Lisa Chen's heart flutters as Matthias guides her through another dance, his hands steady and warm at her waist. She still can't quite believe he's here with her - this boy who's grown from awkward freshman to something unexpectedly wonderful. The stage lights catch in his blonde waves, turning them almost silver, and his blue eyes sparkle with genuine joy behind wire-rimmed glasses that somehow make him look distinguished rather than nerdy. His suit may not be designer, but it fits him perfectly in all the ways that matter - highlighting the lean strength he's developed from hours of swimming, the quiet confidence that comes from being exactly who he is.

"You're staring," he teases, his smile doing illegal things to her pulse. "Do I have punch on my tie or something?"

"Just appreciating the view," she replies, surprising herself with her boldness. But that's what Matthias does - makes her brave in ways she never expected.

He spins her gently, careful not to step on her dress. "Speaking of views - you look absolutely incredible tonight. Though I think you could probably wear a potato sack and still be the most beautiful girl here."

Lisa laughs, the sound coming straight from her heart. "A potato sack might actually be more comfortable than these heels. Who knew dancing could feel like running a marathon?"

"Want to take a break?" His concern is immediate and genuine. "I could grab us some drinks? I hear Jake Woodland's contribution to the punch bowl is particularly... festive."

"That would be amazing." She squeezes his hand gratefully. "I'll meet you by the bleachers? Give my feet a chance to remember what life was like before torture devices disguised as shoes."

"Don't move," he grins, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek that makes her blush. "I'll be right back with medicinal refreshments."

Lisa watches him weave through the crowd, his movements carrying that particular grace that comes from being completely unselfconscious. Her chest feels full of something warm and wonderful - possibility maybe, or hope. The kind of feeling that makes her think maybe there's life after Riverside's carefully maintained hierarchies.

Her feet protest with every step as she makes her way toward the bleachers, but she barely notices the pain. Because for once, everything feels right. Simple. Real.

"Lisa?"

The voice hits her like a bucket of ice water, turning her blood to frost in her veins. She knows that tone, would recognize it anywhere - Hannah Marshall's particular mix of determination and vulnerability that makes lying to her feel like kicking a puppy.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Hannah's voice carries genuine hurt as she steps into Lisa's path. "You won't answer my texts, you switched lab partners in AP Chem... what's going on?"

Lisa's hands begin to shake as Amber's threats echo in her mind - the carefully captured photo that could destroy everything she's built with Matthias, the promise of consequences that would reach far beyond Riverside's carefully maintained borders.

"Nothing's going on," she says, forcing steel into her voice. "I've just been busy."

"Busy?" Hannah's eyes narrow slightly. "Too busy to return a single text about Megan? About everything we found-"

"Stop." The word explodes from Lisa's chest with more force than intended. "Just stop, okay? There is no 'we.' There's nothing to find because none of it was real."

"What are you talking about?" Hannah takes a step closer, confusion written across her features. "We were there. We saw Megan-"

"I made it up!" Lisa's voice rises despite her best efforts to control it. "All of it. For attention, okay? Because I was pathetic and jealous and wanted to feel important." The lies taste like poison on her tongue. "So just... leave me alone. Go back to your perfect little babysitting job and stop trying to drag me into your desperate need to matter."

She watches the words land like physical blows, sees the moment Hannah's heart breaks behind her eyes. Without another word, Hannah turns and flees toward the exit, her midnight blue dress floating behind her like broken wings.

Lisa's legs give out as she collapses onto the nearest chair. Her hands shake as she yanks off her heels, tears threatening to spill despite her best efforts to maintain control. Because some prices are too high to measure, and some chains are forged not of iron but of carefully captured moments we pray never see light.

"Mind if I join the pity party?"

The voice makes Lisa's blood freeze. Susan Lawrence settles beside her with practiced grace, her emerald silk dress rustling against the chair. The diamonds at her throat catch stage lights as she kicks off her own heels with a sigh of relief.

"These heels are absolutely murdering me," Susan says, massaging her feet. "Though I guess that's the price of being fabulous, right?"

Lisa's fingers dig into her dress, creating tiny constellations of wrinkles in the burgundy fabric. Her mind races with escape routes, but her body remains frozen in place.

"That was quite a performance with Hannah," Susan continues, her voice carrying that particular tone that makes Lisa's stomach turn - sweet as arsenic, sharp as broken crystal. "I have to say, I'm impressed. Didn't think you had it in you."

Lisa stares at her own bare feet, unable to meet Susan's carefully calculating gaze. From the corner of her eye, she catches glimpses of her old world - Amber and Nate swaying together like something from a fairy tale, Jake throwing his head back laughing at something Justin's said, Charlotte and Morris creating their own gravity well of perfect coupledom. The sight makes her chest ache with a complicated mix of longing and relief.

"You know," Susan's voice drops lower, more intimate, "we actually miss having you around. Before... everything." Her perfectly manicured hand gestures vaguely. "You fitted so well with us. Remember that weekend at my lake house? How we stayed up all night planning senior year, trading secrets about boys, dreaming about college?" A soft laugh escapes her. "God, you were the only one who could keep up with Amber's color-coding system for our matching outfits."

"Don't." The word escapes Lisa's throat before she can stop it.

"Going after Nate was stupid," Susan continues as if Lisa hasn't spoken. "Like, monumentally stupid. But honestly? We've all done stupid things for boys. Remember when I drunk-texted Jake that time after Homecoming? Total disaster."

Her hand finds Lisa's back, the touch feeling like frost spreading across skin. "You made two really dumb moves, sweetie. The Nate thing, and then... well." Her voice hardens slightly. "But Amber and I have been talking. What's done is done. Can't change the past, right?"

Lisa's head snaps up, shock coursing through her system. "What?"

"Don't look so surprised." Susan's smile is perfect as a knife's edge. "We're not monsters, Lisa. No one actually enjoys making threats or destroying lives. But we do what we have to do to protect our own. You understand that now, don't you?"

Lisa's mind spins like the crystal snowflakes hanging above them. Because this can't be happening. After everything - the threats, the carefully maintained distance, the weight of secrets pressing against her chest...

"Join us tonight," Susan says, and something in her voice makes Lisa look up sharply. "What happened with Nate? Ancient history. The other stuff?" She waves her hand dismissively. "Better left buried where it belongs. Amber gets it, believe it or not. She knows what it's like to want something so badly you'd do anything."

"But you... you said..." Lisa's voice shakes slightly.

"We said what we had to say to keep everyone safe." Susan's eyes find hers, and for once there's no calculation in them. "That's how it works here. You know that now. Sometimes we have to be cruel to be kind." Her laugh tinkles like expensive wind chimes. "God, that sounds so after-school special, doesn't it? But it's true. We protect our own, even from themselves sometimes."

"Here you go, beautiful."

Matthias's voice breaks through Lisa's spiraling thoughts as he appears with two red cups, his smile warm and genuine in a way that makes her chest ache. He hands her one before settling beside her, his brow furrowing slightly as he studies her face.

"Everything okay?" he asks softly, and suddenly Lisa wants to scream. No, nothing is okay. Nothing has been okay since Hampton Beach, since that photo appeared on Amber's phone, since she had to break Hannah's heart to save herself. She wants to tell him everything - about the carefully maintained lies, about the weight of secrets pressing against her ribs, about how every breath feels like a negotiation between survival and truth.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

But then her eyes drift back to that corner where her old life glitters like captured starlight. She remembers what it felt like to be part of that world - not just the superficial trappings of status, but the doors it opened. The college counselor who suddenly had time for extra meetings, the teachers who smiled more easily at her answers, the way everything seemed possible when you had the right people backing your dreams.

Because that's the truth no one talks about - success isn't just about grades and determination. It's about connections, about having the right people whisper the right words in the right ears. And god, she wants it. Wants that future where her parents' restaurant is just a charming story to tell at cocktail parties rather than a reminder of boundaries she couldn't cross.

"Lisa's absolutely fine," Susan cuts in smoothly, her smile perfect as polished silver. "I don't think we've officially met - I'm Susan Lawrence." She extends her hand with practiced elegance. "I've heard so many wonderful things about you. Your YouTube channel is absolutely brilliant."

Matthias shakes her hand, surprise flickering across his features. "You... watch my content?"

"Are you kidding? That Elden Ring boss guide you posted last week was absolutely insane. My brother wouldn't shut up about it—he says you saved him twenty hours of dying to Malenia." Susan’s laugh follows, warm and confident, like she’s in on every detail of what she just said. But the slight pause before her words and the way she avoids Lisa's eyes make it clear—she has no idea who or what Malenia even is. "Actually, I was just inviting Lisa to join us for some... enhanced refreshments. You're more than welcome too. Jake always brings the good stuff."

Lisa watches Matthias process this invitation, sees the moment he realizes what it means - social currency more valuable than gold in Riverside's carefully maintained hierarchy. His eyes find hers, questioning but not pushing.

Across the transformed gymnasium, Amber catches Lisa's eye. The smile she offers is small but genuine, carrying none of the sharp edges Lisa's come to expect. Just a simple nod, an acknowledgment that maybe some wounds can heal if we let them.

"Come on, sweetie." Susan rises with liquid grace, retrieving Lisa's discarded heels. "Put these torture devices back on and let's show these peasants how it's done."

Something shifts in Lisa's chest as Matthias kneels to help her with her shoes, his touch gentle and grounding. Because maybe this is what growing up means - learning to navigate between worlds without losing yourself completely. Maybe she can have both - Matthias's honest love and the future she dreams of, real connections and strategic alliances.

"There," Matthias says softly as he secures the last strap. "Ready to rejoin society?"

Lisa takes his offered hand, letting him pull her to her feet. Susan's already moving toward the corner where their old world waits, her emerald silk floating around her like expensive mist.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Lisa whispers, and lets Matthias guide her toward a future that feels both terrifying and possible.

Lisa's heart pounds against her ribs as she approaches their carefully curated corner of the gymnasium. The group's energy hits her like a physical force - all designer perfume and practiced charm and carefully maintained alliances.

"Holy shit, Lisa Chen lives!" Justin's voice booms across the space as they approach. He's sprawled in his chair like privilege personified, his bow tie already artfully loosened. "Where've you been hiding? The calc study sessions aren't the same without your explanations."

"Busy," Lisa manages, the word coming out with just the right mix of casual dismissal and social grace. It's like muscle memory - how to speak their language, how to move in their world.

"Whooooo!" Jake raises his cup in an exaggerated toast. "The prodigal daughter returns!" His charm is firmly in place, golden boy swagger on full display. "And she brought fresh blood!"

Charlotte leans forward, her deep blue gown catching light as she moves. "Speaking of fresh blood - who is this absolutely gorgeous specimen you're hiding from us, Lisa?"

Lisa's fingers find Matthias's hand automatically, drawing strength from his steady presence. "Everyone, this is Matthias. Matthias, this is... everyone."

The group's reaction is a masterclass in calculated welcome. Jeff and Morris offer fist bumps while Charlotte and Sarah coo over his "absolutely incredible" bone structure. Jake launches into some story about his own brief YouTube career ("Three subscribers, man - I was basically famous"), making everyone laugh with practiced ease.

Nate approaches them with that easy grace that seems bred into him, offering his hand to Matthias. "Welcome to the circus," he says with a warm smile, before turning to talk with Jake about something involving football practice.

In that moment, Amber appears at Lisa's side. Not with her usual calculated entrance, but almost hesitantly. For a second, Lisa sees past the perfect makeup and designer dress to the girl who used to stay up late at sleepovers, sharing dreams and fears and terrible romantic comedies.

"I miss you," Amber says quietly, her voice perfectly modulated but carrying an undertone Lisa hasn't heard since before Hampton Beach. "What I did with the photo..." She pauses, choosing her words with characteristic precision. "It wasn't about hurting you. You were my first real friend in this place, before all the... complications."

Her eyes meet Lisa's, ice-blue and steady. "I protect what's mine. Maybe too much sometimes. But you knew that about me - you used to understand it." She produces a fresh cup with practiced elegance, though Lisa notices the slight tremor in her perfectly manicured fingers. "We were good together, weren't we? Before everything went sideways."

Lisa nods, not trusting her voice. Her eyes dart to where their phones rest - hers in her small clutch, Amber's in some hidden pocket of that perfect dress. Somewhere in that digital space lives a photo that could destroy everything.

As if reading her mind, Amber produces a fresh cup, the liquid inside clear as promises. "Peace offering," she says, extending it like an olive branch dipped in vodka. "Courtesy of Jake's private stock."

Lisa stares at the cup, her mind racing. Because taking it means something - means trust, means surrender, means believing that the girl who once threatened to destroy her life might actually be offering redemption.

"The picture," she manages, the words barely above a whisper.

Amber's perfect features shift slightly as she bites her lower lip - a tell Lisa remembers from countless study sessions, the only sign that Amber Rosenberg is actually calculating moves rather than just reacting.

"Monday," Amber says finally. "Before first period. Main hallway, by your locker. I'll delete it right in front of you." A pause, heavy with implication. "Fresh start?"

Lisa studies Amber's face - the careful makeup, the practiced smile, the eyes that hold something almost like regret. Then she looks past her to where Matthias stands with Nate, his hands moving animatedly as he explains something about game mechanics. He looks... comfortable. Like maybe he could belong here too.

Slowly, deliberately, Lisa takes the cup from Amber's perfectly manicured fingers.

Amber's smile blooms like expensive flowers, and suddenly she's pulling Lisa into a brief, fierce hug. Her lips brush Lisa's cheek, leaving a perfect impression of MAC Ruby Woo. "Welcome back, bitch," she whispers, the words carrying equal parts threat and affection.

And just like that, Lisa Chen steps back into a world she thought she'd lost forever. The vodka burns sweet across her tongue as she watches Matthias laugh at something Jake says, as Susan loops an arm through hers with practiced casualness, as Charlotte starts planning their next study session like the past few months never happened.

But something has changed. Because this time, Lisa sees the strings that move their carefully constructed puppet show. This time, she understands the price of admission to their glittering world.

And this time, she chooses it anyway.

The vodka turns everything soft around the edges, transforming the winter wonderland into something dreamlike and possible. Lisa watches her worlds collide and merge - Matthias laughing at something Jake whispers in his ear, Sarah teaching Amber the TikTok dance they'd spent countless sleepovers perfecting, Justin and Morris attempting increasingly ridiculous spins with their dates.

It feels surreal, like someone took all the pieces of her life and rearranged them into something better. The careful distance of the past few weeks dissolves with each sip from the perpetually refreshed cups that appear in their hands. Even the memory of Hannah's betrayed face fades under the weight of belonging.

Through the pleasant haze, Lisa notices Amber's fingers dancing across her phone screen, her eyes scanning the transformed gymnasium with increasing frequency. The absence of white tuxedo beside her seems to create its own gravity well.

"Looking for someone?" Lisa asks, surprising herself with her boldness. But that's what vodka does - makes her brave, makes her forget the carefully maintained boundaries that usually govern their world.

Amber's smile is genuine but distracted. "Nate's on a mission. Getting my Nikes. These heels are gorgeous but deadly." She catches Lisa's questioning look. "You're coming to the garden house after, right?" Amber asks casually, scrolling through her phone. "Susan's parents are already in Aspen, so..."

"The glass one in our backyard," Susan chimes in, swaying slightly from the vodka. "Come on, it'll be fun. Small group, good drinks, actual comfortable shoes."

"I don't know if Matthias-"

"Matthias can absolutely come," Susan cuts her off with a wicked grin. "My room's all yours if you need some... private time."

Heat floods Lisa's cheeks. "We haven't even kissed yet."

"WHAT?" Susan's screech draws attention from nearby dancers. She spins around, scanning the crowd until she spots Matthias deep in conversation with Jake. "This is an emergency. This needs to be fixed immediately."

Before Lisa can protest, Susan's dragging Matthias toward them with surprising strength for someone who's had this much vodka. "Dance party!" she declares, creating their own little island in the sea of formal wear.

The music shifts to something slower, more intimate. Susan's hands find Lisa's waist, guiding her closer to Matthias with all the subtlety of a nuclear explosion. Amber joins their circle, her movements carrying that particular grace that makes everything look choreographed.

But Lisa barely notices them anymore. Because Matthias is looking at her like she's something precious, something worth seeing. His hands settle at her waist with careful reverence, and suddenly the rest of the room fades away - all the carefully maintained facades, all the complex alliances, all the weight of secrets and survival.

His eyes catch the ethereal lighting, turning them to liquid gold behind his glasses. One hand leaves her waist to brush a strand of hair from her face, the touch so gentle it makes her chest ache.

"Lisa Chen," he whispers, and her name has never sounded more like poetry.

She rises on her tiptoes (when did she kick off her heels?), her hands finding his shoulders for balance. Time seems to slow, crystallizing into this single perfect moment.

When their lips finally meet, it feels like every cliché she's ever rolled her eyes at - fireworks and shooting stars and possibility distilled into a single touch. His mouth is soft against hers, tasting of spiked punch and promise. His hands tighten at her waist, steadying her as the world spins in lazy circles around them.

Somewhere in the background, Susan whoops in triumph. Amber's laugh carries across the space like expensive wind chimes. But Lisa Chen is floating in a universe that contains only this - Matthias's heartbeat under her palms, his breath mingling with hers, and the sudden certainty that some moments are worth every price we pay to reach them.