What's your price?

One of my policies with students is that there's a line. I'm friendly, but can't get too personal with them. And I don't give/lend money. But I'll make an occasional except (with money, not getting personal). There's this one student who is always borrowing money from other students, a dollar here, two dollars there.. It's gotten to the point that other students ignore her. So one day, she comes to me and tells me that she's leaving early because she's so hungry. Turns out her "man" only gave her 35 cents to geto to school, eat lunch and come home (the train rides alone would have been $4). And, she was going to walk home (an hour and a half walk). So I told her that I'd lend her $4, but that she had to hand in some real classwork, and not BS as she usually does. She swore she'd pay me back the next day, I said "Don't worry, just pay me back by the weekend." I never saw that money again. She's still in classes, but she has never mentioned the money.

I later found out that she's gotten a few dollars out of practically all of her other teachers. One said they bring in an extra sandwich every now and then for her. She's in a bad situation, but you can't support a person. All I know is I bought a person for $4. That was her price, she can't ask me for more, I'll never have to hear her ask me again. $4 for an assignment.. not too bad.