Pretend Surrogate

　　Angel's POV

　　"Mail!"

　　I was in the middle of sipping my favorite black coffee when I heard the mail man outside my door. It's been a stressful day for me since I pulled out all nighter because of my requirements for my major subject. As stressful as hell week may sound, I just have to go through the process since the final exam is coming. 

　　Huston University is such a dream for every college student, and yes, I'm currently admitted there. So who am I to complain about how hard college is? For me, I just want to focus on finishing my degree since I know how blessed I am to be a part of it. 

　　I stood up immediately to get the mail wondering what it was. I'm waiting for an important email so I'm quite enthusiastic about getting it. I picked up the white envelope on the steps outside my door and quickly ripped it open.

　　"Please settle your account so you will be able to take your final examination." I uttered, reading the letter from my university. My eyes scrolled automatically on the digits under it and to my surprise, my mouth hangs open.

　　"10 grand?" I gasped. 

　　I bit my lip and can't help but to feel weak seeing my account. Before someone could even see me looking like a low bear outside I entered my room and sat on my single bed still looking at the blinding digits. I read it for the second time until It gets into my system. 

　　I sighed and removed my eye glass. I palmed my face because of worry. Last time, I just wrote a promissory note because I don't want to ask for Brook's Money. The fact that they are the ones who adopted me, and chose to send me into my dream school is a debt already. Now that I know I'm not a kid anymore and can do something to pay my own bills, it will be a shame for me to ask for their money. 

　　For me, their help is enough. I am forever grateful for their help in reaching my dreams. From the innocent child who did not know anything about this world, whose mind is enclosed into the walls of the orphanage I came from, now here I am. And so, it is just right for me to stop asking and bothering them to pay for the last two years of my degree. 

　　"What do I do?" I whispered to myself and grunted more while thinking the impossible. 

　　I closed my eyes tightly and searched my mind for ways I could do just to pay my tuition now but seem to have run out of ways I know. I started to panic and have anxieties thinking about my final examination.

　　"Should I just stop going to college?", I said to myself without thinking. "No!" I shake my head and bring myself up to my bed's headboard.

　　Wake up Angel, there's still a lot of ways to solve this. I breathed in and out thrice composing myself. I picked out my phone and called Molly- my best friend. She used to be my classmate before but after she got into some serious family problems, she decided not to go and just work. I know she's busy with her work but I still called her, after a few more rings she answered.

　　"What's up?" she answered.

　　"I need your help."

　　"What help?" I rolled my eyes lightly with her cold voice. She's such a tomboy but a heart breaker of our circle.

　　"Do you perhaps know some part time jobs?" My voice is getting smaller, couldn't even finish my sentence because she'll probably scold the shit out of me.

　　"What now? Last time you asked me this, you said you need to pay for your thesis? Didn't I lend you some? I told you that you should just tell the Brook's that you need money for college. Didn't they send you there in the first place?"

　　I sighed and grabbed a handful of my hair because of her outburst. I understand her, but I think she couldn't understand me. I am not in the mood to explain myself to her again because my concern as of the moment is to look for ways so I can pay for this goddamn semester. 

　　"Just tell me Molly, please." I said with a monotone voice. 

　　She didn't speak for seconds and I heard her sigh afterwards. She knows where I'm coming from and even if she scolds me, I know I always got her back. 

　　"I don't know, Angel. You know that I'm planning to leave this bar because of how low their wages are. You might get worn out before you could even pay your tuition." 

　　The disappointment in her voice is evident. She's working as a waitress in 'this' bar and I know how much she hates working there. 

　　"Though, I heard from my boss last night about this surrogacy thing." 

　　My forehead furrowed. Because even if I'm unfamiliar with 'that' word it still rings a bell inside my head. 

　　"Surrogacy?" I asked. 

　　"Yes. But, hell no. I know you're gonna decline it anyways. Considering your personality and all-" I couldn't mind all that she's saying because I'm just too focused on the thought of looking for that 10 grand right away. 

　　"What is surrogacy?" 

　　"You don't know it? You will bear a child for 9 months and before, during and after birth. Viola! Easy money." 

　　I bit my lips. It sounds terrifying for me, but there is something inside me to push through this. Maybe because I'm in a concrete and caught lock situation where I wouldn't have a choice of saying no and will just keep on trying any ways I can. 

　　"Is that even legit?"

　　"As far as I know, yes. I've read it before and got to know some women who do surrogacy."

　　"Then why didn't you do it?" 

　　"If only I can, Angel. You knew that one of my ovaries was gone. fuck this hysterectomy sh*t." 

　　I stood up to open my windows so I could get some fresh air. I can't seem to function in everything that she's saying. Surrogacy? Ovaries? What the hell? I just want to pay for my semester!

　　"You can fit in that maybe. You don't have any background about that, and you seem healthy growing up with Brook's guidance. So yeah, either you tell them about your bills or get pregnant being a virgin and earn a lot of grand, baby.", she teased me more. 

　　We talked more for a while catching things up, but throughout our conversation and until I laid on my bed at night I couldn't help but to think about the things she told me. 

　　Do I really have to go this far just so I can pay for college? Why can't I just have the guts to tell the Brook's that I need the 10 grand right away? 

　　But they've been so good to me. And I know the situation of their business as of the moment is rocky. I don't want to cause more problems. And besides, I'm In debt since I was young.

　　Due to the unending pressure in my mind, even staying up all night did me no good. And so in the middle of the night, I picked up my phone and typed a message for Molly. 

　　To Molly:

　　Can I have the details about the surrogacy? And their contact if ever.

　　That's it. God knows how many times I deleted my message just so I can sound professional and not sound so pressured. I'm ashamed about this work but I can't think of anything else. 

　　But what about college? I'll get pregnant while going to school? Is that even okay? What about-

　　My thoughts stopped when my phone lighted up into my chest. Molly replied right away, my chest rattled reading her message. 

　　From Molly:

　　Are you really doing this? Send your resume to the Huston XXX building. That's what my boss told me. He even asked me if I'm gonna apply and taunted me with great deals. As if. If only I can, duh. He said I can earn a 100 grand just for a single baby? That's out of my nuts. If you ever get into them, 10 grand is no big deal at all!

　　Even through text I can hear a sarcastic voice. In other times, I might have teased her but right now, my eyes are fixated on the address. 

　　Surrogacy. Can this work for me?