Chapter 3

The next day, I went to the cafeteria. Just as I swiped my card, a hand shot out and snatched my meal card.

It was Brittany.

She dangled my meal card.

I frowned.

"Brittany, what are you doing? Give me back my meal card."

"Give it back? Sure."

Brittany flipped the meal card in her hand, a cold smirk on her face.

"You have to split yesterday's winnings with us, half and half."

"Half of what? Didn't I already give you guys some cash?"

"Two hundred bucks? What, are we beggars to you?"

Brittany raised her voice, drawing glances from other students around us.

"You stole luck from all three of us and won five thousand dollars! Only giving us two hundred – doesn't your conscience bother you?"

Just then, Chelsea and Megan crowded around, blocking my exit.

Chelsea pointed a finger at my face.

"Exactly! The moment you arrived, I failed my pop quiz yesterday!"

"It's definitely your fault!"

Megan quietly chimed in.

"It's called 'luck equalization.' You hogged all the good fortune."

"You have to share some with us, otherwise it's not fair."

I burst out laughing, furious.

"Do you have any sense of reason?"

"Winning the lottery is random chance, and failing your quiz is because *you* didn't study."

"How is any of this my fault?"

"What 'luck' are you even talking about? Stop being ridiculous!"

"Give me back my meal card!"

Brittany shoved my meal card into her pocket.

"Two thousand five hundred dollars, not a penny less!"

"This is the price you pay for stealing our luck!"

"If you don't pay, we'll curse you to hell and back every single day!"

"You'll have bad luck every single day, you'll trip over your own feet just walking around!"

I clenched my fists.

"I won't give it to you!"

Brittany scoffed, exchanging glances with Chelsea and Megan.

"Fine, Skylar. We're the ones with nothing to lose, so we're not scared of you."

"Let's see who can outlast who!"

With that, they took my meal card, swiped the most expensive meals at the counter, and strutted away.

I stood there, seething and starving.

Back in the dorm, my desk had been shoved into a corner.

My books and skincare products were scattered all over the floor, a newly bought serum bottle smashed, its contents spilled everywhere.

Brittany, Chelsea, and Megan were sitting at their own desks, eating with my meal card, laughing and chatting.

Seeing me return, Brittany deliberately spoke loudly.

"Oh, this braised pork is so delicious today."

"Eating with someone else's card really does taste better."

Chelsea chimed in.

"Doesn't it? Some people are just born lucky."

"It's only right that we get to share in some of that."

I was trembling all over. I rushed forward.

"You're going too far!"

Brittany lifted her eyelids.

"Too far? This is just the beginning."

"If you don't pay up, you'll only lose more of your things, and they'll break faster."

Megan muttered softly.

"Who told you to suck all our good luck away..."

I looked at the mess on the floor, knowing that reasoning with them was pointless.