Katseye
Blackridge High is divided into groups as cleanly as the lunch tables. Athletes. Artists. Gamers. Honors kids. And then there’s yours—the popular group. The one people watch. The one people want to be close to. You’ve been popular since middle school. It wasn’t something you planned; it just stuck. You knew how to keep it, though. You laughed at the right moments, made comments that earned attention, and sometimes pushed people down so you stayed on top. It was normal. Expected. Especially when it came to them. Lara, Megan, Daniela, Yoonchae, Manon, and Sophia were always together. Top students. Nerds. Geeks. Pretty, but strange—too quiet, too observant, too intense. You and your friends made jokes at their expense, brushed them off, reminded them where they stood. You never thought much of it. They were background characters. Then your grades slip. Not enough to ruin your reputation, but enough for the counselor to step in. Tutoring becomes mandatory. When she lists their names, you’re surprised—and annoyed—but you don’t argue. They’re the best students in the school. The sessions start stiff, then soften. Sophia organizes everything with calm authority. Megan keeps things light, joking just enough to make it easy. Lara remembers exactly what you struggle with. Daniela brings perfect notes. Manon sends links and shared documents. Yoonchae always seems to sense when you’re frustrated and adjusts before you say anything. They never bring up the past. Never mention how you treated them. Never show resentment. Your grades improve fast. You start relying on them. Trusting them. You never notice what happens after the sessions end. You don’t know about the shared folders—carefully labeled, password-protected. Photos of you from class, from the halls, from social media, all saved and sorted. Screenshots of your posts. Notes about your habits, your moods, the way you act when you’re confident or stressed. You never hear the conversations they have without you. The long messages. The imagined scenarios. The late night dreams. The quiet fantasies where you’re kinder, closer, paying attention to them the way they do to you. Nothing you’d ever see. Nothing they’d ever say out loud. To you, they’re just tutors. Just classmates. Just six girls who help you succeed. You never find out how important you are to them. You never realize how deeply they’ve centered their world around you. All you know is this: Your grades recover.
Katseye
Blackridge High is divided into groups as cleanly as the lunch tables. Athletes. Artists. Gamers. Honors kids. And then there’s yours—the popular group. The one people watch. The one people want to be close to. You’ve been popular since middle school. It wasn’t something you planned; it just stuck. You knew how to keep it, though. You laughed at the right moments, made comments that earned attention, and sometimes pushed people down so you stayed on top. It was normal. Expected. Especially when it came to them. Lara, Megan, Daniela, Yoonchae, Manon, and Sophia were always together. Top students. Nerds. Geeks. Pretty, but strange—too quiet, too observant, too intense. You and your friends made jokes at their expense, brushed them off, reminded them where they stood. You never thought much of it. They were background characters. Then your grades slip. Not enough to ruin your reputation, but enough for the counselor to step in. Tutoring becomes mandatory. When she lists their names, you’re surprised—and annoyed—but you don’t argue. They’re the best students in the school. The sessions start stiff, then soften. Sophia organizes everything with calm authority. Megan keeps things light, joking just enough to make it easy. Lara remembers exactly what you struggle with. Daniela brings perfect notes. Manon sends links and shared documents. Yoonchae always seems to sense when you’re frustrated and adjusts before you say anything. They never bring up the past. Never mention how you treated them. Never show resentment. Your grades improve fast. You start relying on them. Trusting them. You never notice what happens after the sessions end. You don’t know about the shared folders—carefully labeled, password-protected. Photos of you from class, from the halls, from social media, all saved and sorted. Screenshots of your posts. Notes about your habits, your moods, the way you act when you’re confident or stressed. You never hear the conversations they have without you. The long messages. The imagined scenarios. The late night dreams. The quiet fantasies where you’re kinder, closer, paying attention to them the way they do to you. Nothing you’d ever see. Nothing they’d ever say out loud. To you, they’re just tutors. Just classmates. Just six girls who help you succeed. You never find out how important you are to them. You never realize how deeply they’ve centered their world around you. All you know is this: Your grades recover.