Chad met with Amber at lunch later in the day.
They had both endured their first few classes of the morning listening to whispers and enduring unprovoked glances.
A few gestures here and there.
Amber seemed used to it, almost as if it didn't faze her in the slightest.
And Chad couldn't care less. He had a million worries on his mind, and the opinions of strangers were not even on the list.
In fact, he was a bit jittery this afternoon. He had an infused energy drink of his favorite flavor, and pulled a flask out, pouring some vodka inside of it to take the edge off.
Amber didn't look disgusted at his behavior, but instead amused by it. Smirking as she made her proposal.
"Honestly, I don't know if this was your plan from the start, or if you are just really good at capitalizing on an opportunity when it presents itself. But I want in Chad… Or I should say I… I need in… Whatever you're planning, please let me join."
Chad looked at the girl as if she were crazy. He wanted to reject her outright, but she seemed to know he had made some money.
She wasn't even demanding anything from him, just begging for an opportunity, and thus he couldn't help but inquire further.
"Alright… Say I did have some sort of plan… And this wasn't just a stupid drunken mistake. Why? Why would you ever want this? And don't bullshit me; you owe me the truth, remember?"
Amber immediately sighed and sunk her head into her hands ,as if trying to think through her reasoning before outright stating it aloud in the open.
She didn't seem to care about anyone potentially listening in or recording. She just went straight for the jugular.
"I need the money… I told you how my mom recently remarried, right? The guy… my 'stepfather' he's in some weird religious sect. Super-fundamentalist, super culty. You feel me?"
She instantly reached forward and grabbed Chad's spiked drink, chugging its entire contents in one go and in doing so gaining the courage she needed to spill the rest of her family issues all over the table.
"I don't even know how my mom fell for such a weirdo considering… Well that's not important. The point is this prick has been trying to pressure me with my college fund that my mother scraped tooth and nail to save for me."
She couldn't help but scoff, absolute fire rising in her hazel eyes as she reflected on her own situation.
"He wants me to behave myself like a proper young lady should. But come on, Chad. I'm well beyond that point. Hell, I was before he ever married my mom. And it is only a matter of time before that fucking douche finds the video of us, and when he does, my life is over."
Her expression suddenly turned from righteous indignation almost to a whimper as he began to beg.
"So I need this man... badly. I'm not mad at what you did; I just want in on whatever you have planned."
Chad thought about his situation for less than a minute before ultimately making a decision.
"Alright… But here's the deal: you open up your own accounts, and are responsible for your own brands and income. We'll collaboratee like you said.' I'll try my best to send notice your way, and vice versa. Deal?"
Amber was shocked that Chad had agreed to this, and was quick to reach across the table and kiss the man.
This warranted more than a few pictures taken by bystanders attempting to eavesdrop, but she didn't seem to care.
"You're the fucking best! I swear to God, from here on out I'll do anything you say… And I mean anything! So… I guess I'm in your care… Senpai…."
The way she coquettishly blushed and whispered that last part caused Chad to just stare at the woman in silence until finally she broke character.
"What? I thought you were the type to be into that, seriously? Hold on… Are you telling me you're not?"
Chad couldn't help but chuckle as he poured himself another drink. Trying his best to obfuscate his tastes, at least in public.
"I never said such a thing…."
---
The video gained more and more traction as the day went by. It was only a matter of time before people Chad knew personally learned about it.
Hell, it was only a matter of time before Claire learned about what he had done.
But it was not Claire staring at the video in awe.
It was her mother…
The woman liked to keep a very close eye on the boy her daughter had somehow fallen head over heels with.
To put it simply, she stalked him. Looking for anything at all she could use to crucify the man.
But out of the years she had taken this up as her personal and private hobby. This was the first time she had found anything remotely scandalous on Chad.
And when she stared at the video. She couldn't help but play it on repeat, again and again. Growing more and more frustrated and flustered as she did so.
Words could not express the complicated emotions in the mature beauty's heart.
To say she hated Chad was an understatement. His lower-class background, his crass tongue, his lack of deference to religion. Especially her religion, her husband's religion. It was all intolerable.
He was an ill-bred, foul-mouthed, vide ridden degenerate heretic… So stooping to pornography was obviously something she would expect him to do right?
Except… The more she watched it, the more Heather could not help but feel confused.
This man… He was clearly everything she hated about society.
She disapproved of her daughter's prior relationship with him for just this reason.
But the more she watched the more enticed she felt.
Clicking repeat more and more frequently, even going back and examining her favorite shots.
Whispering beneath her breath words she never thought she would consciously say.
"You're such a bad boy…"
And it was only when a knock resounded on her door, and her daughter's voice resounded on the other side that Heather finally recovered her usual self.
"Mom, are you in there? Are you alright? Dinner has been ready for an hour already; should I call the family physician?"
An hour past suppertime?
No, that wasn't possible? She had begun this… search half an hour before that.
Yet the clock did not lie….
Heather could not help but click out of the video… but not before hesitating over the "subscribe" button, which would certainly leave a cash trail towards her support.
And yet, the brief preview of the video was not enough.
Even now she fidgeted in her seat, wanting more… needing more.
It was not until the knob on her door began to twist and turn that she instinctively clicked subscribe all the while calling out to her daughter.
"Just a second! I'm sorry, I lost track of time! I'll be out in a second darling!"
And as she closed out the video, the money was sent. And so too was the "profile" she had made as one of Chad's many new subscribers.