Chapter 5

"You can't jump from little things to big things. It just takes time and patience."

-Nadia Comaneci

Briarwood-Octavian Prep

Dining Hall, Table 24

Monday, September 2nd

12:15 P.M.

"There seems to be an extra member at our pet's table." Monica Sova noted aloofly as she turned back around to face the last two people at their reserved table. Liam, Cayden, and Hayden often disappeared after eating in favor of golf on the campus course.

Annie craned her neck to get a better view. Her green eyes instantly landed on the amber-eyed girl that had just shot Monica the death glare. "Yeah, she was with them when they arrived too."

"She also sat with them at the assembly." Monica had watched from behind the curtain as Alicia and her group, 'the Pretty Committee', stormed in fashionably late so all eyes would be on them. It was the same trick that they had used the year before, but at least this time it hadn't been when she had been giving her presidential announcements.

"Too bad Alicia and Ethan didn't work out, they both like to pick up strays." Tiffany flipped her naturally straight hair over her shoulder. Monica could tell that she had taken extra care of her normally dull hair to make it look extra shiny and healthy.

But, Tiffany had a point. Her younger brother had a habit of not only bringing home rescue dogs from their local shelter but also any other abandoned or injured animal he could find… birds, snakes, rodents, literally anything. For as long as she could remember he had loathed seeing any creature suffer. She was sure that was why Ethan had taken an interest in Alicia last year…

"I've never seen her though, and it's not like Alicia to bring in a new person," Monica noted. After they had foolishly tried to contest her last year, she had been keeping close tabs on the Pretty Committee. The only other people that sat with them were Olivia Ryan and Layne Abeley.

"That's why I texted Britta this morning," Annie announced. Their friend that had graduated from BOP and was now a freshman at UPenn was the sneakiest and most internet-savvy person she had ever met. She could find anything about anyone. "She has all of the details and said she'd send the info in the group chat when she's done with class."

"The quick info that she gave us was that her name is Massie Block and she's not exactly new." Tiffany's eyes flicked over to the PC's table but quickly moved back as if even looking at them was physically painful.

"What does that mean?"

"She went to OCD, but moved to England halfway through eighth grade."

"So, she's from around here and an OCD-iva." Only the upper school had dorms. To attend OCD or Briarwood you had to live near or commute to campus. But, the girls of OCD had a reputation of being ostentatious, narcissistic spoiled brats, and it was fairly accurate. It was why the public school kids had given them that nickname, and why she had almost been relieved when her parents had announced that she was being sent to Switzerland. "What part of Westchester?"

"The Bedford area."

So, that meant she probably lived on a sprawling estate similar to Monica's parents' North Salem compound.

"She's been best friends with Alicia for a while and if you go back far enough on her Insta, she's in a lot of pictures." Annie slid her phone over to Monica. Sure enough, there were many photos with Alicia and the amber-eyed girl looking like tweens.

"Maybe we should go introduce ourselves," Monica purred. It was delightfully fun to toy around with Alicia. The girl was so scared of her that she was reduced to a puddle of nerves whenever Monica was in the same vicinity. And it would be a great way to intimidate the new girl…

"Lets." Tiffany stood up, practically reading her mind. She never missed an opportunity to flash her claws.

The trio pushed back their wooden seats and sauntered in the direction of table sixteen. The redhead and sporty one spotted them coming, the whites around their eyes growing larger with each step they took. By the time the others turned around to see what was going on, it was too late. Monica was already hovering above their shocked expressions.

"Alicia, you're just the person we wanted to see." Monica flashed a faux-friendly smile as she and her friends took the empty seats.

"I am?" She squeaked.

"Of course," Monica gushed. The thing that seemed to frighten Alicia the most was fake friendliness. "You know about the party at the McKenzies' after the game on Friday, right?"

"Uh, yeah?" Alicia exchanged a confused glance with the blonde. "What about it?"

"Normally underclassmen aren't invited…" Tiffany said to her nails.

"But since you're the sophomore alpha, you and your friends are welcome to come," Monica emphasized so Alicia would understand what she was talking about: their deal. She wasn't proud of it, but it had been a last-ditch effort to stop her little brother from making a huge mistake.

Monica had been in Paris for her custom couture fittings when her friends had informed her that Ethan had hooked up with Alicia at a St. Patrick's Day party. It didn't take a genius to know what Alicia's plan had been. Like many girls before her, she was just using him for his status.

Everyone at BOP knew that the Sova siblings were connected to not one but two Old Dutch families that dated back to New Amsterdam. On their mom's side was the van Coeverden name and their paternal grandmother's maiden name was Riessen. They were amongst other names like Vanderbilt, Roosevelt, van Dyke. That elite bloodline was extremely sought after, especially by OCD-ivas…

Just like Alicia Rivera.

"Really?" Alicia asked with a mix of apprehension and excitement. At least she was smart enough not to fully trust her.

"Of course!" Monica gave her best megawatt smile.

She looked at each of Alicia's friends slowly. The sporty one on the soccer team was Kristen Gregory, the redhead was obviously Dylan Marvil (aka Merri-Lee Marvil's only daughter that didn't make a fool of herself by acting like a total Kardashian wannabe), and the blonde that was never far from Alicia or Cam Fisher was Claire Lyons. When her eyes landed on Massie, the brunette remained calm, not displaying any emotion.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've ever met." Monica pointed to her friends, "This is Annie and Tiffany." Annie offered a small smile while Tiffany gave a threatening smirk. "And I'm Monica."

"Massie Block," She beautifully replicated Monica's fake smile. "The new alpha."

Monica's brows shot up and the Pretty Committee gasped. The new girl was certainly audacious.

Her head snapped in Alicia's direction, silently demanding answers. "You didn't explain to the new girl how things work around here?"

"I-I tried to warn her!" Alicia's eyes widened, pleading for mercy… but Monica enjoyed watching her squirm.

"And I'm nawt new!" The girl's amber eyes blazed. "I'm from here!"

"You might be from here, but you're new to this school." Tiffany crackled. Massie clenched her jaw and fists, opening her mouth to fire something back but Monica beat her to it.

"I'm only going to explain this once," She said calmly but quietly. One valuable thing her mother's cold attitude had taught her earlier in life was that fire was not always the most threatening option. Sometimes, all it took was an icy tone to chill someone to the bone.

"There's a certain hierarchy to this school, it's a delicate system with top predators," Monica pointed to herself and her friends. "And by the natural order of things, there's the prey…" Monica looked Massie up and down so she got the point. "Your friends managed to evolve, I suggest you find a way to do the same."

She stood up and Tiffany and Annie followed suit. A satisfied shiver ran up her spine at the sight of the girl's shock. She turned on her heel to leave but stopped and said over her shoulder, "And Alicia is the sophomore alpha because I said so."

She'd uphold her end of the deal. She'd make sure Alicia was her successor…

As long as Alicia upheld her end of the bargain.

The Blocks' Bentley

Westchester, NY

Guard Hill Rd.

Wednesday, September 4th

7:42 A.M.

Massie flicked the new BOP car pass hanging from the review mirror, annoyed with the burgundy piece of plastic. The sleek black ones that hung from cars in the student parking lots seemed to make it stick out even more when the Blocks' new Bentley SUV drove past the imposing gate. The humiliation was even worse when Massie had to get out at the drop-off area. She couldn't wait until one of those seemingly exclusive black passes hung from a car of her own.

"Turn here, we need to pick someone up," Massie ordered her new driver, Orson. She also couldn't wait to be rid of him. He was nothing like Isaac had been. Isaac had been quiet, but he had at least made polite small talk. Orson was stoic and emotionally unresponsive. He had only been hired a few days ago, but he still hadn't said a word to her.

And until she got her license she was stuck with him.

The Bentley pulled up to a cute yellow house with green shutters. The Lyons had a welcome sign on their door with a little wooden lion, which Massie couldn't help but think was cheesy in a cute way, but it fit close but corny family.

She whipped out her phone and tapped her messages to Claire:

M: Ready? The Bentley is outside

Almost immediately three dots popped up and Massie awaited the response.

C: Dean just picked me up

Massie's hands clenched around her iPhone. She had gotten up extra early to beat the Rivera limo on the carpool route for nothing!

Ever since Monica had confronted the PC in the dining hall, Massie felt like she had lost all control. It was as if her perfect alpha-worthy outfit had been stripped off of her, leaving her exposed. For some reason, Monica had protected Alicia's claim as alpha, and the PC seemed to have chosen another leader while she had been gone.

There was so much that she was just now starting to find out. She had missed out on a lot of events, and like the LBR that hadn't been invited, she had to listen to everyone's stories. Hearing about her friends bonding over their first rager and proceeding hangovers had almost been humiliating. There was still so much information she didn't know. Like how the PC had gone from being declared out, to being invited to upperclassmen parties.

Monica had certainly made her point, underclassmen were not allowed, and yet they were the chosen few… and that Alicia was the chosen one.

Picking and choosing who she wanted at the top of the sophomore class instead of letting nature run its course and naturally proclaim an alpha. Who exactly did she think she was? The Queen of England?

Her phone vibrated in her manicured hands.

C: we just picked up K&D too

Massie resisted throwing her phone out the window as she told Orson to go straight to BOP.

What was up with Alicia and Claire lately? When had they gotten so close? Massie had noticed that the two were always near one another, but it had been worse since Alicia had demanded that they get rid of the guys at lunch on Monday. Both had been acting weird about that too. Massie had thought that Alicia liked Josh again, and it seemed like it when she was flirting with him but then she had snapped out of it and couldn't seem to stand him. After that Alicia seemed distant and out of it, and Claire was the one she leaned on.

"What time should I pick you up?" Orson asked as the Bentley was waved past the gate, opening up to reveal the immaculate grounds of BOP.

Massie was so stunned that he spoke that it took her a second to refocus. "I might be late today, I'll text you when I'm done." He frowned and before he could reply she opened up the door and hopped out, slamming it shut.

"Massie!" A voice called. She turned around, surprised that the PC was sitting at the fountain. How had they gotten there so quick? Had Alicia had the same idea and rushed to pick everyone up before she could?

She stuffed those thoughts down, they were worries for another time. There was still a whole day to get through and a lot of work to be done.

"Hey!" Massie sat down next to Dylan, careful not to sit too far back so the wet edges wouldn't touch her Theory pants. The last thing she needed was to be seen with wetness on her butt looking suspiciously like pee.

Claire gave her a wide-eyed silent apology, and Massie's first instinct was to deliberately ignore it. Normally, she'd ice her friends to let them know she was a little hurt that they had chosen Alicia's carpool over hers, but she had long ago said goodbye to her over-controlling ways.

So, she gave a small toothless smile to let Claire know all was forgiven.

"We're trying to figure out what to wear on Friday," Alicia explained. "The game should end around nine-thirty, and the party starts at ten-thirty. So, we should make our entrance between eleven and eleven-thirty."

For a brief moment, Massie swelled with pride. Alicia was a skilled planner/plotter and oversaw every detail, which had made her the best candidate to take Massie's place.

But now Massie was back, and here she was still trying to lead the PC...

"I might miss part of the game, I have to pick up James from his cousin's house." Massie reminded. He was only in New York for a weekend and it was to see family, but he was also using it as an opportunity to see her. He was also excited to meet her friends and see more than just NYC and his cousin's small suburban town.

"Wait, how are we getting there?" Kristen asked. Obviously, no one's parents or personal drivers (paid by their parents) wouldn't take them to a party. And taking an Uber would be too risky.

"Probably Derrington's older sister again," Dylan mumbled. Ever since Dylan and Derrington's relationship started going back and forth, his older sister, Sammi, had stopped caring for Dylan in the hopes that her brother would move on.

"Our only other option is Harris, and he'll be there early to set up." Claire shrugged.

"Where are we getting ready after the game?" Massie asked. What she wanted to ask was what she would do with James while she was trying to get ready for her first BOP party.

"Claire's," Alicia answered. "She's the closest to Derrington's."

"Actually, the guys will be coming too." Claire rolled her eyes. "Todd invited them over to play Xbox."

"Ugh," Dylan groaned. "Why do they hang out with him?"

Claire gave a beats me shrugbut relief washed over Massie. While she dressed and redid her makeup at least James would have something to do and people to talk to, even if it was Todd Lyons.

"We should go shopping before Friday, I have nothing to wear." Alicia pouted even though Massie knew for a fact that Alicia's closet was just as full as Massie's with new clothes for the semester.

"Let's go to the city!" Dylan pleaded. "There are so many better places there than the Westchester Mall!"

"Ugh, no!" Alicia said as if she had just whiffed fart fumes. "The last time I went shopping on Fifth Ave, I ran into Monica."

"Out of the millions of people, you ran into her?" Massie asked.

"Yeah," Alicia sulked. "Her parents have a townhouse on Sixty-ninth off of Fifth ave, practically right next to Central Park."

No wonder Monica's Insta was filled with shots of NYC, not only of the famous skyline and monuments but also of trendy restaurants and clubs she shouldn't have been old enough to enter. Of course, she had a place for her and her friends to crash when they felt like getting away from the suburbs for the city lights.

"Let's go anyway," Massie said. Now was an opportunity to undermine Alicia without seeming too controlling. "What are the chances you run into her again?"

"Yes!" Dylan cheered now that someone was on her side. "Come awn, Leesh! It's almost fashion week, Monica will be so far up her mom's butt, she won't have a clue that we stepped foot on the Upper East Side."

Alicia bit her lip, debating. "I guess…"

Dylan squeezed Massie and they jumped up and down with anticipation. There was nothing quite like a spending spree in Manhattan. While Bond Street had been a unique experience in its own way, Massie had missed New York.

"Eh-ma-GAWD!" Claire shrieked, causing the group to look around in alarm. When they finally caught sight of what she was looking at, they repeated her.

"It can't be…" Alicia stared with wide eyes.

"It is…" Dylan said as she reached over and lifted Kristen's dropped jaw.

"Landon Crane," Massie whispered.

BOP

The Fountain

Wednesday, September 4th

8:05 A.M.

"Why is he here?" Massie whisper-screeched, her eyes never leaving her old flame. "He's supposed to be at ADD!"

Alicia knew that Landon and Massie's relationship had ended on good terms, but Landon had still harbored feelings after she had told him that she was moving. He had been depressed for weeks, posting all of his feelings on Twitter.

"Looks like he's not a student there anymore…" Kristen pointed to the black backpack with the BOP crest on it. Landon's dark hair blew in the breeze as he shut the door to his Audi. Sure enough, a black student parking pass hung from the mirror.

"Well, that just added like six points to the hotness meter," Dylan added dryly. No one knew how long Massie's long-distance relationship with James would last, but the one thing they did know was that it would more than likely end soon. Massie's biggest issue with Landon had been him being in public school, and now that he wasn't, there was a chance she could end up liking him again.

When Landon spotted a not yet on the market black Tesla Roadster, he waved and Alicia wanted to vomit.

Getting out of the Tesla, was Ethan, looking extra handsome in his Burberry polo. The light of the early morning hit his high cheekbones and chiseled jaw, showing off his gorgeous features. The Tesla (personally delivered by Elon Musk) was glistening as a group of overly contoured freshmen gawked shamelessly at him.

He locked his car and met up with him, not even bothering to look over at her even though she was in plain sight.

He had been ignoring her since she had flirted with Josh at lunch on Monday. Every text had gone unanswered, and he hadn't even so much as glanced in her direction since. She was being completely and utterly ghosted. It had made her stomach tie up in knots and filled her chest with dread. Had she done irreversible damage by flirting with Josh to throw Monica off? She had seen the hurt in his eyes, and it had instantly sent regret and shame burning through her.

"Ethan's the captain of the lacrosse team, right?" Of course, Massie had done her research.

"Yeah," Dylan answered before Alicia could.

"Are they friends or something?" Massie pretended to be looking down at her phone while the guys headed for the main building.

"I don't think so…" She had never heard Ethan mention Landon, and she knew all of his lacrosse friends.

"Maybe they played on the same club team at some point." Kristen offered, and it was entirely plausible.

The pair laughed at something on Landon's phone, but Alicia saw Ethan's blue eyes discreetly land on her for the slightest second. She held her gaze on him, hoping that he would meet it, but he ignored her.

"Who's your friend, Ethan?" A sultry voice called out.

"Ew, not Sophia and Lydia…" Dylan whined, rolling her green eyes at the two girls quickly approaching.

"Who are they?" Massie whispered.

Claire briefly eyed Alicia as if asking if she wanted to explain. She stayed silent, her eyes glued to the scene playing out before her.

"Sophia Tate is the junior alpha," Claire said. "Lydia St. Clair is her best friend."

"Both ah-nnoying times ten." Dylan huffed. She would know since she had been stuck in Spanish class with them freshman year. She couldn't stand the hyperactive pair since. "They're the loudest cheerleaders on the team."

Sophia's wheat blonde hair bounced as she caught up with Ethan and Landon. Even when Ethan was introducing Landon, her entire focus remained on him.

"So," Lydia on the other hand, seemed more than happy to devote all of her attention to Landon. "Where did you go before BOP?"

Sophia's striking green-brown hazel eyes landed on her and a fist gripped Alicia's stomach, squeezing until she thought she would see her breakfast again. Did she know?

They had hated each other from the second Alicia had stepped foot on BOP's campus. Naturally, Sophia had hated Alicia simply for being a freshman. But, as Monica's proclaimed predecessor when Alicia had publically challenged Monica for her Queen Bee position, Sophia had gleefully followed orders to make Alicia's life a living hell. The rumor that Alicia and Josh had a sex tape? Sophia. The photo of Alicia's tennis skirt with a bloodstain? Sophia.

It had only gotten worse when Monica had made her deal with Alicia. Sophia had been replaced by her and made it her mission in life to get revenge. Thankfully, Monica had been true to her word and protected Alicia's claim. Not even Sophia could go against Monica's word.

But had Sophia found out another way to hurt her? It certainly looked that way as she slid her arm through his, grasping onto his arm with her other hand. They looked like a glowing red carpet couple even though Ethan looked slightly uncomfortable.

Claire suddenly jabbed her in the ribs, discreetly flashing her phone.

C: txt him! It can't hurt

After Alicia had tricked the boys into running off to Griffen, Claire had been her shoulder to cry on in her secret time of need. But, what Claire and her innocent advice didn't know was that it could be utterly painful. What if he didn't respond and he was truly done with her?

But she didn't know what else to do. So she took a deep breath, and while Massie was still too stunned by Landon, she sent her message.

A: Meet me in the newsroom. 12:50

She watched as he pulled his iPhone from the pocket of his Ralph Lauren jeans. He looked down at the screen for a moment, his expression was unreadable but she still felt her hopes soar above the clouds.

He shoved it back into his pocket without a second glance, laughing at something Sophia had said, and her hopes came crashing back down to earth.

BOP

Quincy Hall, News Room

Wednesday, September 4th

1:00 P.M.

Alicia glanced down at her phone to check the time once again. She had left lunch early to meet him there, telling her friends that she had bad sushi, which was beginning to feel true the longer she waited.

Alicia hadn't really thought he'd come after never receiving an answer, but had still held onto the slightest sliver of hope and had come anyway.

That hope was gone. Ethan was never late, and he was now ten minutes behind schedule… it was time for her to give up.

Just as she slipped her key back into her bag, the door slowly opened, revealing his gorgeous form.

"I didn't think you were coming." She said quietly.

"I didn't think so either…" He crossed his arms and leaned back against the now shut door, not allowing for them to be even an inch closer.

The gap between them felt like the Grand Canyon and she planted her feet to the ground to resist rushing to him. "So why did you?"

"To get some answers I guess." He bit his lip and she could tell he was debating saying something.

"What is it?"

"He was why you didn't want to be seen with me or actually date me, right?" Ethan ran a flustered hand through his brown hair. "You still have a thing for Hotz."

"Ew, no!" Alicia was repulsed by the image of Josh in her head. Ever since he had borrowed her clothes for Halloween, she could only see him as a masculine version of herself.

"Alicia, I'm not a genius like my sister, but I'm not blind!" His eyes more serious than she had ever seen, the playful blue hues replaced darkness. "You were with him that morning, and you were flirting with him at lunch!"

"What about you?" She couldn't help but snap. "What's up with you and Sophia?"

"She's had a thing for me since we were seven!" Ethan rolled his eyes. From what Alicia knew, it was true. Sophia had been pinning after him for years. "I've never felt anything for her, she's annoying as fuck!"

At least he acknowledged that fact, she thought. Most guys looked past it because they thought she was hot.

"But we're not talking about me," Ethan took a deep flustered breath. "We're talking about you."

"Josh and his friends came up to us, and I talked to him just to be nice that morning," Alicia explained. It had been innocent, until lunch… Her eyes teared up at the memory of seeing him look at her with hurt and betrayal. "The guys sat with us at lunch and I ignored him at first, but then Monica was watching me and I hoped that if she thought I liked him, then she'd back off."

Ethan studied the ground for a second, looking like he was trying to find the right words to say.

"It was a stupid idea, I should've known it would hurt you, and I'm so, so sorry." Alicia's voice cracked and the floodwalls finally broke.

It had only been a few days, but she had missed him terribly. She missed him calling right before bed just to say goodnight, missed their insanely high snap streak and missed the way he looked at her across a room like she was the only girl on earth. Everything felt so effortless with him. Even with Josh, she had never felt so comfortable with a boy. She could talk to him about anything, let her guard down because he made it so easy.

She didn't want to lose him.

He didn't hesitate. His arms wrapped her up and she buried her face in his polo, not caring if any of her makeup rubbed off. He was warm, and that musky scent she adored was more comforting than her Angel perfume.

"I wish I could take it back," but she couldn't, they both knew that. "I made you doubt me."

Ethan was silent, and just when she thought she would have to apologize again, he squeezed her. "I don't doubt you, I doubt this situation."

Alicia pulled back and sighed. She should have known it would lead to this. He wanted a public relationship, and she couldn't give it to him unless she wanted Monica to throw her name in the mud. "We have to."

"I can't do this forever, Alicia." He ran both hands through his hair… not a good sign. "I want to be able to talk to you in front of people, kiss you in front of something other than a camera!" He pointed to the professional camera used to air the morning announcements. It was like a giant mechanical eye that always watched them. "I want to be able to call you my girlfriend."

Her cheeks burned while her mind worked overtime to try and process her emotions and everything he was saying.

"I know you and Monica had a really rough start, but she's my sister and I love her." As much as Alicia despised her, she knew that Monica loved her brother as much as he loved her. They had been extremely close growing up, practically raising each other. Their parents were absent for a lot of their childhood, leaving them to be raised mostly by the nanny. "I don't care if she doesn't approve, but I want to tell her about you."

Alicia bit her lip. How did she explain that she wanted to be with him, but that if she was, his sister would send her back to social Siberia? She couldn't tell him anything about the deal without him thinking that she had used him to gain popularity while at rock bottom… that would be the end of them for sure. "I-I don't know…"

"I know you're still nervous around her," He said. "But I have a plan."

BOP

Main Building

Photography Class

Wednesday, September 4th

1:14 P.M.

"So what happened to the wicked witch of Westchester this morning?" Layne asked right before she bit into a donut courtesy of Mr. Hart. "She seemed more obnoxious than usual in first period."

Claire inwardly groaned at the mention of her draining morning. First, Massie had spotted her ex. Then, Alicia had taken her advice only to receive the cold shoulder from Ethan. Now she had to deal with Layne's annoying dislike for Massie.

"She saw Landon Crane here." Claire didn't see any problems with telling Layne. She would never pull a Massie and use confidential information against someone… unless she was pissed.

"Oh yeah, Chris was stoked when he heard Landon was transferring."

"So he's officially a BOP student?"

"Yup," Layne nodded. "He's hell-bent on making the lacrosse team, already kissing Ethan Sova's ass… I give it a month before he becomes a fuck boy."

Claire had never thought of Ethan Sova as a fuck boy. She had only talked to him a few times, but he had always been kind and polite. But, Claire also knew what Layne meant. Most of the guys on the lax team were disgusting, only caring about their dicks and where they stuck them.

The bell rang and Layne jumped off of her desk to sit in her chair. A few stragglers came in, taking advantage of Mr. Hart's relaxed tardy policy. The lights dimmed and Mr. Hart logged onto his computer at his desk, ready to begin his lecture on shutter speed and lighting.

But just as Claire's fingers relaxed above her keyboard, ready to type her notes at lightning speed, the door burst open, flooding the room with bright fluorescent lighting. A tall figure with broad shoulders stood under the frame.

"Sorry!" One of the McKenzie twins said. Like most people, she couldn't tell them apart.

He held the door open and quickly shut it behind a smaller, more feminine figure. It took her eyes a second to adjust to see who it was.

"Welcome to the class, Cayden and Monica." Mr. Hart said, excited to have more students in the small class. Like her, he had taken Cam's departure hard. "There are some open seats over there."

Claire audibly gulped when she saw that he was pointing at the open desks across from her and Layne. What were they doing in this class? Didn't they have some crazy high-level class to take to impress colleges?

She quickly sent an SOS in the PC group chat.

"Hey," Cayden greeted politely with a small as he sat down.

"Hey…" Claire and Layne said, glancing at each other. She knew that Layne was just as unnerved as she was because she looked like she wanted to run as far away as possible.

Layne had ruffled Monica's feathers freshman year by protesting homecoming. She and her friends, Heather and Meena, had claimed it was just a popularity contest and the opposite of gender-neutral. They had even passed around a petition for the school to change the tradition of crowning a king and a queen. In the end, Monica made a truce with Layne. Homecoming would still happen, and awards would still be given out for the best costumes. Homecoming had officially been combined with Halloween.

To her surprise, Monica flashed her a friendly smile- a real one, not one of the fake ones she gave to Alicia. "Hey, Claire."

Sorry I'm late with this chapter but I had some stuff going on with school.

I know this chapter was a little slow, but things really start to take off after this.