After a long day of classes, Veronica Lodge and Kiara Carrera made their way back to their dorm in McNutt Hall. The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting an orange glow over the Indiana University campus. Both girls were ready to collapse into their beds and unwind, but as they opened the door to their room, they were greeted with an icy atmosphere.

Sarah Cameron, their other roommate, was sitting at her desk, her back stiff, and her body language screamed irritation. She glanced up at Veronica, her expression hardening as if she'd been expecting them.

"Great," Sarah muttered, not even attempting to hide her annoyance. "Just what I needed."

Veronica raised an eyebrow, exchanging a confused look with Kiara before stepping into the room. "Good to see you too, Sarah. Is there something on your mind?"

Sarah shot a glare at Veronica, crossing her arms. "Yeah, you. Ever since you moved in, this place feels different. You think you can just waltz in here with your heels, your attitude, and your I'm-better-than-everyone vibe? It's suffocating."

Veronica blinked, momentarily stunned by the sudden hostility. "I'm sorry, what? I haven't done anything to you."

Kiara stepped between them, her hands raised defensively. "Whoa, Sarah, chill. What's this all about?"

Sarah stood up, her annoyance radiating off of her. "I don't need to explain myself. She's not my friend. I didn't ask for her to be my roommate, and frankly, I don't like her."

Veronica narrowed her eyes, her posture shifting into one of calm defiance. "You don't even know me. If you have a problem, just say it. I don't have time for childish games."

"Oh, I have a problem, alright," Sarah snapped, taking a step forward. "And it's you. So maybe we should settle this."

Kiara's eyes widened in alarm, and she quickly moved to place herself between Sarah and Veronica, who was now standing with her arms crossed, completely unbothered.

"Sarah, seriously, this isn't the way to handle this," Kiara said, trying to diffuse the tension. "You don't need to fight her. Just talk to me. What's going on?"

Sarah paused, glancing at Kiara, her expression still cold but softening slightly. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "You wouldn't get it, Kie. You've been my best friend for years, and now you're roommates with her," she spat, gesturing toward Veronica. "And I'm supposed to act like everything's fine?"

Kiara sighed, looking genuinely confused. "Sarah, Veronica's our roommate. This is her space too, just like it's yours. I don't get why you're being so hostile."

Sarah's jaw clenched, her eyes locked on Veronica. "Because I don't trust her. She's sneaky, and I know her type. Girls like her don't just walk into people's lives without an agenda."

Veronica couldn't help but laugh, a sharp, humorless sound. "You really think I'm here with some master plan to ruin your life? Newsflash, Sarah—I'm here for college, not to be part of some high school-level drama."

Sarah's lips twisted into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Good. Then we're on the same page. I don't want to be your friend, Veronica. In fact, I'm excited to have an enemy. It'll make things interesting."

Kiara groaned, rubbing her temples. "Oh my god, this is ridiculous. Sarah, you don't need to turn Veronica into your enemy. Can we just live together in peace? Please?"

Sarah didn't respond, instead giving Veronica one last challenging look before turning back to her desk. "Whatever. You two can play nice, but don't expect me to."

Veronica watched her for a moment, then turned to Kiara with a sigh. "Well, that was dramatic."

Kiara shot Sarah a glance before pulling Veronica aside, her voice low. "Look, Sarah's… complicated. She likes stirring things up sometimes, especially when she feels threatened. But trust me, the more you engage with her, the worse it'll get. Just ignore her, okay?"

Veronica smirked, her confidence returning. "Oh, don't worry. I'm not losing any sleep over her. She can be as dramatic as she wants. I have better things to focus on."

"Good," Kiara said with a relieved smile. "Now, how about we get out of here before things escalate? Let's head to the Indiana Memorial Union and get some studying done. I heard Gabriel might be there."

Veronica perked up at the mention of Gabriel. "Now you're speaking my language. Let's go."


The Indiana Memorial Union, affectionately known as the IMU, was buzzing with activity as students gathered to study, grab coffee, or just hang out between classes. The massive building was a popular spot on campus, and Kiara was hoping to bump into Gabriel, her crush who lived in their dorm.

As they walked inside, Veronica scanned the room, her eyes landing on Gabriel almost immediately. He was sitting at one of the tables near the windows, casually flipping through a textbook. Sitting across from him was someone Veronica didn't recognize—another guy, with short blonde hair and a preppy look about him.

"Found him," Veronica whispered, nodding in Gabriel's direction. "And it looks like he's got company."

Kiara's heart skipped a beat as she spotted Gabriel. "Oh my god, that's him. And that's… Topper. He's from the Outer Banks too."

"Topper?" Veronica repeated, giving the blonde guy a once-over. "He looks like he stepped out of a Vineyard Vines catalog."

Kiara chuckled. "Yeah, that's Topper. He's always been kind of preppy, but he's alright—sometimes."

As they approached the table, Gabriel noticed them and smiled warmly. "Hey, Kiara! Veronica! What's up?"

Kiara beamed, her nerves melting away. "Hey, Gabriel. We were just heading in to get some studying done. Mind if we join you?"

"Of course," Gabriel said, gesturing to the empty seats. "This is my buddy, Topper. He just transferred here."

Topper looked up and gave a polite nod, his blue eyes scanning Kiara and Veronica. "Hey, nice to meet you both."

Veronica took a seat, leaning forward with a small, polite smile. "Veronica Lodge. Pleasure to meet you, Topper."

Kiara sat next to Gabriel, feeling a bit more relaxed now that she was near him. "So, you guys know each other from the Outer Banks?"

Gabriel nodded. "Yeah, Topper and I grew up together. He just decided to come to IU this semester. We were just catching up."

Topper chuckled. "Yeah, figured it was time for a change of scenery. Bloomington's definitely different from the coast, but it's got its own vibe."

Veronica eyed him thoughtfully. "So, you're liking it here so far?"

Topper shrugged. "It's not bad. The people are… interesting. But I guess that's what makes it fun, right?"

Kiara grinned, feeling more comfortable as the conversation flowed. "Yeah, IU has its moments. Plus, the IMU is a great place to chill and study. We're here all the time."

Gabriel nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's a nice spot. So, how were your classes today?"

Veronica rolled her eyes playfully. "I survived. That's all that matters. Reggie Mantle's in one of my classes, which is a whole other level of distraction, but other than that, no major disasters."

Gabriel laughed. "Reggie? Oh man, that guy's a trip. I'm sure he'll keep things interesting."

Kiara chimed in, smiling. "And I had marine biology, which was awesome. I'm really excited about this semester."

As they continued chatting, Veronica couldn't help but notice how Topper was quietly observing everything, not saying much but clearly taking in the dynamics between everyone. She made a mental note to keep an eye on him—there was something about him that felt… calculated.

Eventually, the conversation shifted to studying, and they all pulled out their notebooks and laptops. But even as they worked, there was an underlying tension that Veronica couldn't quite shake. Between Sarah's bizarre declaration of war earlier and Topper's quiet presence, it felt like the day was far from over in terms of drama.

As the study session went on, Kiara and Gabriel bantered back and forth, and Veronica found herself zoning out, wondering what kind of trouble Sarah would stir up next. Whatever happened, one thing was for sure—college life at IU was anything but boring.