Chapter 8: Games People Play

The bystanders melted away, giving the main characters center stage. The hallway emptied out with practiced high school subtlety.

Through the cracked door, I watched Rachel climb onto Nick’s lap, arms tight around his neck. It was all performance, but the desperation was real.

"Nick, you haven’t been close to me for so long... When she’s done with her college apps, you have to dump her and come back to me."

"I promised you... As long as you help me destroy that bitch, I’ll give myself to you..."

She lifted her chin to kiss him, but Nick turned away. He probably didn’t know why. Maybe the game had changed, and he hadn’t noticed.

A flicker of confusion crossed his face. For a second, I almost felt sorry for him.

Leaning against the wall, I let out a silent laugh. The drama was almost too perfect.