The KTV Hustle

The day the college entrance exam scores came out, my stepsister, Tiffany, threw a huge karaoke bash at the swankiest club in town.

I was working there, bussing tables and delivering fruit platters.

Tiffany sneered that I was a loser with no ambition, having to work as a KTV server to pay my way through community college.

I eyed her bill, over two thousand dollars, and called my Aunt Carol.

"Hey, that table? Don't comp it. They can pay, that money's going towards my bedsheets when I get into Harvard."

1

I pushed my cart into the "888" room, right as Tiffany was holding court.

"This club? It's practically in my family. My mom and dad met here!"

Tiffany was my stepsister, from my dad’s second marriage.

And, yeah, her mom had been a headliner at the club and hooked up with my dad here.

But the club didn’t belong to my dad, it was my grandpa's.

How Tiffany had the nerve to act like she owned the place was beyond me.

The lights were too dim for them to see me rolling my eyes.

One of Tiffany's friends gushed, "Wow, so you're covering the bill tonight, right?"

Tiffany hesitated, then brushed it off.

"It's just a couple thousand, not a big deal. I can totally handle it."

"Tiffany, you're amazing! Smart, gorgeous, and rich! Plus you're so sweet! Unlike your sister..."

My ears perked up.

Tiffany sighed. "Ugh, don't even get me started. Today's scores came out and she hasn't even cracked a smile, I bet she didn't even get into a decent community college."

That’s when some clumsy guy bumped into me, sending my fruit platter flying.

Tiffany shrieked. "Are you new? You’re so clumsy! This is expensive! You gonna pay for it?"

It was the cheapest platter, like fifty bucks, tops.

One of the friends switched on the main lights.

"Wait, is that Cindy? What are you doing here?"

I forced a polite smile. “Hey, guys. I’m just helping out here for a bit…”

They were short-staffed, so my Aunt begged me to fill in.

Tiffany scoffed. “So, this is what you’ve been up to? Working here? Well, I guess you gotta hustle if you want to go to City College.”

My friend Jamie squeezed my hand. "Cindy, did you really only get into City College?"

I lifted my chin. "Don’t believe the hype, community college is where it's at. It's a stepping stone to something amazing."

Tiffany snorted.

"Oh, okay, don't worry about the platter. Go back to work, we don't want to interrupt your hustle."

2

I cleaned up the mess, then went to the bathroom to get rid of the negative energy.

When senior year started, my grandpa took my mom to expand their business overseas.

I’d wanted to stay with my dad for the year.

But he and my stepmom weren’t thrilled.

So I threw my bag down. "Mom's bankrupt and hiding overseas, and I'm not eighteen yet, you have to take me!"

I transferred to Tiffany's school.

In less than a day, the whole school knew I was the poor, unwanted daughter living with my stepfamily.

That afternoon someone reported me for stealing her new $30 scarf.

Seriously...