Early in Year 15, outside the Addergoole School

If there were things Pellinore had expected when he’d gotten shanghaied into a collar right out of school, they hadn’t been this.

He hadn’t expected being told to get a part-time job, and then, when that one failed, another one – and if he had, he wouldn’t have expected to be allowed to keep part of his paycheck. He hadn’t expected to be pushed into taking community college courses.

And he had not expected to be standing in an elementary school office.

“I’m here to pick up Yoshi Dayton.”

The elderly secretary looked at him over her glasses. “And you are…?”

“Pellinore.” He had a legal last name, the sort that didn’t start in oro’ or sa’. Sometimes it was hard to remember that. “Pellinore Wayne. I should be on the list…?”

“Ah, yes. Miss Dayton is very organized.” She flipped the book open. “ID, please?”

He showed his driver’s licence – something else Cya had made him get. The secretary looked up at him with a very sharp glance. “And you’re her nanny and housekeeper, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Close enough.

“She has a new one every year, you know.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Yoshi had told him that. Helpful Yoshi.

“You’re cuter than the last one, though. Well, I’ll call Yoshi’s teacher. Good luck, son.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Pellinore shifted from foot to foot, waiting, wondering what his life had become.

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