...
đ¤ The Concert: Starfire Arena, 7:56 PM
Nova had never seen that many flashing lights in her life.
The Starfire Arena was packed â bodies swaying, phones raised, the air electric with pre-show tension. The scent of popcorn, soda, and overcharged excitement danced in the air. The LED screen read:
"JAM KITTY LIVE â The Midnight Dreams Tour"
Caleb handed Nova her ticket stub back. "Told you we'd get here in time."
"I still can't believe we're here," Nova murmured, not entirely sure whether she meant the concert â or the fact that she had come.
She wasn't here as a fan. Not really.
She was here as a future best friend, doing a little research on friendship.
The lights cut. Screams erupted. Smoke flooded the stage. Then came a single spotlight and the unmistakable glitter of a rhinestone-studded mic. The silhouette stepped forward.
Kalaya â a.k.a Jam Kitty â was dressed in a red cropped jacket, a holographic skirt, and platform boots that sparkled like they had their own spotlight.
"HELLO, EAST BROOKE!" she shouted, her voice crisp, confident, and dripping charisma.
The crowd exploded.
Her set began with:
"Electric Crown" â an upbeat anthem about being young, bold, and untouchable.
"Love Me Never" â the viral hit that shot her into stardom. The whole crowd sang along.
"Midnight Candy" â a slower, dreamy number full of synth-pop swirls and lyrics about chasing fame and feeling empty.
"CTRL+Me" â a hard-hitting, attitude-packed bop with lines like "You can scroll, but you can't delete me."
Midway through the set, Nova leaned into Caleb and shouted, "Is this always what her shows are like?!"
Caleb grinned, "This is her toned-down version."
Jam Kitty flipped her hair mid-spin and winked at the front row. "You know what I love more than music?" she said into the mic. "Dreamers. Anyone here chasing a dream tonight?"
Nova's heart jumped a little.
She's not just an influencer⌠she's a performer. A real one.
Then came the final song.
"Solo Galaxy" â a new release, soft but edgy, about standing alone in a world of fake love and filters. A single verse hit Nova like a train:
"They liked the glitter, not the girl / Now I light up my own world."
Nova clutched her notebook tighter in her jacket.
This girl wasn't just viral. She was dangerous â the kind of presence that made the world bend to her spotlight.
She couldn't wait to get closer.
---
đ§ The Next Day â East Brooke High, Cafeteria
"So, tell me again," Jade said, stabbing her fries. "You stayed home with the flu, but your voice memo last night didn't sound sick."
Nova choked on her orange juice. "I was sick. I was just⌠getting better?"
Kiara raised a brow. "You sent us a playlist at 10 PM."
Nova fumbled. "You know how recovery works. Music heals."
Tessa rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Jam Kitty is transferring to our school. Not today, but, like, next week or something."
"Why would a full-blown celebrity come to East Brooke?" Jade asked.
"Rumor is she wants to try 'normal school life' for inspiration," Kiara said with jazz hands. "So deep."
Nova rolled her eyes harder than ever. "Of course she gets to do normal school as a main character. While I've been posting videos from my bedroom for years."
Kiara tried to comfort her. "NovaâŚ"
"No, seriously! I've posted over seventy-seven videos. SEVENTY-SEVEN. She makes one song, gets famous. Joins TikTok late and already has what â like three million followers?"
"Four, actually," Tessa said. "Her latest post hit five million views overnight."
Nova groaned. "This app is rigged. Life is rigged."
Jade, the ever-researcher, tilted her head. "Actually, she started as a YouTuber with our much followers until her hit song. Love Me Never was her breakout â remember that sad piano-ballad with the glitter tears?"
"Ohhh," Kiara blinked. "I thought that was Halsey."
Nova scoffed. "Perfect. So perfect. Just late to the platform, with a celeb boost."
She groaned, " I swear, if I hear any of you praise her again, I'm gonna lose my mind".
Kiara grinned as she whispered to Tessa, " And well be there to fix the loose screws".
Just as Nova was about to continue her rant, a hush fell over the cafeteria.
High heels. Loud ones. Clicking across tile like the entrance of a movie villainess.
Eleanor Marrington â school queen, grade-A snob, and president of the Glitter Mafia â walked in with two matching minions. She had blonde beach curls, a mini Birkin, and an aura of certified cruelty.
"Speak of the devil," Jade muttered.
Eleanor's gaze locked on Nova's table. She marched right over.
"Well, well, if it isn't East Brooke's own Fame Failure Club." Her voice oozed sugar and venom.
Nova blinked. "We were just having lunch, Eleanor. You can sit somewhere else."
"Oh, I'm good standing," Eleanor smiled. "I just came to say⌠when Kalaya arrives, you might want to tone it down. We all know how thirsty you get when real fame is in the room."
Nova sat up straighter. "Excuse me?"
Kiara leaned forward. "Back off, Eleanor."
Eleanor waved her perfectly polished nails. "Oh please. I'm just trying to protect Kalaya from future embarrassments."
Nova narrowed her eyes. "Like you?"
A few students gasped. Eleanor's smirk faltered for a moment. " The nerve," she thought.
"She doesn't need you clout-chasing her around like a lost puppy," Eleanor added. "Some of us are actual fans."
Nova stood. Not trembling. Not angry. Just ready.
"She hasn't even gotten here yet and you're already pretending she's your BFF," Nova said coldly. "Should I order the matching necklaces now or wait till you fake cry in front of her?"
Eleanor's jaw clenched.
The bell rang. A loud, ugly thing that broke the tension but didn't fix the rage. Nova didn't wait for Eleanor's stupid reply as she picked up her bags and began walking away to class. The others quickly followed.
As they filed out, Jade whispered, "You really did not have to spice up the fight with insults, you know."
Nova grinned. "Why? I'm just getting started."
---
It was homeroom time. Not that Nova hated it, she just disliked the people in it. Especially now. Homeroom meant she would have to directly receive Eleanor's stupid glared with no space to avoid them.
And then there was Ryan who constantly looked like he would snap her head if she came anywhere close to him, not like she would ever. But dude, give her a break.
The teacher, Miss Melanie, entered into the classroom and dropped her things on her desk. Wiping the board, she greeted the students, " Good morning, class".
Only a few of the good students responded back while the others were either half asleep or staring into space. Nova fell into the latter category as she stared at her notebook with intensity.
On it were different scribblings and thought bubbles. If one were to pick it up, they wouldn't understand a thing. But not Nova. This was what she called planning.
Miss Melanie came to stand in front of the class with a huge smile. With her hands behind her back, she said, " Everyone, welcome to homeroom. Today we have a new student".
This got some of the other student's attention as they turned to look at the door, some with hopes of it being a particular person. The others simply didn't bother as they had heard that the person won't be coming till next week.
But this information didn't stop some from hoping. Some looked at Miss Melanie in anticipation as they waited to hear and see who the person was.
Miss Melanie clapped her hands together as she said, " Everyone, please welcome...Miss...."
"....Kalaya Summers!"