The Vitamin Scheme

Maya's phone buzzed. Again.

"u coming 2 the 'vision meeting'? D said its gonna be LIT 🔥" - Sierra

Maya groaned and flopped onto her bed. Sierra had been acting weird for weeks—ever since she started hanging with Dakota, the senior who drove a BMW she definitely couldn't afford on Starbucks wages. First came the suspicious Instagram posts about "financial freedom at 17," then the vague "girl boss" content, and now... whatever this was.

"what r u guys even DOING" Maya typed back.

"building my empire 💅 u should be happy 4 me"

That was it. Maya grabbed her keys and headed to Dakota's house.

The living room was packed. Six teenagers sat cross-legged on a white rug that was definitely not cheap, all holding neon-yellow drinks. At the front, Dakota stood next to a whiteboard with a pyramid drawn on it. She wore a beige cowboy hat embroidered with "BOSS BABE" in sparkly letters.

"Welcome, future leaders," Dakota announced, gesturing to the pyramid behind her. "Tonight, we're not just talking about supplements. We're talking about creating generational wealth."

Maya spotted Sierra in the front row, eyes wide, nodding like her life depended on it. A crate of vitamin gummies sat next to Dakota—"Sunrise GLOW," the label promised, with legal text so tiny Maya had to squint.

"Each person you bring in, you earn 10% of their sales," Dakota continued, her voice smooth as late-night radio. "And when THEY bring people in? You earn from THEM too. It's not a pyramid scheme—it's a pyramid of OPPORTUNITY."

"That's literally a pyramid scheme," Maya said. The room went silent.

Dakota's smile didn't waver. "Maya, right? You seem... skeptical. That's okay. Skeptics make the best converts."

"I'm good." Maya grabbed Sierra's arm. "Can I talk to you? Outside?"

Sierra pulled away. "You're just jealous. Dakota says people like you—people with LIMITING MINDSETS—are why most people stay broke their whole lives."

The words hit Maya like a slap. "Limiting mindsets? SERiously? We've been friends since third grade, and now you're quoting some random senior who wants you to buy $200 worth of gummies?"

"IT'S NOT ABOUT THE GUMMIES!" Sierra stood up, trembling. "It's about believing in myself for once. You wouldn't get that. You never have to work for anything."

The room stared. Dakota's cowboy hat bobbed sympathetically.

"Okay," Maya said quietly. "Okay." She walked out.

Three weeks later, Maya found Sierra sitting alone at their usual lunch table, picking at a sandwich.

"Hey."

Sierra looked up. Her eyes were red. "I spent $473 on vitamins I couldn't sell."

Maya sat down. "Want half my turkey club?"

Sierra nodded. "I'm sorry. About the limiting mindset thing."

"Whatever." Maya slid the sandwich over. "My mom says you can't learn everything the easy way."

"What happened with Dakota?"

"Found a new 'empire.' Skincare."

Sierra snorted, then really laughed. It was the first time Maya had heard it in weeks.

"So," Maya said. "Wanna come over? We can watch that show you like. The one with the terrible writing."

"YES." Sierra smiled, and it almost reached her eyes. "But first, can we stop at CVS? I need actual vitamins. Like, normal ones."

Maya laughed. "Deal."

Outside, the sun was bright. Sierra tossed the beige cowboy hat in a trash can without breaking stride. Maya pretended not to notice.

Some empires were built to fall.