Cameron walked in with a nk expression, one hand tucked casually in her pocket. She looked effortlessly cool, sharp, and confident as she headed straight to the back row and took her seat.
Someone whispered, "Whoa, is it just me or did Cameron get hotter?"
"No, for real. He actually looks amazing," another agreed.
"I finally figured out what changed-it''s his vibe," someone else chimed in. "He used to slouch all the time, but now he walks tall, shoulders back, eyes full of confidence. No wonder he feels different."
As the chatter continued, Cameron opened the programming book she''d checked out from the library, tapping her finger lightly against the title page.
Martin and Heidi wanted her to transition and marry Amelia, all for wealth and status.
She wondered, ''But why should I build my future on someone else''s shoulders? I''m going to build my own business empire.
There were three months left before the SATS. Academically, she had no reason to worry. Even without a perfect score, she''d stillnd a spot at a top university.
What she wanted now was to make her first pot of gold before those three months were up.
''What should I do?'' Cameron pondered, spinning her pen as her mind raced.
Then, Brody walked in with his lesson ns. "Alright, everyone, we''ve got our second mock examing up next Monday. Let''s give it our best shot-time''s running out. Push hard, aim high, and you won''t be looking back with regrets when graduation rolls around."
Motivated by Brody''s pep talk, the ss came alive with renewed determination.
Cameron looked up at Brody. In this mock exam, she could probably climb a few spots in ss rankings-and maybe jump a hundred ces school-wide. She was going to reveal her strength, little by little.
*****
At 10 p.m., the evening study period had just ended. Cameron loungedzily at her desk, working through a physics test
paper.
She already knew how to solve every question. But she needed something to show for it-something that would make it clear her steady progress was the result of real effort.
One by one, her ssmates filtered out of the room.
"Hey, pretty boy. Are you hiding from me?" a voice suddenly called from behind.
The back door of the ssroom flew open with a loud, arrogant kick, and there was Xander-good-looking as always, but with that ridiculously punchable face of his.
"Whoa, it''s Xander. He''s so hot," someone whispered.
Another said, "Yeah, but he''s scary. Let''s go. He must be pissed at Cameron. We should leave before we get caught in the crossfire."
Within moments, the ssroom waspletely empty.
Xander strutted into the ssroom and stopped right in front of Cameron. He nted one foot on the chair in front of her, shooting her a sideways nce, cocky as hell. "What''s up, pretty boy? Are you scared now? Weren''t you all smug this morning?"
Cameron set her pen down, slipped the test paper back into her folder, and looked up at him with those sharp, clear eyes. * Heard you''re an athlete. Top of the game in track and basketball, huh?"
Xander tilted his chin. "That''s not a rumor. That''s a fact."
Cameron''s lips curled slightly. "You seemed so confident. Wanna make a bet?"
"Hell yeah," Xander said without hesitation. He was so cocky that he didn''t even bother asking what the bet was.
Cameron snapped her fingers. "I like that."
Xander scoffed, "Quit dragging it out like some drama queen. Just say it-what''s the bet?"
Cameron replied, "No one ever told you there''s a drug that can foot
Xander grabbed her cor. "You got a death wi
Sessfully unlocked!
ne mute?"
Cameron knocked his hand away. "Hands off. Unless you don''t need that hand anymore-in which case, go ahead."
Xanderughed, "Damn. Pretty boy, you''re the first person I''ve met who''s cockier than me. Alright, what''s the bet?"
Cameron said, "Let''s go with your specialty. Basketball or track-your call. Loser packs up and gets the hell out of Room