The Queen Bee
339 Words
Chapter Five
The lunchroom was chaos—trays clattering, laughter echoing, the smell of greasy fries filling the air. I carried my food like it was a shield, weaving through the crowded tables in search of an empty seat.
But this school wasn’t built for loners. Every group had its place: the athletes, the nerds, the artsy kids. And then there was her.
Sabrina.
Perfect hair, perfect smile, perfect everything. The Queen Bee of Crescent High—and his rumored on-again, off-again fling. Her posse flanked her like bodyguards as she sat at the center table, sipping her soda as if it were champagne.
And of course, he was right beside her.
My chest tightened. He leaned back casually, arm draped behind her chair, laughing at something she whispered. The sight was a punch to the gut, though I had no right to feel it. He wasn’t mine. He couldn’t be mine.
Still, when his eyes suddenly flicked up and locked onto mine across the room, my tray nearly slipped from my hands.
Sabrina noticed.
Her smile sharpened, thin and venomous. She leaned closer to him, pressing her body against his like she was marking territory. And all the while, her gaze never left me.
Whispers started almost instantly, rippling through the room. Who’s the new girl? Why’s he looking at her like that?
Panic clawed at my throat. I turned and made for the farthest corner, desperate to disappear. But I didn’t make it far before a manicured hand landed on my arm.
“Well, well,” Sabrina purred, her voice honeyed poison. “The new girl thinks she can catch his attention? How cute.”
Her posse giggled, closing in around me.
And just as I opened my mouth to deny it, a familiar shadow fell over us.
Him.
His presence was commanding, dangerous. His fiery eyes burned into Sabrina, then softened—almost protectively—when they landed on me.
“Back off,” he growled, low enough that only we heard.
The entire cafeteria froze.
- Writer
