Bet
March 3 – 9:35 AM, Tuesday
SOFIE
The canteen was noisy—students talking, laughing, shouting across tables. I sat alone, chewing on a hamburger and sipping my Coke, wishing Nova was here. Ugh, her class is always the last one to finish. Their science teacher, Mrs. Pirriz, loved bragging about her life and burying them in quizzes. She was so strict, and honestly, a little scary. Nova’s classroom was right next to mine, though, so I knew she’d be out soon.
“Hey, Sofie. Is this seat available?” a voice asked behind me.
I turned. It was Mary.
“Yes, it is,” I said.
“Can I sit here?”
“Of course.” I smiled at her.
“Thanks.” She smiled back and slid into the chair on my left.
Mary was my classmate and also my neighbor. She was the same age as my brother—one year younger than me. We’d been close since 2nd grade, but things changed after her mother passed away. She’d missed a week of school, and ever since then, she barely talked to anyone. If she did, it was only quick words: yeah, no, good morning.
At least now she didn’t avoid me completely. We talked a little, but I never mentioned her mom. I knew it would just bring tears.
A few minutes later, Nova appeared and plopped down beside me.
“Hi, Mary,” she greeted warmly.
Finally, Nova was here. My best friend since 7th grade. She was funny, reliable, and the kind of friend you could tell anything to. She understood me like no one else did. I always thought of her as a sister.
When snack time ended, I headed to class. Mr. Leonard, our math teacher, walked in. Oh boy. Every time I saw him, I had to remind myself not to stare. He was tall—at least 6’1”—and built like an athlete. Once, I’d spotted him in the gym stretching, and yeah…he definitely had abs. Six of them. He was thirty-one, didn’t have kids, and wasn’t even dating anyone. At least, not that I knew. I might have stalked his social media. Okay, fine, I definitely did. A man like him… I swear, half the school had a crush on him.
“Good morning, class. Did you all study what we discussed yesterday? What was it about?” Mr. Leonard asked.
The room went dead quiet.
“Anyone want to answer?”
Karen raised her hand. Of course she did. She was the smartest girl in school and a beauty queen on top of that—rich, popular, and basically untouchable.
“It’s about geometric sequence and series,” she said.
“What is a geometric sequence?” he asked.
“A geometric sequence, or progression, is one where each term is obtained from the previous term by multiplying it with a fixed number called the common ratio.”
“Very good, Karen,” Mr. Leonard said.
From the back of the room came the whispers.
“She’s not even that good.”
“What an attention seeker.”
“I could do better.”
Emma and Harriet again. They hated Karen, always gossiping and making up rumors. Karen just ignored them, though. She wasn’t about to waste her time.
I glanced over in their direction—and locked eyes with Vincent. My heart skipped. I quickly looked away, but out of the corner of my eye, I could still see him. He wasn’t staring at me after all; he was leaning on his hand, watching Mr. Leonard. Phew. False alarm.
When class ended, I shoved my books and pen into my bag with a sigh. Math was getting harder, and half of what Mr. Leonard said went over my head. I was exhausted.
I waited by the hall until Nova’s class let out.
“Hey, where do you want to eat today?” I asked her.
“Pizza. I’m craving it,” she grinned.
---
VINCENT
I was walking down the hallway when Joseph called out.
“Hey, Vincent! Did you think about our deal?”
He jogged up beside me.
“Did you talk to her?”
“No,” I muttered.
“Man, you’re so slow. Just ask her out already! Make her your girlfriend!”
The so-called deal had started on March 1, at Joseph’s birthday party.
That night, I pulled into the bar’s parking lot, killed the engine, and slid the keys into my pocket. I showed the guard my VIP card, and he nodded me through. Inside, the bass shook the floor—people dancing, laughing, drinks spilling everywhere. I found a staff member and asked about the VIP room. He checked my card, then led me past the crowd and into the quieter, dimly lit room upstairs.
As I walked into the VIP room, the lights were dim, the bass from outside thumping faintly through the walls. Joseph and Stephen were already sprawled on the couches, girls sitting on their laps, laughing and sipping drinks. Another girl sat in the corner, scrolling on her phone.
“Bro, come here!” Joseph called out, raising his glass when he saw me.
“Happy birthday, Joseph,” I said with a grin.
Joseph snapped his fingers toward the girl in the corner. “Sit next to Vincent.”
She stood up right away, slid over beside me, and without hesitation climbed onto my lap.
“You good with that?” Joseph smirked.
“Yep,” I replied coolly.
“Hey, man—she does good,” Joseph teased.
“Oh really? Well…I’ll find out soon,” I shot back.
“You’re so bad, Vince,” Stephen remarked, shaking his head.
“What can I say?” I shrugged, and we all burst out laughing.
We drank, partied, the music muffled in the background. Stephen’s girl kissed along his neck while he laughed, Joseph was busy with his own, and the girl on my lap leaned closer, her eyes daring. I kissed her, her arms tightening around my neck. Her perfume was sweet, and for a second, I let myself sink into it.
Joseph slammed his glass down with a loud clink. “That’s my guy!”
We all laughed, the room buzzing with drinks, kisses, and reckless energy. Joseph pulled his girl closer, kissing her like he owned her. Stephen’s girl giggled as she clung tighter to him. The one on my lap kissed me again, and I kissed her back, tasting alcohol and sweetness.
That’s when Joseph leaned forward, his grin turning sharper.
“Bro, let’s make this interesting. I’ve got an enemy—Shane. I hate that guy’s guts. So here’s the bet: I want you to date his sister, then dump her. If you pull it off, I’ll give you 245k.”
I almost choked on my drink. “Sofie?! No way.”
“Come on, man. Plus, I’ll throw in a chick too,” Joseph added with a devilish smirk.
Stephen laughed. “That’s insane—but it sounds like something Vince would do.”
I leaned back, running my tongue over my teeth. The girl on my lap twirled her hair, not even caring about the conversation. 245k, bragging rights, and a chance to burn Shane? Too good to pass up.
“I’m in,” I said without hesitation.
Joseph grinned wider, lifting his glass. “That’s my guy!”
We all laughed again, the sound mixing with the thump of the bass and the heat of the moment.
The girl on my lap leaned in again, her arms tightening around my shoulders. I kept kissing her, the taste of alcohol and perfume clouding my senses as she pressed herself closer. I didn’t stop—I let it happen, drowning in the moment.
But as her lips moved against mine, my mind slipped. Sofie’s face flashed uninvited in my head—her quiet smile, the way she sat alone sometimes like she was in her own world. I tightened my hold on the girl’s waist, almost like I was trying to push Sofie out of my thoughts.
It was supposed to be just a bet. Just money. Just a game.
So why did thinking about Sofie already feel different? Stop thinking about her.
