My Scholarship Became Their Graduation Meal Fund

Cosmo Finch, the class president, announces in the group chat that the graduation dinner is being held at 6:00 pm. I arrive at the restaurant ten minutes early and wait outside the private dining room, only for him to stop me and shove a payment QR code in my face. "You're the last one in the class to arrive. Now, transfer me 300 dollars if you want to get in!" I'm baffled. "Didn't you tell us it starts at 6:00 pm? It's only 5:50 pm. How am I late?" Cosmo rolls his eyes and sneers, "Everyone else arrived an hour early to toast our advisor. You're the only one who shows up on the dot. Do you have no sense of team spirit? If you don't want to pay your share, leave!" Not wanting to make a scene at our last college get-together, I transfer the money with a cold expression and push open the door to the private dining room. However, the moment I step inside, my classmates are already putting on their coats and getting ready to leave. I take in all the sparkling-clean plates on the table, not quite processing what I'm seeing. Cosmo calls out from behind, "Everyone, grab your belongings. It's time to hit the speakeasy bar! Kieran, since you showed up last, the rest of the bill is on you!" Chapter 1 "Hold on… you guys are already done eating?" I'd hurried over straight from my tutoring gig, and my backpack straps were digging into my shoulders. "Talk about bad timing, Kieran. The advisor just left." Ethan Hatton, the class treasurer, said sarcastically. "Everyone wanted to hit up a speakeasy bar later, so we talked it over and decided to bump dinner forward by an hour.” I was dumbstruck. No one had given me a heads-up about the time change. The advisor was nowhere to be seen in the private room, and the plates on the table were almost polished clean. I frowned at Ethan and asked, "If it was bumped up an hour, why was there no announcement in the main group chat?" He frowned and made no effort to hide his annoyance. "Oh, because it was a last-minute change. We simply told each other privately." "That doesn't change the fact that no one notified me!" "Maybe if people actually liked you, you'd be in the loop." My hands balled into fists. "I wasn't late—I showed up right on time. You're the ones who changed the time behind my back, and that's on you!" "That's enough. We're all about to graduate, so let's not make a fuss over such a trivial matter." Cosmo Finch, the class president, briskly returned to his seat, grabbed his jacket, and began calling for everyone's attention. "Let's head over to the speakeasy bar, everyone. The venue's been reserved. "Settle the remaining bill here, Kieran. You bagged that eight-thousand-dollar scholarship, so you're the richest one in our class. Since you're an honors student, it's only right that you foot the bill." It instantly dawned on me that my classmates had done this on purpose just to make me foot the rest of the bill. On top of that, they'd even tricked me into paying another 300 dollars for being late. Before I could refuse, Cosmo had already led the remaining dozen or so classmates out the door. Even the ones who were usually on good terms with me kept their eyes glued to their phones or chatted casually with each other as they walked right past me. The waitress stood in my way with a bill in hand. "Sir, the grand total's eight thousand dollars; you still have five thousand dollars outstanding. Would you like to pay by QR code or card?" I hurriedly protested, "I didn't even touch the food! You should go after the person who just left. He's the one who made the reservation." The waitress couldn't have cared less about who picked up the tab. Pointing at the figure who had already disappeared through the door, she said, "That gentleman told us you were treating them, and our restaurant only holds the person left at the table accountable. "Pay up, or I'll have to call security or the cops. Our surveillance footage clearly shows that you came in with him. Everyone else has left, so you're responsible for the bill." Chapter 2 I instinctively wanted to refuse and bolt, but two imposing men were already stationed at the door of the private room. I had no idea what would happen if I didn't pay. Her threat had genuinely rattled me. After hesitating for a moment, I reached into the innermost compartment of my backpack and pulled out a debit card. It contained the eight-thousand-dollar scholarship I had just received. This was the amount I'd set aside for Grandma's hearing aid. Grandma had spent four years collecting recyclables in the countryside, and her hearing had deteriorated so badly that she had to shout at the top of her lungs every time she talked to me. I'd been saving up for a whole year because I wanted to take her to the best hospital in the city and get her a hearing aid before I graduated. After footing the bill, I tucked the receipt away. My heart was consumed with anger at being played like a fool. … Early the next morning, I walked into the advisor's office with a cold expression, suppressing my anger. Mr. Spencer was hunched over his desk, organizing a stack of applications for this year's Outstanding Advisor evaluation. When I walked in, he couldn't even be bothered to raise his head. "Is something the matter, Kieran?" he asked flatly. I placed the five-thousand-dollar receipt from the night before on his desk, clenched my fists, and said in a low voice, "I'd like to report what happened at last night's graduation dinner, Mr. Spencer. "Cosmo and the others moved the event up an hour without notifying me, so I wasn't able to attend. To make matters worse, when they left, they forced me to cover the outstanding balance. I hope you can step in and have Cosmo reimburse me for this amount from our class funds." Mr. Spencer paused, adjusted his glasses, and frowned as he looked at the receipt. "Cosmo told me about this after I left last night, Kieran." His tone was amiable yet dismissive. "He told me everyone assumed you were fine with the change because they hadn't heard from you. Look, you'll all be graduating soon. It'd be better to keep the peace and let sleeping dogs lie. "Since you foot the bill, that means you accepted the arrangement at the time, no? Besides, you've received scholarships every year. If it weren't for your classmates' support, you wouldn't be able to achieve that. Don't you think?" I froze for a moment, genuinely unable to believe those words had just come out of Mr. Spencer's mouth. "I only paid because the waitress wouldn't let me leave if I refused!" I tried to explain. "Mr. Spencer, since I footed the bill, where did our class funds go? We can't just sweep this under the rug!" His expression hardened. Clearly, he had no intention of looking into the class' finances. It was the end of the semester, and any complaints involving a financial dispute within the class would affect his performance evaluation. "I'm being considered for Outstanding Advisor at the end of this semester, and I don't want this kind of mess to come up in the college. Listen to me and consider this amount your contribution to the class. Stop making a fuss. "You've already secured a fantastic offer, and your background check is in my hands. If nothing goes wrong, I'll make sure you pass with flying colors." Chapter 3 The words I was about to spit back died in my throat. Mr. Spencer's implication was crystal clear. If I didn't drop this matter and jeopardize his evaluation for Outstanding Advisor, my background check might suddenly run into unexpected problems. I had no idea how I walked out of the office. I only felt as though the wind had been knocked out of me. I hadn't gone far before I ran into Cosmo and Ethan. Both of them were leaning against the wall of the hallway. When I emerged, Cosmo flashed me a knowing smile. "Well, well, look who's back from telling on us. What did Mr. Spencer tell you? I bet he told you to be the bigger person, didn't he?" "Give me back my money, Cosmo," I demanded, extending my hand. "That's my scholarship fund. I saved it to buy my grandma a hearing aid. You pocketed the class funds and set me up to foot the bill. That's not how things are supposed to work!" "Have you studied yourself stupid, Kieran?" Cosmo shot back. He snatched the receipt right out of my hand before I even had the time to react. He ripped the paper to shreds right before my eyes and casually tossed them into the trash can. "Don't push your luck, Kieran! If you don't give it a rest, I'll spread the word around campus that you only received the scholarship by being someone's sugar baby! Ethan burst into laughter beside him and checked me with his shoulder. "Exactly, broke losers need to know their place. That trash-collecting grandmother of yours must be senile to have raised someone as clueless as you!" Just then, a couple of classmates who were usually on fairly good terms with me happened to walk down the hall. Catching sight of this scene, they hastily lowered their heads and hurried past, pretending as if they hadn't seen a thing. I had covered their classes for them and even done their assignments for them before, yet not a single one of them had the backbone to speak up for me. … When I returned to my dorm room, my phone suddenly vibrated. I'd received a call from the hearing aid specialty store. "Hello, Mr. Bentinck," greeted the staff. "The imported hearing aid you reserved has arrived. You've paid a two-thousand-dollar deposit. The remaining eighteen-thousand-dollar balance needs to be settled within three days. "If it isn't settled by then, we'll have to sell it to another buyer, and the deposit is non-refundable per our agreement." I clutched my phone, my throat so parched I could barely make a sound. "C-Could you give me a few more days? Something came up, and I'm a little short on cash right now, but I promise I'll pay!" "Give you a few more days? You've got to be kidding me, Mr. Bentinck." The contempt in the staff's voice was unmistakable. "I only reserved it for you because you're a college student. Now, you're telling me you don't have the money? "Are you trying to pull a fast one on us? If you can't pay the remaining balance, we'll just forfeit your deposit. It's as simple as that." I instantly panicked. Not only would my two thousand-dollar deposit be flushed down the drain, but if I lost this reservation, there was no telling how many months or years I'd have to wait for another imported hearing aid. I immediately pleaded, "I'll pay! I'm begging you, it's for my grandma, and she's been waiting for so many years—" "Yeah, yeah, save the sob story." The staff hung up on me. Chapter 4 Standing on the dorm balcony, I watched the students cheering on the sports field below and slammed my fist against the railing until my knuckles turned white. I was only five thousand dollars short of that hearing aid. Had I not been scammed at that dinner, I would've already saved enough money. Grandma's birthday was next week. I had promised her that I would give her the best gift. Her weathered face surfaced in my mind. She'd spent four years collecting recyclables in the countryside and scrimping and saving every penny to put me through school. She'd always tell me, "It's fine if I'm a little deaf, Kieran. I'll be happy as long as you make something of yourself." Left with no other choice, I ultimately dialed a number. "It's Kieran… I was wondering if I could borrow five grand. I'll pay you back soon after I graduate." Without a word, the person on the other end transferred the money over. I took a deep breath, pulled myself together, and went to the shop to settle the remaining balance. … I brought Grandma into the city on her birthday. Having spent her entire life in her hometown, she was overwhelmed by the towering skyscrapers. She fidgeted nervously, clutching the hem of my shirt. "Kieran, isn't this place too expensive? We can just eat at your school cafeteria and save your money," she said and tugged at her faded shirt that had been washed countless times. "Grandma, it's your birthday today. Let's have something nice!" I led her into a restaurant that I had chosen in advance. It wasn't fancy, but the atmosphere was lovely. I took out the hearing aid and carefully put it on her. When she heard the background music in the restaurant and my voice for the first time, she froze. Tears welled up in her cloudy eyes in no time. "Kieran… I can hear you. I can hear your voice. It's so clear!" "I bought this with my scholarship, Grandma. Now, you'll never have to worry about missing the sound of oncoming traffic again!" I beamed, feeling that all those years of working myself to the bone day and night for the scholarship had been worth it. As soon as my words fell, a voice suddenly cut in. "Well, if it isn't our top scholar, Kieran! Did you bring your grandmother to the big city to live the high life?" My spine went rigid, and I turned around. Cosmo swaggered into the restaurant with Ethan and several of our classmates. He was dressed head-to-toe in designer streetwear, casually twirling the keys to a brand-new car in his hand. "This hearing aid must've cost tens of thousands of dollars." Cosmo approached us and deliberately circled our table before stopping in front of Grandma. He continued, "Kieran, if I remember correctly, your family was registered as a low-income household, and your grandmother makes a living collecting recyclables in the countryside, doesn't she? How'd you get so flush all of a sudden?" Grandma could hear him clearly, but she couldn't pick up on his hostility. Looking at Cosmo nervously, she asked, "You must be Kieran's classmate! Why don't you join us?" "Oh, no way. I wouldn't dare." Cosmo snickered before turning to our classmates behind him. "Kieran usually can't even bring himself to buy braised pork at the school cafeteria, yet he can now afford a luxury item worth tens of thousands of dollars? "Be honest with us, Kieran. Did you find yourself a rich sugar mommy after graduation?"