Chapter 181
After a few days, classes resumed. I had contacted Pepper about Fergie, discussing the idea of bringing her into the group Black Eyed Peas (which still only had three members at the time) and bringing them into JDS.
For now, Black Eyed Peas are only known in alternative and underground hip-hop circles.
Far from the fame they would achieve later with Fergie and a string of hits.
I definitely wanted her to feature on one of Marshmello's songs.
I was sitting at Pippa's desk (she had stopped complaining about it), my arm resting on her.
Carly was sitting in my usual seat next to Sam, casually chatting before Freddie and Cara walked in.
"Jake, why does our library now have your name on the entrance?" Cara asked, intrigued.
Pippa, who had been resting her head against me, pulled back and stared at me.
"I made a donation to the school," I replied. "Also, our football stadium will be renamed 'Jake Harper Stadium,'" I added.
"Seriously?" Carly gasped.
"Yep. Honestly, our field sucks. At one of the games I went to, the rival team's stadium was way better," I explained.
"You only went to the finals," Carly said deadpan. "Obviously, it would be at a better stadium."
"Anyway," I dismissed Carly, "I donated to renovate ours into something top-notch. It will have 7,500 seats, professional lighting, and serve as a multipurpose venue. The city is covering part of the cost too."
Plus, I deducted it from my taxes.
Standing up, I declared, "I will make Ridgeway great again!"
Everyone stared at me oddly.
"Hey, maybe I should donate again and rename the entire school 'Jake Harper High.'"
"Wait, you can do that? You can do that! Don't do that!" Carly blurted out, flustered.
"We all know you're basically the school's 'owner' already; there's no need to plaster your name in it," Cara joked.
"Yeah, it would be kinda weird studying at Jake School," Sam remarked.
"And you named places you don't even use?" Pippa raised an eyebrow. "You don't play football, and I've never seen you in the library."
"Hey, I love books to the point I have my own library at home. Why would I come here? Besides, this place is filled with nerds," I teased, knowing Pippa frequented it. She gave me a light elbow.
"Poor nerds. They keep loving and hating you, Jake," Cara commented.
"What?" I glanced at her, puzzled.
"They love you because you stopped most of the bullying. But they also hate you because you took first place... and their muse," she looked at Pip, "now even their place is named after you..."
"And about the football team, were you the one who suggested the new coach since the old one retired?" Sam asked.
"I might've had something to do with it," I admitted. George Cooper will only start in the last week of this month
"Actually, this just gave me a brilliant idea," I said, pretending a light bulb had appeared over my head.
"Let's name places after you guys too. How about 'Sam Puckett Cafeteria'? Some upgrades there wouldn't hurt," I suggested. "Freddie Benson Theater," I continued.
"Wow, Daddy, not bad! I love the sound of 'Sam Puckett Cafeteria'," Sam exclaimed.
"And Carly? Where should I dedicate something to you?" I glanced at Carly.
"Maybe the teachers' lounge? Carly is like a teacher's pet," Sam smirked.
"Sam!" Carly snapped. "And don't even think about it, Jake," she warned.
"Well, that section's already been upgraded," I pointed out.
Pippa and Cara exchanged surprised looks.
"The teachers don't just adore Jake because of his perfect grades," Freddie chimed in.
I nodded, "I'm a huge advocate for education and the well-being of our teachers, the true pillars of our society. I provided better facilities for them as a sign of my utmost respect"
Carly and Pippa scoffed.
Carrot and stick, always effective. The teachers knew I had enough influence to get someone fired—I had already done it once. So, I showed them I could also provide 'benefits', funding improvements for the staff areas.
"How about 'Carly Nursery'? Our School Health Office needs better equipment, especially the beds," I proposed.
"You've been there? I never saw you sick," Carly asked.
"Yeah, you guys were making too much noise," I lightly scolded them. "So, I had to go there to take a nap in peace."
They all stared at me deadpan.
"It was a poetry class, and we were reading aloud," said Pippa in disbelief, but Sam muttered under her breath:
"That's a good idea, sleeping at the nursery," making everyone turn to look at her.
"And what about you two, interested?" I asked Pippa and Cara. "Pip Science Lab and Cara Art Studio."
Their eyes widened.
"It is also good for university. You can say you have a school facility with your name," I persuaded.
"Aren't you spending too much?" asked Pippa, still astonished.
"Nah, it's all good. And this is just the start of me becoming a great philanthropist," I grinned.
Pippa crossed her arms, "You know, we might have a better world in the future because of Jake's vanity and pride..." she said smiling, making us laugh.
"What great are good intentions without results?" I smirked.
Then the teacher walked in, and everyone went back to their seats.
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Later, during lunch, Cher and Regina seemed to love the idea of naming parts of the school after students (after them, to be precise).
"How about 'Cher and Regina Event Hall'?" I suggested with a grin. "With both your dads, and me, we could easily build a brand-new event hall for the school."
Their eyes lit up at the thought.
"What are you thinking about so deeply, Pip?" I asked, noticing Pippa looking thoughtful.
"What you said earlier. I passed by the library before coming here; there are new sections, updated books versions, better study tables, even some individual study cabins. You might not have the noblest of intentions, but there's no doubt this will help students in the future," she admitted.
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions. That phrase isn't famous for nothing," I replied.
My philosophy? You just need not to be a cretin. Talking about good intentions? That's just a bunch of moralist hypocrites.
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