Nitikarao
The corridors of Oakland High didn't run on friendships or feelings; they ran on raw, unvarnished currency.
Every Friday at noon, the rigid school schedule collapsed into a first-come, first-served elective frenzy, leaving athletes in Sports Theory and artists scrambling for Mural Design. But for those who were too slow, too distracted, or simply unlucky, all roads led to the same digital graveyard: Room 404: Introduction to Finance Markets.
To the rest of the school, Nicole was the ultimate saint-the effortless, sweet-natured perfectionist who handed out comfort and kindness like spare change. They thought she was running on a massive deficit, a tragic math problem waiting to crash under the weight of everyone else's drama. But what Sophia's icy surveillance, Andrew's toxic nostalgia, and Nada's burning jealousy failed to realize was a fundamental truth of the market:
Nicole wasn't printing real currency. She was handing out counterfeit bills.
Let them play their messy high school games, fight over status, and calculate the interest on their small, guarded hearts. They could keep their temporary popularity within the brick walls of Oakland High. Because as long as they were trading in her name, Nicole owned the bank.
And the house... Always wins.