The advisor's words dropped, and the whole classroom fell into an eerie silence.

It was a long moment before the murmuring started up again.

"I've been wanting to say this all along. I remembered the name of this year's top science scorer was Eugene Summers, but Cole cut me off."

"And Cole and his crew kept sneering 'Eugene, Eugene' like it was an insult. Turns out he's got the real goods. He's the top scorer in the whole state."

"Honestly, I think Cole and those guys went way too far. Eugene didn't do anything. Just because his name is Eugene, they mocked him and gave him a hard time. What a mess."

I didn't really care what Cole and the others had done.

Still, hearing what the other students said, I felt a good deal better.

It made sense, though. Jayton State University was the top school in the state.

Most of the students here were sharp, high-achieving kids from all over the country.

Compared with a bad apple like Cole, the students of decent character were the clear majority.

When my scores came out, both Harvard and MIT reached out, each of them eager to get me to enroll.

But nearly all of my family's businesses were in this state, and I was the only son. On top of my studies, I had to help run the family's holdings.

After weighing everything, I chose Jayton State University.

Looking at it now, both the students and the teachers seemed like good people.

I wasn't the only one who heard what the students said. Cole and his group heard it too.

Cole curled his lip, unwilling to back down.

"So what if he's the state's top scorer? He's Eugene, after all. Course he needs something to show off with. Good grades are the bare minimum, aren't they?"

"Otherwise, if he had no real ability at all, he'd be a total laughingstock."

The girl who had spoken up for me earlier couldn't hold back again.

"The bare minimum? You're calling the state's top score the bare minimum? Then how come you can't even hit that bare minimum yourself?"

"Quit standing here whining that the grapes are sour just because you can't reach them. It's disgusting to listen to."

Cole's voice climbed a lot higher, his eyes full of contempt as he looked at those girls.

"So what if his grades are good? He's just a bookworm. And now he's sitting in the same classroom as me anyway, isn't he?"

"Good grades mean you get to talk big, is that it? Says the Grand Harbor Hotel belongs to him. What a joke."

"You girls really get on my nerves. What, you're that into Eugene? Who ends up on top down the line is still anyone's guess."

The situation kept getting messier, and the advisor couldn't stand to hear any more.

"Cole! I've already cut you some slack. You still want to keep disrupting my class?"

"One more word out of line, and I'm reporting you straight to the dean's office."

"You don't want a disciplinary mark on your record on the first day of school, do you?"

At the word disciplinary, Cole finally learned to be afraid.

However tough his mouth was, he was still just an eighteen-year-old freshman.

Seeing that Cole had quieted down, the advisor went on with the rest of the agenda.

Not until the bell rang did the advisor gather up the materials on the podium.

"That's the end of the class meeting. Everyone go back and get some good rest."

"Tomorrow we officially begin college life. Make the most of the next four years."

The advisor had barely stepped out of the classroom when Cole came over to me with his little group.

"What's there to be so smug about? You're just the state's top scorer. A bookworm who can only study. What's there to strut around about?"

"Nothing but a small-town test-grinder. Ha, and you actually think you're the big man now?"

I hadn't bothered to answer a single thing Cole said before.

When you have real ability and it steamrolls everything, there's no point talking to someone like him, and even less point proving yourself.

But those last two lines of his got under my skin.

"What's wrong with being a small-town test-grinder? You think 'small-town test-grinder' is some kind of insult?"

"Drop the superior act. Plenty of students didn't have good study conditions and still got solid scores by grinding through practice sets and pulling all-nighters. They earned themselves a bright future."

"I think they're amazing. Talking about people the way you do doesn't make you look impressive, and it definitely doesn't make me envy you. It just makes me think you're disgusting."

The words were barely out of my mouth before the rest of the class jumped in.

"Exactly. I'm from a little village down south. In grade school I had to walk an hour every day just to get to class, and I don't think I'm one bit worse than anyone."

"Same here. Half the kids in my class could afford tutors and prep courses. My family couldn't, so I stayed up late doing problem sets and memorizing on my own, and I think that makes me better than them, not worse."

"Cole, what's so wrong with being a small-town test-grinder? Go on, spell it out. I'd love to hear what twisted logic you've got."

A lot of them came from ordinary families.

Cole's words had turned the whole room against him fast.

Only when he saw everyone rounding on him did he start scrambling to save face.

"No, no, no, you've all got me wrong. That's not what I meant. I wasn't saying anything against you guys. I was only talking about Eugene Summers."

"Look at him. He's just an ordinary student like the rest of us, but he has to go around branding himself some rich kid. First day of school and he's already bragging. I just can't stand a show-off like that."

"I had nothing against any of you. Don't take it the wrong way."

He didn't give anyone a chance to argue back, just turned to me and went on the attack.

"Enough. Quit changing the subject. You think that makes everyone forget you promised to treat us?"

"Let me tell you, I remember."

"It's five o'clock already, about time, wouldn't you say? When exactly are you feeding everyone? People are starving here."

After what happened in class and just now, plenty of them had figured out what kind of person Cole was.

They started speaking up for me one after another.

"Come on, Cole, we're all in the same class. Why keep hounding him like this?"

"It was just a joke. None of us took it seriously. Why are you?"

"Eugene, ignore him. We've got money. Let's all go grab something at the dining hall later. I hear Jayton State's dining hall is really good."

If agreeing to treat everyone had been an off-hand answer before, now, with the class standing up for me again and again, I was genuinely happy to get together with them.

I smiled and stood up.

"It's fine, everyone. I made a promise, so I'll keep it."

"This is a good chance to get to know each other over a meal. We're all in the same class, and we've got a long road ahead of us together."

Jayton State might not measure up to Harvard or MIT, but it's still one of the top schools in the country.

Most of these students had good character, and there was nothing to lose by getting on well with them.

Hearing me, Cole slid right back into that same provoking look.

"You hear that? He agreed to it himself. I didn't force him. So don't go pinning it on me!"

"But Eugene, can you actually come up with that kind of money? We're talking a six-star hotel here."

"Don't go palming us off with some cheap diner. I'm warning you..."

I couldn't be bothered to listen to another word from him, and dialed the hotel's general manager directly.

"Uncle Benedict Finch? Yes, it's Eugene."

"I'm bringing some classmates over for a meal. Have my private room ready."

"Yeah, send cars to pick us up. Save us the hassle of hailing rides."

I hung up and looked at everyone.

"Cars are coming for us in a bit. Let's go wait at the gate."

They traded glances, and though they looked worried, my confidence carried them, and they followed me out of the classroom.

Seeing that nobody was paying them any attention, Cole's face soured.

"Bunch of snobs who judge people by their looks!"

"I'd love to see just how long this Eugene Summers can keep up the act."

I'd barely led everyone to the campus gate when one of the students let out a startled cry.

"Look, over there. What is that?"

Everyone lifted their eyes.

Dozens of Maybach sedans were rolling toward us in a single, perfectly straight line.