The success of Reclaim Digital was building like the pressure behind a dam. And Ryan Keller, armed with knowledge from a life already lived, wasn't about to let that pressure go to waste. Monday morning came fast, and he welcomed it. There was inventory to manage, videos to post, forums to moderate, and a dozen orders waiting for careful packaging.
But as Ryan navigated the school halls, he felt the shift. It wasn't just attention anymore. It was awareness. Students were noticing him. Teachers were talking. Even the principal had called him into the office the previous week—not for trouble, but to ask if his business could speak at career day.
Still, not all attention was welcome.
---
After school, Ryan made his way to the back wing of the school, where the old computer lab had long been converted into a tech storage room. Mr. Beckett was already there, sorting a jumble of cables and old keyboards.
"Glad you made it, Keller," he said, not looking up. "You ever catalog a box of IBM trackballs before?"
"First time for everything," Ryan said, smiling. He slipped off his hoodie and got to work.
The storage room was a goldmine of forgotten tech. There were milk crates filled with floppy disks, boxes of retro educational CD-ROMs, and more old CRT monitors than Ryan thought could fit in one building.
He carefully opened a box labeled "Mac Archive 1997" and pulled out a still-sealed Apple USB mouse. "Some of this stuff could be worth real money, even if just for display," he said.
"You help me organize, maybe we can strike a deal with the district," Beckett replied. "They love cutting storage budgets."
They worked side by side for nearly an hour, labeling shelves, logging models, and debating whether to keep or toss an old dot matrix printer.
Ryan found himself relaxing. There was something comforting about the work—the order, the potential. It wasn't just about flipping products. It was about preservation. Legacy.
He had just finished labeling a row of 90s-era CD-ROM encyclopedias when the lab door opened.
"Well, if it isn't the Garage Sale King," Tiffany Lang's voice came laced with sarcasm.
He didn't break stride.
"You ignored me for two weeks, and now what? You're too important to even look at me?"
Ryan sighed and glanced sideways at her. "We're not in the same lane, Tiffany."
She narrowed her eyes, walking beside him now. "Oh, I see. You get a few sales and suddenly you're Silicon Valley?"
He paused at the shelf, giving her a calm, measured look. "You made your choices. I'm making mine."
Tiffany stared at him for a second too long. Her anger was a mask—he saw it. Beneath it was bruised pride and something colder: calculation.
He thinks he's better than me now, she thought. He used to hang on my every word. Now he doesn't even blink. Fine. If he won't look at me like he used to, maybe I'll make him regret it.
Her expression softened into a saccharine smile. "You know, Keller, if you ever need help looking more... professional, I do have connections. I could help with your presentation."
"Thanks," he said without warmth. "But I like presenting real things. Not pretending."
He returned to his labeling, and Tiffany lingered only a moment longer before spinning on her heel and striding away, her mind already crafting a new plan.
---
Later that afternoon, in the library, Ryan was reviewing analytics with Dylan when a soft knock tapped the edge of their table.
"Um, hi. Ryan? Dylan?"
It was Leah Montgomery.
Quiet. Sweet. Somewhat reserved. She'd always been a background character in Ryan's old high school life—the type of girl people liked but never really noticed.
But Ryan remembered something.
In his previous life, she had transformed after college. Confidence. Style. A knockout in every sense. She built a career in digital media, hosted a podcast, and had once even interviewed one of his competitors.
And she was standing there now, nervously adjusting her glasses.
"I saw your video on Snapview," she said, her voice soft. "The one with the Game Boy demo? It was... really cool."
Ryan smiled. "Thanks. That was Dylan's editing magic."
Dylan gave a modest wave.
"I was wondering," she said, hesitating. "Do you need help with anything? Like social posts? Captions? I do graphics sometimes..."
Ryan's mind clicked into gear. Leah had a good eye. And in a year or two, she'd become a branding powerhouse.
"Actually," he said, setting his notebook aside. "We could use someone to help polish the Reclaim Collectors series. Pull quotes, coordinate posts. If you're serious, I can loop you in."
Her eyes lit up. "Really? That would be... awesome. Thank you."
As she walked away to grab her laptop, Dylan leaned in.
"Friendly. Helpful. Not terrifying."
Ryan smirked. "And way more potential than most people realize."
---
That evening, they added Leah to the project Slack, shared the content calendar, and walked her through upcoming feature profiles. She asked thoughtful questions, suggested a better color balance for one of the thumbnails, and offered to write captions for their next Pictogram post.
By 8 p.m., she'd already delivered three formatted quotes with graphic overlays.
"She's good," Dylan said, impressed.
"She's going to be great," Ryan replied.
---
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Tiffany sat in front of her vanity mirror, phone glowing in her hand. She scrolled through the newest Reclaim Digital clip, watched Leah's watermark flash briefly in the corner, and pursed her lips.
If Keller wants to ignore me, he can drown in his own ambition. But let's see what happens when his little brand starts getting rumors attached to it.
She started typing.
Not too direct.
Just enough to cast doubt.
She smiled to herself. Two can play this game, Keller.
And she was just getting started.
--------------------------------------------------------