Three weeks later, Dario had settled into a new routine. His old friends still kept their distance, but he'd started hanging out with Jamie and his circle—mostly upperclassmen who seemed less concerned with the rumors and more interested in actual conversation.
It was during lunch on a Friday that Dario overheard something that made his blood run cold.
"—so we're each putting in fifty bucks," Tyler Morrison was saying to his buddy Jake. They were sitting one table over, voices low but not quite low enough. "First one to get him to put out wins the pot."
"Dude, that's messed up," Jake replied, but he was grinning. "What if he finds out?"
"He won't. Kid's desperate for friends after what happened. Jamie's already got him eating out of his hand."
Dario's sandwich turned to ash in his mouth. He glanced across the table at Jamie, who was laughing at something another friend had said, seemingly oblivious to the conversation happening nearby.
"Besides," Tyler continued, "after the freak show in chemistry class, everyone's curious what his deal is. This way we find out and make some money."
"You really think Jamie's gonna go through with it?"
"For three hundred bucks? Hell yeah. He's already got the kid following him around like a lost puppy."
Dario stood abruptly, chair scraping against the floor. The sudden movement drew attention from several nearby tables, including Jamie's.
"You okay?" Jamie asked, concern creasing his features.
"I just... need some air," Dario managed, grabbing his backpack.
He fled the cafeteria, Tyler's laughter echoing behind him.