Chapter 4 Fourteen Days Later

"Great form today, Campbell. Keep this up, and you'll do very well on next week's qualifying exam."

I nodded firmly. "Yes, sir. I'll work hard."

…

That evening, I pulled out every math paper I'd taken over the past month and started correcting my mistakes one problem at a time during the self-study period.

I'd never had time to do that in the past.

After all, it would be nearly 11 p.m. or even midnight by the time I got home from school and finished organizing everyone's breakfast orders for the next day.

So, reviewing my mistakes after class? Hell, that had never been an option.

But things were different now. The extra hour I gained every morning could go toward memorizing Spanish vocabulary, and the energy I had left during evening study sessions could be spent on solving practice problems.

For the first time in a long while, I actually felt like an ordinary high school senior instead of a pack mule whose only purpose was buying breakfast for everyone else.

…

Zachary began posting videos of his morning pickups in the group chat every day for the next few days.

"Look, everyone! Today's oatmeal is here! My uncle picked it up first thing this morning! And here's the breakfast burrito haul! Doesn't it look delicious?"

In the videos, the breakfast burritos had spent the entire trip sealed inside plastic bags. The tortillas had gone limp from the trapped steam, and the crispy filling inside had turned into a soggy lump.

I didn't say a word.

After all, none of that had anything to do with me now. Plus, I wasn't eating the breakfasts Zachary brought.

…

On the 14th day after Zachary took over handling the breakfast orders, someone in class surreptitiously created a new group chat without him. When Dawn added me to it, people were already talking.

"Has anyone else noticed that the breakfast burritos aren't crispy by the time we get them?"

"The oatmeal isn't warm either. It's completely cooled by the time it arrives. It almost tastes like it's been sitting overnight."

"My bagel was hard as a rock. It definitely tastes like it'd been sitting around for days."

"And did you notice? His uncle just owns an ordinary food truck. He's not some 'major supplier' that every vendor on the strip knows."

"I haven't had a decent breakfast in days. If this keeps up, I'm going to bomb the qualifying exam."

Dawn tagged me. "Connor, you've dealt with those vendors for years. What do you think? Are these breakfasts actually okay?"

I leaned back against my chair and took a languid sip of water before replying. "I have no idea. I don't buy breakfast anymore."

And I was telling the truth.

I'd been eating home cooked meals ever since I stopped buying breakfast for everyone else.

My mother had been over the moon. She was delighted that I'd finally seen the light and learned to have breakfast at home. Now, she would make something different every morning just to encourage me to stick to my new habit.

A moment later, Dawn texted me privately. "Connor… should I talk to the class rep? Maybe we can ask you to start buying breakfast for everyone again. You always did such a good job. Spending an extra dollar or two per person isn't exactly unaffordable."

"No." I rejected the idea immediately. "They think Zachary's better, so they can keep ordering from him."

I'd only just managed to get rid of that burden. Like hell I was taking it back.

"But…"

I quickly cut her off, "Dawn, the qualifying exam is tomorrow. I need to turn in early."

I got no response from her for a full minute before she finally sent me a good-night sticker.

I put down my phone without replying.

As I flipped through my notebook of corrected mistakes, the notebook I used to keep track of everyone's breakfast orders slipped into view. Soon, my eyes fell on three years' worth of notes.

"Ethan Dreyer: no onion, extra hot sauce."

"Madeline Zeller: thick oatmeal, not runny."

"Rachel Turner: add two eggs to her breakfast burrito but she only pays for one."

Every entry was neatly recorded.

I'd bought breakfast for them for three full years, but not once had I received a simple thank-you from one of them. To them, my act of kindness had become something they took for granted.

I tore that page from the notebook, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into the trash.

I let out a long breath as I looked at my now significantly less cluttered desk.

My life had become so much easier ever since I stopped buying their breakfasts, and my grades had started climbing again. Tomorrow's qualifying exam was just around the corner, and I was confident I could ace it this time around.

Just as I was about to put my phone away and go to sleep, it suddenly began vibrating nonstop. Everyone in the group chat without Zachary started tagging me.

"Connor, help!"