The gates of Lincoln High stood tall and proud — white pillars, gold plaques, and students with perfect teeth and phones worth more than her life savings.
Ariana Blake adjusted her black hoodie and walked in like she belonged.
No one knew her here.
Not the pain behind her eyes.
Not the storm in her heart.
Not the body count she was already dreaming of.
She took quiet steps down the hallway, pretending to read the schedule in her hand. The halls smelled like cologne, wealth, and something fake — just like the people in it.
Then came the whispers.
"Is that the girl from the car crash?"
"I heard her parents were murdered."
"Look at her — so quiet. Creepy."
"Pretty though…"
Ariana kept walking. Her face? Blank. Her heart? Ice.
She wasn't here to make friends.
First period. Literature class.
She slid into a desk at the back. A tall boy with curly brown hair sat beside her. He wore a grin that screamed trouble, and eyes that scanned her like a puzzle.
"Hey," he said. "I'm Jaxon Cross. You're new."
Ariana didn't look at him.
"Obviously."
He chuckled. "You got a name, mysterious girl?"
She turned, just slightly.
"Ariana."
"Cool. You're different. I like that."
She didn't reply, but inside… she noted him.
Jaxon Cross. Cocky. Charming. Probably dangerous.
Definitely her type — for the game she was about to play.
Lunchtime.
She sat alone by the glass windows, poking at a salad she had no plans to eat.
From across the room, a group of girls laughed too loudly. Their leader was glowing with lip gloss, long lashes, and poison behind her smile.
Her name? Tiana Blake.
No relation — thank God.
Tiana was the queen of Lincoln High, and she had just caught sight of Ariana.
"Who's the funeral doll?" she said loud enough for the whole cafeteria.
The table laughed. Ariana just blinked.
She didn't get up. Didn't cry. Didn't fight back.
But she memorized every one of their faces.
That night, Ariana lay in her bed staring at the ceiling of her aunt's mansion.
One hand held a red pen.
The other, a notebook labeled:
PLAYBOOK
She wrote:
Tiana Blake — threat
Jaxon Cross — maybe useful
Find out who killed Dad. Who was he working for?
Trust no one. Smile more. Flirt better. Hide everything.
Ariana closed the book and whispered to the dark:
"Let the game begin."