A story unravels, following two distinct friend groups: one embodying the virtues of loyalty, trust, and friendship-the so-called "good" group; the other steeped in manipulation, rebellion, and chaos-the "bad" group.
As their final school year progr...
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__ ROSE MONROE __
Life was fucking cruel. Ada was slipping away, avoiding us like the plague. Every day, she sat next to Aiden, her face devoid of smiles but somehow... comfortable. It was like she belonged there, in that suffocating silence with him. And the worst part? I caught Anastasia Carlton smiling at her. Anastasia. The girl who doesn't even smile at her own friends, let alone my best friend.
Jealousy clawed at me. Was Ada abandoning us? Trading our friendship for people we hated? My blood simmered with resentment. Ada was mine, my best friend. How could she just... drift away? And Aiden. There was something there. I wasn't stupid. The way his gaze would linger on her. He fucking liked her.
But tonight—tonight, I'd finally see him again. Aiden was coming over with his father for a business dinner, and the thought of seeing him made my heart race.
I slipped into the green silk dress I'd chosen carefully. It hugged my body in all the right ways, I looked slimmer. The soft fabric flowing down as my heels clicked with each step I took down the stairs. My hair was styled half up, half down, and I'd applied just the right amount of gloss to my lips. I was ready. I wanted to make an impression that would make him think I was good enough.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I spotted him, standing near the fireplace, his expression cold and unreadable. Aiden looked as distant as ever, his focus on something unseen. I tried to catch his eye, but he barely glanced in my direction. My pulse quickened with frustration.
"Aiden," I called softly, trying to break the silence. He finally looked at me, but there was nothing in his eyes—no warmth, no recognition of the effort I'd put into this moment.
He looked at Ada with calm.
I noticed.
"Rose," he acknowledged, his voice flat. He was already looking past me, his attention somewhere else, anywhere else. My stomach twisted into knots. "How are you?"
I smiled, though it felt forced. "I'm glad you're here tonight. It's been... a while. How's your Father?" I asked. I hated asking about his Dad, he was a murderer. A mafia made man who kills for money and control. I wanted to fix Aiden, to make him feel safe and liked.
Aiden shrugged, nonchalant, as if my presence didn't matter in the slightest. "Business, Rose. I'm just here for my Dad."
My heart sank. I had been anticipating this, craving his attention, and here he was, ice-cold and uninterested. It was humiliating. The tension between us felt suffocating, like a heavy fog that I couldn't clear.
"You know," I began, my voice softer, "you've been ignoring me lately. In summer we hung out behind our friends back because we liked being friends and n...now you hate me?" I whispered.
Aiden's gaze flickered, just for a second, but then it hardened again. "I'm not ignoring you. I've been... busy."
Busy. That's what he was calling it. Busy being wrapped up in Ada. I swallowed my pride, trying to keep my voice steady. "I miss how things used to be between us. We used to be close, Aiden."
