offensive. His mind bounced between confidence in his product and the sting of giving away his hard work.

The No-Interest Loan and the Cute Deal

His parents, Sarah and Richard, peeked through the door. They had grown accustomed to finding their son in strange situations, but the pillow fort in his room had reached new heights—literally.

"Alex, honey, are you okay?" Sarah asked gently.

"Yes."

Richard stepped over a pillow pile, sitting at the edge of the bed. "You look… awake."

"Thinking."

Sarah sat beside him, her voice soft. "About what?"

"Pillow prices."

A silence fell, cushioned by the softness of the room.

"What's the problem?" Richard asked.

Alex sighed, his expression somewhere between mild distress and sleepiness. "If I give them away… I get nothing. But if I keep them… no one naps."

Sarah exchanged a glance with Richard. "You know, sweetie, remember our deal?"

Alex nodded. "Yes. Free product for you… every time."

His parents shared a smile, the kind that said "our son is making business deals with us, and it's adorable."

They were not concerned about getting returns on the no-interest loan they had given him. Instead, they found it incredibly cute that Alex insisted on honoring their "business agreement", even if they would have supported him regardless.

"If you need help, just ask us," Richard said.

"Okay."

Alex stood, gently balancing a tower of pillows in his arms. "I need… to give."

The Neighborhood Giveaway

Alex shuffled through the neighborhood, his arms full of "The Dozer V1" pillows, each one tagged with his handwritten label.

Mrs. Greene, watering her roses, nearly dropped her watering can.

"Alex, dear, what are you doing?"

"Giving pillows."

She took one, the softness surprising her. "What do I owe you?"

"Nothing. Just… sleep."

Her smile widened. "I can do that."

He moved from house to house, his simple request always the same:

"Take this. Nap well."

The neighbors, long accustomed to his sleep experiments, accepted the gifts with gentle amusement.

Pillows for His Closest Friends

At school, Alex approached his closest friends, Tom and Mia, with two pillows in hand.

"Pillows… for you."

Tom's eyebrows shot up. "Are you… giving these away?"

"Yes."

Mia hugged the pillow, her voice soft. "What's the catch?"

"Just sleep well."

The friends exchanged a glance, smiling. "We can do that."

Funny Deals at School

The School Nurse

The school nurse, with her kind but weary face, looked up as Alex entered.

"Everything okay, Alex?"

He set a pillow on her desk, its handwritten tag facing her.

"For you."

Her eyes widened. "Really? What's the catch?"

He thought for a moment. "Nap rights."

She blinked. "You mean… here?"

"Yes."

Her expression softened. "You know, that sounds fair. And to be honest, I could use a good nap too."

The Librarian

The library was quiet, the librarian perched behind her desk like a hawk watching over her paper kingdom.

Alex approached slowly, a pillow cradled in his arms.

"Mrs. Porter?"

Her eyes narrowed. "No sleeping in the library, Alex."

"Pillow for a nap."

Her lips pursed. "If I take the pillow, you promise not to nap on the history books?"

He nodded. "I'll nap… in the poetry section."

Her stern expression cracked, a small smile slipping through. "Fine. But only once."

Mrs. Thompson

When Alex approached Mrs. Thompson, she was grading papers in the teacher's lounge.

"Alex?"

He handed her the pillow, his hands barely visible behind its fluffy form.

"For you."

"Why?"

"Because you let me sleep… in class."

Her mouth opened, then closed. Finally, she laughed, a soft, melodic sound. "Thank you, Alex. I suppose I have earned it."

A Funny Realization

As the day ended, Alex sat on the school steps, his pillow pile reduced to just one—the one beneath his head. His plan had worked, in its own strange way.

"I gave… now I wait."

The afternoon sun warmed his face, the world slipping into a soft blur as he drifted into sleep.

His classmates, passing by, simply smiled. Alex's world, where naps were currency and pillows were gifts, made a little more sense today.

And as the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Alex dreamed of a world where everyone slept well, his nap kingdom built on the softest pillows and the simplest deals.