𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 | 18+

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏

Groups as a reminder:

Blair, Anastasia (Ana),
Aiden, Ryke, Astor.

Ada, Rose, Loren,
Luca, Ares.

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BLAIR
ROSEWOOD
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My life had always been a performance, a constant act where I played the role of the untouchable rebel, the girl everyone envied, the one who lived for chaos. But sometimes, in the rare moments when the world fell silent, when the noise of laughter and cheers faded into the background, a sinister question crept into my mind like a whisper I couldn't ignore: What the hell is life?

It couldn't just be drunken nights, sneaking out of my house, or stolen kisses beneath moonlit skies. No. Life had to be more than this hollow shell of chaos I kept pretending was fun.

But what was fun, really? Was it just me running from my demons every week, like some sick, twisted game of hide-and-seek? Sneaking out to piss off Daddy dearest, basking in the rush of feeling invincible yet knowing deep down I was only running further into the darkness? Or was it stumbling into my first day of senior year, eyes bloodshot, head throbbing with the weight of a hangover, each step reminding me of the reckless decisions I'd made the night before?

And then there was Aiden. My so-called boyfriend for the last seven years, though the title was a fragile thing—something we had decided on at ten, as though we could lock ourselves into a forever we didn't even understand. He was the leader of our group, the one who held everything together, but lately, his touch felt like chains, binding me in ways I couldn't escape.

Beneath the table, his hand gripped my wrist, a possessive hold that made my skin crawl and burn at the same time. He leaned in, brushing a kiss over my hand, trying to soothe the tension that lingered from our last fight, like it could erase the cracks that had begun to form between us. But it only made the distance feel wider—like no matter how hard he tried to hold on, we were slipping through each other's fingers.

"I'm still wondering why the fuck you disappeared last night after we left the lake," Aiden muttered, his voice thick with frustration, his patience wearing thin. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes narrowed as he glared at me. "You just left us alone."

I didn't meet his eyes. The last thing I wanted was to explain myself—again. "Forget it, Adrian," I snapped, my voice sharp, like broken glass. "I'm hungover, pissed off, and to top it off, those good-for-nothing bitches are in our class now." I could feel the heat of anger rising in my chest, a fire that burned hotter the longer I stewed in it. "Weren't they supposed to be in Group B? What the hell is this sudden change?"

My gaze settled on Loren Vane, sitting at the other side of the room, surrounded by her smug little circle. Her eyes were glued to me, that fake, perfected sneer twisting her lips. "She's been glaring at me since she walked in."

Loren. The fakest bitch to ever step foot in this school—and she wasn't even a real blonde like me. Her hair was some cheap, lifeless shade of platinum, and it pissed me off how she carried herself like she could compete with me. Loren had been a thorn in my side for years, her crew always lurking behind hers, like some twisted reflection of us. Loren, Rose, Ada, Ares, and Luca—the so-called 'better' version of us. They pranced around like they had it all figured out, like they were the polished, pristine image of perfection that we should all aspire to.

It was laughable. We were real. We were the storm. They were the cheap knock-offs, the shadow play of something they could never truly replicate.

But the problem was... they weren't harmless.