Erin looked at his reflection in the mirror. His brown hair was shoulder-length and his gray eyes were sunken. But, he looked better now that he was clean. He had allowed himself another shower in the morning and had left with Andrew.

They had made a stop at the landlord’s place and Mr. Sanders had given them a spare key. He hadn’t even tried to have them pay extra. Erin liked the man instantly.

Now, with a key in his pocket and the assurances that he had a nice place to come back to, he went back to the sewers, which he shared with Alek. Perhaps he would stick to the outer regions. It just wouldn’t do to ruin Andrew’s pleasant clothes.

His one dollar was a reassuring weight in his other pocket. Now that he was clean, people didn’t sneer at him. He looked around for job posters on the doors or windows of shops. He found a couple, but they wanted a diploma from a college. And, Erin didn’t have one of those. He had been a waiter. Getting a diploma just hadn’t been in his plans.

He passed by a drug store that looked to be selling traditional medicine and saw another job offer poster.

Do you know much about medicine? No? Well, I can teach you!

If you do, you are still welcomed.

All I need is someone to look after the shop for eight hours per day.

No diplomas required. Good for high schoolers.

The training is paid.

Apply on [email protected].

No, until date, so, the position could still be taken, Erin supposed. Just like in the antique shop. Still, he walked in. The speakers played some Chinese melody for about five seconds before growing silent again.

Erin looked around and saw a middle-aged woman behind the counter. He approached and extended his hand.

“Hello, I am Erin Hudson. I am here for the job offer. Is it still available?” The woman apprized him, then, she took a hold of his hair and ran it between her fingers.

“We put that in a bun, and you will be in character, ah!” Erin resisted the urge to snap at her as she began to tug at his cheeks and even poking his forehead.

“Good QI. You must have a stubborn character. Good for attracting customers, ah!” Erin’s eyebrows rose. Ok, so far, so good. Then, his ear got tugged, and the woman was looking inside it. He blinked. What?

“Clean. You will hear what they say. Good, good. Your trial starts today!” The woman, who now Erin saw was Chinese, took out a ribbon and unceremoniously gave him a man bun. Erin felt silly, but, if getting a job meant going around with a man bun for eight hours, then, he could suck it up.

“Very handsome! And what unique eyes! I wanted to hire a Chinese man. Make it more authentic, you know? But they were all with short hair and couldn’t speak English without an accent,” which, considering she had an accent herself, was quite hypocritical. However, Erin kept his thoughts to himself.

“My name is Ling Mei, you can call me Mei. And if anyone asks, your name is Hu Son,” Erin blinked again. He would have to lie?

“Ok?” He more asked than agreed.

“Half-Chinese,” continued on Mei. “Taking after your American father. You are not an immigrant, are you?”

“No, born and raised here,” said Erin.

“Good, good. Customers don’t like the accent,” they also didn’t like being lied to. But Erin decided that it wasn’t his problem. He would be Hu Son for as long as he worked here. He only hoped no one expected him to know Chinese. “The pay is seven dollars per hour. I don’t pay overtime.”

Erin resisted the urge to grow. Babysitters got more. But, who was going to give their child to him? He looked starved and sick. For all they knew, he might be contagious with something.

“Thank you for the opportunity, Mrs. Ling,” Erin knew enough from growing up near China town that the first name was actually the last. The woman’s brows furrowed, and she rounded on him like a war hog.

“What is with this Mrs.? Do you think I am so old that I am married? I still have time, you know? People get children at sixty now! There was this one Indian woman who did! Ling Mei can do the same!” Erin bowed his head and endured the ten-minute scolding. He decided to call the hag, just Mei, from now on.

“Take this and attract customers,” snapped Ling Mei and handed him a sign. It had Chinese on the one side and English on the other. Erin took it and went out in the cold. He cursed the hag in his mind and smiled. He twirled the sign and made a superhero pose. A woman giggled and stopped by him.

“What is being sold in this shop?” She asked, and Erin looked back. He wanted to say quack stuff that will give you indigestion. But he needed the woman’s money to get in the cash register. Maybe then he would be welcomed back in the warmth.

“The finest Chinese medicine. Good for your QI and will open all your chakras. All on affordable prices,” said Erin. He had used the word that Ling Mei had, back when she was examining him. He knew from TV that chakras had something to do with the energy in the body, but he didn’t know whether they were an Indian or a Chinese thing.

“Oh, that sounds wonderful. You don’t sell weird things like rhino horns and dried penises, do you?” Erin wanted to burst out laughing. For all he knew, they did.

“We only sell the best medicine. No quack stuff,” the woman looked relieved, and she went inside, much to Ling Mei’s joy. Ling Mei winked at Erin, and Erin began to twirl the sign again. More to keep warm than to attract customers.

A mother and a child looked at the sign for a bit before going inside. Yes, Erin would be a clown if he had to. Seven dollars per hour were fifty-six dollars. That was enough for a bottle of human blood.

Maybe he would look less like a corpse after downing it. And, with the six dollars that would be left over, he could get something for Andrew. To thank him for not wanting rent.