Always you

CHAPTER 3 : THE QUEEN BEE

(Tamsyn’s POV)

The first period feels longer than it should. I keep glancing around, half-expecting someone to ask why I’m back, half-hoping nobody will notice me at all.

Then I see her.

Lexi Hartman.

Perfect hair, perfect smile, perfect everything. The kind of girl who doesn’t walk — she glides, like the world is her runway. And right now, she’s staring straight at me. Not a friendly stare. That cold, calculating kind. The kind that says, I see you. And I don’t like it.

I freeze for a second, letting Ashley’s laugh beside me anchor me. “Hey, you okay?” she whispers.

I nod, forcing a smile. “Yeah. Just… first-day jitters.”

Ashley doesn’t look convinced, but she lets it go. I’m grateful.

Lexi tilts her head ever so slightly, then turns toward Daxon, who’s across the room laughing with his friends. I notice the way her eyes flick to him, her smile sharpened with something I can’t quite name. Jealousy, maybe? It’s strange to see it so obvious. Usually, people like her hide it better.

I bite my lip, trying not to let it get to me. Lexi’s a storm I don’t want to weather, not today. Not while I’m still trying to find my footing here.

The bell rings, dragging everyone to their next class. I follow Ashley down the hall, avoiding eye contact with Lexi, but I can feel it — the quiet weight of her attention. Like she’s already plotting, even if I don’t know what she’s planning yet.

In the cafeteria later, things get worse. Lexi sits at a table near Daxon, obviously arranging herself so she’s noticeable. And every time our eyes meet, she tilts her head, smirking slightly. I glance away, suddenly aware of how much I’m still aware of her.

Ashley notices my discomfort. “Don’t let her get to you,” she says, elbowing me playfully. “She’s just insecure.”

I nod, taking a deep breath. Insecure or not, I can’t ignore her. And I can’t stop thinking about Daxon, sitting there with his friends, laughing like nothing has changed.

I push my tray forward, trying to focus on my food, but my mind won’t stay put.

This year isn’t going to be easy.

I already know that.

Because some ghosts don’t just visit.

They stick around.

And some queens don’t just observe.

They hunt.