"That's none of your business."
"It is when you fall asleep in class. Makes the rest of us look bad by comparison. If the scholarship student can't stay awake, what's our excuse?"
Heat floods my cheeks. I dozed off last week, just for a minute, and of course he noticed. Of course he'd bring it up.
"Go to hell, Sebastian."
I turn and start walking again, faster this time. He doesn't follow, but his voice carries.
"See you Thursday, Monroe."
I flip him off without turning around. His laugh follows me across the quad.
By the time I reach my dorm room, my hands are shaking. Not from the cold. From rage.
I hate him. Hate his perfect face and his perfect life and the way he's made it his personal mission to remind me every chance he gets that I don't belong here. For two years, it's been the same. Casual cruelty wrapped in polite conversation. Social sabotage disguised as coincidence.
He made sure I was miserable, with comments which he would shout so everyone would hear him, even did things which affected the way I worked or studied.
I don't know what I did to earn his special attention, but I'm so tired of it.
My roommate, Becca, is asleep, thank god. I'm not in the mood to explain why I look like I want to set something on fire. I drop my bag, change into the oversized t-shirt I sleep in, and collapse onto my bed.
My phone buzzes. A text from my mom:How's my brilliant girl? Your sister keeps asking when you're coming home.
Guilt twists in my chest. I haven't been home since Christmas. Can't afford the bus ticket. Can't afford to miss work. Can't afford anything.
I text back:Soon. Tell her I love her.
Another lie to add to the collection.
I'm about to put my phone away when an email notification pops up. Subject line: "Valentine's Gala - Mandatory Student Participation."
My stomach drops.
No. No, no, no.
I open it.
Dear Scholarship Recipients,
As part of your scholarship agreement and the university's commitment to community engagement, you have been selected to participate in this year's Valentine's Charity Gala. This prestigious event raises funds for local organizations and showcases Thornhill's dedication to service.
This year's event will feature a "Date Auction" where students will bid on romantic date packages with fellow students. All proceeds benefit local charities. Your participation is required as part of your scholarship program's community engagement clause.
Participants will receive 20% of their auction proceeds as compensation for their time. The auction will take place February 10th, with dates to be completed by Valentine's Day (February 14th).
Further details to follow.
Best regards,Office of Student Financial Aid
I read it three times, certain I'm misunderstanding it.
A date auction. They want me to stand on a stage while rich students bid on me like I'm livestock and I don't have a choice because it's buried in the scholarship fine print I signed without reading carefully enough.
Twenty percent of proceeds. I do the math quickly. If someone bids even a few hundred dollars, my cut could cover my sister's birthday present. Could cover the phone bill I've been dodging. Could buy groceries that aren't ramen.
But the humiliation. I sign and lie back down.
