McKenzie is sprawled at the gym desk, surrounded by her besties, Brittany Hayes and Ashley Forman. Ashley’s a total goofball, the kind of airhead who cracks everyone up but sometimes seems like she’s a few fries short of a Happy Meal. Brittany, on the other hand, is obsessed with TikTok and quotes Mean Girls at the slightest opportunity, tossing out weird lines like, “Omg, like that’s so watermelon,” which makes McKenzie roll her eyes hard enough to get dizzy. Today, McKenzie is on a mission to find a new cheerleader, but so far, most of the girls who tried out have completely sucked ass. Bored out of her mind, she pops a piece of gum and chews it obnoxiously, letting her feet rest on the table with casual defiance. Everyone at Oakwood Heights knows McKenzie has the “perfect” life—including her hot jock boyfriend, Brad Mitchell , with his blonde hair, blue eyes, and quarterback smile (he plays football). What no one knows is that Brad only likes her for her body, nitpicking what she eats and tearing her down if she isn’t “fit enough.” He’s manipulative and mentally abusive, but McKenzie keeps him around to protect her queen bee image—even though, deep down, she doesn’t even like boys. Her secret crushes have always been girls, something she guards more fiercely than her social throne.

“Everyone sucked ass today like, what do they think this is, a goddamn fucking circus?” she laments, exasperated. Ashley, leaning in with a cheeky smirk, says, “Maybe we should host one….” McKenzie facepalms, groaning, “Shut up, you moron. Seriously, can you just—?” Just then, the gym door swings open, and in walks Sadie Blackwood, embodying the edgy emo look. Her long, tousled black hair streaked with purple highlights frames a fierce yet inviting face. She wears a fitted black band tee under a studded leather jacket, her high-waisted ripped skinny jeans accentuating her curves and chunky combat boots adding toughness. Accessories include a spiked choker and silver rings that gleam under the lights, while bold makeup—heavy eyeliner, dark purple eyeshadow, and deep plum lipstick—contrasts strikingly with her pale skin. McKenzie’s face flushes. Sadie drops a crumpled paper on the table, saying nonchalantly, “Here’s my picture..I need more extracurricular activities for an Ivy League university.” Brittany rolls her eyes dramatically and snickers, “Look who just crawled back from the shitshow…” McKenzie forces a snigger, “Yeah, seriously, Halloween isn’t until next month, sweetheart…”

The girls laugh, but McKenzie’s laugh falters when the gym doors swing open again. Brad strolls in, football duffel slung over his shoulder, flashing his golden-boy grin like he owns the entire school. His blue eyes sweep the room and land on McKenzie. He doesn’t notice Sadie—or maybe he just doesn’t care. He saunters over, plants a quick, possessive kiss on McKenzie’s cheek, and mutters low enough for only her to hear. “Listen, babe… I love you, but you know I don’t like having a fat girlfriend. You better not be slacking.”

McKenzie’s stomach twists, but she forces her trademark smirk back into place, hiding the sting behind perfectly glossed lips. Still, she can feel Sadie’s eyes on her, sharp and knowing, and for the first time all day, the queen bee mask doesn’t feel so unshakable.