Monday morning at East Highland High School was a gauntlet for Cassie Howard. From the moment she stepped out of her car, the familiar din of gossip seemed louder, the laughter sharper, and the stares more pointed. As Cassie walked through the parking lot, clutching her backpack like a shield, she could hear the whispers.
"That's her. The Target Karen."
"Did you see the video? She went off on Ashley Tisdale."
"Honestly, iconic—but like, in a bad way."
Cassie clenched her teeth, her face flushing. She made a beeline for the front doors, ignoring the giggles and not-so-subtle finger-pointing.
In the hallway, things weren't much better. Groups of students huddled around their phones, replaying the now-infamous Karen video. Cassie's name echoed through the air, paired with laughter and exaggerated imitations of her outburst.
"'This is my Being Frenshe event!'" one girl mimicked, flipping her hair dramatically as her friends doubled over in laughter.
Cassie glared at them but kept walking, her heart pounding in her chest. When she reached her locker, she slammed it open with more force than necessary.
"Rough morning?" Lexi asked, appearing beside her with a calm smirk.
Cassie shot her a glare. "Don't start."
"I'm just saying," Lexi said, leaning against the locker. "Maybe you should've thought about the whole 'screaming at a celebrity in Target' thing before you did it."
Cassie groaned, shoving her books into her bag. "Can you please be useful and tell me how to make this all go away?"
Lexi shrugged. "Short of a time machine? You're out of luck."
Cassie groaned again, slamming her locker shut. "You're the worst."
Lexi grinned. "You're welcome."
By the time Cassie made it to AP Chemistry, she was already exhausted. She slid into her seat, keeping her head down, hoping to avoid any more attention. But Mrs. Athena Grant-Nash, her perpetually stern teacher, wasn't about to let her off the hook.
"Miss Howard," Mrs. Grant-Nash said, her voice sharp as a scalpel. "I assume you've completed the lab assignment I assigned last week?"
Cassie fumbled with her notebook. "Uh, yeah. It's right here."
Mrs. Grant-Nash raised an eyebrow, taking the paper from Cassie and scanning it quickly. Her expression turned into a scowl. "This is incomplete."
Cassie's heart sank. "I—I can finish it. I just—"
"I don't want excuses, Miss Howard," Mrs. Grant-Nash interrupted, slamming the paper onto Cassie's desk. "Maybe if you spent less time causing public spectacles in Target and more time focusing on your studies, you'd actually succeed in this class."
The room went silent. Cassie's face turned crimson as the other students exchanged wide-eyed looks, some of them stifling laughter.
"Mrs. Grant-Nash," Cassie started, her voice trembling. "That's not—"
"Don't waste my time," Mrs. Grant-Nash snapped, turning back to the whiteboard. "This is a classroom, not a circus."
Cassie sank lower in her seat, wishing the floor would swallow her whole.
As if the day couldn't get worse, the intercom crackled to life during the middle of third period. The school secretary's monotone voice came first, but then, unexpectedly, it switched to someone else.
"Good morning, East Highland High!"
Cassie froze. She knew that voice. Everyone knew that voice.
It was Maddy Perez.
"Just a quick announcement," Maddy continued, her tone dripping with mock sweetness. "I want to give a big shoutout to our very own Cassie Howard for her… unforgettable performance at Target this weekend."
The classroom erupted into laughter as Cassie's head shot up, her face a mix of horror and rage.
"Cassie, girl," Maddy went on, her voice laced with faux sincerity. "You really showed us what it means to be dedicated. Dedicated to chaos, that is. Honestly, iconic. Anyway, keep doing you, babe. The Internet thanks you."
The intercom clicked off, leaving the classroom in hysterics. Cassie's fists clenched as she glared at the speaker, as if sheer force of will could make Maddy pay.
"Miss Howard," Mrs. Grant-Nash said dryly, not even looking up from her desk. "You're officially excused if you need a moment to collect yourself."
The students burst into laughter again as Cassie stood abruptly, grabbing her bag and storming out of the classroom.
In the hallway, Cassie paced furiously, her thoughts a whirlwind of anger and humiliation. How could Maddy do this to her? Why did everyone always take her side?
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to find a new notification:
Maddy Perez tagged you in a post.
Cassie opened the post with trembling hands. It was a meme, featuring a freeze-frame of her mid-yell at Ashley Tisdale. The caption read: "When you think you're the main character but you're really the Karen."
The comments were even worse:
QueenBeeMaddy: "All love, babe. "
DramaLlama: "This is GOLD. Cassie, never change."
TargetFan69: "Ashley Tisdale deserved better. "
Cassie's vision blurred with rage. She was going to get Maddy back if it was the last thing she did.
But for now, all she could do was scream into the void of the janitor's closet she'd hidden herself in.
Because when it came to Cassie Howard versus Maddy Perez, it was clear: Maddy was winning.
