|MIRACULOUS| Flipped

16- Eight Dollars

The dinner with the Dupains had taken its toll on me. Then the annual school fundraiser arrived, and I found myself with a whole new set of problems. I was a Basketboy.

To fully appreciate the humiliation of being a Basketboy, you need to know that the chosen few are auctioned off in front of the student body to the highest bidding females. Yes, technically, each of us comes with a lunch in a basket, but let's not kid ourselves. This was a beefcake parade.

"There he is! My idol."

"One word," Adrien told Felix as his cousin ran up to catch up with him. "You're a dead man." He had spent the last couple minutes staring at the posted list of Basketboys to process the fact he'd been chosen as one. He didn't need his best friend teasing him about it already.

"No, man, I'm serious," Felix insisted excitedly once he was at Adrien's side. "Listen, you won't believe this."

"What?"

"Two of the hottest chick are fighting over you," Felix said breathily. Adrien couldn't tell if it was because he'd just been running, or if he was that excited.

"What are you talking about?" Adrien asked in disbelief.

"Chloe Bourgeois is breaking up with Kim le Chien," Felix explained. "And she and Lila Rossi are having a bidding war over you."

"I don't care," Adrien tried to laugh it off.

"Are you nuts?" Felix demanded. "Chloe dumped Kim because of you. You're my idol!"

As comforting as it was to be Felix's idol, it didn't diminish the horror of being Basketboy number nine. And my only hope was that a giant tornado would destroy the school before the big event. It was a long shot.

Mr. Damocles the principle tapped on the microphone to test that it was on. There was the high-pitched sound of interference, and he smiled out to all the girls sitting in the stands below the stage. Boys were there too, but this was all for their entertainment as they would be watching the girls around them shout out bids.

"Welcome, everyone," he started. "To this year's Mayfield Boosters Club Auction. Once again, we are pleased to present twenty of Mayfield's finest young men."

"Adrien," Felix called in a hushed whisper as he snuck backstage and weaved through the cluster of boys to find his cousin. "Adrien. Adrien."

"What are you doing here?" Adrien asked quietly when Felix turned up next to him.

"Mari Dupain's in the third row."

Adrien tried to ignore the lurch of nervousness he felt in his stomach when her name was mentioned. "So?"

"So," Felix said. "She's got a wad of cash."

Adrien looked away with an amused and dismissive smile. "Bullshit." 

"Bull-true," Felix quickly retorted. "I saw her counting it by her locker."

"And now," The boys quieted to continue listening to Mr. Damocles. "Please give a big Mayfield School welcome-" Felix dashed away. "-to your 1963 Basketboys."

Mr. Damocles led the applause, and soon the students were clapping while the twenty Basketboys made their way out onto the stage. As Adrien followed the other boys into their places, he looked out and almost immediately saw Mari sitting next to Zoe.

Mari with cash? What did this mean? Was it possible she was gonna bid on me?

"First up we have Ivan Bruel," Mr. Damocles announced, and Ivan stepped forward. "Ivan's on the chess team, and his hobbies include stamp collecting and the yo-yo. Remember, when you bid, you'll not only be getting the handsome Mr. Bruel, you'll also be enjoying a lovely chicken-salad sandwich, and what looks like to be a tasty bean dip, and--"

Ivan leaned toward Mr. Damocles and whispered something in his ear before turning back to the audience with a smile. He kept straightening his tie, though his suit was just fine, as a nervous tick.

"Oh, excuse me," Mr. Damocles smiled. "Onion dip. And a big slice of cherry pie. Okay, who will start the bidding at five dollars?"

Thus began the bidding. Or in Ivan Bruel's case, the lack of bidding.

Mr. Damocles scanned the crowd. "Anybody?"

Another few moments past before a hand slowly raised. Adrien thought it looked like Mylene Haprele, a shy girl, and wasn't surprised that she was the one bidding on Ivan.

"Very good!" Mr. Damocles called excitedly. "Here we go!"

From there, the bidding seemed to speed by. The next boy was sold for ten dollars. Zoe claimed the next for fifteen. The next four went for ten, ten, ten again, then fifteen.

"Number eight is Max Kante," Mr. Damocles called out. "Max is a member of the debate team, and his hobbies include robot and model airplane building."

Now only Max Kante stood between me and the auction block. I wasn't interested in his hobbies or what was in his basket. All I could think of was Mari.

"Let's start the bidding at five dollars."

What if she did bid on me?

"Anybody? Anybody at all?"

What if she got stuck in a bidding war with Chloe and Lila and lost out?

"No bidders?"

I was contemplating the horrors of this when...

"Eight dollars."

Adrien looked up quickly at the sound of her voice. Mari was now lowering her hand as Mr. Damocles excitedly called, "There you go! Eight dollars, that's more like it. Do I hear ten?"

Mari Dupain was bidding on Max Kante? How could she bid on Max?

"Okay, eight going once," Mr. Damocles called. "Eight going twice. Sold, to Mari Dupain!"

How could she bid on anyone?

Applause filled the auditorium, but Adrien wasn't paying attention. He was lost in thought.

"Next is Basketboy number nine, Adrien Agreste."

I knew I was supposed to step forward, but I couldn't move.

"Step up, Adrien," Mr. Damocles coaxed. "Don't be shy."

Adrien started and smiled awkwardly as he stepped forward. "Better late than never," Mr. Damocles joked with a laugh. "Adrien likes to play basketball--"

"Five dollars!"

Mr. Damocles was surprised that he was interrupted by Chloe Bourgeois before he could finish reciting all of the information about Adrien. "Oh, well, wait until I--"

"Ten!" Lila took her turn interrupting and gave a nasty look to Chloe, which was soon returned.

"Well," Mr. Damocles conceded. "It appears the bidding is underway."

"Fifteen!"

"Twenty!"

"Twenty-five!"

"Thirty!"

"Thirty-five!"

"Forty!"

Chloe rolled her eyes. Lila wasn't giving up easy, so she called out, "Fifty!" Lila looked at Chloe with loathing.

"Oh, my," Mr. Damocles exclaimed. "Fifty dollars, well! Fifty going once. Fifty going twice. Sold to Miss Chloe Bourgeois for fifty dollars. An all-time record! Oh, the boosters will be very grateful for such a generous donation."

Adrien smiled, but it was very much forced. As flattering as it was to have been caught up in a bidding war between two girls, and for the prices to have gone so high, he was not very excited at all about his lunch date with Chloe Bourgeois.