Chapter 6

Ashley seethed with fury as he watched the interaction between the two of them, but he held his tongue, opting not to respond.

“Come on, let’s go,” he muttered to his friends, gesturing for them to follow him as he stormed past them.

Just as he turned away, Archie caught his gaze, and Ash made a threatening gesture, dragging his finger across his throat.

“Ignore him,” Bailey said, her voice calm but firm, redirecting Archie’s attention back to her.

“People like this are pretty hard to shake off,” Archie remarked, his gaze drifting thoughtfully to his notes. “You can ignore them all you like, but that only gives them more reasons to bother you.”

“Well, that’s not how it works over here,” Bailey countered.

“Oh, really?” Archie retorted. “Well, I tried ignoring them and I earned a free facial massage as a reward.” 

Bailey burst into an infectious laugh, her brown hair falling and brushing against her face. She held her both sides as she started to wheeze.

“I like you. What’s your name?”

“Archie,” he replied, a smile tugged on the corner of his lips.

“Well, Archie, I think you’ll need to build a reputation for yourself. That’s how you get rid of your bully,” Bailey advised, she pushed her hair away from her face. “And lose the sweater, you look like a nerd.”

Archie glanced down at his sweater, feeling a pang of disappointment. He had never considered that his appearance mattered to anyone. He had always assumed they just bullied him because of his financial status. 

“Look,” Bailey continued, leaning against a nearby wall. “I know a big deal about this school. I can show you a few perks here and there if you’re interested.”

Archie nodded eagerly. “I’d love that.”

Archie stepped into the boutique, greeted by a blast of cold air and the scent of fresh fabrics. 

It could be Bailey’s comment about his sweater, but all of a sudden he started to feel inadequate in his clothes.

He reached out to a garment. His eyes settled for the price tag first. Archie’s eyes widened with disbelief.

It must have been that the fabrics were spun out of gold because clothes had no business being this expensive.

“Is there a problem?” a young attendant approached him, her voice laced with thinly veiled contempt.

“Yeah, I’m not exactly a fashion expert-”

“Clearly,” the attendant interjected, her tone dripping with condescension as she assessed his appearance. 

Archie’s jaw clenched in frustration, his face flushing with indignation. “Look, I’m just here to buy clothes.”

“Then, you’re at the wrong place.” The attendant snatched the hanger from him and returned the item to its place. “There’s a thrift store down the street.”

Archie felt the heat of anger pouring in his veins. He didn’t have time for this nonsense. Turning on his heel, he walked away from the aisle, ignoring the attendant’s disdainful attitude. 

From a distance, he could hear her whispering to her colleagues, followed by their mocking laughter. 

“What a joke.”

Archie stopped in his tracks, his hands balled into a fist. With measured steps, he retracted his path towards the attendant, his gaze sweeping over the garments on display as he closed the distance.

“I’ll take everything in this aisle. And make sure you wrap it up nicely.”

The attendant scoffed, her heels clicked against the tiles as she paced towards him. “This isn’t make believe. Now, leave the store before I call the security.”

A crowd circled around them, drawn by the commotion. Archie reached into his pocket and pulled out the express credit card. He held it up for the attendant to see, his voice dripping with icy resolve as he spoke, “One more time, do your job and ring it all up.”

Hushed whispers spread like wildfire through the air, thickening the tension around them. The manager of the boutique stepped in, his brows furrowed with concern as he assessed the scene before him. 

Sensing the gravity of the situation, he intervened, “Is there a problem here?” he asked, his gaze shifting between Archie and the attendant.

Archie’s gaze lingered on the attendant. She stood frozen in place, a sense of unease creeping over her. The facade of confidence she had cultivated began to crumble. 

A sly smile tugged on his lips. “I don’t know, is there?” He raised an eyebrow at the attendant.

The manager’s expression soured in dissatisfaction, he turned to his employee, searching her face for answers. 

The attendant hastily shook her head, “No.” She snatched the card from his hand, her jaw clenching tightly as she hurried to the counter.

Archie punched in the pin and to her dismay, the transaction went through smoothly.

He leaned over the counter with a smug smile playing on his lips, “Let this be a lesson to you” His voice tinged with authority. “If you don’t hold any prestige of your own, then lower your standards.”