Miss nobody strikes back

who are they?

Chapter seventeen.

After that crazy encounter with Mr. Perfect, I raced to the cafeteria because Jenny would be waiting for me. As I walked into the busy cafeteria, I could feel eyes on me. Students who saw me were whispering, clearly surprised by the new version of me. The chatter echoed around the room, and I could hear snippets of their conversations—something about how different I looked.

I spotted Jenny at our usual spot and quickly made my way over to her. "Look who's popular. Everyone's talking about Hanna's transformation," Jenny teased, her eyes twinkling as she spoke.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "It's no big deal."

"No, like really," she insisted. "People are now debating who’s the better-looking twin—between you and Claire." Jenny showed me her phone, and sure enough, there were posts on social media about us. Seriously, don’t these students have anything better to do?

“Well, I didn’t get this new look to outshine Claire. I did it for my personal health,” I said, trying to downplay the situation.

Jenny smirked. “Well, they don’t know that. They probably think you’re trying to compete with her.”

I sighed, brushing it off. “Let’s leave that. It’s lunchtime, and I’m starving.”

Just then, we heard a commotion. Shane walked into the cafeteria, hand in hand with Claire. She looked different—definitely wearing more makeup than usual, and her uniform seemed tighter and shorter. She catwalked to the popular kids’ table, her posse trailing behind like obedient puppies.

The room fell silent, all eyes on them. “Why is everyone so quiet?” I whispered to Jenny.

“Shh, look,” she whispered, pointing toward the door just as it swung open. Two elegant-looking guys walked in.

The first one had blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and a well-built physique. He was undeniably handsome, his soft features and easy smile adding to his charm. The second guy, though—holy crap—it was the same guy I bumped into earlier. So, I hadn’t been dreaming.

The cafeteria was suddenly alive with excitement. Girls were practically tripping over themselves, some accidentally spilling drinks and others frantically taking pictures. The guy with the blonde hair was posing for the attention, but the dark-haired guy was completely different—cold, stiff.

As they walked past our table, I felt his eyes on me. My breath hitched, and I couldn’t look away. His gaze was intense, locking me in place. Why was he staring at me? And why couldn’t I move?

Thankfully, he broke eye contact and continued walking. “Oh my God, did Dominic just stare at you?” Jenny asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“What? No. No way. Why would he stare at me? There are plenty of prettier girls for him to look at,” I said quickly, trying to dismiss it, but my heart was racing.

“Mmm, getting defensive, are we? So, he did stare at you. You know Dominic doesn’t just stare at girls. It’s not his style,” Jenny said, raising her eyebrows knowingly.

“Who are they?” I asked, feeling my curiosity grow.

Jenny gave me a puzzled look. “Seriously? You don’t know?”

I shook my head. “Nope.”

Jenny sighed dramatically. “Alright, that’s Dominic D—Dominic Donovan. His father owns multi-billion-dollar companies, and his mother has a multi-million-dollar brand. He’s literally the richest guy in Lincoln High. Oh, and he’s very, very handsome. But also very, very cold.”

“Cold? What do you mean?” I asked, intrigued.

“He’s stoic. Like, he barely shows any emotions. Doesn’t smile, doesn’t laugh, and worst of all—he doesn’t like being around girls. Not even a little bit. He’s rejected every proposal he’s ever gotten. And he’s super smart too,” Jenny explained.

If he was that smart, I probably would’ve noticed him sooner. “I’ve never seen him in any of my classes,” I muttered.

“Girl, that’s because you’ve got your head buried in books all the time. He’s so smart that he sleeps through all his classes and still aces his exams,” Jenny said, shaking her head.

“Wow,” I whispered, glancing over at Dominic and his friend, who were sitting quietly at their table. The blonde guy was chatting away, but Dominic barely responded.

“If he’s so distant from everyone, how did he and…” I paused, realizing I hadn’t caught the blonde guy’s name.

“Kai. You’re wondering how Dominic and Kai became friends, right?” Jenny asked.

“Yeah.”

“No one really knows. They’ve been close since the start of high school. They’re like brothers, even closer than some real siblings. Kai’s the only one who understands Dominic’s cold demeanor. And when Kai’s around, Dominic actually talks a little.”

“That’s nice. It’s like how I feel more comfortable around you than other people,” I said with a smile.

Jenny nodded. “Kai’s the second richest guy at school, by the way. And he’s a total catch. But he’s the opposite of Dominic—carefree, talkative, kind, and a massive flirt.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You mean a womanizer?”

Jenny quickly covered my mouth. “No! Ew, not like that. He just flirts with a lot of girls. He hasn’t really dated anyone seriously. But with all the options he’s got, can you blame him?”

I noticed the way Jenny looked at Kai and couldn’t help but ask, “Do you… like him?”

She bit her lip, glancing away. “I did. I still do. But he feels so distant, even when he’s flirting.”

“Jenny, you’re pretty, smart, and an absolute catch. No guy can resist that,” I said, trying to boost her confidence. I knew how hard it was to like someone and feel unsure about it, especially with someone as popular as Kai.

She smiled softly. “I just want him to know me, then fall deeply in love with me. That’s how Jenny works.”

“Well, good luck with that. I’ll be with you every step of the way,” I said, giving her a supportive smile.

“What about you?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Any guys on your radar?”

“Marrying my books,” I said with a grin. “Way preferable.”

Jenny rolled her eyes, but I knew she understood. After what happened with Shane, I wasn’t looking for any more drama with boys.

As I ate my lunch, my mind wandered back to Dominic. He was such a mystery, a find one. Why was he so cold? What had made him that way?

But then again, it didn’t really matter. I’d probably never get close enough to find out.