Ghost Billionaire

"Alright, everyone," Ms. Clayborne called as she closed the classroom door. "Back to your seats. We have a lot to go over today."

The students shuffled to their desks. Matthew slid into his seat beside the window, still watching Lenox as the others whispered around him.

"Since today’s Friday," Ms. Clayborne continued, "I’ll be giving you an outline for next week’s third-quarter exams."

Matthew blinked. "Wait, it’s the third quarter already?" he mumbled to himself.

She wrote the dates on the board. "Exams will be next week. Four subjects each, as usual. You need to pass all four to move on to the next quarter."

Matthew stared blankly at the whiteboard. "Right. Third quarter in February. Fourth quarter’s in April. Then graduation’s in May..." he trailed off, tapping his pen against the desk. "That means if I fail now, I’m doomed." His grades were not bad, but they weren’t good either.

Matthew’s focus in the past was just chasing Catherine around and helping Lenox accomplish whatever it was that he needed. He never cared about school, as he could practically still inherit his father’s company even if his grades were low—or at least that’s what he thought about in the past.

He was foolish, he thought inwardly.

Ms. Clayborne turned to the class again. "Also, for those of you who haven’t started your college applications, you need to start now. I’ll be available during lunch hours and after class if you want someone to review your applications. You can also speak to Mr. Grant in the counseling office."

Matthew sank lower in his seat.

"I’ll even host a session next Monday," she added. "Bring your personal essays if you’ve started. If not, bring a draft of your top choices."