“Jade. My office. Now.” Jade sighed as Gary tapped his desk and pointed to his office as he walked past. Groaning, he slid his chair out and shuffled to the office, trying to ignore the condemning stares of his co-workers. He was not sure why he was being summoned to the office, but he knew it was not because he was being promoted.

Jade walked into the cold, uninviting room and took a seat. He reached over to the bowl of confectionary on the table, but Greg grabbed his arm. Jade took the hint and retracted.

“The university story…” Greg began. Jade groaned as he realised why he was in the boss’s office. “You were supposed to report on the high calibre and motivation of the students, not the administration of the facility.”

“Do you have any idea how things are run there, sir?”

“No Jade, I have no idea whatsoever how universities are run.”

“The purpose of news is to inform people of what they don’t know, not to shovel crap down their throats. Farmers shovel crap; not me.”

“Ah.” Greg sighed. He grabbed a handful of confectionary and rose from his chair. Looking out of the window, he sighed. “I’ve seen your type before…”

Jade threw a glance at the man. Assured that his back was turned, he swiftly grabbed a handful of confectionary and returned to his seat. “What’s that, sir?” Jade asked.

“Anarchists… Think they can change the world. You’re not here because the story you wrote isn’t up to scratch. You’re here because you ignored my instructions and did your own thing. Anarchists… never get anywhere. Sure, it seems like a noble and worthy cause, but nobody ever gets anywhere with it. Especially in my company.”

“Maybe I just piss in the face of authority, sir.” Jade had grown tired of Greg insisting on full control of the newspaper. He was at the stage where he readily challenged anything the man said, regardless of how detrimental the consequences were.

Greg sighed again. “You need this job, do you not?” Greg asked, turning to face the boy.

“What makes you say that?” Jade asked.

“You have to maintain your car. You’re struggling to afford your university studies. You’re having problems at home. Losing this job would absolutely destroy you, would it not?” Jade was silent. “Nothing in this company escapes me.”

“Fine. I need the job.”

“Then I suggest you try and not draw so much attention to yourself. I consider patience my virtue, but when it’s gone, it’s gone. Watch yourself.”

Jade gritted his teeth. It was not the first time he had received threats, by far, but he really did need to keep this job. “Yes sir,” he conceded.

“You’re a good writer,” Greg nodded, “one of our best. I see a lot of potential in you; I’d hate to lose you over something so petty. Consider yourself on probation, though.”

Jade cursed under his breath as he exited the room. The last thing he needed was probation. Storming to his desk, Jade kicked over his trash can in frustration. Resting his head in his hands, Jade calmed himself down.

“Hey, what’s up?” Mel asked, placing her hand on Jade’s shoulder.

“Probation…” he trailed off.

Mel sighed. Pulling up a chair, she sat down next to the boy. “Look,” she said, making Jade look at her. “Nobody’s asking you to be a hero. Just keep your head down, do your job, and look after yourself. You don’t have to save the world.”

Jade looked away. He hated being told to just go with the flow. All his life he had done what he thought was right. He could not see the point of giving up, in essence, himself, for the sake of corporate success. “Look, I’ve heard it all before,” Jade groaned.

“Jade, it’s a simple fact of life that sacrifices need to be made to in order to survive. A lot of us have had to sleep with the boss to keep our job, and the rest just have to keep their mouth shut and do their job. I know you believe that the purpose of the media should be solely to inform its readers of news, but that’s not the reality. It’s no secret that journalists put spins on their stories and twist and manipulate everything to suit their ratings. The readers know that. The readers accept that. You’re not doing anyone any favours by trying to defy that. You’re only going to crash and burn; the burden will be yours and yours alone.”

“So you endorse having to sleep with Greg?”

“Jade, nobody endorses having to sleep with an employer. I did what I had to in order to support my child. We all have our weaknesses, and a lot of us have to use sex to prevent them from being exploited. I’m not happy about it, but I’d rather just sleep with the guy than have to support myself and a child without a job or any other support network. You’re in the same boat; can you honestly say you’ll choose your beliefs over your future?”

“Sarah!” Greg called out to his new assistant. The girl turned around hastily, dropping the coffee in her hands. Jade moved to help her clean it up, but Mel grabbed his arm. “Just do your job,” she hissed.

Jade swore and sat back down. Greg walked over to the girl, who was shaking by this point. “I’m sorry,” she whispered; she had not been working at the company long, and thus was constantly worried about the status of her employment.

“It’s okay,” Greg smiled, holding the girl’s hand. “Mel, clean up this spill,” he ordered. Greg then escorted Sarah to his office.

“Just do your job,” Mel ordered Jade.

A few minutes later, Sarah walked out of the office, tears in her eyes. Jade glared at Mel.

“It’s a simple fact of life that some of us have to sleep with our boss to protect our employment.” They both knew that Greg had not taken the liberty to sleep with the child, but they similarly knew that he had put the proposition forth. Greg’s modus operandi was always to arrange a set time and place, so that he could not be caught in the act.

Jade watched as Greg exited his office, a sly grin on his face. He walked up behind Sarah and placed his hand on her shoulder. The girl shuddered at his touch, and Jade clenched his fist.

Mel slipped her hand into his. “Shh,” she whispered. “Just do your job…”

“Why? What does it matter to you?”

“Because I care about you… I don’t want to see you throw everything away…”

Jade looked around. All eyes were on him; he knew that he was the only person who would stand up to Greg. His eyes flicked back to Mel.

“Please, don’t throw it away. You’ve got a flame that burns deep within you, but don’t let it consume you…”

Jade sighed. He felt his hand drop from Mel’s and subsequently clench.

“I’ll see you after work,” Greg smiled, walking back to his office.

“Why don’t you just leave her alone?” Jade growled, standing up.

“Something to say?” Greg asked. Such a question always forced those that questioned him to back down. Not Jade, however, who stepped up to the man.

“Leave her alone,” he repeated.

“I am shocked at what you’re inferring!” Greg replied in mock horror. “There is nothing going on between us whatsoever!”

“Don’t give me that ‘all-bases-covered’ bullshit. Leave her alone.”

Greg’s face turned from mock horror to anger. “On what grounds do you challenge me?” he snarled. “One word from me and this job of yours is gone. Sit back down. Now.”

“Don’t even start with the threats. Leave her alone.”

“Fine,” Greg conceded. “The bitch isn’t worth the effort.”

“Fuck you!” Jade yelled, punching the man in the face with enough force to knock him to the ground. “Leave her the fuck alone, you bastard!” Jade turned and began walking away.

“Clean your desk, you jobless son-of-a-bitch!” Greg yelled after him.

“Forget it. I have nothing left to keep.”

Knowing he could no longer intimidate Jade with the threat of his job, Greg tried again. “Consider yourself up for assault.”

Jade stopped. A sly grin crossed his face, but he wiped it off before turning. “Put me up for assault,” he goaded. Walking back up to the man, he added, “I’ve got you for extortion, entrapment, and harassment. Nothing in the company gets past me. I’ve got nothing to lose anymore, but you, you’re in the position to lose a lot more than your pride.” Jade paused to let his words sink in. “Bring it on,” he smiled, again turning and walking away. Greg was speechless; Jade’s words had left him powerless.

“Come on,” Jade whispered to Sarah, grabbing her arm and walking to the elevator. His legs felt like jelly as everyone’s eyes fixed upon him. He refused to turn around and look back as he waited for the lift to arrive; he was at a point of no return.

The elevator arrived and Jade and Sarah walked in, silently. As the doors closed, Jade exhaled and leaned on the wall, shocked at what he had just done. Sarah turned to him. “Thankyou…” she whispered, still shaken up. Jade said nothing in response.

As the two exited the building, Jade had finally overcome his shock. “How are you getting home?” he asked.

“Walking,” Sarah replied.

“Hmm,” Jade mused. “Are you sure you’re okay? I’ll give you a lift, if you want.”

“That would be nice…” she accepted.

“Oh, by the way,” Jade said, “my name’s –”

“Jade,” Sarah cut him off. “I’ve heard about you.”

“You have?” he asked in surprise.

“Yeah. The horse that cannot be tamed, they say. I guess I see what they mean, now.”

Yeah…” Jade agreed.

Jade drove the girl home and the two sat in her driveway, reflecting on the day. “Thanks for the lift,” Sarah said, getting out of the car.

“Not a problem,” Jade nodded. Sarah paused as she shut the door to his car; Jade could tell she was still upset.

“Hey,” he called out softly, hopping out of the car. He walked over to the girl, standing before her. “First time being harassed?” he asked. Sarah shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. Jade stepped forward and hugged the girl, letting her cry in his arms. “Doesn’t make it any better, I guess…” he whispered.

The two hugged for several minutes, before Sarah broke the hug. “I never imagined I’d see this side of you,” she smiled.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jade asked in mock horror.

Sarah laughed. “I always heard of you as not caring what anyone thinks. I don’t know; I just always imagined that meant you never considered the feelings of anyone else.”

“Such vulnerabilities are best kept secret,” Jade smiled. “It’s an Achilles Heel, if you will.”

“Thanks, anyway,” Sarah smiled, hugging Jade again.

“Are you… going to go back there?” he asked.

“I don’t really have a choice…” Sarah whispered. “I need the money, to pay for my tutor. My grades have only just started getting better; I can’t afford to let them slip again…”

“What year are you in?” Jade asked.

“Final,” Sarah replied.

“Oh, well, I’ll tutor you. I mean, if you want. I’ve got my blue card and everything, so I’m fully qualified and whatnot.”

“Really? You’ll do that?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, I’m not the most professional tutor, but I won’t charge you.”

“That would be great,” Sarah smiled. “So I’ll… see you next Sunday?”

“Sure, what time?”

“Is four too late for you?”

“Nope. I’ll be there, err… Here.”

“Great! I’ll see you then!” Jade nodded, indicating his farewell. “Oh and… thanks again. Really, I appreciate it.”

“Anytime.” Jade got back into his car and sat there, again reflecting on the day. He smiled, thinking about meeting up with Sarah again, but he sighed as he realised he would have to explain to his parents that he lost another job.

Driving home, Jade threw a glance at the house at the end of his street. It was a magnificent house, two stories tall, but overwhelming in size. Placed in the middle of acreage, it had the grandeur of, in essence, a mansion. It also had neighbourhood disapproval for the inconvenience of blocking the sunsets that used to grace the street. Appropriately so, the building was dubbed ‘the Sun Guard’.

Jade pulled his eyes away from the house as his mobile began ringing. Flipping it open, he answered, only to find that Mel was on the other end.

“Hey,” she greeted him. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Jade replied, pulling into his driveway.

“I know you’re lying. Just… come see me if you need to talk. I’m always here.”

“I’m hoping I won’t have to. We’ll see.”

“Take care…”

“Always do.” Jade shut his phone and sat in his driveway, knowing what lay in store for him. He had known for a while what was at stake, so he had taken the liberty to pack his bags in advance. Sighing, he hopped out of the car and walked inside.

“You’re home early,” his mother greeted him.

“Yeah,” Jade replied.

“How come?” Jade was silent. His mother sighed. “You lost your job?”

“Kind of.”

‘Kind of?”

“Yes. I lost it.”

His mother sighed again. “Please tell me it had nothing to do with your attitude…” Again, Jade was silent. “Jade… Do you not realise how important your job is? We can’t keep paying for you because of a chip on your shoulder. In fact, we won’t. From now on, your actions come with consequences. Consequences that you have to face yourself.”

“So that’s it?” Jade asked. “Just like that, I’m on my own?”

“Jade, you’ve been throwing away your future since you got some stupid idea that you were some gift from God designed to fix the world. No, it’s time you learned how to look after yourself.”

“Alright,” Jade conceded. “Seeya.” He turned and walked out of the house, not saying a word as he hopped back into his car and pulled out of the driveway. “Fuck!” he cursed as he punched his steering wheel; on top of being jobless he was now homeless, too. Knowing he could not drive when he was so upset, Jade headed off to the one place that could calm him down.