Brittany Hayes, who’d been eating up this whole shitshow, snatched the papers right out of my hands and started reading out loud like she was hosting TMZ..


    “Skr West… ALS diagnosis… fundraising campaign?”


    The second she said it, people started snickering.


    “ALS? Girl, you look fine. Can’t even fake sick right.”


    Brittany looked at me like I was actual garbage,


    ke’s eyes went wide.


    He lunged forward and grabbed my medical records, scanning them like he was looking for typos.


    Brittany let out this uglyugh: “Skr, haven’t seen you in forever and you’re really out here scamming charity money?”


    If you’re broke just say that. Get on your knees and maybe us sessful people will Venmo you some change.”


    Hearing that, ke’s whole body rxed, then his voice went arctic:


    Skr, you’re absolutely pathetic.”


    I watched him rip up my application, piece by piece, panic flooding my chest.


    The money from my design work was basically gone-medical bills ate everything. <fn69fd> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n fι?dnοvel</fn69fd>


    If I hadn’t run into Principal Rodriguez at Cedars-Sinai that day, I would’ve already quit treatment.


    The only reason I could still walk and talk was thanks to the faculty donation fund.


    I’d tried telling Principal Rodriguez this disease was like throwing money into a ck hole-don’t drag the whole schoolmunity into this mess.


    But he insisted on fighting for me.


    Said I used to make West Valley proud, and they weren’t giving up on me now.


    started shuffling toward the parking lot, my legs getting stiffer and more awkward with every step.


    Brittany suddenly shoved me hard from behind.


    went down face-first onto the asphalt.


    Tried twisting around to get up but my body wasn’t cooperating-just got covered in dirt and gravel,pletely humiliating.


    ke’s hand twitched, but his face stayed cold: “Skr, faking disabled won’t get you shit.”


    “You’re such a pathetic waste of space. Nobody should feel sorry for your ass.”


    With that, ke looked at me like I was roadkill.


    “Want money? Fine. Hartwell Design is cutting a check to West Valley for ten million.”


    Everyone started freaking out, calling ke so generous, such a sess story.


    Brittany pressed up against him, making sure he got a full view of everything.


    ke acted like she was invisible, just stared me down.


    “But every penny goes to current students who actually deserve help-better cafeteria, new dorms.”


    Skr, you get NOTHING ”


    “ke, wait, let me exin-”


    Principal Rodriguez tried jumping in, but ke was already walking away with half the reunion following him like groupies.


    Principal Rodriguez looked panicked: “Skr, honey, let me figure something else out.”


    “Your condition… next week’s design finals, maybe we should-”


    Everyone knew designing the new academic building was me and ke’s childhood dream.


    Our old ssrooms were falling apart-paint peeling, windows that rattled every time a truck drove by.


    We used to swear that someday, when we were real architects, we’d build something beautiful and solid for West Valley.


    Every night after study hall, we’d secretlypete; sketching draft after draft, imagining seeing our drawingse to life.


    I brushed gravel off my zer and smiled sadly:


    “I’ve got maybe a month left. ke’s right-those kids need that money way more than someone who’s already dying.”


    “Please thank him for me.”


    Principal Rodriguez’s lips trembled before he sighed deeply.


    I dragged my stiff legs toward the bus stop, California sun beating down till I felt dizzy.


    Right as I reached the bench, everything went ck-I’d forgotten to eat anything all day.


    Blood sugar crashed and I just copsed.