The school’s Golden Boy dropped a hundred-dollar bill, and I immediately stepped on it. Then, I casually sat down, pretending to tie my shoe. He noticed something was off and sat down right next to me, staring. We sat there from broad daylight until the sun went down. Neither of us folded. By the next day, the rumor mill was spinning: We were dating. Before I could even deny it, the Prom Queen and the School Bad Boy lost their minds. They cornered me separately. Chloe, the Prom Queen: "Let’s cut the crap. I like Asher. How much to make you break up with him? Is a hundred grand enough?" Jax, the Bad Boy: "What’s so good about that broke genius anyway? Date me instead. I’ll sign over my family’s beach house to you." Chapter 1 "Wake up, Riley! Stop drooling!" I was still in my dream, locked in a battle of wills over that Benjamin, when someone shook me awake. In the dream, Asher had finally left, and I was reaching for the cash. Then—reality hit. Just my luck. I shifted positions, trying to faceplant back into the desk to resume the dream. "I'm dead tired. Didn't sleep a wink last night. Let me nap until the teacher gets here." A different voice cut through the fog. "You're still sleeping? Your romance with Asher is trending on every group chat. Aren't you afraid the principal is gonna drag you in?" I shot up like a zombie. "What?" "I'm in a romance with who?" A group of classmates had formed a circle around my desk, looking at me with hungry, gossip-filled eyes. I grabbed one girl’s arm and shook her. "Speak! What are you talking about?" She pulled her arm away, looking disgusted. "Stop acting. Just spill the tea. When did you and Asher start hooking up?" I raised three fingers. "I swear to god, I didn't hook up with anyone." "Then when did you start dating?" "We aren't!" Heaven knows I’m innocent. Yesterday, I was walking into the library and saw a crisp $100 bill on the floor. My eyes lit up. My dopamine spiked. But the library entrance was crowded. I couldn't just bend over like a goblin. So, I smoothly stepped on it, then sat down on a nearby bench to scout the perimeter. I am a genius. But just as I was mentally spending the money, this tall, gorgeous guy stopped walking. He patted his pockets, then looked at the floor. Specifically, at my sneaker. He looked at me with this complex expression. I guilty-shuffled my foot, trying to cover the bill completely. That was my mistake. He saw the twitch. Instead of calling me out, he just sat down next to me. That gorgeous guy was Asher Vance. The school heartthrob. The valedictorian. At first, nobody realized it was a siege. We just looked like two people sitting. Until we sat there for ten hours. Ten. Hours. I was starving. Is he a robot? Does he run on solar power? Chapter 2 "Bwahahaha!" "Oh my god, that is totally something you would do!" My classmates were practically on the floor laughing after I explained. "Stop laughing at me!" I whined, putting on my best puppy-dog face. One of them rolled her eyes. "Girl, stop being dramatic. So, who got the hundred bucks?" I straightened up. "I know you're curious, but focus! Help me out here. What do I do? Asher has like, a fan club. If they think we're dating, I'm gonna get roasted alive." "I'm too pretty to be bullied! What if they put gum in my hair?" "Relax," someone said. "With that mouth of yours, you could talk your way out of a murder charge. Who’d dare bully you?" True. But before I could clear my name, the hierarchy intervened. Chloe Sterling, the Queen Bee, found me first. "You're Riley?" Her tone was icy. She’s rich, beautiful, and usually followed by a swarm of simps. She was tapping on her phone, not even looking at me. Oh god, I thought. Is she calling a hitman? I nodded, trying to look harmless. "Yeah, that's me." She kept scrolling. "Heard you and Asher are a thing. Let's be real. I like Asher. Whether he likes me back is his problem, but you? You can't date him." "No, wait, I—" "Zip it. Did I say you could speak?" Wow. Rude. Who made you the boss of me? Just because you’re the "School Beauty" doesn't mean you can interrupt people. Chapter 3 Before I could voice my internal protest, Chloe spoke again. "Class is starting soon. My time is money. How much to break up with him? Fifty grand?" Me: ??? "W-what? How much?" Chloe frowned, annoyed. "Is a hundred grand enough? I hate it when people haggle." "Take the money. Break up today." Ding. My phone buzzed. A transfer notification. One. Hundred. Thousand. Dollars. My brain short-circuited. I stood there for a solid three seconds. Luckily, my survival instincts kicked in before she got mad. "So... just to clarify... if I don't date Asher, this money is mine? No take-backs?" "Duh," Chloe pocketed her phone. "Can you do it or not?" I nodded so hard I almost gave myself whiplash. "Yes! Absolutely! Consider it done! He is dead to me!" I was ready to offer her my kidney as a thank-you gift. "Sis, do you want anything else? I can bark? I can do a backflip? Just name it!" Chloe looked at me like I was a cockroach. "I seriously don't know what Asher sees in you." Sis, you are my new religion. "I promise, he will never like me. Ever." "Hey, want me to do a TikTok dance for you? Free of charge. Just to show my appreciation." I started doing a very awkward version of the Renegade. She cringed. "Please stop. That was painful to watch." I stopped. "Or I can rap? I know all the words to—" "Just stop," she covered her ears. "You're weird." She turned and walked away. Honestly? She’s an icon. Beautiful. Rich. Decisive. I yelled after her, "Bye bestie! Call me if you need someone to carry your books!" A random student walked by and sneered, "Simp." I puffed out my chest. "Yeah? And? I'm simping for a millionaire. Jealous?" Chapter 4 I didn't sleep at all that night. I just stared at my bank account app, counting the zeros. Am I rich? Is this real life? Thank you, Asher. Thank you, Benjamin Franklin. The next day. I walked into school with massive dark circles under my eyes. Before I could reach my classroom, Jax—the notorious bad boy—blocked the doorway. He pinned me against the lockers, his voice low and angry. "Riley." I jumped out of my skin. "Jesus! You scared me! Jax, do you have a death wish?" Jax was in my homeroom—Class 8, the "hopeless case" class. Asher and Chloe were in Class 1, the honors class. Jax and I rarely spoke. I sat in the front; he slept in the back. But I’m a social butterfly, so we were cool. Usually. Jax looked serious. Hurt, even. He refused to move. "You're dating Asher? Why?" Oh lord, not this again. Does Jax like Chloe? Is that why he's mad? Thinking of Chloe and my new fortune, I grinned. "Because of money." Jax: ??? "Asher? That broke genius? He has money?" "He can't have more money than me!" Uh oh. "Well, his money isn't really my business, but—" Jax cut me off, raising his voice. "Who says it's not your business? If you date me, I'll give you the villa my dad owns near the beach. Title deed and everything." The hallway went silent. Then it exploded. "Whoa!" "Jax likes Riley?" "The Bad Boy vs. The Golden Boy! Who is Riley gonna pick?" I was stunned. Jax likes me? Since when? He stared at me, ignoring the crowd. "Riley, say something. Yes or no?" Just then, Asher came sprinting down the hall. He looked furious. He was winding up a punch, aiming right for us. Like he had a blood feud to settle. Jax reacted instantly, stepping in front of me to block the hit. "Asher! What the hell are you doing?!" Chapter 5 The punch missed us completely. Instead, it connected squarely with the jaw of a guy with glasses standing next to me. Pow. Four-Eyes stumbled back, looking dazed. "Why did you hit me?!" Asher didn't stop. He grabbed the guy by the collar. "Who gave you the right to spread rumors? Which eye saw Riley pregnant with my baby?" "Which eye saw me forcing her to get an abortion?" "I don't even know her! We aren't dating! How could we have a kid?" "I'm a guy, I can take the heat, but she's a girl! You're ruining her reputation!" Four-Eyes stammered, "I—I saw you guys at the hospital last week!" My brain finally caught up. Asher wasn't here to beat me up. But wait. "What?!" "I'm pregnant? An abortion?!" "Who said I was getting an abortion?!" I went feral. This rumor was lethal! What if Chloe heard this and misunderstood? My money! A classmate showed me her phone. There it was in the grade-wide group chat. Four-Eyes had posted: Riley is preggo with Asher's kid. He forced her to terminate. That's why they were sitting outside the library all night, fighting about it. Attached was a photo of us looking grim during the $100 standoff. It looked... surprisingly convincing. Hell no. I spent last night counting money, not managing a PR crisis! "Get him!" I screamed. Asher and I formed an immediate alliance. We both started swinging at Four-Eyes. Jax, realizing what was happening, joined in. It turned into a 3-on-1 beatdown. Okay, "beatdown" is strong. I was mostly flailing my arms. Then Chloe showed up. She heard the context from the crowd. "Gross!" she yelled. She dropped her bag and joined the fight. 4-on-1. Poor Four-Eyes didn't stand a chance. Chapter 6 "Unbelievable!" "Absolutely unbelievable!" "The Valedictorian! The Salutatorian! Leading a gang assault?" "Are you two trying to ruin your futures?" The Class 1 homeroom teacher was slamming his hand on the desk. Asher (Rank 1) and Chloe (Rank 2) stood with their heads down. Jax and I... well, we were the "bad influences." My homeroom teacher sighed. "Jax, you skip class every day, your grades are tanking, and now you're fighting? And Riley... I'm disappointed. You know your situation. Do you have a death wish?" I stuffed a tissue up my nose to stop the bleeding. Jax protested. "Teacher, you're biased! Riley skips class too, why aren't you yelling at her?" "Shut up or I'll call your father!" "Four-Eyes started a rumor that destroyed a girl's reputation! He deserved it!" Jax argued. "And we barely touched him. Riley's the one bleeding!" "That's for the doctor to decide!" Soon, the parents arrived. Asher’s dad (looked scary), Chloe’s mom (looked elegant), Jax’s dad (looked rich), and... my grandma. Plus Four-Eyes' parents, who were wailing. "My poor baby! Look at his face! We're suing!" The teachers tried to mediate. "We will investigate and punish accordingly. You four, get out. Stand in the hall." We were exiled. "Chloe... uh, Ms. Sterling, sorry for dragging you into this," I whispered. But Chloe looked weirdly excited. "So... wait. You guys weren't dating? You sat there for ten hours over... a hundred bucks?" Asher corrected her: "It wasn't just a hundred bucks. It was a matter of principle." Chloe burst out laughing. "That is the funniest thing I've ever heard!" Jax joined in. "You guys are idiots!" They were losing it. Asher and I exchanged a look of pure embarrassment. "So," Chloe wiped a tear. "Who got the money?" Chapter 7 Asher and I looked at our shoes. It’s a tragedy, really. It wasn't a hundred-dollar bill. It was an anti-fraud flyer folded to look like a hundred-dollar bill. And Asher hadn't lost any money; he just thought he did. The whole thing was for nothing. "Anti-fraud flyer!" Jax howled. "I can't breathe!" I, however, wanted to cry. The bill was fake. Which meant... I looked at Chloe. "Chloe... I need to return the money. I shouldn't have taken it. I was going to tell you yesterday, but I've never seen that many zeros in my life and I panicked. I'll transfer it back right now." I didn't have my phone on me (confiscated), but I was sincere. Chloe waved her hand dismissively. "Keep it." "It's not your fault I jumped the gun." "I don't do refunds. It’s embarrassing. How would I show my face in school if I took money back?" My jaw hit the floor. "It's... a hundred thousand dollars. And you... don't want it?" Chloe shrugged. "It’s good karma. Consider it a donation." I tackled her in a hug. "Chloe! You are my sister! My queen! My goddess!" "If you ever need a kidney, take mine! If you need someone to hide a body, I'll bring the shovel!" Asher looked disgusted. Chloe paused. "Actually, I do need a favor." I snapped to attention. "Name it." "Never mind. Tell you later." Jax poked my arm. "Riley, if you're this happy over a hundred grand, just date me. I'll give you the villa for real." "No!" I refused. The money was a transaction. The villa was a relationship. I have standards. Also, I’m rich now. I don't need a man. Jax pouted. "Why not? Am I ugly?" I scratched my head. How do I explain that I don't have the energy to deal with rich boy drama? "Let's focus on not getting expelled," Asher interrupted. Chapter 8 Four-Eyes was fine. Just bruises. Since he started the malicious rumor, and since Jax and Chloe’s parents have "forget about it" money, the settlement was quick. However, we were all supposed to split the damages. My grandma looked terrified. She stood there, trembling, her old coat worn thin. She didn't have money for settlements. I rushed over to her. "Grandma, don't worry. We don't have to pay. He slandered me. The school knows we're the victims." Grandma looked hopeful. "Really?" "Really." I lied. I used Chloe’s money to pay my share secretly. With the rest of the cash, I paid off all our debts. I put a chunk into a savings account for Grandma. I bought her a premium pension plan that would pay her monthly. After setting everything up, I sat on my bed, gasping for air. My nose started bleeding again. It took half a roll of toilet paper to stop it. Man, being eighteen is exhausting. I’m more fragile than a glass vase. But that night, I slept better than I had in years.
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