Pyramid Scheme of Secrets

The social hierarchy at Northwood High worked like a pyramid scheme—except instead of money, you traded secrets for status. At the top sat Taylor, whose Instagram follower count could populate a small country. At the bottom? Freshmen like me, invisible unless someone needed a punching bag.

"You're taking vitamin D supplements now?" Marcus asked, scanning the contents of my locker with raised eyebrows. "Since when did you become a wellness influencer?"

"Since my mom read an article about seasonal depression," I muttered, shoving the bottle deeper into my backpack. The truth? I'd started taking them after Taylor had posted about her "morning vitamin routine" that apparently made her glow like a sunset filter come to life. Pathetic, I know.

Marcus smirked. He was the only friend who hadn't dumped me when Taylor decided I'd committed some social crime by wearing the same hoodie as her crush. "You know Taylor's whole wellness thing is bull, right? My sister saw her buying fast food at 2 AM last weekend."

I stared at him. "Wait, you're still following her snaps?"

"For research purposes," Marcus said, deadpan. "Know your enemy, bro."

That's when I saw it—a crumpled note stuck inside Marcus's history textbook. *MEET ME BY THE BLEACHERERS AFTER SCHOOL. NEED TO TALK.* In Taylor's handwriting.

"Dude," I said, gesturing at the note. "Is that what I think it is?"

Marcus shrugged, but I caught the tiny smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "Maybe someone at the top of the pyramid is finally realizing the foundation matters more than the peak."

That afternoon, I watched from a distance as Taylor actually talked to Marcus like he was a real person, not some NPC in her Netflix original series. She laughed at something he said—genuinely laughed, not her usual performative giggle for the cameras.

Later, Marcus found me at my locker, tapping a fresh bottle of vitamin supplements against his palm. "She's actually pretty cool when she drops the influencer act," he said, then tossed me the bottle. "And she says thanks for the hoodie rec. Turns out her ex hated it."

I stared at the bottle—gummy vitamins this time, shaped like little stars. "Since when do you take vitamins?"

"Since I realized being your friend requires serious immune system support," Marcus shot back, grinning.

Maybe the pyramid wasn't so rigid after all. Or maybe, just maybe, we could build something better than pyramids. Something with room for everyone at the top.