Millionaires for the Month: Chapters 15–30

"You only live once.” Benji opened a can of Coke and raised it in a lone toast.
"Well, Aristippus would agree with that,” Reggie said. "A very hedonistic approach to life.”

“A hedonist seeks joy and pleasure in life above all else. Aristippus was one of the first to embrace this thinking. He was a Grecian who loved to shop. His motto was basically 'The person who dies with the most stuff wins,'" Reggie explained.

They walked onto the porch of a single-story house. Freebie sniffed every corner, and Felix waited for Benji to press the doorbell. But a bird flew out of the eaves before he got a chance, and Freebie went wild.

She turned to Felix. “How much? And don’t say you don’t remember. We’re in the same social studies class. You were the first to recite the preamble perfectly. You have an excellent memory.”

Benji opened his mouth wide in mocking surprise. “That can’t be right.”
“That’s a huge waste of money,” Alma said.

"No, thanks,” Georgie replied. She shared a chair that was meant for one with her fiancée, Michelle. They whispered to each other with foreheads touching. Benji thought if the plane hit turbulence, they’d probably knock each other out. He’d never seen anyone so in love—except maybe Felix with Freebie.

"We'd like to go on the Dumbo ride. It’s iconic. And the teacups. And to meet Mickey, of course,” Georgie said.

“I want to ride Dumbo,” Felix said.
Benji couldn't suppress his groan. He wanted the big attractions—the faster, the louder, the higher, the better.

His mom had said she’d be cooking, but that didn’t mean Felix didn’t have to help. He sautéed onions and garlic in olive oil for marinara sauce. His mom mixed ground beef, spices, and bread crumbs for the meatballs. The apartment filled with delicious smells, and his stomach grumbled.

“Maybe I should quit my job too,” Georgie continued. “I can go to culinary school. Maybe in Paris. Felix could support us all.”

“I’ll pay for your wedding.” He leaned forward in his chair. “How much does a wedding cost?”
“Anywhere from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands. Depends on where, the menu, the number of people, a lot of things. But Michelle and I don't need anything lavish.”

"For the right price, you can get anything,” Benji replied.
Laura Friendly groaned. "Common misconception.”

“You're going to take the half-court shot!” Benji smacked Felix hard on the back and knocked him into the group of guys in front of them. They didn’t seem to mind; they pushed Felix toward the aisle. Toward the court. Toward inevitable humiliation.

The announcer asked her name.
“Bella,” she said with a curtsy. Then she selected a ball from the rack and dribbled to the center circle. The crowd began chanting her name. Bella drew the ball back underhand and launched it like a softball pitch.

A Celtics player—Felix was too disoriented to know which one—ruffled his hair.

“I found some at Neiman Marcus for four thousand dollars,” Benji said. “Wait! Wait! Check this out. It's a site for movie memorabilia!” Benji turned his screen for Felix to see. “We can buy clothes that were worn by actors in movies!”

They found Reggie flipping through some historical graphic novels.
“These are about the Spanish Inquisition. Brilliant work. You should check them out.” One cover was a mixture of fire and demons and men in robes. It didn’t look too bad.

She stopped fiddling with the headpiece and turned to him. “Isn’t it the perfect dress?”
He nodded.
“And it hardly needs any alterations, which is good. We don't have much time.” She smoothed the fabric across her stomach.

"Tacos,” they answered in unison, and it didn't sound spontaneous.
"Tacos?” Benji repeated.
"Yeah, tacos,” Aidan said. "Everyone is complaining about the pizza.”

That morning, the T. rex and triceratops skulls arrived at the Grand Regency. The boys suspected their parents would not be enthusiastic about their paleontology purchases. So they asked Reggie if they could "hide” the fossils in his suite.

“I’ll be in the front row.” Reggie left, not waiting for their decision and the boys reluctantly followed.

Thanks to their mass ticket-buying, the first ten rows of the venue were mostly empty.

“You owe Laura Friendly an apology,” Felix said, though he knew there was no way that was happening.
Benji kept his phone aimed at the stage in case the singer decided to oblige.

“It’s complicated, boys. My lawyers barely understand it. But when we started Friendly Connect fifteen years ago, it was a new platform that no one had ever seen. Brilliant, really. We had to write the rules while we wrote the code. The waters got murky quickly, and suddenly everyone was fighting over rights to content and privacy. We’re still working on reorganizing and protecting our customers. It’s safe to say, not everyone is happy with our past."

“ Indecision is not an admirable quality,” Laura Friendly said.

The coach had the players join two lines for a two-on-two drill. Felix would rather have had a full scrimmage, but this was nearly as good.

“I don't expect you to have a career in the NBA,” his dad continued. “But sports are important. They teach you teamwork and perseverance. Some of the best friends you'll ever make in your life will be through athletics."

Coach Murphy was a husband, an eighth-grade science teacher, and a dad. He had twin girls, who’d recently turned five and went to Stirling Elementary. Judging from the online pictures and videos, the girls seemed to be obsessed with princesses and unicorns.

Coach Murphy had told them the results would be posted on the school's web page by that time. If Coach was going to be punctual, he only had three minutes left.

After detention, Benji had his mom pick him up and take him home. Not to the hotel. But home. She was not happy about the alleged bribe, but since she had to get back to work, she didn’t make it a big deal, and his dad was traveling.