The next day, Bob approached an unassuming guy, Jacob.
"Hey Jacob, I'm gonna start a business. You in?"
"What sort of business?" Jacob shoveled chips into his mouth as he replied curiously.
"Well…" Bob whispered conspiratorially, "It will make you amazing. It's Called "Become-A-Hero" and It will help you master the Art of Rizz.
"The… Art… of Rizz?" Jacob narrowed his eyes and thought. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.
"Basically it's a good thing. But yeah, like all great startups, it needs heroes that will support the venture. Anyway, How would you like to be a hero?"
Jacob's eyes brightened. He knew heroes. Heroes were cool.
"Yeah!"
"Ok," Bob cleared his throat. "Well, all heroes make sacrifices, but in the end they well, they're heroes amiright?"
"Yeah!" Jacob nodded. He wanted to be a hero.
Bob continued, eyes shining with Rizz Factor.
"But People who don't sacrifice can't be heroes in a way. It's not easy"
Jacob's brow furrowed as he imagined the challenge.
Bob continued. "That's right, It won't be easy. You'll have to sacrifice. So… knowing that, do you still want to be a hero?"
Jacob was convinced and his eyes shone with clichéd determination.
Bob patted him on the back.
"In that case, normally it's 10 bucks for founding shares in the Become-A-Hero company, but for you, I'll just make it 5."
____
Having repeated this pitch multiple times, the majority of the boys in his class were now part of the Become-A-Hero Founding Member Status, and Bob was now $153.45 richer ( one of the kids didn't have quite enough but Bob let it slide, making him a Trial member instead until he could produce the rest on Monday.
With this he was finally able to buy some protein, and build his body further.
___
Of course Bob was not a scammer. He diligently gathered the future heroes and taught them the Arts of Rizz and of course, increased their heroic attributes.
"B-But I don't have a mini fridge!"
"It's ok. The most important thing right now is to build your genetic potential. You have to eat better. Sleep better. Train better. Be better."
Bob's authoritative voice rang strong and clear, and also gave a tingling-down-the-spine sensation that had the boys in raptures at his budding masterful charm.
"Yes sir!!!"
___
There never was a cohort quite like the one that graduated between 2058 and 2064.
Due to the Butterfly effect of Bob's Become -a-Hero Corporation, the majority of the school and surrounding affiliated society became better in every way.
Grannies were always smiling since handsome young men lined up to help them across the street, firemen found themselves out of a job because all the cats had already been rescued from trees and all the arsonists had decided that becoming a hero was cooler and a better use of their time. Later, all this would have a devastating backlash, but that is a story for a later chapter.
The suburbs acquired an increasing good reputation and the real estate prices went up, meaning that Bob's parents 2 bedroom shack was now worth over 10 Million, as usual, out of the reach of most first homebuyers, largely due to their penchant for avocado toast.
At that point, Bob had graduated, and his stats were as follows
Bob
Rizz Index: 10000
Strength: 1000
Intelligence: 5976
Genetic Grade: D++++
His Rizz was now so powerful that even the teachers had bought shares in his company.
Of course, he knew the rules of society however. It was all a meaningless prelude. Only when he graduated and became an adult, could he finally embark on his quest to find the lock to his key, the glove to his hand, the sock to his foot, the beauty to the beast, the garage to his Ferrari… the pop to his corn, the rose to his thorns, the toot to his horn, the grass to his lawn, the Ara to his Gorn.
Come on guys… you know what I'm talking about, we want to keep this novel PG amirite?!
___
In Moreton high, Sally also graduated, as Valedictorian, Queen and Belle of the Ball and so on.
At the same time, she was frankly bored out of her mind.
Everyone was just so… immature.
Perhaps the real world would be better. The clock was ticking. She had resolved that if she couldn't find someone who could overcome her Anti-Rizz Index by the age of 25, she was going to buy as many cats as possible and start a cat raising company. Only they understood.
When she was with cats, her entire being softened and changed.
You see, as a side effect of being genetically and socially superior in every way, and being unable to vocalize or express this fact without brutal social judgement of being labeled a b****, and the lack of having any real genuine connections with people, since they all either had ulterior motives or were unable to overcome her ARI, the Heavens had decided that such an existence was too cruel, and so relented giving her the ability to telepathically communicate with felines as a respite.
Her cat Jasper, was her current rock, and the reason this Ice Queen had been able to survive to this day.
"Jasper", she whispered with tears glimmering in her eyes. "I just want to be a normal girl. Is that too much to ask?"
"I never asked to be born pretty with the body and features of a girl next door supermodel, with the intelligence of Marie Curie-Einstein, and unlimited wealth being the named coheir of Elon Busk and Jeff Mezos since they are my godfathers!
Jasper narrowed his eyes, licking his snow white paws.
"Mistressss," he replied with a purrr. The voice sounded like a cross between Elmo from Sesame Street and a muppet in her mind, but it was strangely comforting.
"Are you sure that it's such a bad thing? Many would kill to be in your position. What are you so afraid of?"
Sally showed a hint of emotion.
She knew that with great prospects came great expectations.
What if no one measures up?
I want to be swept off my feet, but what if that person doesn't exist?
What if I…what if I become disillusioned…
She finally choked out her deepest fear.
What if… what if I…. settle?!