By Wednesday, Lynn's name wasn't just clear—it was untouchable.
Teachers treated her with a newfound respect. Students whispered less and stared more. Some even tried to get on her good side, offering smiles, compliments, or apologies wrapped in thin sincerity.
She ignored most of it.
Not because she was cold—but because she now understood something very few teenagers ever did:
Being admired is easy. Being feared while still being loved? That takes work.
---
In the library, Fanshia flipped through a book without really reading. "I swear, even the librarian asked me if Lynn's doing interviews."
Gallagher grinned. "Let's get her a manager."
"Already taken," Dianne said, glancing up from her laptop. "And I charge in reputation, not cash."
The four of them sat in the back corner table, their usual spot, guarding it like royalty.
Peter, Sam, and Harden joined a few minutes later, pulling chairs closer.
"Alex will be late," Sam noted. "Coach wanted him for a captain meeting. Apparently the school wants to highlight him in this year's basketball feature."
"Because he's dating the girl who set the school on fire," Gallagher quipped. "Figures."
Fanshia tilted her head. "You think that bothers him?"
"No," Peter said. "But it's what comes with it that might."
---
Lynn, meanwhile, was in the girls' bathroom, washing her hands, when the door creaked open.
Jenifer.
Her stepmother's daughter.
Same bright green eyes as Suzie. Same air of artificial grace.
"Lynn," she said, voice sweet and soaked in poison.
"I'm not in the mood," Lynn replied.
Jenifer stepped in, letting the door close behind her. "I just came to say… you really know how to make an entrance. And an empire."
Lynn dried her hands slowly. "I didn't ask for one. I just built it because you all tried to tear me down."
Jenifer smiled faintly. "That's what makes you dangerous. You're not pretending anymore."
She stepped closer. "But don't forget—we all have secrets. And not everyone wants to play fair."
Lynn raised an eyebrow. "You threatening me?"
"I'm warning you. Your crown's still glass."
Lynn didn't flinch. "Good thing I sharpened the edges."
Jenifer left with a little laugh, like it was all a game.
But Lynn didn't laugh.
Because something had shifted.
The hate was no longer passive. No longer from the shadows. It was moving closer.
And it had names.
---
That night, Alex finally caught up with Lynn after basketball practice. He found her sitting on the rooftop of the gym, legs dangling over the edge.
"I knew you'd find the highest point," he said, settling beside her.
"Needed to breathe," she said quietly.
He didn't push.
Just sat, shoulder to shoulder, until the silence between them softened.
Then she said, "Jenifer came to me."
His jaw tightened.
"She warned me. Not out of kindness, though. Out of fear disguised as pity."
"She knows you're winning," Alex said. "They all do."
"She said I still have secrets." Lynn looked over. "She's right. But so do they."
Alex's eyes didn't leave hers. "Whatever she thinks she can use against you, she's wrong."
"You don't know everything about me," Lynn said, her voice low.
Alex took her hand. "Then tell me. When you're ready. I'll still be here."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Lynn leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I'm not afraid of the secrets," she whispered. "I'm afraid of what happens when I stop hiding them."
"You won't be alone."
That night, under the cold stars, the city quiet and the school still, Lynn realized something deeper than love had begun to grow between them.
Trust.
The kind that doesn't shake—even when the ground does.
---
But elsewhere, Jenifer wasn't done.
In her room, behind locked doors, she opened a drawer and pulled out an envelope.
Inside were photos.
One of Lynn arguing with Serene in a shadowed hallway.
Another—blurrier—of a late-night meeting between John Kay and a mysterious woman not Suzie.
She laid them out on her bed like puzzle pieces.
Then picked up her phone.
Time to remind Lynn Kay that power always has a price.