The Invisible girl
Dina Brooklyn wasn't the kind of girl you noticed. Not in a hallway, not in a crowd,
not even at her own dinner table.
She knew the art of blending in. She'd mastered it over the years pressing herself
into the corners of rooms, ducking behind her brother's perfect smile, wearing
clothes that said I'm normal‖ and not my parents could buy your parents.‖
But high school was supposed to be her reset button.
She checked her reflection in the mirror one last time. White tee, plaid blazer, sleek
dark jeans. Hair straight, eyes clear. Dina looked like someone who had her life
together, not someone who spent the morning watching her dad leave the house in a black Tesla without saying goodbye. Again.
Fifteen. Two weeks from sixteen. This was supposed to be the year everything
changed. And it already had.
Three weeks into freshman year at Crownridge Academy, and she wasn't invisible anymore. People noticed her. Teachers called on her. One kid in Chem even asked for her number. She had a best friend now—Judy Williams, who played the piano like her fingers were plugged into the sky. Judy didn't care about brands or money
or who Dina's family was. She liked Dina for Dina.
Which was rare.
At home, Dina was the shadow. Jonas Brooklyn was the light. Her older brother
floated through life like the rules bent for him. Teachers loved him. Girls
worshipped him. Their mom, Susanna, smiled more when he was in the room even though her eyes still held that cracked-glass sadness ever since she found out about
her husband's other life.
Thomas Brooklyn, the man who built BrookTech Global and broke his family in the
process. He was never around. And when he was, he was texting someone who wasn't
Susanna. Dina tightened the strap on her backpack and headed for the door.
Crownridge Academy sat on a hill that overlooked the city, all steel beams and glass like it had dropped out of the future. The school was new. Sleek. But the kids inside were classic: athletes, nerds, stoners, band geeks, wannabe influencers, and of
course - the Queen Bees.
Tasha Banks ran the hive. She didn't just walk the halls—she owned them. Long
braids, sharp smile, and a mind as ruthless as a storm. Her clique trailed behind
her like satellites:
Brielle Hunt – the brainy one with eyes that missed nothing.
Kyla Reese – the gossip factory.
Nicolette "Nikki" James – fashion-obsessed, petty on command.
Savannah Clarke – sweet to your face, savage behind it.
Raina Xu – quiet but deadly, Tasha's secret weapon.
Dina didn't mess with them. She didn't need that smoke. But that didn't mean they
didn't notice her. Tasha had radar for rising stars, and Dina had started glowing,
even if she didn't mean to.
After first period, Dina met Judy by the lockers.
―Ready for Bio?‖ Judy asked, flipping her braid over one shoulder. Her nails were
painted galaxy blue today. ―I heard Mr. Clarke's gonna dissect the nervous system like his own crime scene. ―I'm more nervous than system,‖ Dina muttered, shutting her locker. ―Also—Tasha
stared at me for, like, six seconds in homeroom. You think she's plotting
something?‖
―Plotting, judging, or jealous. Take your pick,‖ Judy shrugged. ―But don't worry. If
she starts anything, I'll sing her down.‖
Dina laughed. That was the thing about Judy—she could take anything dark and
make it feel like a joke waiting to happen.
They headed into class. But something was already off.
At the front of the room stood a new girl. Tall, angular, with silver rings on every
finger and a gaze like she'd seen too much. Her name was scrawled on the
whiteboard in red marker:
AURI VELL.
―Transfer from the White Coast,‖ Mr. Clarke said. ―Make her feel welcome.‖
Auri didn't smile. She didn't wave. She just walked to the back of the room, sat next
to Dina, and whispered:
―You're not what they think you are.‖
Dina blinked. ―I'm sorry, what?‖
But Auri was already flipping open a notebook filled with sketches of machines
Dina couldn't name. Circles within circles. Symbols she'd never seen before.
Something strange tightened in her chest.
High school was supposed to be the normal chapter of her life.
But something told her it was about to become the most abnormal thing she'd ever experience...