Chapter 1: What’s $5,000?

“Joe Cole!” a very angry and disgusted Robert yelled, “Where the fuck are you?”

Robert continued to bang on his door until he came out of his room.

“Hey Robert, sorry I was asleep.”

“How can your lazy, poor, and miserable ass be sleeping at this time of the day?” Robert answered in anger.

“Come on, man. I was really—” Joe Cole tried to answer but was immediately interrupted by the now pissed-off Robert Brownstone.

“And who the fuck do you think you’re talking to? Your homie?”

“Robert, just calm—”

“Do not dare tell me what to do, you miserable bastard. In fact, you’ll be walking to school today since your sorry ass forgot to wash my car this morning.”

It suddenly dawned on Joe Cole why the Crown Prince of Denmark was mad at him. Joe Cole returned late the previous night from a very tedious job he went off-campus to do just to earn extra morning for something big he was planning towards. Usually, he would wash Robert’s car every morning and get paid for it either in cash or in a free ride to school as they were both housemates together with John Caviar, the son of the 20th richest man in the world.

“Back off Robert, you never cease to harass him.” John Caviar, their other housemate, pushed at Robert, “Come on Cole, you’ll ride with me.”

“Fuck you two, losers!” Robert fired back as he hurried off to school in his $300,000 Lamborghini Huracan STO version, one of his four expensive cars.

Joe Cole joined Kings & Queens University (KQU) as the only scholarship student but the school was not built for people like him, everything and everyone reminded him of that. 

Situated in Washington DC, the capital city of the United States of America, KQU is the most prestigious university in the world and the only university founded exclusively for the 0.1% of elites in the world. Academic fees start at $5,000,000 a year putting the school on a pedestrian away from the likes of Joe Cole, but somehow he managed to get into the school on a scholarship. Students in KQU are either children of multi-billionaires, rulers of wealthy kingdoms, or presidents of nations.

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“And who do we have walking into class late like he owns the school?” Jake Sullivan, the son of the world’s richest man, said out loud taking the attention of the students in the class and putting it all on Joe Cole.

“Of course Jake, he owns the school. All hail Joe Cole, King of the Poor and Master of All Miserables, the Great Pauper and Beggar!” Another student shouted banging his desk and mocking Joe Cole. The entire class burst into laughter, mocking him to the highest level.

“Hey Cole, quick question. When will you ever be rich like the least of us?” Jake picked up on him again.

“I know Jake,” another student replied, “N– NEVER!” the student responded in Joe Cole’s usually fidgeting tone. The whole class erupted again in laughter.

Joe Cole quietly went to his seat and sat down without saying a word to them. He had learned over time that since he never truly belonged, his best chance was to swallow their mockery and just focus on why he was there.

Jake not having his fill yet continued even further at him,

“Fun facts guys, do you know this ‘king’ works as a servant in our house every weekend?”

“Whoa…” the students reacted and with an even more disdainful look at him.

“And that’s not even all, he earns a handsome $5,000 weekly from all the menial jobs he does around and off-campus. This dude is rich” 

“$5,000?”

“What’s $5,000?”

“That’s how much I get per hour.”

“The least of us gets $500,000 weekly from our parents, what’s $5,000. This dude is a disgrace to this prestigious school.”

The students continued to murmur and lash out at Joe Cole who sat with his head on his desk almost in tears.

“At least he earned his. Not some rich-parents handouts you all get for doing absolutely nothing.”

The voice of one of the most admired and respected students in the school sent them all away from Joe Cole. It was Mercury, the daughter of the President of the United States and also, the most beautiful lady in the school. She has won the school’s yearly Campus Beauty Goddess as number one back-to-back since she joined the school.

Her intervention had just spared Joe Cole from these rich folks, at least for now.

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“Emily! Emily, please wait!” Joe Cole called out to a beautiful damsel walking down the school park and racing towards her. He had just finished his classes and endured several abuses, seeing Emily gave him joy and lots of worthiness in his life.

“What is it, Cole? I’ve told you to stop shouting my name in public spaces. What do you want?” The beautiful goddess questioned him in a whispering tone looking around to make sure no one saw them together.

“Come on babe, you know how much I love calling your name and what it means to me.”

She smiled while still looking around pretentiously,

“I know. But you have to stop calling my name out like that, what if people find out?”

“I’m sorry, I’ll try not to do that again.” The lover boy apologized to her, forgetting anyone ever bullied him today. He loved Emily like his life depended on it and he found comfort in knowing that he was her boyfriend.

“So what do you want?” Emily quickly asked hurrying to path from him before they were spotted together.

“Well, I have sweet plans for us.” Joe Cole said smacking his lips.

“Hmm…and what could that be now?” Emily adjusted herself as she inquired to know.

“It’s a Date Night Treat for you, girl.” His reply and expressions revealed that he had forgotten about Emily’s fears of being seen with him.

“Awwnn. That’s sweet. I’ll call you later tonight so we can talk about it.” Emily responded to him quickly as she hurried off foreseeing other students coming their way.

“Okay, Love. Later tonight.” Loverboy Joe Cole feeling on top of the world answered back. 

He was dating one of the most beautiful girls in the school, the number three on the Campus Beauty Goddess list of the previous year. Even more exciting for him was the amazing date night he had planned for her after weeks of preparation. He just couldn’t wait to do this with her.