No sooner had Sophie and I toasted to "girl power" than the storm began brewing.
Darby wasn't the type to sit quietly while her throne felt threatened. The next morning, as I walked into the cafeteria, I noticed the usual buzz around Darby was tinged with something sharper—whispers, pointed looks, and the kind of cold stares that made the air feel heavy.
And then I saw her.
Darby was sitting at a table, surrounded by her usual group of admirers, her smile tight and eyes flickering with calculation. She wasn't just annoyed; she was plotting.
The first sign came when Andre arrived to meet me for a study session. Darby's eyes locked onto him like a hawk, and within minutes, she was weaving through the cafeteria crowd, swooping down beside him with a bright, "Hey, Andre! Didn't expect to see you here!"
Andre looked surprised but polite. I felt a pinch of discomfort, but I kept my cool.
Sophie squeezed my hand under the table. "Don't let her rattle you."
But it wasn't just Andre. Over the next few days, Darby seemed to make it her mission to isolate me — spreading subtle rumors, cutting into conversations, even slipping into my classes with a fake innocent smile that felt anything but.
James noticed. I could tell by the way he'd shoot Darby a look that was equal parts irritation and disbelief whenever she pulled one of her stunts.
One afternoon, after a group project meeting, Darby cornered James near the lockers, her voice low but fierce.
"Why do you keep hanging out with her?" she hissed. "You're supposed to be with me."
James's jaw tightened. "I'm friends with Charlotte. If you have a problem with that, it's on you."
I overheard enough to know James was done playing nice. That was the moment something shifted — like he was finally seeing Darby for who she really was, beyond the perfect smile and popularity.
Later, James sought me out. "Hey, Charlotte, don't let her get to you. She's just… insecure."
His words felt like armor. For the first time, I wasn't just a "smart girl" or "second place" in his eyes. I was someone worth defending.
Sophie and I decided it was time to fight fire with fire. We organized a group outing — a mix of friends from the Literature Society, the Science Club, even some classmates I barely knew but who were sick of Darby's games. The invitation went out loud and clear: everyone was welcome except Darby.
The campus was buzzing when Darby heard. I caught her watching us from across the quad, lips pressed tight, eyes burning with rage.
The final straw came when Darby confronted me in front of the group during the outing.
"You think this little clique of yours makes you better than me?" she spat.
I met her gaze, steady and calm.
"No, Darby. But it makes me happier."
James stepped forward, his voice steady. "You need to back off."
Darby's face twisted in fury but something in James's tone made her falter. I realized he wasn't just defending me — he was standing up to her in a way I'd never seen before.
The crowd around us shifted, murmurs rising.
And in that moment, I knew things would never be the same.
Because I wasn't invisible anymore — and Darby's reign was cracking.