Alabama University had been hot even in the fall — the kind of heat that stuck to your skin and made your clothes cling. But for Diamond, those first weeks on campus had felt like freedom. New city, new faces, new start.
She'd been all smiles back then — hair always slicked, nails done, skin glowing like she drank sunshine for breakfast. People noticed. And that's what made Oriana notice too.
Diamond still remembered the first time she saw her. Oriana Blackwood. Tall, waist-length braids, hoops big enough to catch the light from across the quad. Her walk wasn't fast, but it demanded space, like she owned every inch of concrete she stepped on.
At first, Diamond had thought she was just another pretty girl on campus. But she learned fast — Oriana wasn't just pretty, she was strategic. The kind of girl who collected people like trophies and made sure you knew when you weren't one of them.
It started small. Side-eyes in class. A slick comment here and there.
"You really wearing that to lecture?" Oriana had said once, lips curled into a smile that didn't match her eyes.
Diamond never understood why Oriana came for her. Maybe because they both drew attention without trying. Maybe because they both liked the same crowd. Or maybe because of him.
Zay.
He wasn't even hers back then — just a junior everyone knew. Football crowd, always posted at the student center with a smile that made girls linger too long. Oriana had history with him, but Diamond didn't know how deep until later. She just knew that every time she and Zay talked in passing, Oriana's eyes would find her from across the room.
And when Diamond finally did start talking to Zay for real?
Oriana's little jabs turned into open war.
Diamond had thought leaving campus and stepping into adulthood meant leaving Oriana behind. She'd been wrong. Some people weren't just chapters — they were whole unfinished books.