Justin came out of the bathroom with a white towel tied around his waist, his body dripping with water. He was a tall guy, about six feet, with a well-built physique. His brown hair, still wet, clung to his forehead as he approached the bed where his red, outdated shirt lay.
The shirt, which he would be wearing that morning to college, had seen better days; it was evident that it had been worn countless times. In fact, Justin only owned three pairs of shirts and trousers, including the red one he was about to put on.
As Justin was about to start dressing, the door suddenly opened. Alex, his best friend, walked in, dressed neatly and modestly. Alex had been Justin's friend since childhood, remaining by his side even after the death of Justin's parents. Despite coming from a wealthy family, Alex had always been tight with Justin.
"What's up, Justin," Alex greeted with a smile, a school bag strapped to his back.
"What's up, man?" Justin replied, giving Alex a handshake.
"Why aren't you ready for college yet?" Alex asked, noticing Justin still in his towel.
"Was about to start dressing when you came in," Justin replied, picking up his red shirt from the bed and beginning to dress.
Alex sat on the bed, watching his friend. A slight frown appeared on his face as he observed the worn-out state of Justin's clothes. The shirt was rumpled, and his trousers were already fading.
Alex had always tried to help Justin with money and other material things, but Justin was the type who hated receiving help or pity. He preferred to work hard and buy what he needed himself. He valued his independence and disliked relying on others.
"Bro, your outfit doesn't look good," Alex said, prompting Justin to turn his gaze to him.
"I don't have other options, Alex," Justin replied, walking to a standing mirror that was slightly old and cracked.
"You know you've got other options, Justin," Alex insisted, watching as Justin brushed his hair. Justin didn't respond because he had already anticipated where the conversation was heading.
"Justin," Alex called as he rose to his feet. "I'm your friend, and I've offered to get you new clothes several times, but you keep rejecting them."
"I don't need your help, Alex," Justin replied, not taking his gaze off the mirror.
"And why don't you need my help?" Alex asked with a slight frown on his face.
"Because I've got a job, and I can afford to buy myself new clothes," Justin replied, his voice rising as he turned to face Alex.
Alex sighed, walking closer. "Justin, you and I know that the money you earn from your job isn't enough to feed you, let alone buy new clothes. So stop being stubborn and let me help you."
Justin remained steadfast in his refusal. "I appreciate your concern, Alex, but I need to handle things on my own," he said firmly.
Alex shook his head as he felt defeated. "Alright, Justin. I won't push it any further. Just know I'm here if you need anything."
"Thanks, Alex," Justin replied, turning back to the mirror to finish brushing his hair. He quickly slipped on his red shirt, paired it with his well-worn trousers, and grabbed his frayed backpack from the corner of the room.
Together, they headed out the door and walked to Alex's car. The vehicle was a sleek, black sedan, and it looked really expensive. They both got in, and Alex started the engine, causing the car to come to life. As they drove through the quiet streets towards Stanford, the morning sun cast long shadows on the pavement.
Justin pulled out his old model phone. Its screen was slightly scratched and it looked really old. He switched it on and dialed his girlfriend's number. He listened to the ringing tone, hoping for an answer, but it went to voicemail. He tried again, and then once more, but still, there was no response. On his fourth attempt, the call again went unanswered. He sighed, frustration evident in his expression.
"Why isn't she answering the phone?" Justin muttered under his breath as he gave up on trying his girlfriend's number.
Alex, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up. "Hey, why isn't Stella picking up? Did you guys have a fight?"
Justin sighed deeply, leaning back in his seat. "No, we didn't fight. She's been ignoring me for about a week now. It's really bothering me."
Alex's mind flashed back to the previous week when he had seen Justin's girlfriend, Stella with Kendrick, who was one of the richest guys at their college. They were laughing and chatting, looking quite comfortable with each other. A sinking feeling in his stomach told him Stella might be cheating on Justin, but he decided not to mention it to Justin.
"Maybe she's just busy," Alex suggested gently. "Sometimes people get caught up with things and forget to check their phones."
Justin nodded, though he didn't seem convinced. "Yeah, maybe," he muttered as he looked out the window, wondering why Stella was ignoring him.
They continued their drive in silence, and each of them was lost in their thoughts. Alex's heart ached for his friend, but he couldn't bring himself to share his suspicions about Stella and Kendrick. He didn't want to break Justin's heart with something that might just be a misunderstanding.
As they pulled into the college parking lot, Alex tried to lighten the mood. "Let's just focus on getting through the day, alright? We've got a big exam coming up."
"You're right," Justin agreed, forcing a smile. "Thanks for the ride, Alex."
"No problem, man," Alex replied, returning the smile. They got out of the car and headed towards their classes.
As Alex and Justin entered the classroom, the buzz of conversation ceased, and all eyes turned to them.
"The poorest kid at Stanford University has finally arrived!" one of the guys shouted. The room erupted into laughter, a cruel chorus that filled the air, except for Alex, who stood protectively beside Justin.
"Ignore him," Alex whispered, trying to comfort his friend.
Justin gave him a forced smile and nodded. They walked to their seats, but Justin's eyes were scanning the room. He spotted his girlfriend, Stella, sitting next to Kendrick. He waved at her, but she pretended not to notice, and she continued her conversation with Kendrick as if Justin didn't exist.
Justin's face flushed with embarrassment, but he tried to maintain his composure. He walked to his seat only to find James, a well-known bully with a formidable stature, sitting there.
"Hey, James," Justin greeted politely, hoping to avoid any confrontation. "You're on my seat."
James looked up with a frown, not moving an inch. "What is it?"
"You're on my seat," Justin repeated, his voice steady but hopeful that James would cooperate.
"Get the hell out of my sight and find another seat," James snapped, his tone cold and dismissive.
By now, the entire class was watching, and the tension palpable. Justin could feel their eyes on him, waiting for what would happen next.
"James, please," Justin whispered, trying to keep the peace. "I don't want any problems with you this morning. Just go to your seat."
James stood up, towering over Justin, his expression menacing. "This seat is mine today," he declared. "Either you find another seat, or I'm gonna beat the hell out of you."
The room was silent, and the students watched the standoff with bated breath. Alex stepped forward, ready to intervene if necessary. Justin felt the weight of humiliation and the pressure of the audience, then he took a deep breath.
"Fine, I'll find another seat," he said quietly, stepping back. He turned to find another spot, his heart heavy with frustration and shame.
As Justin walked away, Alex couldn't hide his anger. "You didn't have to do that, James," he said sharply.
James smirked and shrugged. "Mind your own business, Alex."
Alex clenched his fists, but he knew escalating the situation wouldn't help Justin. Instead, he followed his friend, who had found a seat at the back of the classroom, far from Stella and the rest of the crowd.
"Don't let them get to you," Alex said, sitting down next to Justin.
Justin nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. The morning had been a series of blows to his pride and spirit, and it was only getting harder to hold his head up. He glanced over at Stella and Kendrick again, and a knot formed in his stomach as he watched them chatting freely.
As the professor began the lecture, Justin tried to focus, but his mind kept drifting back to Stella. He glanced at her and Kendrick, who were sitting close and whispering to each other. His heart ached with worry and doubt. He tried to push the thoughts aside, but they lingered, gnawing at him.
During the break between classes, Justin mustered the courage to approach Stella. He walked over, but before he could say anything, Stella and her friends noticed him and started giggling.
"Oh, look, it's Justin," one of Stella's friends, Claire, said loudly, drawing everyone's attention. "What do you want?"
Ignoring the mocking tone, Justin addressed Stella directly. "Can we talk?"
Stella rolled her eyes and stood up. "Sure, let's talk," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She motioned for her friends to follow, and they all walked out to the hallway, with Justin trailing behind.
Once they were outside, Stella turned to face Justin, crossing her arms. "What do you want, Justin?" she asked impatiently.
Justin took a deep breath. "Why have you been ignoring me, Stella? What's going on?"
Stella sighed dramatically, exchanging a glance with her friends. "Justin, it's over between us," she announced. "I'm with Kendrick now."
The words hit Justin like a punch to the gut. "What? Why?" he stammered, reaching out to hold Stella's hand. "What happened? We were doing fine..."
Stella pulled her hand away, looking at him with disdain. "We were never 'fine,' Justin. I can't keep dating someone like you. Kendrick can offer me things you never could."
Her friends snickered, and Claire added, "Yeah, Kendrick can offer her things like decent clothes and a future."
Justin's heart sank, but he tried to reason with her. "Stella, we've been together for so long. Please, don't do this. We can work things out."
Stella shook her head. "Get your hands off me, Justin. It's over. You need to accept that."
Before Justin could say anything more, Kendrick stepped forward, his tall frame looming over Justin. "You heard her. It's over," he said, his voice menacing.
Justin tried to stand his ground. "Stella, please, just listen to me—"
But before he could finish, Kendrick shoved him hard. Justin stumbled backward and fell to the floor, his books scattering around him. Laughter erupted from Stella's friends, and even some of the other students passing by stopped to watch the spectacle.
"Stay away from her," Kendrick warned, standing over Justin.
Alex, who had seen the commotion from a distance, rushed over and helped Justin to his feet. "Come on, let's go," he said, but Justin remained stubborn, his anger boiling over. He was determined to confront Kendrick.
"How dare you push me?" Justin demanded, standing face to face with Kendrick.
"Oh, so you're trying to fight with me now?" Kendrick replied mockingly, shoving Justin's chest.
Kendrick's friends quickly surrounded them, and before Justin could react, they pushed him to the ground again. Laughter erupted from the on lookers, and several students began recording the scene with their phones.
Pinned to the ground by Kendrick's friends, Justin struggled to break free. Kendrick looked down at him with a wicked smile. "You're nothing but a pauper, Justin," he taunted.
"Let go of me!" Justin yelled, his voice filled with frustration and humiliation.
"Teach him a lesson, guys," Kendrick commanded.
The people watching the scene couldn't do anything because Kendrick's father was a major shareholder of the University, and this made everyone respect Kendrick's decisions. No one dared to confront him, and everyone who dared to had always ended up in regret. This was exactly Justin's situation at the moment.
Justin felt helpless as Kendrick commanded his guys to beat him up. He couldn't move or do a thing because he was pinned to the ground.
The two guys holding Justin down were about to start beating him when a voice cut through the chaos. "Kendrick, stop this,"