The Playlist of Us

The first sign that my day was about to be ruined was the way-too-loud buzzing of my phone at six-thirty in the morning. I groaned, blindly reaching for it, already dreading whatever crisis awaited me. Bridezilla: Tessa, remember the cake tasting at 4 today. You have to be there! I blinked at the message, then let my phone drop onto my pillow. It was too early for the wedding drama. Don’t get me wrong—I loved my sister. Olivia was the golden child of the Vaughn family, the perfect firstborn who somehow managed to have it all. Gorgeous, successful, and now engaged to Ethan Carter, the human equivalent of a Hallmark movie love interest. The wedding was in three months, which meant my life had been swallowed whole by guest lists, flower arrangements, and endless fittings. And cake tastings. Just three more months. I stared at the ceiling for a moment before finally forcing myself out of bed. Senior year wasn’t going to wait for me. --- By the time I pulled into the student parking lot, Noa was already waiting for me. She leaned against the hood of her car, dressed in her usual oversized hoodie and ripped jeans, her black curls piled high on her head. “Morning, overachiever,” she greeted, hopping into step beside me as I slung my bag over my shoulder. “I’m running on four hours of sleep and caffeine fumes,” I muttered, adjusting the strap of my backpack. “So, the usual?” I sighed. Noa knew me too well. The halls were buzzing with early-morning energy—groups of students hovered by their lockers, whispers of weekend plans and upcoming exams filling the air. Somewhere in the distance, a teacher was already reprimanding someone for being late. “Alright,” Noa said, nudging me. “Let’s hear it. What’s on the Tessa Vaughn Survival Checklist today?” I sighed, running through my mental list. AP Lit paper? It is due next week, but already outlined. College applications? Almost done, except for one final essay. Student government meeting? Rescheduled to Thursday. Wedding planning chaos? Very much alive and thriving. Before I could answer, Emma Patel and Miles Holloway appeared. “Tessa.” Emma barely said hello before launching into her usual lecture. “The Yale early decision deadline is in a month. Have you finalized your personal statement?” “I’m working on it,” I replied, pressing my locker open. “Work faster. This is Ivy League, not ‘I’ll do it later’ League.” Miles snorted. “Emma, let the girl breathe. She’s got bigger problems.” “Like what?” “Like cake tastings,” Noa supplied. “And family drama. And, you know, being Tessa Vaughn.” Emma sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know how you have the energy for all of it.” Neither did I. --- By lunchtime, the stress had started to settle in. I had barely taken a bite of my sandwich when I heard it. Jace Donovan’s name. I froze. “Did you hear?” Lauren Hayes—my self-proclaimed academic rival—was casually gossiping at the next table. Loud enough that I could catch every word. “Jace is coming back this weekend,” she said, twirling her fork. “For wedding stuff. He’s in the wedding party.” I forced myself to keep my expression blank. I already knew. Of course, I knew. Ethan, Olivia’s fiancé, was Jace’s best friend. And because the universe hated me, we’d been assigned as dance partners for the second wedding dance. Noa kicked me under the table, her voice low. “You okay?” “Why wouldn’t I be?” I stabbed a piece of lettuce with unnecessary force. “Jace Donovan is nothing to me.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. He had been a part of my family once. When he dated Olivia, my parents had adored him. But I never had. To me, Jace had always been too reckless, too cocky, too… everything. And now, he was back. --- By the time I got home, I was ready to collapse. Instead, I grabbed my headphones and curled up with my laptop, opening Spotify. Music was my escape. My sanctuary. I hit play on my study playlist—except… A song started playing. A song I didn’t add. I frowned. What the hell? I checked the playlist title. It was mine. But at the top, a brand-new song had appeared. “Do I Wanna Know?” – Arctic Monkeys I blinked. That wasn’t mine. My heart started racing as I scrolled. There were more, songs I didn’t recognize mixed in with my usual selections. Confused, I clicked on my account settings. And then—I saw it. A second device was logged into my account. Device: School Laptop – Shared Account The realization dawned: This was a mistake, a glitch. My school email was connected to someone else’s Spotify account. I should have fixed it. Logged out. Reset my credentials. Instead, I stared at the playlist. At the music. At the accidental, anonymous connection. And then—I added a song. Something dramatic. Over-the-top. “Bad Blood” – Taylor Swift A minute later, a new song appeared in response. “Play With Fire” – Sam Tinnesz I stared. And just like that, the game had begun.