I'm just going to lay it out right here: it's highly, HIGHLY unlikely that Karmy is endgame. I hate Karma as a character for so many reasons, and so there will be some bashing here and there. If you're reading this story in hopes of Karmy, I regret to inform you that it ain't happening. I haven't decided on the endgames for the remaining characters. We'll see how it all plays out, deal?

Karma Ashcroft's life fucking sucked. Seriously.

First, her best friend FUCKED her boyfriend! Well, okay, they weren't together at the time. But she admitted to doing it only to hurt Karma! They both did! Who the fuck DOES that to someone they supposedly care so much about?

Second, her former best friend's stepsister just showed up on her doorstep out of the blue and nailed her right between the eyes! Luckily, her nose wasn't broken, but she was having a bitch of a time trying to cover up her two-semi blackened eyes. She didn't even get her first sentence (full of CONCERN, she might add) before Lauren clocked her. Without a word. And then she just LEFT. She didn't even tell Karma WHY she felt the need to knock the cobwebs out of her head. Karma thought that if she was going to get punched, she ought to at least know why.

Third, her former best friend had disappeared. Amy had just completely vanished and not a soul had any inkling of where she had gone. Hell, the only reason Karma found out was when two police officers showed up at her door while she was nursing her (almost) broken face. At first, she thought it was yet another one of Shane's gloriously illustrated dramatic pranks, but once it became clear it wasn't, Karma started freaking the fuck out. Sure, she hated the blonde, but that didn't mean she wanted her gone!

Well, that's a lie. She had actually literally told Amy to get out of her life forever. And she DID mean it – at the time. But her and Amy had been inseparable for ten years, through Amy losing her father, Karma feeling inferior to Zen, the endless attempts to gain popularity... and now that was just... gone. She had spent so much time being furious at Amy's actions and flaunting her relationship with Liam to piss her off that Karma had failed to notice just how distant Amy had become to everyone else.

But maybe it was good that she was gone. The police said it looked like she was planning to leave; so Amy must be okay, she must know what she's doing. Hell, it was probably another thing she did just to hurt Karma. The thought never would have crossed her mind a year ago, but after fucking Liam, Karma would believe that Amy would do just about anything to hurt her.

Now Karma wouldn't have to worry about seeing her former best friend in the hallways, about how the blonde would look at her with those puppy eyes that burned a fire in her stomach. She wouldn't have to keep explaining to Amy that she was straight. And now she could be with Liam openly and freely.

This could work.

The ENTIRE school seemed to be against her now. And not even her and Liam – just KARMA. Walking through the halls holding Liam's hand seemed to be sacrilegious to the rest of the student body and the constant glares she received were starting to get fucking annoying.

Annoying, that is, until she came face to face with Shane Harvey. Lord, have mercy on her.

Shane smiled at Liam and said hello. The taller of the two returned the greeting. Then he turned to Karma, and smiled widely.

"Hey, She-Devil-who-drove-her-best-friend-out-of-town!"

Karma rolled her eyes. "Knock it off, Shane. You and I both know I didn't have anything to do with Amy leaving. She didn't tell anyone, remember." She made to step around the scrawny teenager, but he stopped her. This time, he had murder in his eyes.

"Fucking EXCUSE ME?" Now people had started to turn and listen in on their conversation. Karma didn't like where this was headed. At. All. "Amy, a very dear friend of mine, up and left Austin because SOMEONE broke her fucking heart. SOMEONE chose a guy she's only known a couple months – no offense buddy," Liam smiled and nodded, "over YEARS of friendship. SOMEONE forced her to pretend to be a lesbian and abandon her quiet, happy existence so SOMEONE could be popular. And if that SOMEONE isn't you, please update me on this information!"

Oh, he did not. This. Means. War.

"Fuck you, Shane. She fucked Liam. She did it to hurt me. She could have said no any time and she didn't." Karma stepped up and got right in Shane's face. Neither of them were about to back down now. "And, in case you don't remember, YOU were the one that outed us at your party, even when we tried to tell you we weren't."

"Bitch, please. Amy could have said no? Like she would have. I have seen enough over these past few months to realize that she cares about you SO MUCH that she'd do damn near anything for you. Including repress years' worth of feelings for you while still having to publicly express them."

Karma began to doubt her position, but she wasn't about to show it to Shane.

"I think you'll also remember it takes two to do the do. And the reason he," Shane pointed at Liam, "and Amy slept together was because you had managed to hurt them both in the worst way. And yet, they still came back for you. Because they love you too much. You built most of your relationships this past year with nothing but lies and yet they're still there for you."

Shane turned around and yelled loudly enough for the entirely hallway to hear.

"And NOW, Amy's gone. And really, you don't care. Don't even bother trying to deny it – if you did, you wouldn't be here. You would either find it impossible to leave your room out of the guilt, or you'd be out there looking everywhere for her. You'd constantly be calling her, texting her, begging her to come back. Haven't you noticed the lack of Ice Queen presence? Lauren supposedly hates Amy, and yet she hasn't been to school since Amy was reported missing. She's been out there day and night tracking down clues, trying to find out where her stepsister is, and you're HERE. Amy's former best friend can't find it in her to even ask if she's okay."

Shane walked back toward her now, but he was still yelling. His eyes were wild with rage, and... watery?

"She's gone because of YOU, Karma Ashcroft. I know it, you know it, the entire school knows it. She left her family, her friends, everything she's ever known because of you. So congratulations! You're so special to her that she couldn't bear to stay for everyone else." He was almost full on crying now. "Amy's gone and no one even knows if she's okay or not. Like you said, she didn't tell anyone. So thank you, Karma, for ripping her out of my life, too. I hope you're proud." Shane gave Karma one last glare, then turned and started shoving people out of the way to get away from her. Out of the corner of her eye, Karma noticed Principal Penelope standing outside the door of her office, looking the same as everyone else: hatred and anger in their eyes. Karma looked up at Liam.

He wasn't there. He was nowhere to be seen.

And as the crowds began to clear as the bell rang, Karma couldn't even bring herself to cry. She felt like she had been punched in the stomach and hit by a train at the same time. She could hardly breathe.

She never thought of the effect Amy's departure would have on everyone else.

Because Shane was right; Amy left because of her.

And she felt horrible, because she knew that somewhere, deep in the pit of her stomach, Karma was glad she was gone. In that moment, she knew she was completely and entirely alone and had no one but herself to blame.

Yeah. Her life fucking sucks.