Author’s POV:
Max Morgan’s phone buzzed persistently as he limped out of Cloud City High’ste study hall. The screen showed three missed calls and five text messages, all from his sister Emily. He frowned, slowing his already cautious pace.
Emily never called him. Not unless she wanted something.
He swiped open thetest message: <i>Hey </i><i>Maxie</i><i>, </i><i>just </i><i>checking </i>how <i>you’re </i><i>doing</i>. <i>Do </i><i>you </i><i>need </i><i>some </i><i>money </i>for the
<i>weekend</i><i>? </i>
Max snorted. Emily offering money? Something was definitely wrong. Thest time she’d “loaned” him cash, she’d charged him 20% interest and collected in front of his friends, calling him a charity case.
His phone rang again. Emily.
“What do you want?” Max answered bluntly.
“God, Max, is that any way to talk to your sister?” Emily’s voice was unnaturally sweet. “I just wanted to check on
you.”
“You’ve never ‘just checked‘ on anyone in your life.” Max shifted his backpack, wincing as its weight pulled on his
sore shoulder. “What’s going on?”
Emily sighed dramatically. “Fine. I need help with a physics problem. For my schrship application.”
“You hate physics.”
“Yes, and I need this schrship. Themittee specifically requested I solve this problem set.”
Max’s interest was piqued despite his suspicion. “Send it over.”
His phone pinged with an attachment, Max opened it, squinting at the equations that filled his screen. His eyebrows rose higher with each line,
“Emily, this isn’t high school physics. It’s not even regr college physics. What the hell kind of schrship is this?”
“It’s… specialized, Emily said vaguely, “Can you solve it or not?”
Max shook his head even though she couldn’t see him. “No way. This is quantum mechanics or something. Way beyond me,”
“Maybe Jade could help?” Emily suggested, her voice suddenly bright. “She’s inputer science, right? They doplicated math.”
“Then ask her yourself.”
:
“We’re not exactly on speaking terms right now,” Emily admitted. “Look, if you help me with this, we can split the schrship money. Fifty–fifty.”
“You want me to be your go–between with Jade?” Maxughed. “No thanks. I’m not getting involved in whatever mess you’ve created.”
Max, please-”
He hung up, tucking his phone away. Whatever Emily had gotten herself into, it wasn’t his problem.
62
The next day, Emily paced nervously outside the Princeton physics building. Her palms were sweaty, and the folded papers in her pocket felt like they were burning a hole through the fabric. When she spotted Orion Miller walking across the quad, she straightened her posture and forced a bright smile.
“Orion! Hey!” she called, waving enthusiastically.
Orion looked up, clearly surprised that Emily Morgan was addressing him. They’d barely spoken since orientation week. “Emily, right? What’s up?”
“Just wanted to say hi.” She fell into step beside him. “Did you know my sister Jade got into Princeton too? She’s in theputer science department.”
“Yeah, everyone knows,” Orion said, his interest visibly piquing. “She’s basically the talk of campus right now.”
“She’s changed so much since high school,” Emily continued. “Got skinny, got pretty. You probably wouldn’t even recognize her.”
Orion nodded slowly. “I’ve seen her around. She’s… different.”
“She had such a crush on you in high school, you know,” Emily said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “She was devastated when you rejected her.”
Orion frowned. ‘We barely spoke,”
“That’s because she was too nervous to approach you directly,” Emily lied smoothly. ‘She’s probably still too
embarrassed to talk to you now. But I bet she’d be thrilled if you reached out.”
“<b>You </b>think?‘ Orion looked thoughtful.
“Definitely. With your looks and brains? She’d say yes in a heartbeat.” Emily patted his arm. You should ask her out. Before someone else does.”
<b>12:22 </b>Mon, Sep 22
:
As Orion walked away with a contemtive expression, Emily smiled to herself. If Jade was happy about reconnecting with her high school crush, maybe she’d be willing to help with that impossible physics problem Edward Sheldon had given her. The chancellor and physics department were all waiting for her solution<b>, </b>believing she <b>was </b>some kind of genius. <b>If </b>she failed now, she’d lose everything.
<b>Jade </b>was heading to the engineering building when she noticed a small crowd gathering in the corridor ahead. Instinctively, she scanned for exits and threats before forcing herself to rx. <i>Just </i><i>college </i><i>drama</i><i>, </i>she reminded herself. Not a security <i>situation</i><i>. </i>
She was about to detour when she saw who was at the center: Aurelia Sullivan, nked by two well–dressed girls, blocking her path.
“Well, if it isn’t the charity case herself,” Aurelia said loudly enough for everyone to hear. Her perfectly manicured hand held up a broken tinum chain. “I’ve been looking for you.”
Jade stopped, maintaining a neutral expression. “Excuse me?”
“Your sister Emily bumped into me yesterday and broke my bracelet.” Aurelia thrust the damaged jewelry forward. “It’s a limited edition Cartier. Worth sixty thousand dors<b>.</b>”
One of Aurelia’s friends nodded vigorously. “We all saw Emily crash into her, and then the bracelet just snapped.”
“Only twenty were made worldwide,” the other friend announced loudly. “The Sullivans bought two of them.”
Whispers rippled through the growing audience. Jade nced at the broken chain withplete disinterest.
“You could beat Emily to death and I wouldn’t care,” she replied tly.
Aurelia’s eyes widened in mock surprise. “You won’t even help your own sister? How cold.”
“So cold,” echoed one of her friends.
Jade heard the murmurs from onlookers: “Sullivan money runs deep,” and “That new girl is gorgeous but she’s in trouble now.”
<b>62 </b>
Aurelia stepped closer<b>, </b>her expensive perfume overwhelming. “People from the slums like you have no manners. Apologize for your sister first, then we’ll discuss payment.”
Before Jade could respond, <b>a </bmanding voice cut through the crowd.
“J! There you are.”
Chase Astor pushed through <b>the </b>spectators, a group of well–dressed young men following in his wake. His aggressive approach immediately softened when he reached Jade, his posture bing almost deferential.
:
<b>“</b><b>Is </b>there a problem here?” he asked, positioning himself between Jade and Aurelia.
The corridor fell silent. Chase’s friends formed a protective semicircle around Jade.
“This doesn’t concern you, Chase,” Aurelia said, tossing her blonde hair. “I’m just collecting a debt.”
“She’s with me,” Chase replied firmly. “Any problems, you talk to me first.”
The whispering intensified: “That’s Chase Astor!” “Why is he protecting the new girl?” “The Astors never mix with schrship students…”
Aurelia’s perfect smile hardened. “No need to y knight, Chase. We all know you’re just after her for her looks.”
“At least I have something to offer besides daddy’s credit card,” Chase shot back. “That fake blonde dye job isn’t fooling anyone, Sullivan. Neither is pretending you have a brain under it.”
92
Aurelia’s face flushed with anger. “Whatever. My cousin Catherine is officially getting engaged to Ethan Haxton next month. We’ll see who’sughing then.”
Jade’s eyebrow lifted at this information. “Ethan Haxton is marrying your cousin?<b>” </b>
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