The Cable King of Junior Year

Jake floated through first period like a zombie, his eyes burning from another 3 AM raid in Apex Legends. His brain felt fried, existing somewhere between consciousness and that weird limbo state where you forget if you actually submitted your English essay or just dreamed about it.

"Dude, you look like actual death," whispered Marcus, sliding into the desk beside him. "That cable guy still hasn't fixed your internet?"

"Been three days," Jake groaned, letting his head thud against the desk. "I'm surviving on Hot Cheetos and pure spite."

The social pyramid of Northwood High had shifted in unexpected ways since Jake had accidentally started selling those "premium" ethernet cables to gaming club kids. What began as a favor – his older brother worked at an electronics store and got stuff cheap – had somehow transformed him into the unofficial tech dealer of sophomore year. Even seniors who'd never acknowledged his existence now fist-bumped him in the hallways.

"I need another 50-footer," Marcus said, sliding a crumpled twenty across the desk. "My mom keeps moving the router because she thinks the WiFi signals give her headaches."

Jake pocketed the money, guilt gnawing at him like it did every time now. The cables worked fine, but the markup was insane. He wasn't some genius entrepreneur – he was just a dude whose brother hooked him up, suddenly climbing a popularity pyramid he'd spent years trying to ignore.

"Hey, Jake!" called Chloe, the actual junior class president, from across the room. "You think you could set me up with whatever you got Marcus? My brother's birthday is Saturday and he's impossible to shop for."

The zombie fog lifted. For the first time all week, Jake felt genuinely awake.

"Yeah," he said, a genuine smile breaking through. "I can definitely help with that."

Maybe the cable business wasn't just about money or accidental popularity. Maybe it was just about being useful, about connecting people – literally and figuratively. And that was a pyramid scheme he could actually feel good about climbing.