Chapter 1

The tech internship list was a punch to the gut, Chad Wilson' s name was on it, mine wasn' t.

Hours later, the school' s unofficial social media page lit up, a "Loser List" poll.

I was number one, "Biggest Nerd."

Then came the screenshots, my DMs to Brittany Hayes, asking her to Senior Prom.

Every awkward word, every hopeful phrase, plastered for Northwood High to see.

Laughter followed me down the halls, pointed fingers, whispers.

Brittany, head cheerleader, the girl I' d crushed on since freshman year, she' d orchestrated it.

To make Chad, her quarterback boyfriend, feel better about his own shaky future, to cement her queen bee status.

I remembered giving her little gifts, helping with her homework, small things she' d asked for with a sweet smile.

She used my attention, made Chad jealous sometimes, played me like a fool.

The realization hit hard, I was a clown.

My quiet admiration, my carefully coded game demo I' d planned to give her, it all felt stupid now.

She didn't just not like me, she actively despised my existence enough to broadcast my private hopes for public ridicule.

The humiliation burned, a cold fire in my chest.

This wasn't just rejection, this was a public execution of my dignity.

My dad, Mark Miller, CEO of NovaCorp, always said to face problems head-on.

He wouldn't know about this, no one at school knew who my dad was.

I was just Ethan Miller, the quiet coder, the nerd.

And now, the official biggest loser.