Molly sat in her bedroom later that night, the glow from her vanity mirror lighting her face. Her room was a pastel paradise - rose gold everything, fluffy rugs, inspirational quotes in cursive on the wall. But her reflection stared back with a flicker of frustration.
"You okay?" Amy asked, sitting cross-legged on Molly's bed with a bowl of popcorn.
"Yeah," Molly said, brushing her hair. "Just annoyed. Jessica's so… exhausting."
"She's jealous," Samantha said, scrolling through TikTok. "You've got everything. She's just angry the world doesn't worship her."
Molly nodded, but something in her eye shifted. It wasn't just anger. Jessica got under her skin in a way no one else did. The way she didn't care what people thought. The way she said whatever she wanted. It was annoying, yes, but also… weirdly magnetic.
"Whatever," Molly said. "She'll disappear after graduation like all the nobodies."
Back at Jessica's house, the vibe was different. She sat on the floor of her messy room, vinyl playing softly in the background. Hannah was painting her nails black while Jake edited some footage on his laptop.
"You ever think Molly's not really mean?" Hannah said, blowing on her nails. "Like…maybe she's just miserable?"
"She has a boyfriend, a car, a fan club," Jessica replied. "If that's misery, sign me up."
Jake snorted. "Bet she cries into her Sephora palette every night."
Jessica laughed, but something tugged at her chest. There had been a moment earlier - just a flicker - when she'd caught Molly watching her. Not with hate. With… confusion? Interest?
"People like Molly don't crack," she said. "They explode."