By late afternoon, Westbridge had stopped pretending to be calm.
Students gathered near the administration building in clusters.
Phones out.
Eyes on the board.
Voting had closed thirty minutes ago.
Now everyone waited.
Anaya leaned against the stone railing outside the hall, scrolling through messages she wasn't actually reading.
Aarav stood beside her.
"You look too relaxed."
"I'm thinking."
"That's worse."
Across the courtyard, the F4 had gathered again.
The mischievous one stretched his neck.
"I hate waiting."
"You hate losing," the tall one corrected.
"Same thing."
He stood slightly ahead of them, watching the administrative doors.
Not anxious.
Focused.
Meanwhile, Kiara stood near the staircase with two senior committee members.
Her expression remained perfectly composed.
Like she already knew the outcome.
—
The administrative doors finally opened.
The faculty advisor stepped out with a folder.
Conversations stopped almost instantly.
Phones lifted.
Students moved closer.
"Leadership selection results are finalized," the advisor announced calmly.
No dramatic pause.
Just quiet authority.
"Five positions have been filled."
The list was posted on the board behind him.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then the crowd surged forward.
Names.
People searched quickly.
Whispers erupted.
"Wait—"
"Is that—?"
"No way."
Anaya didn't rush.
She walked forward calmly.
Aarav reached the board first.
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
"Well," he muttered.
"That's interesting."
She stepped beside him.
Her eyes scanned the list.
Position one.
His name.
Position two.
Hers.
She wasn't surprised.
What surprised her—
Was position three.
Kiara Malhotra.
The courtyard buzzed louder.
"They all got in."
"That wasn't supposed to happen."
"I thought only two from that group would make it."
Across the crowd, he looked at the board.
Then at Anaya.
"Congratulations," he said calmly.
"You too."
But the tension didn't disappear.
Because Kiara stepped forward.
Graceful.
Controlled.
She glanced at the board briefly.
Then at them.
"Well," she said softly.
"It seems we'll be working together."
Not defeated.
Not frustrated.
Strategic.
Anaya tilted her head slightly.
"That should be interesting."
Kiara's smile was flawless.
"Oh, I'm sure it will be."
Across the courtyard, whispers grew louder.
"They're all on the council now."
"That's going to be chaos."
"No."
Someone corrected quietly.
"That's going to be war."
—
Later that evening, the new council members gathered in the conference room for their first briefing.
Five chairs.
Five leaders.
One table.
Anaya sat across from Kiara.
He sat beside her.
The faculty advisor cleared his throat.
"Congratulations," he said.
"You are now responsible for representing Westbridge."
But the real meeting wasn't happening at the front of the room.
It was happening across the table.
Silent.
Measured.
Kiara met Anaya's gaze calmly.
This wasn't the end of the competition.
It was the beginning of something much bigger.
Because power shared was never power settled.
And Westbridge had just placed three rivals in the same room.