Chapter 155: Academic Failure!
As Hugo escorted Emily down the dorm hallway, he felt like he was walking through a dream.
Each step felt too light, like his legs might float away any second. His heart was racing, and he was hyper-aware of her every movement.
The way her hair swayed gently, the soft tap of her heels on the tiled floor—it all felt like something out of a movie. Hugo was doing his best to act normal, but inside, he was anything but.
"Alright," Emily said as they reached the entrance. She turned to face him, her calm, confident demeanor making Hugo feel even more awkward.
"Before I forget, give me your number. I'll contact you when it's time."
Hugo fumbled to get his phone out of his pocket, his hands shaking as if he was defusing a ticking bomb.
He pulled up the contacts app and stared at the screen. What name should he save her under?
He paused. Should he add a heart emoji? Too much. A smiley face? Still too much. Just "Emily." Simple. Clean. Professional.
He put his phone away and she gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Hugo. See you soon."
Then she turned and walked off, leaving Hugo standing there like a statue. He couldn't move; his brain was too busy replaying the moment over and over.
'Did that just happen? Did Emily—the Emily—just ask for my number?'
As she disappeared around the corner, Hugo's body finally caught up with his brain. He spun around and bolted back to his dorm room, his thoughts a chaotic mess.
'I just scored a date with Emily! Emily, the girl I've been crushing on since day one! This is a win! No, this is the win!'
He had become way better at getting girls and his confidence had improved drastically over the last month. But there was something about crushes...
They had a special spit forever...
Then another thought hit him like a slap to the face. 'Wait… I have to pretend to be her boyfriend at a party. In front of a bunch of rich, fancy people. What if I mess up?'
'What if I accidentally insult her parents or eat something weird like snail soup? Do rich people even eat snails? Oh god, what if someone hands me caviar and I think it's jelly?'
Hugo reached his dorm room, flung the door open, and collapsed onto his chair. His mind was spinning so fast it could power a wind turbine.
He leaned forward and turned on his laptop, determined to figure out how to survive this situation.
"I need to prepare," he muttered, staring at the blank screen. "This isn't just a regular party. This is a rich people party. They probably have gold forks and crystal chandeliers.'
'What if they have one of those butlers who announces your name when you walk in? 'Presenting Hugo, the broke college student!' No way—I have to act the part."
He opened his browser and typed in, "How to act like a billionaire at a party." The results were both helpful and terrifying. He clicked on an article titled, 10 Ways to Blend In at High-Society Events.
As he read, his mind wandered into wild scenarios. 'What if someone asks me about my 'business'? Should I just make something up?'
''Oh yes, I run a highly profitable… uh… lemonade stand for billionaires.' Or what if they ask me about stocks? I don't know anything about stocks! I'll just be like, 'Yeah, I own… stock in… uh… Netflix? No, wait, Tesla? No, that's too obvious!''
He was just a 18 year old college student. This was too much for him!
Hugo groaned and slammed his head against the desk. "I'm doomed. They're going to know I don't belong there. I'll probably trip over a rug or spill soup on someone's designer shoes. Then Emily will never talk to me again!"
Determined to avoid disaster, he opened another tab and searched, "Rich people party disasters."
He found an article about someone who accidentally spilled wine on a CEO's dog. Hugo stared at the screen in horror. 'That could be me. That WILL be me.'
After about thirty minutes of overthinking, Hugo decided to take a break. He clicked on the tab for his class group chat, hoping for some memes or funny messages to distract him.
Instead, he found a message that made his blood run cold. It was written in all caps, like the universe itself was screaming at him:
"REMINDER: THREE ASSIGNMENTS DUE TONIGHT AT 11:59 PM. NO EXTENSIONS!"
Hugo blinked at the screen. Then he scrolled up to check the details. His stomach dropped. 'Three… three assignments?!'
He stared at the list, his eyes darting from one to the next:
- Advanced Social Dynamics: A 3,000-word essay on how humans react in high-stress environments.
- Statistical Analysis: A 3-page data report complete with graphs, charts, and citations.
- Group Project: A full slide presentation with references.
For a moment, Hugo just sat there, staring blankly at his laptop as if it had personally betrayed him. Then he let out a scream—loud, guttural, and full of despair.
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
He jumped up from his chair, pacing the room like a madman. "This is it. This is how it ends. I'm going to fail. I'm going to lose all my credits. My parents are going to disown me, and I'll have to live under a bridge selling… I don't know, socks or something!"
He stopped pacing and stared at the screen again, his hair a mess from running his hands through it. 'How did I not see this earlier?'
His mind raced. 'Three assignments in one night? This is a nightmare. A living, breathing nightmare.'
The essay alone would take hours. The data report? Forget about it. And the group project? 'Why do I even have group projects? Who invented group projects?' Read exclusive adventures at empire
Hugo threw himself onto his bed, clutching his pillow like it was his last lifeline. "I can't do this. I'm doomed. This is academic failure!"
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Power stone Goal!
50 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
100 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
200 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.
Castle - 20 Bonus Chapters!