The "School Prince" hated my stutter. He told me to keep my mouth shut and just be a pretty, silent doll. But the "School Bully"—the chaotic rich kid everyone feared—paid someone to switch seats just to sit next to me. He spent all day trying to make me talk. "Hey, if you tutor me, I'll order you a whole roast duck for dinner. Deal?" My face burned red. "N-N-No!" (I meant No shame!) He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't be polite! It's on me!" Later, he forced me to become the fastest trash-talker in the stuttering community. Like a Peashooter from Plants vs. Zombies. Right before finals, the School Prince tried to manipulate me into tanking my GPA so the new transfer student could take first place. The School Bully leaned against the wall, cracking sunflower seeds, and jutted his chin at me. "Little Stutter! Roast him!" I kept a straight face. "Dumb!" "Ass!" 1 This morning, I bumped into Mrs. Greene, my neighbor. She shoved a breakfast sandwich into my hands and told me to give it to her son, Julian. I walked up to Julian’s desk. "Ju... Ju... Julian, this is..." "Alright, that's enough." Julian waved me off impatiently. "Listening to you stutter gives me a headache." "Bailey, I know you like me, but can you stop with the breakfast delivery? It's weird." A few girls nearby giggled. He smirked, looking smug. "Honestly, Bailey, you're pretty when you're quiet. Maybe just... don't talk from now on." My face felt like it was on fire. I wanted to explain that his mom made me bring it, but the more anxious I got, the more my throat locked up. Inside, I was screaming a thousand-word essay. It's always like this! Julian knew his mom made me do this. But he always cut me off before I could finish, letting everyone believe I was some desperate simp buying him breakfast. Everyone thought I had a crush on him. He was tall, captain of the basketball team, possessed deep dimples—the whole package. But I didn't like him. We lived in the same apartment building. I grew up watching him pick his nose and wipe it on other kids. My mom, worried I'd get bullied because of my stutter, asked him to "look out for me." So Mrs. Greene felt entitled to use me as a free delivery service. But Julian never looked out for me. He just looked down on me. Suddenly, a lazy, drawling voice cut through the noise. "Yo, looks like a party in here." Axel strolled in, swinging his backpack over one shoulder. He scanned me, then let his gaze land on Julian. Before anyone could react, Axel walked up to Julian, made a series of complicated hand signs like he was casting a spell from Naruto, and then smack—slapped a sticky note onto Julian's forehead. "What the hell?!" Julian recoiled. Axel looked mock-surprised. "Oh, my bad. I thought you hated talking, so I was using sign language. Guess you know mouths are for speaking after all." Someone in the back snorted. Julian's face turned purple. "Axel! Are you crazy?" "Rude. I was just saying good morning." Axel reached out and grabbed the sandwich sitting on Julian's desk. "If you don't want it, I'll take it. Starving." "Wait! That's what Bailey bought for me!" Too late. Axel took a massive bite. "Why didn't you say so?" Axel immediately spat the bite back into the wrapper, grimacing. "I thought Bailey bought it. If your mom made it, why are you acting so high and mighty? If you want something else, tell your mommy yourself." The classroom went dead silent. Everyone looked between me and Julian. "Wait, so Bailey didn't buy it? It was his mom?" I nodded furiously. Julian looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him. Axel tossed his backpack onto the desk next to mine. My deskmate, Sarah, looked terrified. "Switch seats?" Axel asked. "Axel, this is my seat..." Sarah squeaked. Axel pulled out his phone. Tap, tap, tap. Buzz. Sarah looked at her phone. Her eyes bugged out. "$5,000?!" "Switch or not?" Axel tilted his chin. "Deal!" Sarah grabbed her stuff and bolted. Before I could process what happened, Axel sat down, sprawling his long legs. "Don't be shy, Ba-Ba-Bailey. Sit." I was speechless. I knew he was rich, but five grand just to switch seats? 2 "Prime real estate," Axel muttered, propping his chin on his hand. "View of the soccer field and next to the class valedictorian. I might actually pass this year." "F-Failure," I whispered. I regretted it instantly. But Axel’s eyes lit up. "Yo, Little Stutter got jokes?" "Your voice is nice. Say more stuff." People were staring. My ears were burning. "Tell you what," Axel said, dumping a crumpled pile of worksheets onto my desk. "You tutor me, and tonight I'll order you a whole roast duck. To nourish your brain." Coughs erupted around the room. My face was crimson. "N-N..." No shame! Asking a stutterer to tutor him? Was he insane? We wouldn't finish the first chapter before graduation! "Don't be polite!" Axel grinned, eyes crinkling. "I'm serious. Me and these papers? We're strangers. If this keeps up, I'm failing finals." Julian walked over, looking concerned. "Bailey, are you sure you want to sit next to him? Finals are coming up. He'll drag you down." Axel’s smile didn't fade, but his eyes went cold. "Want me to sit next to you instead?" Julian choked. "No thanks. I don't need your grades rubbing off on me." The homeroom teacher walked in, saw Axel, frowned, but said nothing. Axel's dad is the Chairman of a Fortune 500 company. When Axel fails a test, his dad donates a new library wing. The teachers learned to look the other way. I thought Axel was joking about tutoring. He wasn't. As soon as class ended, he blocked my exit. "Why is the answer C? Why not A, B, or D? Do you have beef with them?" Beef? It's math! I tried to explain, but the words got stuck. Axel whipped out his phone. "Hold up. Add me on WeChat. Just type it." He shoved the QR code in my face. I hesitated, then scanned it. Ding. [Transfer Received: $10,000.00] [Note: Tutoring Fee (Voluntary Gift)] I stared at the zeros. My fingers paused over the "Block" button. I deleted Get lost and typed: [Okay! ^_^] Axel grinned like a fox who stole the hen. Stutterers have their ways. I discovered the Text-to-Speech function. Axel wasn't dumb; he just had zero foundation. He picked things up fast. By lunch, we had finished half a math packet. [Genius!] I typed. Axel preened. "Duh. Dad went to Harvard, Mom went to Yale. I might be lazy, but the genes are strong." I deleted the compliment. After school, Julian stood by my desk, reaching for my bag. "Bailey, let's walk home." Before I could react, Axel hooked my bag with one finger and swung it over his shoulder. "No need. I drive my own tutor home." "We live in the same building. It's on the way," Julian insisted. "I have a driver," Axel smirked. "Even more on the way." "Rolls Royce Phantom. Want to try it, Ba-Ba? If you don't like it, I'll bring the Bentley tomorrow." Julian’s eye twitched. He glared at Axel and stormed off. 3 As soon as I got in the car, my phone buzzed. Julian. [Axel is just a rich playboy who's going to study abroad anyway. He's playing with you. Don't be stupid.] [Julian, tell your mom to stop making me bring you breakfast. I'm busy.] I don't care if Axel goes abroad. He paid, I tutor. It's a transaction. Julian sent a voice message. One minute long. I hate voice messages. Axel leaned over. "Voice message? Gross." He tapped 'Delete' before I could listen. "Tell you what. You tutor me in math, I'll tutor you in skills." I tilted my head. "Trash talking." What kind of skill is that? "Don't underestimate it!" Axel lectured. "When someone states an opinion, right or wrong, you type: 'Cope.'" "When someone defends a person you hate, you type: 'Simp.'" "When someone tries to debate or explain, type: 'Triggered.'" "When you don't understand their logic, type: 'Lol.'" "When they make up a strawman argument, type: 'Reach.'" "When they say something actually valid, type: 'Cap.'" "When you think you nailed them, type: 'W.'" "When you can't think of a comeback, type: 'Mid.'" "Remember: 'Cope' beats 'Triggered,' 'W' beats 'Reach,' and 'Lol' beats everything." "Some things don't need explaining. Just roast them!" "If they still don't get it, hit 'em with a 'Skill issue.'" He held down the voice record button on my phone. "Try it." I was skeptical. "C-Cope!" Axel cackled and hit send. Julian sent back five furious voice messages. He was definitely triggered. Axel deleted them all. When we got to my building, Axel handed me a paper bag. "Wait! I promised you a duck." It was roast duck. From the best place in town. So the smell in the car wasn't... oh god. My face burned. I grabbed the bag and ran. I saw Julian peeking through his curtains on the 7th floor. "See ya tomorrow, Ba-Ba!" Axel waved from the Rolls. At my door, Julian was waiting with a Tupperware container. "Bailey, I know your parents are working late. I brought dinner." He glanced at the fancy bag in my hand. "Isn't that roast duck? You said duck tastes gamey. You like my mom's Sweet and Sour Ribs." It's only gamey if it's cheap duck! This is gourmet! I shook the bag. "N-N-No thanks." Julian frowned. "Bailey, Axel is just bored. Don't daydream. You're just a normal girl." The hallway light flickered. I looked at the ribs. I remembered when I was little, my parents paid his mom to feed me when they worked late. Julian would pile ribs onto my plate. His mom would always say, "Oh, Bailey has a small stomach, don't waste food." Even though we paid, they treated me like a beggar. 4 But when Julian's parents were away, my parents fed him like a king for free. "I... I d-don't..." The stutter was back. Buzz. Axel: [Like the duck? If not, chicken tomorrow?] Me: [The rotisserie place across from school is good!] Axel: [Copy that!] Julian was still waiting for me to open the door so he could follow me in. I typed on my phone and hit 'Play'. "Julian, I'm an adult. I know what I'm doing. Also, your mom puts cilantro in the ribs." I hate cilantro. "Bailey! If you don't like cilantro, just pick it out!" I told him a million times. He never remembers. His mom says, "Julian loves cilantro, just accommodate him." Why? "Mid!" I used my new skill. Julian: ??? "Bailey! How long have you been hanging out with Axel? You're cursing now?" Mid isn't a curse word, you walnut! If I could talk properly, I'd roast him into the next century. He left, disappointed. That night, my mom came home early. She saw the duck. "Why didn't you eat at the Greenes'?" "I sent Mrs. Greene a red packet (money) for the food, but she put cilantro in it again." I explained everything. "The audacity! Mrs. Greene is money-hungry! She offered to cook for you! We only agreed because her husband was the only one working!" Mom called her and yelled, "Refund!" Mrs. Greene tried to argue, but my mom—a lawyer—destroyed her. The money came back. Next morning, classroom. Julian confronted me. "Bailey, why did you embarrass my mom?" "She's always been good to you! When you had a fever in 9th grade, she drove you to the ER! When your mom worked late, she cooked feasts!" Feasts? In 9th grade, their water heater broke, so they all came to use ours. When it was my turn, the power went out. Mrs. Greene told me to "just take a cold shower quickly." I got a fever of 103. My parents called 911. Mrs. Greene just watched the ambulance load me up. I stared at Julian's moving lips. I enunciated clearly: "Cope." "What?" I rolled my eyes. "Triggered." He looked confused. His CPU was overheating. Before he could argue, I held up six fingers. "Skill issue." His face turned liver-colored. "Are you mocking me? Did Axel teach you this? I knew it! He's a bad influence..." I typed rapidly. Text-to-Speech, max volume. "Cope! Seethe! Dilate!"
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