The moment Skylar stepped through the hallway, it felt like the universe had shifted. Something was different. Not loud or obvious—but silent and suspicious. Her instincts were whispering warnings, and she couldn't quite place why. Her eyes scanned every passing face, but no one looked at her funny. Still, something tugged in her chest. A feeling she didn’t like.
It was lunchtime. The chaos of students filled the air, chatter bouncing off the walls. Skylar was walking beside Mia and Lucas—yes, Lucas, who now somehow was always around. He held a bag of chips in one hand and a drink in the other, speaking animatedly about how someone in his dorm left ramen in the microwave for forty-five minutes. Mia laughed so hard she almost choked on her apple juice. Lucas grinned at her like it was the best reaction in the world.
Skylar tried to smile along, but her eyes kept flicking to the left. Her locker.
Something was wrong.
She blinked. Was it slightly open? No… she was sure she locked it. Skylar slowed her pace, frowning, while Mia noticed.
"You good?" Mia asked, elbowing her lightly. "You look like you just saw your own ghost."
"I... I think someone opened my locker," Skylar muttered.
Lucas raised a brow. "Want me to check it for you? I can do the whole 'dangerous guy walks first' routine."
Skylar cracked a short laugh. "You really think you’re dangerous?"
"Absolutely not. But I'm cute. And that gets me through most situations."
"Gross," Mia teased, smacking his arm playfully.
Skylar rolled her eyes but walked faster, heading toward her locker. She grabbed the handle and slowly opened it—expecting something. A note? A prank? Something missing?
But everything looked untouched.
Everything was there.
Except... a small paper folded neatly, tucked between her books.
Her breath caught.
She took it and slowly unfolded it. Mia leaned in from her left, while Lucas hovered behind her, curious.
Skylar's eyes scanned the messy writing.
"Stop pretending nothing's going on. You're not as invisible as you think."
That was it.
No name. No signature. No explanation.
Just a chill down her spine.
"Who the hell would put that in your locker?" Mia said, sounding angry now. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "That’s messed up."
Lucas took the note and scanned it. His playful expression was gone.
"Do you think this is a prank?" he asked, but no one answered.
Because Skylar’s thoughts were racing.
And before she could stop herself, her feet turned. Toward the student council room.
---
The student council room was quiet. Too quiet. Skylar knocked, her heartbeat loud in her ears.
The door creaked open. Bianca.
Of course.
She was sitting on the desk, sipping her signature iced coffee like she didn’t just ruin someone’s day. Her head tilted slightly when she saw Skylar.
"Oh. What an unexpected surprise," Bianca drawled, setting her coffee down. "You came without being summoned. Brave."
Skylar stepped in. Her hands shook a little, but her voice was steady.
"Did you put something in my locker?"
Bianca raised a brow, almost amused. "Wow, straight to the accusations. You didn’t even compliment my outfit."
Skylar clenched her jaw.
"Cut the act."
Bianca’s eyes narrowed just a bit. "If I wanted to threaten you, sweetheart, I’d do it face to face. That’s my style."
Skylar flinched at the words.
"You think you’re the only girl people watch around here? The only one they whisper about? Please. This school eats secrets for breakfast."
"Then why are you suddenly so interested in me?" Skylar challenged.
Bianca stood slowly, walking until they were face to face.
"Maybe... because someone you trust doesn’t deserve your trust," she whispered.
Skylar swallowed hard.
"Or maybe," Bianca added, stepping back with a smile, "I just like watching people squirm. Especially ones who act so sure of themselves."
Before Skylar could ask anything else, Jace stepped in through the back door.
And her stomach turned.
---
Meanwhile—somewhere in the hallway—Aiden was standing in front of a classroom door, looking like he was ready to murder someone.
"She went where again?" he asked, glaring at Mia.
"To the student council room," Mia said, biting her lip. "She just got a creepy note in her locker. She thinks Bianca did it."
"That psycho?" Aiden spat, turning on his heel.
Lucas blocked him.
"Let her handle it. She walked in there on her own," Lucas said calmly. "She deserves to fight her own fight sometimes."
"You don’t know Bianca like I do," Aiden snapped.
"No," Lucas said, arms folded, "but I know Skylar. And she’s stronger than you think."
---
Inside the council room, Bianca and Jace exchanged glances. Skylar looked between them.
"You’re both hiding something," she whispered. "Aren’t you?"
Jace opened his mouth, but Bianca waved him off.
"Not today," she said smoothly. "Let her think whatever she wants. For now."
Skylar took a step back. Her hands were shaking.
She didn’t know what they were planning. But it was something.
Something big.
And terrifying.
---
Later that day, after the sun dipped low and the air turned cooler, Skylar sat with Mia and Lucas at the back bleachers. They didn't say much.
"It felt like she was trying to warn me," Skylar mumbled, staring at the grass.
Lucas tossed a pebble across the field. "Or scare you. But either way... she's playing a game."
Mia nodded. "And we’re in the middle of it."
Skylar looked up at the stars slowly appearing.
And in her heart, something shifted.
She wasn’t going to let Bianca win.
Not without a fight.