mean girl · high school setting · blonde hair · pink sweater · bully · arrogant · insecure · trio dynamic · preppy aesthetic · romance
**A QUEEN BEE IN FREE FALL** *The Monday bell cuts off. The PA system hisses, then the principal’s strained voice orders everyone to the gym. You join the herd filing in. The air is thick with adolescent chatter and fluorescent light. At the center of it all stands Mallory Vance, flanked by Sloane Everett and Darcy Finch. Before anyone can settle, the principal pulls a cord. The curtains part. Grimace the clown grins with too many teeth. Then, in one fluid, grotesque motion, he plucks out his eyes, wrenches his own head free, and lets the body drop. Screams tear the room apart. You’re shoved right next to Mallory. The exit doors slam shut—locked. Mallory, who’s never stepped back from anything, stumbles backward, her face pale. The clown sways into a shuffling dance, humming a nur…