Scheme Gone Sideways

My golden retriever Buster stared at me with those big judgment eyes as I paced my room, phone in hand. The group chat was blowing up.

"Dude, are you in?" Marcus texted. "My cousin says this pyramid scheme is actually legit."

I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw my brain. Last week Marcus tried to sell us all vape pens he swore would 'change our lives.' The week before that, it was some cryptocurrency that definitely wasn't a scam.

"No," I replied. "Also that's literally what a pyramid scheme IS."

Sophie's text popped up: "wait lol isn't your cousin the one who sold you those 'collectible' coins that turned out to be bottletops"

Marcus left her on read. Classic.

But here's the thing about being fifteen and perpetually broke – even the dumbest ideas start sounding reasonable when your crush is involved. Because Maya was somehow in on this. Maya, who sat two rows ahead of me in history and somehow made even a school uniform look like a fashion statement. Maya, who I'd been lowkey spying on from across the cafeteria since September like the absolute creep I was.

"Fine," I typed before my brain could stop my thumbs. "What's the plan?"

The plan, apparently, was selling orange-flavored energy drinks that Marcus's cousin was 'distributing.' Which was code for 'bought in bulk from a sketchy warehouse and now needs to dump inventory.'

"This is literally the worst idea we've ever had," I announced at lunch the next day, sitting across from Maya. She wore this orange bracelet that caught the sunlight and I swear my heart did something embarrassingly fluttery.

"That's exactly what a future millionaire would say," Maya shot back, grinning. Then she actually bought a can. Just to support him. I wanted to be annoyed but I was mostly just impressed by her loyalty, even if it was misguided.

Lightning cracked through my chest – not literally, obviously, but metaphorically, the way it does when you realize you're absolutely doomed. Because she was kind. And funny. And suddenly I was selling overpriced, suspiciously neon energy drinks just to be near her.

We sold zero drinks that day. Marcus's cousin refused to refund the investment. Buster chewed through the remaining cans and had to go to the vet.

But Maya sat next to me in the waiting room, making fun of Marcus's pyramid scheme empire for two hours straight. And honestly? That felt like enough of a win.