Chapter 1

ROXANNE

The soft buzz of her alarm clock broke the silence of dawn. Roxanne groaned, burying her face in her pillow before rolling over. First day of senior high. She had been waiting for this for years, yet her chest felt tight, not with nerves, but with the weight of expectations. Being student council president ever since Grade 1 had set a standard she couldn’t easily shake off. People expected her to lead, excel, and never falter.

Dragging herself out of bed, she went through her school daily routine, shower, uniform, neatly tied hair. Her reflection in the mirror looked calm and composed, but only because she had practiced that expression for years. Perfect Roxanne, the girl everyone could rely on. If only there was someone to break her chains.

The classroom was alive with chatter when she arrived. Familiar faces filled the rows, each greeting her with smiles and nods. She returned them politely, her mind already planning the first council meeting of the year.

Then the teacher walked in, a tall woman with a warm smile. “Good morning, class. Before we begin, I’d like to introduce a new student joining us this year.”

Roxanne looked up and her breath hitched.

She stepped in, the kind of girl who made the morning feel like it shifted a few degrees warmer. Eve. Bright as summer, with hair that caught the light and brown, candied eyes that lingered just a moment too long on everything. She had a slim figure and a gentle presence, the kind that made people naturally turn their heads.

“This is Eve. Please make her feel welcome,” the teacher said.

Roxanne rarely stared at anyone. But something about Eve felt like a melody she’d always wanted to hum and listen.

Lunchtime came with whispers in the air, student council elections were coming up. It was tradition, even if Roxanne had held the presidency every year since anyone could remember. Still, she found herself at the bulletin board, staring at the empty candidate list, when Eve’s name appeared in fragile, confident handwriting the next day.

“She’s running?” Roxanne murmured.

The other officers glanced at her, curious for a reaction. Roxanne only smiled politely, masking the ripple in her chest.

Later that afternoon, Eve approached her with that same summer-like brightness. “You’re Roxanne, right? I heard you’ve been president forever. Would you… maybe show me the ropes?”

Roxanne agreed. Of course, she did. Because how could she ever refuse those eyes?

They spent the next few weeks together: planning, organizing, debating. Eve was earnest, enthusiastic, and full of ideas, but… something was off. Roxanne's plans often missed details. Her calculations were logical, till now. Roxanne found herself correcting her mistakes a lot.

It was then she noticed the gap between them. Not in kindness, not in charm but in intellect.

Eve was a sharper strategist than Roxanne was. She was cautious, neat with her plans, a dreamer and a tactician. And as much as Roxanne liked her… she couldn’t help but see how far apart their worlds might be.

“Enemies,” she told herself that night, lying awake. “Competitors at best.”

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