Monday arrived cloaked in cold drizzle, the kind that soaked through sweaters and set teeth chattering before first period. Ryan Keller stood at his locker, his hoodie pulled up, watching droplets trail down the window across the hallway. His body was present, but his mind was deep in logistics.
He had memorized the week's fulfillment schedule. Three orders to pack today, five pending feedbacks, two customer inquiries to resolve. Dylan was set to meet a local seller after school. The storefront was stable again—for now.
But Ryan felt the tension behind his eyes, like a rubber band stretched too tight. One more tug, and something might snap.
"You look like you're preparing for a board meeting, not gym class," said a voice.
Ryan turned.
It was Ms. Tran, one of the school counselors. She gave him a look that blended concern with curiosity.
"Just juggling some things," he said.
"You always juggle," she replied with a smile. "Just don't forget to breathe."
He offered a polite nod and walked off, his sneakers squeaking faintly against the tile.
---
By lunch, Dylan had already filed the refund for a buyer who claimed their cartridge didn't save properly.
"We tested it twice," Dylan whispered, slapping his tray down across from Ryan. "Still, no fight. We refund, we absorb, we move on."
Ryan was scrolling on his phone, reading an anonymous review left on a secondary gaming blog:
> "Reclaim Digital is overhyped. Same stuff you can get anywhere else. They just package it prettier."
No name. No profile. But it was clear: Jordan's campaign hadn't ended. It had evolved.
"He's trying to burn credibility, not just listings," Ryan muttered.
Dylan leaned in. "Then we double down. I finished the web gallery and our digital catalog. We go wide this week—Pictogram, ClipClap, and our newsletter mockup."
Ryan nodded. "And I'm meeting with Mr. Beckett."
"The old computer lab guy?"
"Yeah. He's sitting on two closets full of 90s hardware. I remembered it from freshman year. If we can get in and help him catalog it, we might secure exclusive inventory."
Dylan grinned. "That's what I like to hear."
---
After school, Ryan stayed behind while Dylan left to meet their seller contact. He found Mr. Beckett alone in the lab, sorting wires into bins.
"Mr. Keller," Beckett said. "You look like a man with questions."
"More like an offer. I remember you mentioned you were organizing the school's old hardware stash. If you let us help, maybe we can identify what's salvageable—and possibly set up an auction or donation project."
Beckett leaned back in his chair. "You boys running something?"
Ryan smiled. "Reclaim Digital. We refurbish and resell vintage tech. Clean, catalog, test. We could get the school some revenue for things you were probably going to recycle."
Beckett raised an eyebrow. "And you're seventeen."
"With a spreadsheet, a heat gun, and a return policy."
The teacher laughed. "Alright. You get access this week. But you document everything. No funny business."
"Deal."
---
That night, Dylan returned with a new batch of game cartridges—and a look on his face that made Ryan pause.
"The guy I met," Dylan said, placing the plastic bag down, "asked me if I knew Jordan."
Ryan stiffened. "What did you say?"
"Just that I knew of him. The seller said Jordan came by last week, offered him double what he was listing for if he didn't sell to us."
Ryan clenched his jaw. "He's trying to freeze our supply chain."
"But here's the good part," Dylan continued. "Seller didn't like his attitude. Told me he'd sell to us out of spite if nothing else."
Ryan exhaled. "Okay. We make a list of everyone Jordan's tried to contact. We turn them into allies."
"How?"
"We let them be part of our brand. Profiles. Interviews. Feature their collections. Give them value beyond the sale."
Dylan grinned. "We make them part of the story."
---
That night, they launched a new series: Reclaim Collectors —a spotlight on individual sellers and their stories. They filmed a one-minute intro clip, added it to the site, and teased it on social.
By midnight, it had 600 views.
Jordan was playing chess.
But Ryan and Dylan had just flipped the board.
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