Zoe's POV
Fashion History was up first, followed by Literature—a double dose of "meh" if you asked most people in the room. One glance around the class and the boredom was practically dripping off everyone. Not shocking. Fashion students only lit up when the topic screamed haute couture or runways, not Shakespeare.
I remembered all the times I used to help Chloe with her literature assignments. She'd peck my forehead dramatically and say, "You are the best!" before flopping onto her bed like a queen. Good times.
Across the room, Ash looked like she was about to pass out. The second the bell rang, she sprang to life and started shoving her books into her bag like her life depended on it.
Meanwhile, Mr. Huffman was still talking. I don't think a single soul in that room wanted to hear it.
"You all should write a literary piece on why you chose Fashion as a major. I want something compelling. Due tomorrow."
Before he even finished, the room was already emptying out like a fire drill. Footsteps echoed through the hall as students made their grand escape.
Ash and Guz were already waiting for me to pack up. And for the first time, my thoughts felt clear. I had an epiphany—I'd found the right people to survive this new world with.
Snap back to reality—we were already at the school canteen.
"What are you getting?" Ashley asked.
"I packed lunch," I replied, pulling out my lunchbox from my backpack.
Ash leaned over and sniffed the air. "Home-packed lunch. Nice!"
I was a bit nervous—did that make me look uncool? Back at my old school, I always packed lunch. I braced myself for a weird reaction, but instead, they both pulled out their own packed lunches.
"Chloe packs her lunch too!" Ash beamed.
"And that, my friend, is how we roll," Guz added with a grin.
Their laughter was infectious. Just as we were about to dig in, I noticed Seth walking over. I waved instinctively.
Ash turned. "Who're you waving at?" Then she saw him.
I watched her face shift. Was Seth... a problem?
He pulled up a stool and sat with us like it was the most natural thing in the world. He unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite. "So, you've got yourself some new friends, huh?" he teased.
I smiled, but it felt wobbly. Ash had suddenly gone quiet. The vibe shifted like someone flipped a switch.
"Hey, Ash," Seth said, cool and effortless.
She froze. And then—she stuttered. Stuttered.
That was new. Ash never struck me as the shy type. Was all that bold energy just a front?
"You… you know my name?" she asked, clearly caught off guard.
"We're literally in the same class," I said, arching a brow at Seth like, Really?
"Whatever," she mumbled, brushing it off like it didn't matter. But the way her face tightened? Yeah, it mattered.
Seth turned to me with that signature easy grin. "So, how's school treating you?"
"Good," I said, trying not to sound too pleased.
"You were killing it today," he added, smile still in place. "I almost didn't recognize you, Chloe. Seriously—nice work."
Cue the butterflies. My insides did a happy flip, but something still didn't sit right.
Ashley, the same girl who'd been nonstop chatter since class ended, was now radio silent. Before lunch, she and Guz had been giving me the full tour of the school's social ecosystem: the cool ones, the weirdos, the not-so-cool, the hopelessly lame, and of course, the geeks.
Brandon was basically the king of the cool kids—idolized, admired, and apparently irresistible. I hadn't heard the full story yet, but I wasn't surprised. He ruled back home too.
Meanwhile, I was tagging along with the unpopular squad. But what they didn't know? I used to be a full-on geek.
The crazy part? They believed we had what it took to become popular—and apparently, I was the secret ingredient. The irony.
They made me feel cool. And I liked it. Walking with them made me feel like I actually belonged. At least we weren't the weirdos.
But now... this vibe? This weird energy? I didn't get it. I'd wanted to impress Seth with my awesome new friends, but now it felt like something was off.
Trying to break the tension, I said, "Guz and Ash have been catching me up on all the school gossip."
Seth smirked. "Oh yeah? And what have you learned so far?"
I waited for Ash to jump in—but nothing. So I picked up where I left off, repeating all the group breakdowns she'd given me earlier.
For some reason, Seth burst out laughing—like, real, honest-to-goodness belly-laughing. And it was contagious. I couldn't help but laugh too. Who knew I could be funny?
"So, what group am I in?" he asked, turning his gaze to Ash as he took a sip of juice.
Ash froze. Her face went blank, eyes locked to the floor. I nudged him and chuckled, "Don't be silly."
Still, I was dying to know what was going on with her.
I leaned closer. "You okay? You've been quiet since Seth showed up."
"I'm fine," she mumbled, stuttering again.
Meanwhile, Guz kept shooting me glances—like he was trying to telepathically send me a message I just wasn't getting. I ignored it, which only made it clearer: something was definitely up.
Seth stood up and tossed his wrapper into a nearby bin. "Catch you guys later."
He waved once more and walked off. Ashley didn't even look up until he turned his back. Then she stared at him like he was walking in slow motion. It was intense.
"Okay. Spill." I kept my tone light but firm. "Why the weird energy? What's going on?"
Guz made a dramatic whisper-shield with his hand and leaned toward me. "Crush alert," he said.
My eyes widened. "Wait—Ash likes Seth?" I blurted out.
Ashley slapped a hand over my mouth. "Shut it. If anyone hears, you're dead."
Wow. What a day.
First day of school and I'd already ticked off every box on the teen drama checklist—new friends, a class speech, an enemy, and now my first crush scandal.
Seth was right. I was on fire.
And nothing beats knowing Ashley's got it bad for him.
Wait… does she even know I practically live with the Rosses?
Yeah, I should probably tell her that.