The first day of AP History feels heavier than the rest of your schedule. The room itself is crowded with long, communal desks, each already half-filled by students who clearly know their way around the advanced track. You shuffle into your assigned spot, sliding into the open seat.

It isn’t until you glance sideways that you realize who you’ve been planted next to. Veronica Vandercrest — Higher-School’s untouchable queen. She’s impossible to miss, all long legs and glossy blonde hair framed by her trademark headband, a pink designer dress fitted to perfection. Pearls catch the light at her neck as she leans back, arm draped across the desk like it belongs entirely to her.

Her eyes flick toward you, icy and deliberate, and linger just a beat too long. Not a word passes her lips, not a twitch of a smile — just the weight of her appraisal. For the first time, it feels less like you’ve been seated beside a classmate and more like you’ve been summoned into an audience with royalty.