Darkson High

3.5

The cafeteria buzzed with its usual midday chaos—students laughing, gossiping, the steady hum of voices layering over one another. Maggie sat at her usual table with Shanti and Maria, her eyes roaming the room, searching for something—or maybe someone.

"Ugh, I swear," Shanti was saying, her voice carrying an exasperated edge. "Aaron tried to mansplain color theory to me in Art class. Like, dude, I know what I'm doing. I've been painting since I was a kid."

Maria giggled, barely glancing up from her phone as she scrolled through makeup TikToks. "Men," she muttered in agreement, her focus elsewhere. Shanti nodded, a grin spreading across her face as she rolled her eyes.

Maggie didn't quite catch the rest of the conversation. Her eyes were scanning the cafeteria, looking for Jake or any sign of his chaotic energy. She was thinking about Olivia and Jessica—who were all over Jake this morning. She shouldn't be bothered by it. After all, she was dating Kyle, the star quarterback, the guy everyone wanted. And yet, seeing Jake handle the girls like he did, effortlessly charming and brutally honest, was getting under her skin.

She didn't like that it touched her like this. Maggie prided herself on being in control—of her emotions, her actions, everything. But since Jake came back, she found herself thinking of him more than she wanted to admit. Sometimes, she'd catch his eye across the room, and he'd wink at her, always the troublemaker, always knowing exactly how to provoke Kyle. She hated that she secretly liked it.

Meanwhile, Shanti's mind wasn't on Jake or anyone else, really—except Kendra. She smiled to herself, thinking about their time together in Art class earlier. She hoped to see more of Kendra at Tom's party, especially since they couldn't meet up over the weekend like they'd planned. The thought made her smile more genuinely than she usually did.

Maria noticed, nudging her gently. "What's got you smiling all soft like that?" she teased, her tone light and playful. Maggie smirked knowingly, catching the glances Shanti and Kendra were shyly sharing across the cafeteria. Maria, on the other hand, remained blissfully unaware, continuing her monologue about a guy on the football team she was crushing on this week.

"I swear, Maria, you like someone new every week," Shanti said, shaking her head but with a fond smile. She and Maggie exchanged a look—they knew Maria's type. Bright and bubbly, always ready with a laugh, but her heart got bruised more often than not. She had a way of attracting guys who were only interested in one thing. They'd warned her about it plenty of times, but Maria never seemed to listen. They loved her for her warmth and her loyalty, even if they wished she'd be a little more careful.

Before Shanti could add more, Olivia and Jessica sauntered over, still chattering loudly about Jake, who was apparently the center of their universe today. Maggie felt a sharp pang of jealousy at the sound of his name. She set her jaw, her icy demeanor slipping into place.

"Can we help you?" Maggie said coolly, her eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced up at the two girls. The queen bee vibe radiated off her in waves, unapproachable and commanding.

Olivia blinked, slightly thrown off by the unexpected coldness. "We were just—"

"Just going somewhere else, I'm sure," Maggie interrupted, her tone dismissive. She waved a hand as if swatting away an annoying fly, and Olivia and Jessica exchanged looks before moving off, whispering among themselves.

Shanti and Maria were a little surprised by Maggie's sharpness, but they didn't say anything. Maggie's mood swings when it came to Jake were becoming something of a pattern.

Across the cafeteria, Maggie's gaze landed on Nikky, Jake, Kendra, Oliver, Trey, Ricky, and Harry. They were loud, chaotic, and having a blast. Jake was there with his usual confident smirk, his bad-boy aura unmistakable even from a distance. Nikky was right beside him, her energy matching his effortlessly. Maggie watched as Jake looked up, caught her eye, and winked at her teasingly.