Chapter 5: "Cafeteria Royalty"
> Narrated by Nova Lane
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I thought I was ready. I mean, I spent the whole morning rehearsing what I'd say if Kalaya looked my way. I thought I had it figured out — the smile that says "I'm cool but not desperate," the voice tone that's breezy but magnetic. The walk that's confident but not too much.
But as we made our way to the lunchroom, something twisted in my stomach.
It wasn't fear.
It was adrenaline.
I looked over at our table, at Kiara. She was fixing her lip gloss in her phone camera, like we weren't about to walk into a royal court of teenage politics. Jade adjusted her glasses, unfazed as usual. Tessa was humming a K-pop song under her breath like she was in her own world. And me?
I was about to enter battle.
Kalaya Somers — Jam Kitty herself — was here, standing right next to me.
Talking to me.
And somehow, I just felt I needed more.
The cafeteria doors swung open like gates to a stage. All eyes moved to look at the person beside me. There she was. Kalaya, in black denim and a cropped varsity jacket, looking as amazing as ever. Her presence ate up the room. You didn't just see her — you felt her.
I led Kalaya to the counter to order and patiently answered all her questions about the food here. It seemed she really had never been to a highschool before.
After getting out food, I led Kalaya to our usual spot by the window. Not too far, not too close. Strategic.
I caught Kiara giving me a weird look as Jam Kitty pulled up a chair next to me. What was her problem?
.....
Narrator's POV
Kiara squinted her eyes as she stared at Jam Kitty and Nova. Jam Kitty seemed a bit nervous to be around them but the only person she seemed comfortable with was Nova.
It was sickening. Did Nova become a snake overnight? Kiara's mind moved back to yesterday when Nova whined about how unfair this was. How Jam Kitty skyrocketed overnight while others who had worked their butts off over the years were still in thesame position.
But now, here she was cozying up to Jam Kitty. 'What the heck?' Kiara whispered. That's when Jade leaned over and whispered:
"I thought she didn't even like Jam Kitty?"
Kiara just shrugged and whispered back:
"Let's hope it's not what I think it is."
....
NOVA POV
I ignored them both.
I told myself I wasn't going to chase fame.
But what if this wasn't chasing?
What if this was… aligning?
Then came the moment I didn't expect.
Kalaya's eyes scanned the table. She looked over at Kiara who typed away on her phone. Then at Jade who gave her a warm smile.
Jade offered her hand and said, "Hi, I'm Jade. Nice to finally meet you Jam Kitty". Kalaya chuckled as she responded "Thanks, but you can call me Kalaya, Kalaya Summers".
Jade nodded and they shook hands. She then introduced the others and each did the same. When the introductions were done, Kiara asked, " So, Kalaya, how do you know Nova? Im just super curious".
Kalaya smiled as she explained that they met in homeroom. "I think she's the first friend I've made here. And now, I have you guys. We are friends, right?"
Kiara laughed at her sentence as she responded, "Of course. BFFs". Kalaya grinned and then chuckled. The group then moved on to talk about other things and the talks as going smoothly.
But just then, Eleanor — the self-declared Queen of East Brooke High — stood up from her group's table. I swear she strutted like she was on a catwalk.
And guess where she was headed?
Straight. To. Me.
She stopped right in front of our table, her acrylics tapping against her hydro flask like a warning bell.
> "Nova Lane," she sang, voice laced with venom. "Didn't know you were a Jam Kitty fan. Thought you were more into knock-off influencers and daydreams."
Tessa stiffened. Jade narrowed her eyes. Kiara mouthed, "Here we go."
I smiled — just enough.
"Didn't know you knew my name, Eleanor," I said sweetly. "I guess I'm more relevant than I thought."
That caught her off guard for a second. But she wasn't done.
"Let me guess… You're planning to be besties with Kalaya now? How cute."
I leaned back in my seat, calm. Collected.
"I don't chase people, Eleanor. I attract them."
Kiara choked on her juice. Tessa gasped. Even Jade cracked a small grin.
But what baffled me the most was Kalaya. She didn't speak even though the conversation, that was about to turn into an argument, was about her.
She simply sat in her seat as she observed. Chin rested on her palm. Curious.
Eleanor tried to recover with a fake laugh and tossed her hair.
"Right. Just don't embarrass yourself."
She walked off, but the tension stayed like smoke after a flame.
My heart was thudding like a drum line, but I didn't let it show.
Not to her.
Not to anyone.
Because that wasn't just a clapback.
That was my opening move.
It was at this moment that Kalaya laughed out loud, loud enough for Eleanor and everyone else to hear her. She kept on laughing and laughed until there were tears in her eyes.
She then stopped laughing as she wiped the corner of her eyes. She turned to me as she said, "So, what, she's like the mean, narcissistic, self absorbed, bimbo who thinks she rules the school?"
Kiara chuckled and added, "People can dream, you know". Kalaya let out another laugh and so did the others.
Eleanor, who was a few feet away, couldn't help but turn red at Kalaya's comment. She turned red, not out of anger, but out of embarrassment because her goddess just insulted her.
I think she got the message that she made a bad impression because she scurried away from there as fast as a rat who just got released from a trap.
---
That night, I stared at the ceiling, my mind replaying Eleanor's face when I clapped back. That one moment. That spark. It was small, but it was mine.
My phone buzzed beside me.
I ignored it at first. Probably Kiara sending reels or Tessa talking about another K-drama.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Buzz.
I turned it over.
> Instagram DM – @JamKittyOfficial
Kalaya Summers has sent you a message.
I blinked.
Sat up.
Heart hammering.
I tapped it open with trembling fingers.
> Kalaya: "You handled Eleanor well today. 😏"
Kalaya: "I hate people who think they're above others."
Kalaya: "You put her in her place".
Kalaya: "I'm free tomorrow, wanna hang out?"
I stared at the screen, mouth slightly open.
Was this real?
I refreshed. Still there. Still blue ticks.
She messaged me.
Not Eleanor. Not one of her other perfect people.
Me.
And suddenly, all those hours I spent imagining this moment…
They didn't compare to the real thing.
This wasn't a dream.
This was my beginning. This was the beginning of my path to stardom. My path to fame.
My path to my destiny.
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