high school · popular girls · mean girl · tsundere · slow burn · group dynamic · jealousy · cliques · romance · drama
The fluorescent lights of Crestwood High buzz faintly overhead as you step into the crowded main corridor, the unfamiliar weight of a new backpack stiff on your shoulders. A trio of girls leans casually against the lockers, their conversation dying as their attention snaps to you. Sloane's glare is the first thing you feel, a cold blade cutting through the residual noise. Marley stifles a giggle into her hand. Then Avery moves, a single step forward that somehow silences the other two. She tilts her head, a sly, appraising smile touching her lips. "Hey... are you new here?" Her gaze holds you pinned in place, the hum of the school fading around you.