SARAH'S POV
"I don't think I can take the risk."
I said it out loud, rolled the letter up, and tossed it straight into the trash like it burned my fingers.
Calista didn't even blink. She marched over, fished it out of the bin, and shoved it back into my hands with that signature bossy look she's had since we were freshmen.
"Sarah," she said, gripping my shoulder and staring me right in the eyes. "You've got real debt. The kind that keeps you up at night. I'm not telling you to jump into some shady mess, but you can't keep acting like it's not crushing you."
I sighed, running a hand through my messy ponytail. "Calista... my mom just died. Everything's already falling apart. What if this show makes it worse? I'm barely surviving senior year as it is."
She softened but didn't back down. "I know, babe. I miss her too. But sleeping on it won't magically pay the bills or stop Mrs. Smith from banging on your door like a debt collector zombie. Just... think about it, okay? For real this time."
"I'll sleep on it," I muttered, though we both knew I was lying.
She nodded and dropped it after that. Ordered our usual cheesy fries and milkshakes, cracked dumb jokes about our cranky math teacher until I laughed twice, and even had the housekeeper pack me snacks "for the road." That was Calista - pushy when I needed it, but always showing up like the best friend I didn't deserve.
Still, the letter came home with me anyway, burning a hole in my bag.
I dropped my bag on the bed the second I got home and kicked off my sneakers.
"Shower, eat, sleep. No more thinking about stupid reality shows or mystery money," I told myself, trying to sound convincing.
The letter slid out and landed face-up on the floor like it was mocking me.
"You have got to be kidding me," I groaned, picking it up. I shoved it deep into my bag, zipped it shut, and kicked the whole thing under the bed. Then I took the longest, hottest shower of my life, blasting music to drown out my racing thoughts.
Lectures tomorrow. I needed to focus on being a normal senior - not some desperate girl signing her life away for two million dollars.
But normal flew out the window when Mrs. Smith started pounding on the door at six in the morning like she was trying to break it down.
"Open up, Sarah Chen! I'm not playing with you today!"
I yanked the pillow over my head. Useless. Her voice could wake the dead.
"Come out here right now or so help me I will call the cops!"
I sat up so fast my head spun. Rent day. How did I forget rent day?!
I scrambled out of bed and yanked the door open. Mrs. Smith stood there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed into angry slits.
"My money. Now," she snapped.
"Mrs. Smith, I-" My voice cracked. "I don't have it yet. Things have been crazy since my mom passed and-"
Her face twisted. "You promised me today! Those were your exact words, young lady!"
"I know, I'm sorry, I just need a little more time-"
She cut me off with a sharp hand. "I'll be back this evening. If that money isn't in my hand, you're out on the street. Pack your stuff. Are we clear?"
She stormed off before I could beg.
I slammed the door and leaned against it, heart pounding. "This can't be happening..."
Hands shaking, I grabbed my phone and called Calista.
She picked up on the first ring. "Hey, what's wrong? You sound freaked."
"Cal..." The old nickname slipped out like we were back in middle school. "I need you to lend me a thousand dollars. Just until I get a job or something. I swear I'll pay you back fast. Please, I'm desperate."
"Sarah."
"Please, Cal, I wouldn't ask if I had any other choice. Mrs. Smith is kicking me out tonight!"
"If you had taken that offer yesterday, you wouldn't be calling me right now," she said, voice steady but not mean. "I'm not lending you the money."
My stomach dropped like I'd been punched. "Cal, come on! Don't do this to me. You know I'm good for it!"
"Take the offer, Sarah. Call me back when you've actually signed. I love you, but I'm not enabling you to keep drowning."
She hung up.
I stared at my phone, tears stinging my eyes. She wasn't being cruel. Calista had my back through everything - Mom's illness, the video nightmare with Marcus. She was just... being the tough love I probably needed.
I reached under the bed, pulled out the bag, and stared at the letter.
On campus. Safe. Familiar.
Before I could chicken out, I got dressed in my favorite hoodie, grabbed my stuff, and headed out, heart racing like I was about to fail a final exam.
"Sarah Chen. I had a feeling you'd show up."
Alex leaned back in his chair, looking way too relaxed for someone about to flip my whole life upside down.
I sat down, trying to act braver than I felt. "I'll do the show. But I have one condition, and it's non-negotiable."
He raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"Clear every single loan, the rent, all of it - before the show starts. Not after. I'm not stepping in front of any cameras until my life isn't a total disaster."
He rubbed his chin, then nodded slowly. "Done."
He slid the contract across with a pen. "Sign here... and here."
I took a deep breath and signed fast, before my brain could scream at me to run. "There. Happy?"
"Congratulations, Sarah." He shook my hand, his grip firm. "Welcome to the show."
I swallowed hard. "Thank you. But... can I at least meet my co-star first? Just once? This is already scary enough."
His smile didn't reach his eyes. "No. You'll both be revealed on day one. It's part of the format. Builds the drama."
"Drama?" I frowned. "This isn't some teen prank show. Why hide it?"
Before he could answer, my eyes caught something on his desk - another file, half-open, with a fresh signature at the bottom.
"Is that his contract?" I asked, leaning forward.
Alex snatched it away lightning-fast. "We're done here, Sarah. You can go."
I stood up, but not before I caught it.
One word in bold ink: Hale.
I froze at the door, hand on the handle. "Alex."
He looked up.
"Who is Hale?"
He stared at me for a long beat, then stood and held the door open. "Have a good evening, Sarah."
"That's not an answer! Why won't you tell me? Is he someone from school? Is this whole thing a setup?"
"It's the only answer you're getting today." His voice was cold. "Goodnight."
I stepped out, the door clicking shut behind me like a final warning.
Hale.
Who the hell was Hale... and why did his name make my stomach twist like I'd just walked into the biggest high school scandal of the year?
