Chapter 1: Love Letters and Villains
When I handed Carter Hayes a love letter for the third time—yeah, the third time—on behalf of some girl who swore up and down she was from another world, he finally snapped. I mean, he really lost it.
He slammed his palm on his desk, making his pencils clatter and bounce, and gave me that sharp, piercing blue-eyed look only Carter could pull off. I tried to play it cool, keeping my voice breezy—like maybe if I acted chill, he’d calm down too. “You can’t fight fate, you know. Sometimes stuff just happens, and you gotta roll with it.”
He let out this exasperated, half-laugh and stared right at me. “Seriously, you really can’t tell who I like?”
Me: …
Dude, wake up. I’m just the villain in your story! (No joke, that’s my role.)
About a week ago, Lauren Medina—the girl from the next homeroom—tracked me down and blurted out that she was a ‘transmigrator.’ Like, from another world or something. I just stared at her, because honestly?
I started counting on my fingers—she was already the fourth one this month. Four! I mean, is there a sign on my forehead that says “Talk to me about your alternate reality problems”?
So, totally unfazed, I propped my chin on my hand and let out this dramatic sigh. “Guess it’s the season for weird transfer students, huh?”
Lauren’s reason for finding me? She just dove right in with it.
She said, “Maybe it’s because the original ending was so bad and people complained too much.”
I’ll admit, that got my attention. But Lauren? She clammed up after that—wouldn’t spill anything else.
That is, until just now. She tracked me down again, all determined.
“Savannah Price, can you help me deliver a love letter to Carter Hayes?” she asked, eyes big and hopeful.
She sweetened the deal, “In exchange, I’ll tell you how the story really ends. Deal?”
I blinked at her, totally thrown off. “Why me?”
Lauren practically shouted, “Because you’re the Price family’s golden girl—the legendary mean-girl side character, Savannah Price!” She even did finger quotes around ‘mean-girl side character.’
I nearly spit out my Coke. “Me? The mean-girl villain? You’ve gotta be kidding.” I had to swallow hard to keep from choking.
But Lauren was already off on her own tangent, rambling like she was the only one in the room.
“I know you live with Carter Hayes. Your relationship is… let’s just say, not exactly normal.”
I wanted to protest, to tell her she had it all wrong, but… she wasn’t exactly off the mark.
“You’ve bullied him since you were kids.”
I rolled my eyes. Oh, please. I swear, I’ve never bullied Carter Hayes.
But, to be fair, Carter was adorable as a kid—seriously, he looked like a little angel. Okay, yes, I did force him to wear a tutu for Halloween once. But does that really count?
“You don’t let him talk to you at school.”
I threw my hands up (mentally, at least). I’m being set up here! Carter’s the one who’s always stone-faced and dodging me!
“And in the future, when the main girl shows up…”
Lauren let her words hang in the air, trailing off like she was about to drop a bomb.
My chest tightened, nerves jangling. “And then? What happens?”
She just grinned, waving the love letter in my face, all playful. “Want to know? Help me out.”
I snatched the letter from her, maybe a little too quick. “It’s just a letter—no big deal. I’ll deliver it right now, watch me!”
Between classes, I spotted Carter Hayes totally crashed out at his desk, half his face hidden in the shadows where the sun couldn’t reach. Long lashes, straight nose, sharp jaw—he looked like he’d stepped straight out of a teen drama.
Clutching the letter, I walked over. Leaned down, and saw the faint blue veins beneath his pale skin. It was weirdly attractive. Like, unexpectedly hot.
“Carter,” I said, my voice catching just a little.
He lifted his head, confusion flickering across his face, then surprise, and then—just like that—his expression went unreadable again, all cool and distant.
This was the first time I’d ever actually talked to him at school. Ever.
Before he could get a word out, I shoved the letter into his hand. “Here. This is for you.”
“For me?” he said, turning the letter over in his hands, his voice soft. Something flashed in his eyes—maybe it was just the sunlight, but it felt like something more.