Chapter 2 CRACKS ON THE BIG PICTURE.

The gym smelled like rubber mats, sweat, and the cheap citrus cleaner the janitors used every morning. The kind of smell that stuck in your throat and reminded you that nothing here was soft or glamorous. Cheer practice wasn't glitter and smiles. It was bruises, strained muscles, and girls fighting for attention.

"Again!"

Coach Marlene's voice sliced through the room like a whistle.

She stood in the center of the gym floor with a clipboard tucked under her arm, her dark afro bouncing slightly every time she moved her head. Her sharp eyes scanned every movement like a hawk watching weak prey.

"Your timing is sloppy," she continued. "You want to cheer for the Ridgewood Wolves, not embarrass them."

Ridgewood High.

The school where Dave Walker ruled like a king no one dared challenge.

I swallowed quietly and tightened my grip on my pom-poms.

Focus, Nina. Just focus.

"Formation!" Coach Marlene clapped loudly.

Pom-poms rustled as the cheerleaders rushed into position.

The polished gym floor reflected the bright overhead lights, and for a second, my reflection stared back at me blonde ponytail tied high, black-and-gold uniform hugging my waist, short pleated skirt brushing the middle of my thighs.

I hated how small I looked in this mirror.

"Five, six, seven, eight!"

We jumped into motion.

Left arm high.

Right arm punch.

Turn.

Kick.

Clap.

The rhythm pounded in my ears as we shouted the chant in perfect timing.

"Wolves! Wolves! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

My muscles burned as we repeated the routine again and again.

Cheerleading looked cute from the stands.

But up close?

It felt like war.

"Stop."

Coach Marlene's command froze everyone instantly.

Her gaze slid slowly across the formation before landing on me.

"Better," she said shortly.

Then she looked toward the back line.

"And Veronica."

A slow pause.

"Fix your attitude."

A soft wave of whispers rippled across the cheerleaders.

Because everyone knew Veronica Hill hated being corrected.

And right now, her perfectly glossed lips curled into a thin smile that wasn't really a smile.

"Of course, Coach," Veronica said sweetly.

But the moment Coach Marlene turned away, Veronica's eyes shifted toward me.

Cold.

Sharp.

Judging.

Her arms folded over her chest as she walked closer, the other girls trailing behind her like loyal shadows.

"Well," Veronica said slowly. "Look who suddenly thinks she belongs here."

Her friends giggled quietly.

I tightened my grip on the pom-poms.

"Did I say something funny?" I asked flatly.

Veronica tilted her head.

"You didn't have to."

Her eyes dropped briefly to my uniform.

"You just showed up."

More giggles.

I kept my face calm.

Inside, though, my chest burned.

Because Veronica Hill didn't just hate me.

She saw me as competition.

And she made sure everyone knew it.

"You know," Veronica continued lazily, "some people join cheerleading because they love the sport."

She stepped closer.

"And some people join because they want attention from the rugby team."

Her friends snorted.

"Especially from the quarterback."

The words hung in the air.

Dave Walker.

Even hearing his name made something tight twist in my stomach.

I forced a dry laugh.

"Trust me," I said calmly. "Dave Walker is the last person I want attention from."

"Really?" Veronica murmured.

Her smile sharpened.

"Because from where I'm standing..."

She leaned closer.

"...you looked pretty comfortable arguing with him yesterday."

My jaw clenched.

Of course.

The hallway fight had already spread across the entire school.

Rumors traveled faster than oxygen at Ridgewood High.

Before I could answer-

The gym doors opened.

And the noise outside suddenly poured in.

Heavy footsteps.

Male voices.

Laughter.

My stomach dropped instantly.

Because I already knew who it was.

The rugby team.

Veronica's friends straightened immediately, whispering excitedly.

"Oh my god..."

"They're here..."

"Dave's here."

The players walked in like they owned the building.

Tall.

Broad.

Confident.

Black and gold practice jerseys stretched across powerful shoulders as they crossed the gym floor.

Six of them.

Six wolves.

But even among them

Dave Walker stood out.

He walked in the center of the group like gravity pulled everything toward him.

His dark hair was messy like he'd run a hand through it too many times. His jaw was sharp enough to cut glass, and the faint shadow of stubble along his chin made him look older than a high school senior.

His sleeves were rolled halfway up his arms.

And the tattoos along his skin moved with every step.

Black ink.

Sharp lines.

Wolf carvings twisting around muscle.

He looked dangerous.

Like the kind of person who didn't break rules.

He broke people.

My heart hated how fast it suddenly started beating.

"Relax," one of his teammates laughed. "It's just cheer practice."

Dave didn't answer.

His hands were shoved deep in his pockets as his eyes slowly scanned the gym.

Then

They landed on me.

My stomach twisted.

He stared for exactly two seconds.

Cold.

Unimpressed.

Then he looked away like I wasn't worth the energy.

A few cheerleaders sighed dramatically.

Veronica flipped her hair immediately, stepping forward like she'd been waiting for this moment all day.

"Hey Dave," she purred.

He didn't respond.

He just grabbed a water bottle from the cooler and took a long drink.

One of the players elbowed him lightly.

"Your fan club is calling."

Dave glanced lazily toward Veronica.

His eyebrow lifted slightly.

"Oh."

One word.

Flat.

Uninterested.

Veronica's smile faltered for half a second.

The rest of the team laughed quietly.

My lips almost twitched.

Serves her right.

But then Dave's eyes shifted back to me.

Slow.

Sharp.

And this time, his gaze lingered.

Like he was studying something he didn't trust.

Something he didn't like.

I looked away first.

Because I refused to give him the satisfaction.

Still

Even without looking at him

I could feel his stare.

Heavy.

Unsettling.

Like a storm cloud waiting to break.

Across the gym floor, whispers started again.

"Is that the girl who fought Dave yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"She's crazy."

"No one talks to him like that."

"Especially not a human."

The word human made something cold crawl up my spine.

Because they weren't wrong.

Most students here didn't know.

But some of us did.

Dave Walker and his five teammates weren't normal boys.

They were wolves.

Real ones.

And something about the way Dave was looking at me right now

Made my instincts scream one terrifying thought.

This rivalry between us?

It was only just beginn

Practice finally ended with the loud echo of Coach Marlene's whistle cutting through the gym.

"That's enough for today!" she called out, clapping her hands once. "Stretch and clear out."

The cheerleaders immediately broke formation, the tight tension in the room dissolving into chatter and laughter. Pom-poms dropped onto the benches, water bottles opened, and sneakers squeaked against the polished floor.

I sat down on the edge of the bench and rubbed the back of my neck.

My muscles ached.

Cheerleading looked pretty from the stands.

But the truth?

It hurt.

"Girl, you did good today."

Tessan Moore dropped beside me, breathless from practice. Her curly dark hair bounced wildly around her shoulders, and she wiped sweat from her forehead with the sleeve of her hoodie.

Tessan had been my best friend since freshman year.

Loud.

Fearless.

And way too obsessed with the rugby team.

Especially one particular player.

Her eyes suddenly widened as she grabed me by my arm.

"Oh my God."

"What?" I muttered tiredly.

"They're still here."

I didn't need to ask who they were.

Across the gym, the rugby team leaned against the wall near the entrance. They were laughing loudly, tossing a ball between them, their presence filling the entire space like a storm cloud.

Six of them.

And right in the center

Dave Walker.

He leaned against the brick wall with one shoulder, arms crossed loosely over his chest.

Relaxed.

Dangerous.

Untouchable.

His teammates joked loudly around him, but Dave barely laughed. Instead, he watched the room with those heavy, unreadable eyes.

Like he was bored.

Like everything here existed beneath him.

Tessan squeezed my arm harder.

"Do you realize Dave Walker is literally standing twenty feet away from us?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Trust me," I muttered, "I noticed."

Her voice dropped into an excited whisper.

"He's the captain of the rugby team."

"I know."

"He's basically the hottest guy in this entire school."

"Debatable."

Tessan gasped dramatically.

"Debatable?! Nina, are you blind?"

"Or maybe I just have taste."

She shook her head in disbelief.

"You literally fought him yesterday."

"And?"

"And you're still alive."

I smirked faintly.

"Disappointing, right?"

Before Tessan could answer

A shadow suddenly fell over us.

"Well, well."

That voice.

Smooth.

Sweet.

Fake.

I didn't even need to look up.

Veronica Hill stood in front of us with her arms folded across her chest. Her perfectly styled hair fell over one shoulder, and her glossy lips curved into a thin smile.

Her entire group of cheerleader friends stood behind her.

Watching.

Judging.

Waiting.

"Practice is over," Veronica said slowly. "You can stop trying so hard now."

Tessan rolled her eyes immediately.

"Oh look," she muttered loudly. "The plastic princess has arrived."

Veronica ignored her.

Her eyes were locked on me.

"You know something interesting?" she said calmly.

I stayed silent.

Veronica leaned slightly closer.

"My boyfriend told me something funny earlier."

My stomach tightened.

I already knew where this was going.

"He said someone's been acting like she belongs here," Veronica continued. "Like she's suddenly important."

Her smile sharpened.

"But the truth?"

She tilted her head.

"You're just a temporary replacement."

Tessan stood up instantly.

"Back off, Veronica."

But Veronica wasn't looking at her.

Her gaze remained fixed on me.

And right then

Another voice cut across the gym.

"Veronica."

My heart dropped.

Because I knew that voice too.

Slowly, I turned my head.

Jason Reed walked toward us from the far side of the gym.

Tall.

Athletic.

The kind of guy teachers loved and girls admired.

My boyfriend.

Or at least

He was supposed to be.

He stopped beside Veronica.

Too close.

Way too close.

Veronica's smile widened slightly.

"Hey, Jason."

The air around us suddenly felt thick.

Uncomfortable.

Tessan looked between them, confusion flashing across her face.

Jason barely glanced at me.

Instead, he looked at Veronica.

"You ready?" he asked.

Ready?

For what?

My chest tightened painfully.

"Ready for what?" I asked quietly.

Jason finally looked at me.

But there was something different in his eyes.

Something distant.

Something cold.

"For the party tonight," he said casually.

Veronica slid her arm through his.

Like it belonged there.

"Oh relax, Nina," she said sweetly. "You're not invited."

A few cheerleaders snickered.

My ears started ringing.

"jason ," I said slowly.

He didn't pull his arm away.

Didn't move.

Didn't even look uncomfortable.

And that was when it hit me.

The crack in the perfect picture.

The thing everyone else probably already knew.

Except me.

"We should go," Jason said to Veronica.

Then he walked away with her.

Just like that.

Leaving me standing there.

Tessan stared after them in disbelief.

"What the hell was that?"

I forced a dry laugh.

"I don't know."

But deep down

I did.

Across the gym, someone chuckled quietly.

I didn't want to look.

But I did anyway.

Dave Walker still leaned against the wall.

Watching.

His eyes met mine from across the room.

Slow.

Sharp.

Knowing.

Like he had already seen this coming.

Like he had already seen me break.

His mouth curved slightly.

Not a smile.

Not kindness.

Something darker.

Something colder.

"Looks like your boyfriend problem just solved itself," one of his teammates muttered beside him.

The group laughed quietly.

Dave didn't.

He just kept staring at me.

Then he pushed away from the wall and walked past us.

As he passed, his voice dropped low enough that only I could hear it.

"Told you," he murmured.

His shoulder brushed mine as he walked by.

"Humans disappoint eventually."

My chest tightened painfully.

Because the worst part?

I wasn't heartbroken yet.

But something told me

I was about to be.