He Picked My Roommate, I Picked a PhD Instead Chapter 05
That afternoon, the department had its awards ceremony for the Dean’s Merit Scholarship.
My academic advisor had called me a week before and told me to have a speech ready. Said I’d be the one accepting it.
But the person who walked up on stage to accept the award was Sierra.
She was wearing a new dress Keaton bought her. Flawless makeup.
She held up the certificate, and on her way back to her seat, she stopped by me and lowered her voice. “Sloane, someone reported you for misconduct. So sorry, but the scholarship had to go to me.”
When she saw my frown, she kept going. “I flunked five classes, you know. Keaton got the professors to change my grades. Without him, I’d never graduate.”
“Oh, and he wanted me to tell you something. He said, ‘All your hard work doesn’t mean shit against one word from me.'”
I gripped my unwritten speech, anger building.
After the ceremony, I went to the department head’s office. He gave me vague excuses. “Sloane, Keaton’s family donated a new lab to the school. Let it go.”
I started to argue, but my phone rang. A video call from my mom.
“I’m at the school gate. Get out here now!”
I saw she was surrounded by students. Afraid of what else she might hear, I ran out.
“How could you mess things up with Keaton like this?”
She grabbed my arm and yelled. “He came by the house yesterday. Said you owe money in unpaid tuition. And that you got caught sleeping around…”
My mind went blank. Before I could explain, she shoved a cloth bag into my hands. “This is our corn money. You take it to Keaton right now and make him stop spreading rumors in our town. Your brother’s getting married next year. Nobody can know about this!”
Sierra walked over, smiling at my mom. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Hayes. Keaton’s just upset. Sloane keeps breaking up with him over little things.”
My mom got even angrier. Raised her hand to hit me. “Why are you so difficult? Keaton treats you so well and you still cause drama!”
I flinched back, clutching the bag. Coins and crumpled bills spilled out onto the ground.
I crouched to pick them up. Sierra kicked them further away on purpose.
“Sloane, Keaton also said that if you go back and apologize to him, he’ll think about adding your name to the scholarship award. And he can help with your brother’s wedding fund.”
“But first, you have to apologize to me. Say you’ve been faking being all high and mighty.”
When I didn’t react, she leaned in close and whispered cheerfully, “Oh, and he told me to let you know—the smoothie shop where you work? He already bought it. You go in tomorrow, you’re fired.”
I didn’t know what to say.
I just quietly picked up the rest of the money, stood up, and shoved the cloth bag back into my mom’s hands.
“Take this back. Keaton lied. I don’t owe tuition. I didn’t sleep around. And I’m not apologizing to him.”
My mom panicked and reached for me. “Are you crazy? If you don’t get his help, how’s your brother supposed to get married?”
“That’s his problem.”
I pushed her off, stepped back, and turned toward the bus stop.
Didn’t look back. Didn’t answer her calls.
On the bus, I blocked Keaton on social media.
Opened my notes app. Deleted the long list under “Keaton Reed”—his coffee order, his shirt size, the gifts I’d planned for his birthdays.
Then I created a new note. Two lines only:
[Make money.]
[Publish in a peer-reviewed journal. Get into a PhD program on my own.]
