Chapter 11: Laying the Groundwork

Josh woke up on Tuesday morning with a renewed sense of purpose. The small victories he’d achieved on Monday—helping Joel with algebra, maintaining focus in class, and sidestepping his brothers’ suspicions—had given him a clearer vision of the path ahead, and he was determined to keep moving forward. After getting dressed, he went to the kitchen for a quick breakfast. His mom was still asleep, resting from her late shift, and the house was quiet except for the sound of his brothers moving around upstairs.

He knew Joel and William had to leave for school earlier than he did, so he used the time to check in with them while they grabbed a quick breakfast. William was finishing up his cereal, glancing nervously at his backpack, which was stuffed with homework.

“Hey, William, want me to take a quick look at your math homework?” Josh asked, keeping his tone casual. He didn’t want to seem pushy, but he figured he could help his brother ease any last-minute worries.

William gave him a suspicious look but handed over the notebook. “Uh ... sure, I guess,” he said, still trying to make sense of Josh’s sudden change. Josh scanned through the problems, double-checking a few answers, and gave William a quick thumbs-up. “You’re good—everything looks right.”

William sighed with relief. “Thanks, Josh. Uh, appreciate it,” he muttered, still eyeing him curiously.

A minute later, Joel came downstairs, his math notebook under his arm. He hesitated, glancing at Josh with lingering curiosity. The help with algebra the night before had clearly made an impression, but he seemed to still be mulling over how his younger brother had learned concepts he himself struggled with.

“Alright, I’m heading out,” Joel said, pausing just long enough to give Josh a look of suspicion mixed with curiosity. “I still don’t get where you learned all that stuff, you know.”

Josh shrugged, keeping it light. “I just started reading more. Mom’s encyclopedias actually have some useful stuff in them. You’d be surprised.”

Joel raised an eyebrow, still skeptical. “Alright. But I’m keeping my eye on you, brainiac.”

They each said goodbye, with Joel and William heading out first to make it to their school on time. When the house was quiet again, Josh took a moment to go over his own plans for the day. He had to keep playing it cool at school, especially since Mrs. Thompson had been watching him with a new level of interest. It was Tuesday, so he had just one more day before Mr. Johnson would be able to check the lottery ticket.

Once he got to school, he did his best to keep a low profile, going through the usual routine and participating just enough to seem engaged without drawing too much attention. But he could tell Mrs. Thompson’s gaze lingered on him from time to time, her expression reflective whenever he answered questions with unexpected insight.

When the final bell rang, Josh filed out with his classmates, already thinking of what he could do next at home to help. He wanted to make every moment count—even the small changes felt like steps toward the future he wanted for his family.

When Josh got home that afternoon, the house was quiet. He walked into the kitchen, hoping to find something he could start prepping for dinner. Opening the fridge, he quickly realized their options were limited—other than the leftover chili he’d made over the weekend, there wasn’t much else to work with. He figured chili would do for the night, and he closed the fridge, deciding to save any creative cooking ideas for when they had more ingredients on hand.

With dinner sorted, Josh wandered through the house, looking for anything else he could do to help out. As he passed by the bathroom, he noticed it had seen better days. The sink was streaked with soap scum, the mirror had smudges, and a faint layer of dust had collected in the corners. He decided that a deep clean was long overdue.

Rolling up his sleeves, Josh headed to the closet and gathered supplies—an old sponge, some cleaning spray, and a scrub brush. He got to work on the mirror first, wiping away fingerprints and streaks until it gleamed. Moving to the sink, he scrubbed the faucet and countertop, carefully scouring away the soap residue and toothpaste stains.

He tackled each part of the bathroom with care, taking his time on the areas that needed extra attention. As he worked, he found the cleaning almost meditative, letting his mind drift over the events of the past few days. The satisfaction of scrubbing away the grime and seeing everything start to look fresh and clean was oddly calming, giving him a sense of accomplishment he hadn’t anticipated.

After about an hour, he was on his hands and knees, scrubbing the baseboards and making sure every last bit of dust and dirt was gone. Once the bathroom was spotless, he took a step back to admire his work. It looked brand new—something he hoped his mom would appreciate when she noticed later.

Just as he finished up, he heard the front door open and his brothers’ voices echoing through the hallway. They were finally home, and he could hear William complaining about the long day they’d had at school. Josh quickly put away the cleaning supplies and stepped out of the bathroom, feeling a sense of quiet pride at the unexpected project he’d taken on.

Dinner tonight might just be leftovers, but at least he’d been able to make the house feel a little fresher, a little better, in his own way.

When his brothers finally made their way into the kitchen, Josh was already setting the table, heating up the leftover chili he’d made over the weekend. As he ladled the chili into bowls, he noticed William’s nose wrinkle slightly.

“Chili again?” William asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, it’s what we’ve got,” Josh replied with a shrug, keeping his tone light. “Besides, it’s better than nothing, right?”

Joel glanced at the bowls, seeming satisfied enough. “Chili’s fine,” he said, sitting down and grabbing a spoon. “Better than sandwiches, anyway.”

The three of them dug in, the conversation gradually shifting from complaints about food to a rundown of their day. Josh asked William about his classes, listening as his brother explained a history assignment that he was finding a bit boring. Joel chimed in occasionally, giving William a hard time in his usual big-brother way, but their teasing felt lighter, more relaxed than usual.

Once they finished eating, Josh stacked the bowls by the sink and motioned toward the table. “Alright, let’s get to work on homework,” he said, trying to keep things organized. Joel and William exchanged a glance, but neither of them argued.

They all sat down at the table, their books and notebooks spread out in front of them. Josh noticed that Joel had his math book open again, looking at the algebra problems he’d struggled with the night before. Across from him, William was flipping through his reading assignment, occasionally sneaking glances at Josh, still not quite sure what to make of his brother’s sudden focus on helping around the house.

As they worked, the silence was broken only by the occasional question from William or the sound of pages turning. Josh looked over at William from time to time, checking on his work without being too obvious, while keeping an eye on Joel as he worked through his algebra. He couldn’t resist offering the occasional tip, though he was careful not to make it too obvious.

Josh finished his own homework faster than his brother’s and wanting to keep up the ruse from the night before. He quietly got up and walked over to the living room bookshelf, where the encyclopedia set was kept. Running his fingers along the spines, he chose a volume that caught his interest—Biology and Physiology. Carrying it back to the table, he opened the book and began reading, his attention fully absorbed.

A few minutes later, William looked up, noticing the hefty book in front of him. “Wait ... are you reading the encyclopedia? For fun?” he asked, giving Josh a look of pure confusion.

Josh shrugged, trying to keep things casual. “It’s got a lot of interesting stuff in it,” he replied, not looking up from the page. “Sometimes it’s better than whatever’s on TV.”

Joel, catching on, raised an eyebrow. “Alright, now you’re starting to sound even weirder, Josh. First algebra, now you’re reading about ... cells?” He shook his head, a mix of suspicion and amusement. “Since when did you care about all this?”

Josh just smiled, keeping his response light. “Since I realized it was all right here on the shelf. Besides, didn’t Mom always say we should use these?”