Chapter Text
Nat Scatorccio had been at Wiskayok High for less than a day, and she already hated it.
Not that she had high expectations. It was a high school in the middle of nowhere, filled with the usual crowd of rich kids, try-hards, and people who gave too much of a shit about things that didn’t matter. She’d spent most of the morning navigating the maze of hallways, keeping her head down, avoiding eye contact, and resisting the urge to light a cigarette right in the middle of the courtyard just to see how fast someone would lose their mind over it.
She didn’t care to make friends. She didn’t care to make an impression. She just wanted to get through the day, find somewhere decent to smoke, and go home.
The cafeteria was a nightmare. Too loud, too bright, too many people packed into one space, and all of them seemed to have already sorted themselves into their respective social hierarchies. Nat could feel the stares as she walked past, the way people sized her up, trying to determine where she belonged. She ignored them and kept moving, heading straight for the doors that led outside.
The courtyard was quieter. Not empty, but less suffocating. A few groups lingered around the benches and tables, but no one seemed particularly interested in her. She scanned the area for an empty table, spotting one near the edge of the space, far enough from the main crowd that she could eat in peace. She was halfway there when a burst of laughter caught her attention.
The kind of laughter that carried. Light, effortless, like it belonged to someone who had never known what it felt like to be on the outside of anything.
Her gaze flicked toward the source. A group of girls huddled around a table, all perfectly put together, all radiating the kind of confidence that came from knowing they belonged. And at the center of it was her.
Lottie Matthews.
Nat didn’t need an introduction. She’d been at this school for less than a day, and she already knew who Lottie was. Everybody did. Star soccer player, social royalty, the kind of girl people talked about in a way that was half admiration, half fear. Nat had seen plenty of girls like her before. The ones who knew exactly how much people wanted them and made sure they knew they’d never actually have them.
So when Lottie’s gaze met hers from across the courtyard, Nat didn’t react. Didn’t acknowledge the slight pause in Lottie’s conversation, the way her eyes lingered, sharp with curiosity. Instead, she turned and made her way toward the empty table, dropping into the seat with a sigh.
She barely had time to settle before a shadow fell over her.
“You’re new.”
Nat knew who it was before she even looked up. She exhaled sharply. “Wow. Nothing gets past you.”
Lottie didn’t seem put off. If anything, she looked amused. “What’s your name?”
Nat glanced up then, meeting Lottie’s gaze properly for the first time. Dark brown eyes, full lips curved into something just shy of a smirk. She was annoyingly pretty. The kind of pretty that probably got her anything she wanted.
“Nat,” she said flatly.
Lottie slid into the seat across from her without an invitation, like they were already friends. “Nat, like, Natalie?”
“No,” Nat said firmly. “Just Nat.”
Lottie nodded, like she was tucking the information away for later. “So, Just Nat, what do you think of Wiskayok so far?” She smiled her charming smile.
Nat let her gaze drag over Lottie’s face, taking in the effortless confidence, the way she leaned forward slightly, like she was already certain she had Nat’s attention. She knew this game. And she wasn’t playing it.
“It sucks,” she said. “You can leave now.”
Lottie laughed, actually laughed, like Nat was the most interesting thing that happened to her all day. “Wow. Not even a little curiosity about why I’m talking to you?”
Nat rolled her eyes. “I already know why.”
Lottie raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? Enlighten me.”
Nat leaned forward, voice dry. “You think I’m hot, and you like a challenge.”
For the first time, Lottie looked slightly caught off guard. But then her grin widened, slow and impressed. “Humble, too.” She felt like she met her match.
Nat rolled her eyes. “Like I said. You can go.”
But Lottie didn’t move. She rested her chin on her hand, studying Nat with an intensity that made her skin heat. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough.”
Lottie tilted her head. “Yeah? What do you know?”
Nat gave her a once-over. “You’re the kind of girl who thinks everyone wants you. And they probably do. You’ve got the whole ‘star athlete, golden girl, rich and untouchable’ thing going for you. You flirt because you can, not because you mean it. And when someone doesn’t fall at your feet, it pisses you off.”
Lottie’s smirk didn’t waver. “That last part isn’t true.”
Nat arched a brow and scoffed. “Right.”
“Yeah,” Lottie said, voice dropping slightly. “I like it.”
The air between them shifted.
For a second, just a second, Nat let herself take Lottie in fully. The way her lips curved, the way she sat with an easy confidence that made Nat’s stomach twist in a way she didn’t like or even appreciate. She did think Lottie was hot. Definitely her type too. But that was exactly why she needed to shut this down.
She shrugged, looking away. “Good for you.”
Lottie studied her for a moment longer, like she was trying to figure something out. Then, she pushed herself to her feet, adjusting her jacket. “See you around, Just Nat.”
Nat didn’t respond. She just watched as Lottie walked back to her usual crowd, silently checking her out from the back. Next thing she knows, Lottie was already laughing at something someone said, like that entire conversation had just been a little detour in her day.
Nat should’ve been relieved.