Millionaires for the Month

by Stacy McAnulty

  “Okay, boss,” Reggie said. “But I still think you should shower first.”

  “Thanks for the advice,” Benji said. “But when you have money, it doesn’t matter if you smell. They’ll just call us stinking rich.”

  Reggie took them to a sporting-goods store. Benji grabbed a cart and led them to the sneaker section. Rows of shoes lined the shelves, and a painted track on the floor circled the entire department.

  “I want to see these, and these, and these, and these.” Benji grabbed an armful of shoes and handed them to a guy with a name tag that read MIKE. “Size ten.”

  “Same for me, but in size six.” Felix pulled Freebie away from a display of socks, but not before the dog snagged a pair in his mouth.

  Mike returned with five boxes for Benji and only one for Felix. “Sorry, not all of them come that small.”

  “It’s fine.” Felix slowly opened the lid of his Nike Air Flight 89s and lifted the white-and-red high-tops out of the box like they were eggs. He ran a finger over the swoosh, fiddled with the laces, and then finally put one on. Fireworks practically shot out of his ears. It reminded Benji of the scene in Cinderella when Prince Charming put the glass slipper on her foot.

  “They’re perfect,” Felix said.

  Benji didn’t bother trying his on and just dumped them in the cart.

  “What else do we need?” he asked.

  “I’d recommend foot powder and strong deodorant,” Reggie said.

  Benji ignored the suggestion and drove the cart like a scooter, going full-speed down the aisles. He hopped off at the Under Armour shirts.

  “White or black?” he asked Felix.

  “Um…black.”

  “Aaaint!” Benji made a buzzer sound. “That was a trick question. You want both.” Benji tossed the shirts to Felix. Then he moved from rack to rack, grabbing any extra-small items for Felix and larges for himself: hoodies, sweatpants, tanks, T-shirts in every style and every color.

  A few employees crept around, watching their shopping spree. Benji gave Mike a cheesy smile when he caught him snapping pictures.

  “Take this.” He rolled the cart to Felix. “I’ll get another.” Benji ran to the front. When he returned, Freebie had a half-deflated soccer ball in his mouth.

  “Jersey time,” Benji said. “What do you want?”

  “All of them!” Felix was finally getting it.

  In less than an hour, they’d filled three carts with gear, clothes, and shoes. The total came to $15,579.69.

  “Nice work, buddy.” Benji gave Felix a high five.

  “This is the first time I’ve ever liked shopping.” Felix smiled.

  They pushed the carts to the Volkswagen. Reggie’s trunk wasn’t big enough for their haul, and they had to put some of the bags into the backseat.

  “I think we’re done for the day,” Reggie said, trying to close the trunk.

  “Nah.” Benji smiled. “I think we just need a bigger car.”

  Felix

  It had taken twenty-four hours for Capital District Luxury Auto Rental to get the cars Felix and Benji wanted. In stock, they mostly had four-door sedans made by Lexus, BMW, or Mercedes. That wasn’t going to cut it. And while Benji had clearly said they needed a bigger car, three of the four vehicles they rented were smaller than Reggie’s Volkswagen.

  “How am I supposed to drive four cars back to the hotel?” Reggie asked.

  “I’ll drive the Bugatti,” Benji said.

  “Sir.” The serious salesman looked at Reggie. “Please do not let the children drive the vehicles.”

  “I’m not their guardian, but, ya know, I’ll encourage them to follow the law.” Reggie gave the salesman a big goofy grin and turned to Benji and Felix. “No driving. Don’t do drugs. And you can’t run for president until you’re thirty-five.”

  Benji saluted. “Yes, sir.”

  “And the dog cannot—”

  “Whoa!” Felix cut off the salesman. “He’s gotta be over sixteen in dog years. He’s totally getting his license and driving the Lamborghini.”

  The salesman did not laugh, but he did smile when Felix and Benji gladly paid for the extra insurance. A lot of it! They rented a black Porsche Taycan Turbo for only $549 per day plus insurance. The school-bus-yellow Lamborghini Urus cost $1,699 per day plus insurance. The silver-and-black Bugatti Veyron was the most expensive at $20,000 per day, plus a $100,000 security deposit, plus a $60,000 delivery fee (the dealer had brought it in from Miami), plus insurance.

  But Felix’s favorite vehicle was the cheapest—a fully loaded silver Range Rover. It had a huge moon roof, heated and massaging seats, and plenty of room for Freebie, and it cost a mere $350 per day, plus insurance.

  “You sure you need four cars?” Reggie asked as they sat in the office, waiting for Mr. Trulz to handle the finance part.

  “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.”

  “I know I shouldn’t ask, but what are you talking about?” Benji said.

  “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.

  “Cool motto. We should put it on a bumper sticker.” Benji held his hands in front of him like he was imagining the final product.

  Felix knew being called a hedonist wasn’t a compliment. When the game was over, he promised himself to be the opposite of a hedonist. Whatever that might be.

  The salesman returned with four sets of keys. “Which one is the winner? Which are you driving home?”

  “The Bugatti!” Benji yelled.

  “It only has two seats,” Reggie reminded him.

  For a minute, Felix thought Benji might suggest leaving Felix at the car dealership so he could ride in the Bugatti. He didn’t. And together, they chose the Range Rover.

  “We’ll have the other vehicles and your Volkswagen delivered,” the salesman said, and with the paperwork and payment taken care of, they left.

  “Where to?” Reggie asked.

  Benji turned in the front seat. “Felix, can we make a stop on the way to the hotel?”

  “Um…sure.” Felix wasn’t used to Benji asking for his permission. This was new and a little worrisome.

  “And do you mind if I invite someone else to go with us to Disney this weekend?” Another question. Maybe Benji was asking because he didn’t know what to do for a change.

  “I don’t care. Who?” The guest list already included Felix’s mom, Georgie and Michelle, Benji’s parents, and of course, Reggie.

  “Alma Miranda,” Benji mumbled, and then turned up the car radio as if to end the conversation. But this didn’t work because the Range Rover had a volume control in the back, too.

  “Alma? Really? Do you like her?”

  “Never mind.” Benji blared the radio again, and Felix noticed the back of his neck turning red.

  Felix turned off the music. “Yeah, let’s invite her. You want to do it in person? Do you know where she lives?”

  Benji mumbled a street address to Reggie and didn’t say another word for the ten-minute drive. Felix enjoyed watching Benji fidget and look uncomfortable. Then he felt a little guilty for enjoying it.

  When they pulled up to the house, Benji still didn’t move or speak. Reggie glanced back at Felix. They both shrugged and tried not to laugh.

  “Benji? Are you going to ask her?” Felix finally broke the silence. He couldn’t sit here all night. He’d told his mom he’d be back by six.

  “Can I borrow Freebie?” Benji flipped down the visor and checked his hair in the mirror. “Girls like do
gs.”

  “Sure.” Felix handed over the leash, but Benji still didn’t move. “Want me to go in with you?”

  “Yes!” And with that, Benji threw open the door and stepped out. Freebie hopped over the seat to follow.

  “Be right back,” Felix said to Reggie.

  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.

  A second later, the wooden door opened, and Alma and an older girl stood behind the screen door.

  “What are you doing here?” Alma asked.

  “Do you know them?” The older girl had shoulder-length dark hair, huge brown eyes circled in black, and fire-truck-red lips that were hard to look away from.

  “Yeah. That’s Benji, and that’s Felix. We go to school together, and they’re the kids—”

  “—who won the five million dollars.” The girl pushed open the screen door. “Hi, I’m Ava. Alma’s big sister. You guys want to come in?”

  “Sure,” Felix answered. He grabbed the center of Freebie’s leash and pulled both the dog and Benji inside.

  The house was neat and small and smelled like cinnamon. Ava led them to the kitchen and offered them still-warm cookies. Felix sat at the table, which was covered in homemade drama club posters.

  “So, what’s it like to be a tween millionaire?” Ava hopped onto the counter.

  “It’s good,” Benji said. “Super cool. Really awesome.”

  “Impressive communication skills. You should write poetry.” Ava laughed.

  Alma sat cross-legged on the floor and patted her thigh to get Freebie’s attention. The dog jumped into her lap. Alma smiled, though Freebie almost knocked her over.

  “What about you, Felix?” Ava asked.

  “It doesn’t seem real yet,” Felix said. “I keep imagining it’s all going to go away.”

  “Well, it’s not going to last forever if you keep buying pizza and doughnuts every day,” Alma said, rubbing Freebie’s belly.

  “The food doesn’t cost that much.” Benji stood awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen. “And some kids like pizza. I like pizza. Pizza’s good. Yummy.”

  They all stared at Benji.

  “And why are you here?” Alma asked again.

  “We’re…um…” Benji struggled to speak, and Felix motioned for him to continue. “We’re inviting some friends to go to Disney World with us?”

  “Seriously?” Ava asked.

  “We’re going tomorrow,” Benji continued. “Just for the weekend.”

  “I’ll go,” Ava said, raising her hand. “Take me. I’ll be your friend. Your best friend.”

  “How are you getting there?” Alma asked.

  “Private jet, of course,” Benji said with a strange, almost British accent.

  “That’s got to be ridiculously expensive.” Alma nudged Freebie off her lap and stood up.

  “It’s not a problem for us.” Benji smiled. “We’re millionaires. We can do what we want.”

  Felix ran a finger against his throat, trying to give Benji the quit-it sign. He was saying all the wrong things and didn’t seem to realize it.

  “If you can do anything you want, shouldn’t you do something good? Do something big and important with your money?” Alma asked.

  “We’ve rented a Bugatti,” Benji said suddenly. “It’s being delivered to the hotel.”

  Felix groaned to himself. This was not what Alma meant by big and important.

  “What’s a Bugatti?” Alma asked.

  “An outrageously expensive car,” her sister answered. “Maybe the most expensive in the world.”

  “Why would you do that?” Alma asked.

  “It’s a cool car?” Benji answered, but it came out like a question.

  “Why do you need a cool car? You can’t even drive.”

  “We have a driver.”

  “How much does a Bugatti cost?” Alma pulled her lips into a tight line.

  Benji shrugged. “Don’t remember.”

  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.”

  “Um…we’re only renting it.”

  “How much?”

  “About twenty thousand.” Felix didn’t mention that was the cost per day, not the total bill, and didn’t include insurance and security deposits.

  Ava swore.

  Benji opened his mouth wide in mocking surprise. “That can’t be right.”

  “That’s a huge waste of money,” Alma said.

  “What would you do with the money?” Benji asked. “Adopt orphans? Plant a forest?”

  Alma narrowed her eyes at Benji. “Maybe. I’d have to think about it.”

  “You don’t understand what it’s like,” Benji said.

  “To be a millionaire? You’re right. I don’t.”

  “It’s complicated. You’re not in our shoes.”

  “Exactly. And how much did those cost?” She pointed at his Nikes.

  “This is getting awkward.” Ava stood up. “I’ll be in my room. But just to be clear, I’m down with Disney if that’s still an option.”

  “We’re not going to Disney with them, Ava.”

  Benji’s face turned pink, and his eyes looked watery. “Alma Miranda, you’re very judgey. You hardly know me, and everything I do is wrong.” Then he left.

  “I’m not judgey,” Alma said to Felix, who was the only one still in the kitchen.

  “You’re not that judgey,” Felix said, trying to make her feel better.

  “Gee, thanks.”

  “You can’t understand what it’s like for us. For Benji. Or for me.”

  “Don’t ask me to feel sorry for a couple of millionaires.” She crossed her arms and slumped against the wall.

  “No. I don’t think anyone will ever feel sorry for us. But it’s complicated.” There was no way to explain. Benji and Felix looked like selfish jerks to everyone. And there was nothing they could do to change that until after December 1.

  Benji

  Benji looked around the private plane and smiled. He’d made this happen, with the help of a travel agent named Betsy. He’d told her to spare no expense. A phrase he’d learned from movies—well, a movie, Jurassic Park.

  The plane was gorgeous—white leather, polished wood, and shiny metal. Benji had never been on Air Force One, but he imagined this was just as awesome. And the only way this mini-vacation could have been better was if Alma had been here. Or, she could have at least been nicer when Benji offered her a free trip.

  “You okay?” Felix asked. He sat on the far side of the couch from Benji. Freebie lay between them. The dog seemed to consider himself human.

  “I’m great! We’re going to Disney!” Benji said, a bit too excitedly. “I still can’t believe you’ve never been. I’ve gone like a dozen times.”

  “Plenty of people have never been to Disney World. It’s over seven hundred miles away and expensive.”

  Benji’s parents and Ms. Rannells sat around the table in the back, drinking cups of coffee. Benji couldn’t hear their conversation over the hum of the engines, but they smiled and nodded, so he imagined they were talking about the weather and not money. His dad didn’t smile when talking about money.

  “Anyone want to play Uno?” Reggie asked.

  “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.

  Benji, Fel
ix, and Reggie played Uno until the plane touched down in Florida at 10:00 a.m. Waiting at the airport were two black SUVs with Disney logos, and thirty minutes later, they pulled up in front of the Magic Kingdom.

  A guide in a plaid vest promised them the most magical day of their lives. Benji had booked VIP packages, which allowed them to skip lines and do everything in a single weekend. Another employee collected Freebie for a day at the doggy spa.

  “Where would you like to begin?” the guide asked.

  “We’d like to go on the Dumbo ride. It’s iconic. And the teacups. And to meet Mickey, of course,” Georgie said. “But we can do that on our own. We can meet you later.” She held Michelle’s hand, and they swung their arms back and forth like little kids.

  “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.

  “What do you want to do?” Felix asked him.

  “Anything,” Benji said. “Everything.” He’d just been to Disney over spring break last year. He’d ridden Dumbo, Splash Mountain, and every other ride in the park.

  The guides led them to Dumbo, where they jumped ahead in line. Georgie and Michelle rode together. Benji’s parents climbed into an elephant—his mom insisted they ride together, as if it was romantic. Ms. Rannells told Felix to go with his friend and she’d sit with Reggie.

  “Okay,” Felix said quickly, and ran to an empty elephant.

  For a second, Benji felt like he should be embarrassed and should refuse to ride Dumbo, especially with someone else who was twelve. This was a three-year-old’s ride. But no one knew him here—except the people he’d brought—and he hadn’t flown three hours to watch other people have fun. He crawled in next to a smiling Felix.

  This is cool as long as no one takes pictures.

  Then Georgie twisted in her seat and snapped a picture on her phone.

  “You guys are so cute,” she said. “You’re just missing a set of ears.”