Chapter 4

Time was running out.

Once the two-week orientation camp ended and the constant supervision was gone, the underground clique would most likely make its move.

I had to shake off the image Keith had created for me before camp was over.

Alternatively, I had to make sure someone else fit their profile even better than I did.

When orientation camp began, I somehow ended up on the same team as Keith.

Our eyes met across several rows of students.

The look we exchanged made it pretty clear that we hated each other.

After the head instructor, Randy Moshier, finished his opening remarks, he told each team to vote for its Outstanding Participant.

As everyone broke into their groups, more than a few amused looks came my way.

I could hear my roommates whispering to some of the others.

“We have to vote for Poser Boy. Imagine the entertainment if he actually gets picked as team MVP.”

Keith was watching me with ridicule in his eyes.

At that point, I pulled out my phone.

“Everyone shouting over each other is going to get messy. Why don’t we make a group chat and vote there?”

Everyone agreed.

Keith scoffed.

“Who’s going to join a group made by the poser? Whatever. I’m voting for him. Just count mine when you tally the results.”

I smiled. I had expected that.

Unfortunately for him, things did not go the way he thought they would. Everyone joined the voting group.

As soon as everyone was in the group chat, I transfered each of them $1,000.

There were thirty people, so it was thirty thousand dollars in total.

Everyone stared at their phones, then at one another in disbelief.

With a calm face, I typed into the group chat.

[Vote for Keith. If he wins, everyone who voted for him gets another $1,000.]

When my roommates received their payment notifications, they looked at one another, completely stunned.

I laughed to myself.

They wanted everyone to believe I was some broke poser pretending to have money.

That was easy enough to disprove. All I had to do was spend some.

But I was not about to throw my money away for nothing.

I could not care less about spending thousands just to convince a bunch of strangers I was not a poser. I did not care what they thought about me.

The money was actually buying me something useful.

If I was going to spend that much, I expected to get something worthwhile in return.

When the break ended, Randy called everyone back and asked each team to announce who they had chosen as their Outstanding Participant.

One by one, the teams called out the names they had chosen.

Keith shot me a smug look.

He looked at me like I was already doomed and had not realized it yet.

I walked straight up to him and asked coldly, “You know about the underground clique, don’t you?”

He narrowed his eyes. Then, he looked me up and down in amusement.

“Well, look at that! The poser actually figured something out.”

He broke into a triumphant grin.

“Yeah, I know about them. I found out the day you went to the associate dean’s office. Good thing you were stupid enough to bring it up where I could hear you.

“I deleted all those posts from my socials as soon as I realized what was going on. But you know what? It worked out even better for me, because I’d already put you right on their radar.

“According to what I’ve heard, every year they pick the biggest attention seeker among the students chosen as Outstanding Participants at orientation camp.

“So tell me, Henry. Who do you think that’s going to be this year?”

He gave me a smug, almost gleeful look.

I held his gaze as the corner of my mouth lifted slightly in a smile.

He rolled his eyes and spat on the floor by my feet.

“Wipe that stupid smile off your face! I can’t stand pathetic posers like you. Are you ready for hell? Once orientation camp is over, have fun with whatever special welcome they’ve planned for you.”

I scoffed and stepped farther away from him.

I did not want to stand too close when he crashed out.

Finally, it was our team’s turn.

Randy looked at us. “Alright. Who did your team choose?”

Keith looked like he was trying and failing not to smile. He was grinning from ear to ear.

Our team captain, Ben Coupe, stepped forward and pulled up the voting results on his phone.

He cleared his throat, then said loudly, “Our team’s Outstanding Participant is Keith!”

Keith, who was standing with his hands in his pockets and looking at me with open contempt, froze on the spot.