If looks could kill, Ethan Black would've been toast. Every guy on the field was shooting daggers of pure, unfiltered jealousy as Sophia Winters—the untouchable Ice Queen—handed him that fancy Fiji Water in the middle of a scorching training session. The dudes who'd never even scored a date were practically sobbing into their sweaty camo gear. "I can't even get a text back from my mom," Jake moaned, "and this guy's got the campus goddess playing DoorDash?"
The gap between mortals and Ethan was painfully clear. "Thanks," he said, taking the bottle from Sophia with a poker face that hid the fireworks exploding in his brain. Sure, a hot senior delivering water was a flex, but that wasn't what had his heart doing cartwheels. It was the game—Monthly Pay $3,000, I'm the World's Richest. That $0.10 Campus Queen Water Delivery Service he'd bought before training? It wasn't a scam. It was real.
Ethan's mind raced. He'd forgotten about it during the drill sergeant's torture session, but now it clicked: this app could rewrite reality. If Sophia showing up twice—first with a tray, now with bottled water—was legit, then the Ferrari SF90 for $0.20 and the luxe mansion for $0.30 were too. He could be rolling in a supercar and sipping iced tea on a private balcony by dinner. His pulse hammered. This wasn't just a game—it was a cheat code to the universe. And there was more to it than the store. What else could it do?
He itched to yank out his phone and dive in, but he clamped down on the urge. "Keep it cool, Ethan," he muttered to himself. "Tell no one. Loose lips sink ships—or get you locked up by the feds."
Across the field, Sophia, cheeks still faintly pink from her delivery stint, gave him a curt nod. "See ya," she said, then spun on her heel and strutted off like a runway model exiting stage left. The crowd watched, dumbfounded, until she vanished from sight. Then, like piranhas smelling blood, they swarmed Ethan.
"Dude, spill it!" Jake demanded, eyes bugging out. "What's the deal with you and Sophia?"
"Yeah, how's the Ice Queen your personal hydration assistant?" another guy chimed in.
"Bro, you're a legend," a third added, clapping Ethan's shoulder. "Making Sophia Winters fetch water? You're the GOAT of freshmen!"
"I was jealous of Brad's little girlfriend stunt," Jake admitted, "but you? You're on a whole other planet, man."
Brad Harrison, still reeling from his own humiliation, turned beet red. He'd been peacocking hard when Tiffany showed up with her Aquafina, even throwing shade at Ethan: "No girl to bring you water, huh?" And Ethan hadn't said a word—just let Sophia roll in like a queen and obliterate his ego. Tiffany was cute, sure, but next to Sophia? She was a Honda Civic parked beside a Lamborghini. Brad hustled her off the field, muttering, "Let's bounce, babe," his swagger reduced to a limp shuffle.
Ethan waved off the mob with a casual grin. "Relax, guys. Sophia and I are just… friends. Nothing special."
The crowd groaned in unison. "Friends?!" Jake snorted. "What, like 'friends' who share a Netflix password, or 'friends' who've got a secret engagement ring stashed somewhere?"
"Yeah, bullshit," another guy laughed. "You expect us to believe the Ice Queen hauls ass across campus in this heat for a buddy? My 'friends' won't even Venmo me a buck for pizza!"
Ethan shrugged, sticking to his story. No way was he spilling the game secret—that'd be like handing out invites to his own IRS audit. And dating Sophia? Ha. He barely knew her name an hour ago. Future potential? Maybe. But right now, she was just a glitch in his reality-bending app.
The gang didn't buy it, but they let it drop—for now. "Whatever, man," Jake said, smirking. "We'll figure out your soap opera eventually." They all knew this bombshell—Sophia Winters serving a freshman water—would hit the campus grapevine like a tsunami. Her army of simps, from frat bros to startup CEOs, would lose their minds. Ethan's chill college life? Officially over.
Thirsty from all the drama, Ethan cracked open the Fiji Water and chugged. Gulp, gulp. "Eh, tastes like… water," he thought, unimpressed. The guys around him gasped like he'd just spat on the Mona Lisa.
"Dude!" Jake whisper-yelled. "That's Sophia's water! You don't just drink it—you frame it, you worship it, you sell it on eBay!"
"Seriously," another added, eyes misty. "I'd bathe in that bottle's aura if I could. Does it taste like angel tears? Unicorn sweat?"
"Nope," Ethan said, wiping his mouth. "Just wet. Kinda boring."
The crowd stared, half-ready to throttle him. "Boring?!" Jake sputtered. "You're out here living the American Dream, and you're flexing like it's tap water? I'd kill for a sip of that!"
Ethan smirked but kept his thoughts to himself. If they knew the real flex—supercars and mansions for pocket change—they'd riot.
Training dragged on, but after Sophia's cameo, no one cared about push-ups anymore. Guys and girls alike kept sneaking glances at Ethan, whispering theories. The envy was palpable, especially from the dudes who'd spent years dreaming of a nod from Sophia.
Finally, noon hit, and the morning session wrapped. The herd bolted for the cafeteria, drooling over ice-cold watermelon juice and cheap tacos. But Ethan? He peeled off in the opposite direction, tossing a lame excuse over his shoulder: "Gotta grab something from the dorm."
His real mission? Lock himself in his room and crack open Monthly Pay $3,000, I'm the World's Richest. Time to spend $0.50 total and snag that Ferrari SF90 and luxe mansion. His heart raced as he jogged across campus, visions of leather seats and infinity pools dancing in his head. Yesterday, he was a broke freshman. Today? He was about to be a millionaire—maybe more.
"Supercar, mansion, here I come!" he muttered, grinning like a kid on Christmas. But as he reached his dorm, his phone buzzed. He glanced down:
[Auto-Purchase Detected: Campus Queen Water Delivery Service – Enhanced Edition, $0.15]
[Next Suggested Item: Private Security Team, $1.00]
[Warning: Reality's bending fast. Watch your back.]
Ethan froze. Enhanced edition? He hadn't clicked anything this time. The game was moving on its own again—and now it was upping the ante. What the hell did "enhanced" mean? And why did he suddenly feel like someone—or something—was watching him?