Levi walked down the class toward the restroom, the only place in Saint Calderon Academy that didn't require money to access.
"Hey! Levi!" Lucas called out. "Come dust our shoes. We'll tip you twenty thousand dollars for it, like you always do, brokey!"
Lucas and his friends burst into laughter, the sound sharp and effortless, the way only people who had never known lack could laugh.
Levi paused for half a second. He hated himself for it, but he knew the truth, if they were actually willing to pay again, he would do it. He always did. Small jobs. Dirty favors. Things no one else would touch. To them, the money was nothing. Pocket change. To him, it was food, books, survival.
They tipped him heavily and humiliated him even more heavily, mocking him while he worked, reminding him of his place. The poorest student in the school. The charity case.
He was only here because of his grades. A scholarship student in a school built for bloodlines and bank accounts. Some days, he wished the scholarship had never come. Some days, poverty outside these walls felt kinder than wealth inside them.
Levi exhaled slowly and walked past them without a word.
Lucas's smile twitched.
Levi had walked past him.
That alone was an insult.
"Oi," Lucas said sharply, pushing his chair back. The room quieted, not because of respect, but because everyone knew what came next. "Did you just ignore me?"
Levi stopped.
He turned to one of his friends. "Call facilities."
A moment later, Lucas raised his voice, loud enough for the class to hear. "From today on, Levi here is banned from using the restrooms in this wing. Any staff that lets him in loses their bonus."
Murmurs spread. No one objected. No one ever did.
Lucas stepped closer, invading Levi's space. "You want to act proud? Fine. Hold it. Suffer. Or go piss outside with the rest of the trash."
Laughter erupted again.
Levi clenched his fists, nails biting into his palm. The restroom had been the only place he could breathe without paying. The only place that didn't ask who he was or what his balance said.
Lucas smiled, satisfied. "Next time I call you, you answer. Next time I order, you kneel. Or you don't get access to anything at all."
At Saint Calderon, money wasn't just power.
A thought crossed Levi's mind, sharp, frightening, unwanted.If everything just stopped… all of this would end.
He swallowed hard and pushed it down. He didn't have the luxury to break. Not here.
"Hey!" Lucas shouted again, louder this time. "Go get us a comedy book from the library."
The class laughed, as if it were the funniest joke they'd heard all day.
Levi didn't answer.
Levi!" Lucas yelled again, his voice slicing through the room. "I said go get us comedy books."
Levi slowed.
Lucas laughed loudly, leaning back in his chair. "Actually, that's the only section you're allowed to touch, isn't it?" He looked around at his friends. "Comedy. Because your life is already a joke."
The class erupted.
"Yeah," another boy added. "Might as well study yourself while you're at it."
Lucas waved his hand dismissively. "Hurry up. We're bored, and laughing at you clearly isn't enough today. We need more material."
Levi stood there, heat crawling up his neck. His hands trembled, but he kept them at his sides. Saying anything would only give them more to chew on.
"Don't just stand there," Lucas snapped. "Move. Or do you need permission to breathe too?"