Chapter One: Besties in Middle School
The halls of St. Elara's Prep buzzed with the energy of middle schoolers, their chatter echoing off pristine white walls. Brielle and Annie strolled side by side, their matching backpacks swinging in rhythm. They were inseparable—two halves of the same coin.
Brielle, with her wavy black hair and bright hazel eyes, was the confident one, always ready with a witty comeback. Annie, the blonde beauty with sparkling gray eyes, balanced her out with a softer, sweeter demeanor. They were the "it" girls of their grade, adored and envied in equal measure.
"You think Mrs. Lark is going to kill us for not doing the science project?" Brielle asked, her tone more amused than worried.
Annie giggled. "We'll just flash those innocent smiles, and she'll let us off the hook. She always does."
Brielle nudged her playfully. "See? That's why I keep you around—you've got all the tricks."
But the cracks in their perfect friendship began to form the day Jordan Harper walked into the cafeteria.
He was tall for a middle schooler, with a cocky smirk and a swagger that made every girl sit up a little straighter. Annie noticed him first, her cheeks flushing pink as she nudged Brielle.
"Look at him," Annie whispered, her voice breathy. "He's... perfect."
Brielle followed her gaze and shrugged. "He's okay, I guess. A little full of himself, don't you think?"
Annie shook her head, practically glowing. "No way. He's confident, not cocky."
From that day on, Annie was smitten. She found excuses to be near Jordan, joining the clubs he was in, lingering near his locker. Brielle tagged along, not out of interest in Jordan but loyalty to Annie.
But Jordan wasn't interested in Annie. He barely noticed her.
Instead, his attention turned to Brielle.
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The Fallout
The final straw came at the eighth-grade spring dance. Annie had spent weeks planning her outfit, hoping to catch Jordan's eye. She'd even bought a new dress—a shimmering silver number that made her gray eyes pop.
Brielle had barely given the dance a thought. She threw on a simple red dress her mom picked out, not expecting much.
But when the music started and Jordan walked straight past Annie to ask Brielle to dance, everything changed.
"You look beautiful tonight," Jordan said, his grin lopsided but charming as he held out his hand.
Brielle hesitated, glancing at Annie. Her best friend stood frozen, her face pale. But Jordan didn't notice—or didn't care.
"Um... sure," Brielle said finally, placing her hand in his.
The betrayal in Annie's eyes was unmistakable.
That night, she didn't speak to Brielle. Not at the dance, not in the car ride home, not the next day. Their friendship, once unbreakable, was now fractured beyond repair.
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Transition to High School
By the time Brielle and Annie entered high school, their friendship was over. They didn't speak in the hallways or acknowledge each other in class. Annie's jealousy had hardened into resentment, and Brielle, tired of the drama, focused on her new circle of friends: Cassidy, Jaxon, and Maya.
Meanwhile, across town, Malachi was starting his first day at Ridgewood High.
He didn't have a carpool or fancy new clothes like the other students. Instead, he arrived on the city bus, clutching a secondhand backpack and a schedule printed on wrinkled paper.
The contrast between his life and Brielle's couldn't have been sharper, but their paths were destined to collide.