"Did she actually show up?"
The whisper bounced off the metal lockers, sharp and loud in the crowded hallway.
I kept my chin raised, gripping the frayed straps of my backpack. My clothes from yesterday clung to my skin, smelling faintly of hospital antiseptic and stale sweat. Every student I passed pressed their backs against the walls, creating a wide, empty path for me as if I carried a contagious disease.
"Look at her hair," a boy muttered to my left. "Guess the billionaire princess couldn't afford a shower."
I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced my legs to keep moving. I just needed to find Joseph. He walked out on me at the hospital, but he was panicked. He was scared of the college scouts. Once I talked to him, once I explained that my dad was framed, he would understand.
A figure stepped directly into my path, blocking the corridor.
Chloe.
Mia stood right beside her, holding my gold-trimmed cheer megaphone. The captain's megaphone.
"Move, Chloe," I demanded, keeping my voice steady.
"You do not belong here anymore, Ivy," Chloe stated, crossing her arms. "My mother called the principal this morning. Half the parents threatened to pull their donations if you stayed enrolled."
"I go to school here. I am the cheer captain."
"Not anymore," Mia snapped. She tapped the plastic megaphone against her thigh. "Coach gave this to me an hour ago. We took a squad vote."
"You voted without me?" I asked, the betrayal stinging my chest.
"We do not associate with criminals," Chloe replied. She reached into her designer tote bag and pulled out my varsity uniform jacket.
"Give that back," I ordered, stepping forward.
"It belongs to the squad." Chloe gripped the Velcro captain's patch sewn onto the front. "And you do not."
She yanked her hand back. The tearing sound ripped through the quiet corridor. She dropped the embroidered patch onto the linoleum and ground her white sneaker directly over my name.
My hands curled into tight fists. "My dad died yesterday. He shot himself, and you are standing here acting like this?"
"He stole millions from our families," Chloe shot back, her eyes narrowing. "He deserves exactly what he got."
A shadow stepped up beside me.
Before I could turn my head, a paper cup tilted toward me. Hot, dark liquid splashed directly across my chest. The coffee soaked instantly through my cotton shirt, burning my collarbone and staining the fabric a muddy brown.
"Oops," Sabrina purred, tossing the empty cardboard cup at my feet. "My hand slipped."
I gasped, frantically wiping at the scalding stain.
"Watch where you are going, Ivy," Sabrina sneered. "Though I guess trash belongs in the gutter anyway."
Laughter erupted around me. Dozens of students held up their phones. Camera flashes blinded my vision, capturing every humiliating second of my ruined clothes and shaking hands.
"You did that on purpose," I choked out, fighting the tears pricking the corners of my eyes.
"Prove it," Sabrina challenged, stepping closer. "Who is going to believe a thief's daughter?"
I shoved past her shoulder, ignoring the burn on my skin. I refused to cry in front of them. I refused to give them the satisfaction.
I pushed through the heavy double doors and burst out onto the campus quad. The cold morning air hit my wet shirt, making me shiver.
I needed Joseph.
I sprinted toward the outdoor bleachers, scanning the athletic field.
"Joseph!" I yelled, spotting his letterman jacket near the chain-link fence.
He turned around.
My heart leaped, then immediately plummeted violently into my stomach.
Sabrina had beaten me there. She stood entirely too close to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her fingers playing with the collar of his shirt.
"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice cracking.
Joseph did not push Sabrina away. He let his hands rest comfortably on her waist. "Living my life, Ivy."
"It hasn't even been twenty-four hours!" I pointed at Sabrina, who wore a vicious, victorious smirk. "We were together for two years! Why so fast? Why her?"
"You lost everything, Ivy." His tone held absolutely no warmth. "I need someone who can stand beside me."
"I am standing right here!" I yelled, taking a desperate step forward. "We can fight this together."
"There is no 'we' anymore," Joseph replied, his jaw tightening. "My dad's campaign donors are already pulling out just because we took photos together at homecoming. You are a sinking ship, and I refuse to drown with you."
"So you are punishing me for my father's mistakes?"
"I am protecting my future."
He leaned down and pressed his mouth hard against Sabrina's.
My chest caved in. I watched the boy who promised me forever kiss my absolute worst enemy, right in the middle of the school yard.
He kissed her deeply, pulling her closer, making sure I saw every single second of it.
"Was everything between us a lie?" I asked, the words scraping my throat raw.
Joseph broke the kiss. He did not even look at me.
He laced his fingers through Sabrina's and walked toward the fieldhouse, leaving me completely alone on the damp grass.
***
"Card declined."
The housing administrator pushed my plastic debit card across the wooden counter.
"Try it again," I pleaded, resting my palms on the desk. "There has to be a mistake. That account is in my name."
"I ran it three times, Miss Montgomery. The bank locked the account." The woman adjusted her wire-rimmed glasses, refusing to meet my frantic gaze. "Your tuition and dorm fees are tied to your father's estate. The federal government seized all of it."
"I just need a few days," I begged. "Let me stay in my room until Friday. I will figure out a way to pay you."
"Your access card has already been deactivated," she stated coldly. "The school board made their decision this morning."
"Where am I supposed to sleep?"
"That is not our problem. You have one hour to clear out your belongings before security escorts you off the premises."
I backed away from the desk, pulling my phone from my pocket.
My hands shook violently as I dialed the customer service number on the back of my credit card.
"Global Bank, how can I help you?" a robotic voice answered.
"My card isn't working. My name is Ivy Montgomery."
Keyboard clacking echoed through the speaker. "Miss Montgomery, your accounts are frozen by federal mandate."
"All of them?"
"Every single one. Have a good day."
The line went dead.
***
Rain slashed against the dark pavement.
I dragged my single rolling suitcase down the cracked sidewalk. The plastic wheels rattled over the concrete, the only sound in the dead of night.
My phone battery had died hours ago. My friends blocked my number. My boyfriend replaced me. The school kicked me out into the storm.
Water plastered my hair to my cheeks. The freezing rain soaked through my thin jacket, chilling my bones and making my teeth chatter uncontrollably.
I stopped under the flickering neon light of a closed gas station awning.
"I can survive this," I muttered, biting my lower lip until it tasted heavily of copper. "I will survive this."
My dad gave me one emergency card last year for my birthday. He told me to never use it unless it was an absolute crisis. It was registered under a different shell company. A secret account the feds couldn't possibly know about.
I unzipped my damp wallet and pulled out the smooth silver plastic.
An ATM stood in the corner of the gas station lot, its screen glowing bright blue in the darkness.
I walked over, my wet sneakers squeaking on the cement.
I slid the card into the glowing slot.
*PROCESSING...*
I held my breath. Just give me enough for a cheap motel room. Just fifty bucks to get out of the rain.
A harsh beep pierced the quiet night.
A red triangle flashed aggressively on the screen.
*ACCOUNT FROZEN. CONTACT YOUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.*
I hit the buttons, slamming my palm against the metal keypad. "No! Please! Work!"
The machine spit the card back out, rejecting my final lifeline.
I stared at the silver plastic in my trembling hand, the reality of my situation finally crashing down on me. I had zero dollars. Zero friends. Zero shelter.
Headlights suddenly cut through the heavy rain, blinding me.
A sleek black car pulled up to the curb, stopping inches from my suitcase.
The tinted window hummed as it slowly rolled down.
