"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." - Anonymous
MADISON SMITH
"Five, six, seven, eight!"
My voice echoed throughout the gym, sharp enough to cut through the whispers and the squeaks of sneakers on the freshly waxed floor. Showtime.
Skylar, glued to my side as always, squeezed my arm. Her idea of a reassuring gesture. "Ready bestie?" She chirped, her voice a little to high, a little to bright. Even with half the gym blinded by her megawatt smile. I saw right through it, she was threatened. Good.
"Ready to remind everyone who runs this school?" I countered, letting my fingers dig into her arm just a touch harder. Her smile faltered for a split second, replaced by a look of I knew well - a potent cocktail of envy and ambition. She hated that I saw through her, hated that I knew how to pull her strings.
"Let's blow them away," she finally managed, her eyes darting towards Courtney, who was busy stretching, her impossibly long legs on full display. Skylar always did have a thing for Courtney. Maybe that's why I kept her so close.
"Eye front, girls!" I barked, clapping my hands together. The rest of the squad snapped to attention, their rehearsed smiles plastered on their faces. Courtney, Brooke, Tatum, Rhyan, and Gabrielle - each one a carefully chosen piece of the perfect pyramid. Or at least, that's what they thought.
The music cue pulsed through the speakers, and I felt the familiar surge of adrenaline. This was my domain. My stage. And for the next three minutes, every eye in this gym would be on me. On us.
"West Mount High is on the floor!" I announced, my voice dripping with practiced confidence. The crowd erupted, a wave of cheers and applause washing over me. I soaked it in. Letting the energy fuel my every move.
As the music swelled, we launched into the routine, our bodies moving in perfect synchronization. Or almost perfect. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Gabrielle faltering, her timing off by a fraction of a second. She thought she was being subtle. She thought she could undermine me with a misplaced foot and a forced smile.
I'd deal with her later.
Right now, I had a new audience to impress. A shadow had fallen near the entrance of the gym, a figure silhouetted against the afternoon sun. The new girl. I could feel her eyes on me, curious, assessing.
Let the games begin.
YOU ARE READING
𝙋𝙊𝙈 𝙋𝙊𝙈𝙎 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙋𝙊𝙄𝙎𝙊𝙉
Mystery / Thriller"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙢 𝙥𝙤𝙢𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨." - 𝘼𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙮𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙨 A single crimson stain blooms across the pristine white of the West Mount High cheer uniform, abandoned on the gym floor. Everyone knows if belonged to Bla...
