Upstream

Part 1

It was the first day of senior year, and Vanessa was busy staring at herself in her bedroom mirror, struggling not to feel a certain sense of awe. 

The girl had nothing to compensate for - she was a fine student and a gifted athlete from a relatively stable home. Had it not been for her looks, she would have had no trouble pursuing an honest path. But that wasn’t something she had to worry about. 

Instead, she spent her free time gossiping, plotting, and taking selfies, intoxicated by the rush that popularity gave her. There was just something about seeing boys lose themselves at the sight of her, about girls bending over backwards for the privilege of being called her friend. And this year, now that she was eighteen and on top of the high school hierarchy, she would settle for no less than the title of queen. But of course, she knew she wouldn’t reach such heights from the comfort of her bed, so she fixed her hair and went on her way. 

Minutes later, she was at the grand double doors of her school’s entrance, arriving perfectly in sync with her two closest partners in crime. On her right came tall, red-headed Cassie, who always had the best gossip to tell. On her left came buxom Amber, the obligatory blonde of their clique, who prided herself as Vanessa’s enforcer. Marching in lock-step, they made their way in, and started down the hallway towards their lockers. 

“Senior year,” Amber said, half-celebrating, “we gonna run this place, V?”

“You know it,” Vanessa replied, without turning her head, “who’s gonna try and stop us?”

“Well, you know Heather,” Cassie chimed in, “who tried to spread those rumors about you last year?” 

“That bitch?” Vanessa was unamused. “Yeah, what’s she up to now?” 

“Well, word is she got together with Jack Kilmer over the summer.”

“What? How’d that happen?” Amber asked, shocked, while casually shoving a wayward freshman out of their path and onto the floor. 

“Who knows?” Cassie shrugged, “probably knew each other through family. But… I thought it might be a good opportunity to send a message.”

Vanessa was already laughing. “Oooh, love it. Jack’s been drooling over me since middle school. He’s on the swim team, too, so I know where to find him - thinking I’ll go pay him a visit Tuesday. Heather’s in band, right?” 

“Yep,” Cassie confirmed, “I think she plays- “

“Excuse me!?” Vanessa’s smile vanished instantly as the clique stopped at once in the hallway. Seated in front of them, in front of their lockers, was a small, slender girl they had never seen before, with a black dress, black headphones, and black hair tied in a long ponytail, reading a thick-looking hardcover book to herself. 

“Well, it looks like someone doesn’t know the rules around here,” Amber began, forcing the girl up by her collar into a standing position. 

“Do we have… do we have a new face I see?” Vanessa asked with her head tilted and brow furrowed, licking her teeth as she scanned the girl up and down. 

“Oh yes we do,” Cassie chimed in glibly, “a transfer, I believe, from… Salem High? Senior, but looks like not a very smart one, huh?”

“Oh, a new troublemaker here.” Vanessa crept closer to the new girl’s, holding a piercing stare until their faces almost touched. “What, did you get kicked out or something?”

The girl in black said nothing, turning away from Vanessa’s gaze and beginning to pack her book away into her backpack. 

“Hey!” Amber shoved the girl to the ground away from the clique’s lockers, causing her to spill her book and the contents of her open bag. “You show some respect to the queen!”