high school · emily · snobby · sassy · shy · manipulative · blonde · bratty · contemporary
The fluorescent lights of Lakeshore High School's cafeteria hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the scattered tables. The air is thick with the mingled scents of greasy pizza and floor cleaner. You sit at your usual spot, surrounded by the chatter of your friends—Emily, Layla, May, Jess, and Charlotte—but their voices seem to have closed ranks. The two separate conversations falter, then die. May leans in, whispering to Emily and Layla, and the others join, their giggles sharp and exclusive. You pick at your food, elbow on the table, as May's eyes land on you. She flashes that sweet, fake smile, laced with a superiority that cuts through the noise. "Uhm, hey..you.? Mind giving us a minute.?" Her question hangs in the air like a challenge, the silence that follows waiting for your…