Should I accept repayment from an old friend, or ask for the adjusted amount with inflation?

Hi Reddit, I have a long and awkward story from my middle school and high school days that recently resurfaced, and I could use some advice. Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions or for clarification on anything—I’m happy to provide more details if needed.

This all started back in 8th grade, during the 2014-2015 school year. There was a girl who had a very obvious crush on me, starting all the way back in elementary school. Everyone seemed to know about it, and while I didn’t feel the same way, I tried to be polite when she talked to me.

Things escalated around Valentine’s Day in 8th grade when my school’s weekly news broadcast asked students to name their “secret Valentine’s Day admirer.” To my horror, she boldly said my name—on camera for everyone to see. I was mortified. My classmates teased me about it for the rest of the day, and even my science teacher brought it up the following Monday in front of the whole class. The laughter and teasing made me feel so embarrassed.

Later that year, around this time in 2016, one of my “friends” dared me to bring her some food at lunch in exchange for $5. I reluctantly did it because of the dare, but it was humiliating. That friend never paid me the $5, and when he finally offered to pay it about a month later, I was so angry about the whole situation that I refused to take it. This incident contributed to me drifting apart from that friend group.

Now it’s 2025—nearly nine years later—and out of the blue, I just received a Facebook message from that same guy. He said: “Hello, it has been brought to my attention I still owe you 5 dollars from high school. I’d like to find a time to give it to you.”

I’m completely thrown off by this. Why is he bringing it up after all this time? It’s such a small amount, but it reminded me of everything I felt back then. Out of curiosity, I calculated how much $5 from 2016 would be worth today using inflation calculators. On average, the adjusted value came out to around $6.61.

Now I’m left wondering: 1. Should I just accept the $5 and move on? 2. Would it be reasonable (or petty) to ask for the inflation-adjusted amount of $6.61? 3. Should I just ignore the message altogether, or is it worth revisiting this awkward chapter of my life?

I genuinely want to know what others think. I don’t want to come across as petty, but this situation has stirred up old frustrations, and I’m not sure what the best course of action is. Please feel free to ask any questions or for clarification on any part of the story—I’ll gladly explain further if it helps!