"You want to buy shares of Yahoo?" Steve asked in firmation.

  I nodded, "Yes, it is an emerging sto the current market and is soon expected to ehe Fortune 500 panies. It provides excellent solutions to people searg for things oer. Last year, they introduced their free email service to everyoh i access with near-instant messaging. So I feel that their future prospects are good as young people want to work more with puters and the i than with papers."

  Steve had a ptive look on his face, "Why only Yahoo and not some other panies as well?"

  "If I i in more panies, my risk will e down but so will my returns. However, I am betting on this pany to do well because I have done some researd its prospects look good." I presented him with detailed information about all I could find through neers and Steve's puter. Steve did own a system that had a semi-det i for the time we were in.

  Steve read through the information for a few minutes while I waited patiently.

  I looked up at him when he sighed audibly, "Son, while I'm not very good with stocks, I see that its price has already risen 10 times in the past 2 years. It doesn't seem likely it will rise anymore for it is already overvalued. Your iment, instead of increasing, may as well decrease. Are you ready to bear the losses in such a case?"

  I nodded solemnly.

  "Alright."

  I was a little shocked hearing that word from him, "Just like that?"

  "Yes. While I don't think you will get much profit or any profit at all, it will be a good learning experience for you. However, all money will be your own and I will not allow you to make as or specutions."

  Like I had suspected. No pying with Derivatives.

  Steve tinued, "I'll get in tact with my financial manager a up a trust at for you. As you are not an adult, you ot open a trading at in your own name so I'll open a trust at with you being the sole beneficiary when you e of age. Before that, withdrawals or any transas be made only with my or Kathy's permission. Is that okay?"

  "Yes. Thank you, Dad, for trustih this," I answered sincerely with a smile.

  "It's your own money kid. If it increases, good for you. If it doesn't, you'll learn an important life lesson."

  While I don't like that he thinks I'll make a loss, I'll take what I get.

  (Break)

  It took a whole week for the Trust at to be set up aered in my h the Bank of America. To ease up the matters, Steve transferred the full amount of 40,000 that I had requested to the trading at that was uhe trol of our financial manager, Andrew .

  Andrew was a Jewish man, the same age as Steve. They knew each other from their college days and ter on Steve hired him to manage his funds. Steve, being the servative person he was, mostly ied in Treasury Bills and AAA Corporate Bonds.

  To say Andrew was astonished by our request will be an uatement.

  Under our current agreement, he will act strictly as my stock broker without iing in any other shares without my (Steve's) permission. Andrew will take 1% of the transaount as his own ission. As the ission was kept low, the major responsibility to keep tray shares lies with me.

  I gave him a standing order, "If the price exceeds 400, sell it all. But preferably call us."

  Andrew gave me a smile, "Aren't you being a little too ambitious kid? The current price of Yahoo in the market is around 33. It has fallen sharply i week alone. And you're aiming for 400?"

  I was almost giddy with joy when I saw that the price of Yahoo had fallen further from the previous week. More profit for me baby.

  "The more it falls before I buy, the cheaper for me, right?" I asked ily.

  Andrew ughed out loud then turo Steve, "You got a sharp kid, Steve."

  "Don't I know that?" Steve grinned back, "As per Troy's decision, ihe full 40,000 in Yahoo stock after dedug any initial expenses and your ission of course."

  I was betting everything I had on Yahoo. Hopefully, things will go in a simir dire as I had expected or my parents will rust me with anything else money-reted.

  "50 has already beeed from that as initial expenses," Andrew expined while fiddling with a calcutor. "I'll buy you stocks worth 39,950 within the hour. Is it acceptable?"

  I nodded, "Yes."

  "Perfect."

  (Break)

  So temporarily, I became a part owner of Yahoo! Bought at an average price of 32.60, I owned 1,225 shares under my trust at. With that done, I decided tet about it for the uping year at the very least.

  Ahing hy iember was the release of the Philosopher's Stone in the USA. Schostic Books, who had been given the Ameri rights to the novel, released it o of September, 1998, and took the Ameri market by storm. An instant cssic was eople were calling it.

  The other thing was my new csses at the Crossroads school which were very simir to my old school: b aitive for me. The only good thing was the new drama and music clubs I had joined retly.

  Ever since I started my music lessons, I practiced my singing and guitar daily. I may not be the most profit guitarist or vocalist out there but I like to think I am doier than most people my age. So here I am, in the school's musi, practig after hours.

  ~: I may not always love you:

  I strung the guitar to the rhythm as I pyed the Beach Boys' cssig.

  : But long as there are stars above you,

  You never o doubt it,

  I'll make you so sure about it,

  God only knows what I'd be without you.

  If you should ever leave me,

  Though life would still go on believe me,

  The world could show nothing to me,

  So what good would living do me?

  God only knows what I'd be without you:

  I repeated the chorus line a few times and finally stopped.

  bsp;bsp;cp

  I was dumbfouo see our music teacher, Mr. Paul Tanner, standing right in front of me with a goofy grin on his face, "That was awesome Troy! Have you been taking lessons before this?"

  "Thank you, sir," I probably blushed at getting caught unaware but quickly put it behind me, "And yes, I have been taking music lessons for a year."

  "Let me tell you this, your voice has a maturity and fidehat most people ye don't." His ever-present smile was iious and my lips upturned unsciously.

  That is until the meaning of his words dawned upon me.

  "Do I sound like an old person?" I asked, feeling a little self-scious. I know that having a mature voice is good for singers, but as a child actor, it would be a nightmare for me.

  "No, no. You misuand," Mr. Tanner shook his head emphatically, "Your voice has a stability and experiehat even many experienced people don't. Yuitar work is also exceptionally good if you've been practig for only a year." Here he gave me a questioning look to firm that theory.

  I o firm that.

  "Then I'm afraid to say…" He gave a dramatic pause here, "...you Troy will go very far if you bee a musi."

  Really?

  "Really?" I voiced my thoughts.

  "Indeed. Just keep practig daily and you then joiher the school band or the a capel group." His voice betrayed his excitement.

  "But I'm an actor, sir! I want to focus on that. Music is something I just like pying with," I deed politely. W on music professionally is too much too soon. I would definitely go for it if I didn't have school so often, but unfortunately, I do.

  "Do you have any idea how much talent you will be wasting if you don't share your music with the world?" Mr Tanner looked a little disappointed but not overly so.

  "It's too much sir. I have to tiing at the moment, that too with regur saybe when I am older, I try it?" I tried to appease him, "Though I won't stop practig."

  Mr. Tanner nodded slowly in acceptance when a look of realization dawned upon him, "You are already an actor? Have you worked somewhere?"

  Oops. I shouldn't have said that. While the principal and my homeroom teacher were informed about my job, other teachers weren't. And from the looks of things, Mr. Tanner wasn't told by either of them.

  I sighed i. It is bound to e out one day, "Yes I have worked in a short film which won 2 awards at this year's Sundance festival. Then we made a feature film out of it which will be released on HBO in November. Its trailer should be out by now on WB and its affiliate els."

  He looked impressed, "That's great, kid! So what role did you py? The protagonists' son?"

  "I am the protagonist." Despite what Mr. Tanner may tell you, I didn't sound like a smug bastard.

  Okay, maybe a little?

  Mr. Tanner raised an eyebrow at that, "hen I was ye, all I could hope for was getting the male lead in the school py and here you are, already getting lead roles in movies."

  "It's not like that sir, the film was written, directed, and produced by my father. It was just a short film to teach me ag, but HBO liked it and wao make it a full-length film if I acted in it." I answered, a little abashed.

  "Kid, there's a on saying in Hollywood, don't hesitate to use your es to get a role or you'll regret it for life," He paused as he looked away in the distance.

  Suddenly, he shook his head for a sed, "Sorry, that got too deep for yht?"

  I wao say no, but thought better of it and didn't reply to the rhetorical question.

  "By the way, what did you say was the name of the film? I'll watch it with my family and tell all my friends as well that a student of mine has bee a star." He gave me a winning smile.

  This is embarrassing.

  "You probably shouldn't watch it with family," I winced mentally as I said that, "The movie is adult-themed and even I'm not allowed to watch it until I am much older."

  "Okay, so it's an R-rated film, got it. Still, it must have a name, right?" He ersistent, I'll have to give him that.

  "It's called [Sex Education]," I answered relutly.

  He looked gobsmacked for a moment then whispered something inaudible, then in a louder tone, "Why are you w on such a movie? What was your father thinking?"

  "Hey," I raised my voice for the first time, "He's a great father, so don't talk about stuff you don't know, okay?"

  He looked chastised for a moment but soon opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off, "Also, none of the 'adult' ses were shot in front of me or when I was o. I did have to use some foul nguage, but that was all during shooting, her before nor after. And finally, HBO made it pulsory for me to attend therapy sessions before and even during the filming to make sure I don't suffer some kind of trauma from exposure to such tent."

  I took a deep breath in and tinued in a slow tone, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have s you like that."

  "No, no. I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have judged." He said apologetically.

  "It's fine," I waved him off, "Most people would have a simir rea."

  "Anyways," Mr. Tanner ged the topic, "When do you have to get home?"

  "At 4. My mom will e pick me up today." I answered holy.

  "That gives you," Mr. Tanner checked his wristwatch, "20 minutes before she would e."

  I grunted nonittally. I don't think he had any bad iions, but his words were ing on to to me.

  "Troy, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I really think you would waste a lot of talent if you don't pursue music professionally."

  I sighed audibly. This ma know when to give up.

  "Listen," he tinued, "before being a teacher, I used to work on Broadway."

  I looked at him doubtfully. Why would a Broadway actor bee a school teacher?

  "It's true!" He insisted seeing my skeptical face. "In my most famous role, I pyed Marius in Les Misérables. Hear this: My name is Paul Tanner, I used to be a stage performer. Not anymore… I am an educator now, teag kids singing and instruments.:"

  He sang the whole sequeh varying pitches from low to high and everywhere iween. That was really good. But I was still doubtful.

  "That was very good Mr. Tanner," Tanner beamed at the praise, "If you don't mind me asking, why did you stop doing pys and such. Your voice is very good. For that matter, why aren't you the Drama teacher?"

  Tanner rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Well, I have a degree in musi the Uy of Colorado, so I am qualified for the job. As for your other question, I have a medical dition where I ot sing for prolonged periods or I may lose my voipletely. I had to leave behind theater and singing."

  His voice was bnk of aions as he said that. That must've been painful for him. Dedig everything to a goal, only to find the goal snatched away from you because of something out of your trol.

  "But I'm happy now. I have a fulfilling job and a great family," He said immediately when he saw that I was about to apologize for his failed career, "Now I teach kids. Not just here, but I have a private facility where I mostly coach people with their vocals who want to pursue pop singing or musical theater. Today is my day off from my other job or you wouldn't even find me here."

  "Do you give private lessons to kids my age as well?"

  He looked startled for a moment but quickly posed himself, "I do on weekends. My regur after-school csses are on weekdays, with Wednesdays off. On weekends I take up private sessions or remedial csses if someone misses something important because of some other itment."

  "Do you have a weekend slot empty?" I asked hopefully. When he gave me a questioning look I expined, "My current music teacher is good at teag instruments but her vocal training is not so good, to be ho. And I would love to know about musical theater singing."

  He eyed me carefully, "Shouldn't you ask your parents first?"

  I shrugged, "They let me do pretty muything as long as it is reasonable. I'm already taking music csses, all I have to do is ge my coach. It shouldn't be much of an issue."

  At this point, I was waiting for him to point out how un-kid-like I behaved, thankfully he didn't.

  "I have slots avaible between 10 and 12, Saturday and Sunday ms. If you have the time you call me and I'll see what I do," Mr. Tanner's voice harde this point. "But let me tell you beforehand that I am very strict with my training. e along only if you are ready to do this with your maximum effort."

  "As long you keep it in mind, that I'm doing this just to keep my vocals sharp, and maybe learn a thing or two about musical theater, not to join some boy band," I joked.

  Mr. Tanner snorted before nodding to my request in acceptance.

  "Give me a card or something and I'll have my parents tact you with the details."

  _______________________________

  AN: Read ahead on Webnovel/Royalroad.