ChapterFourEnd
896 Words
There were rules at Starlight. Not written ones. Social ones.
Rule 1: Don’t speak unless your family name is on a building.
Rule 2: Don’t be smarter than the Royals. Especially not out loud.
Rule 3: If Zayden Wellington looks at you, look grateful.
Rule 4: Don’t attend any party you are not invited for.
Anastasia didn’t break those rules.
She burned them.
She answered every question with calm precision.
Ignored compliments.
Avoided gossip like it carried disease.
And when Zayden passed her on the steps one morning and muttered, “Cute shoes,” she looked down at her dusty sneakers and said, “They’re functional. Can’t say the same about your personality.”
A full corridor went silent.
That was the moment the earthquake began.
In the privacy of her dorm later that night, Anastasia sat cross-legged on her bed, reading a textbook on psychological manipulation.
Not for school.
For fun.
The section titled “Power and Projection” had a note scribbled in the margin.
Not hers.
It read: “Control the room, or it controls you.”
She didn’t know who wrote it.
But she underlined it anyway.
Cause she is interested in it.
The next morning, the cafeteria was buzzing.
“Did you hear what the scholarship girl said to Zayden?”
“I heard she roasted him. In front of the Deans.”
“Is she suicidal?”
“She’s got guts, I’ll give her that.”
“She needs someone to show her, her place in this school”
“Wellington is gonna get back at her”
“She should better watch her back cause that was how susan started”
Anastasia walked through the noise like it was weather. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t slow down. Didn’t look. Didn’t Care.
Picked up a plain bagel. Poured a black coffee.
Sat at the back table.
Alone.
Not because she had no one.
But because she preferred it that way.
She likes her space more than anything else.
Zayden watched from his usual table, flanked by Liam and Ava.
“She’s trying too hard,” Bianca said, twirling her straw in a smoothie she didn’t drink.
“No,” Liam said without looking up. “She’s not trying at all. That’s the problem.”
Zayden leaned back in his seat.
“What’s her angle?” he murmured.
“She doesn’t have one,” Ava replied, eyes narrowed. “That’s why she’s unpredictable.”
“I don’t believe in unpredictable.”
Liam finally looked up.
“Then you don’t believe in people.”
Zayden didn’t respond.
Because Liam had a point.
And Zayden hated when other people had points.
Starlight College was a kingdom.
It had crowns, castles, and chessboards.
But it had never had someone like her.
Someone who didn’t want the throne.
Didn’t want to play.
She just wanted to win quietly.
And that? That made her dangerous in a way the Royals had never seen before.
Anastasia picked up her phone and decided to Search for Susan on the starlight app, but she got no access to check the posts because she need a key inorder for her to open it but she did not care, she will just hack the stuff when she get to her room, then a message popped up from Cassandra and she opened it.
“Seems, you have been so busy to check on me”, Cassandra’s Message reads and she chuckled so loud. That the Cafeteria went silent and everybody looked at her but she did not care.
“Why did she laugh so loud like that?” Rafael asked and Bianca snorted.
“She is trying to be among”, Ava replied and all of them agreed except Zayden of course, he wanted to know the reason and the cause of her laughter.
The student whispered to each other, while some talked out loud.
“Is she insane?”, Someone from the crowd asked and people began murmuring.
“She is not”
“She is unpredictable”
Meanwhile on Anastasia’s end, she did not care about what people are saying.
“I am so sorry my love”, She replied Cassie and Cassandra replied her back almost immediately.
“How is school treating you my love?”, Cassandra replied to Anastasia’s message.
“School is good and I am becoming smarter day by day”, Anastasia replied.
“I am glad to hear that”, Cassandra said.
“How are you doing also in school?”, Anastasia texted.
“I have been doing great and I love my course so much, eve though it stressful”, Cassandra said.
“You guys are really trying”, Anastasia replied Cassandra’s text message.
“Yes we are”, Cassandra replied.
“What of Jayden?”, Anastasia asked her friend.
“Jayden is doing well, he sent his greetings and guess what he took me on a date yesterday and it was so fun, Gosh this guy has captured my heart”, Cassandra texted and Anastasia smiled.
“I am so happy for you cassandra”, Anastasia texted.
“Anastasia, I will be so happy for you if you let go of the past and learn to move on”, Cassandra texted and Anastasia sighed.
It is easier said than done
- Writer
