Chapter 5 Unwelcome company

The hum of the diner was almost comforting, a steady blend of clinking plates, chatter, and the hiss of the coffee machine. To Alice, it was the sound of routine the rhythm of her second life after classes. But tonight, even the familiar noise did little to ease the weariness pressing down on her. Her feet ached in her worn sneakers, her apron bore faint coffee stains no matter how often she washed it, and her back screamed for rest.

She shoved a tray across the counter, balancing a plate of sandwiches for a group of freshmen who'd been laughing so loudly she envied their carefree joy. Then she grabbed her order pad, ready to move on to the next table.

"Excuse me"

The voice was crisp, sharp enough to cut. Alice froze. Slowly, she turned and her stomach dropped.

Clarissa.

The same blonde who had slipped her arm through Brian's at school, the girl from the gala . She sat in a booth near the window, posture perfect, chin lifted with effortless arrogance. Two other girls flanked her, both equally polished, their nails gleaming as they tapped against their phones. Clarissa didn't need to say anything to command attention. The way she scanned the diner, lips curled ever so slightly, said it all: she thought the place and the people in it were beneath her.

Alice gripped her order pad tighter, pushing down the flicker of unease in her chest. "Can I get you something?" she asked, polite but clipped.

Clarissa's eyes slid over her with deliberate slowness, taking in the apron, the scuffed shoes, the stray strands of hair that had slipped from Alice's ponytail. Then, with a small, knowing smile, she spoke.

"Yes. I'll have a salad. No dressing. And water. Sparkling, if you have it." Her gaze swept the diner, and then back to Alice. "Though judging by... this place" she gestured vaguely to the cracked vinyl seats and sticky tables "I won't get my hopes up."

Her friends laughed softly, the sound like nails scratching glass.

Alice's cheeks heated, but she forced herself to nod. "I'll see what I can do." She turned quickly, eager to put distance between them before her voice betrayed the sting she felt.

But then

"Clarissa. What a surprise."

The words floated in like a breeze, edged with mischief.

Sophie.

Alice blinked as her best friend slid into the booth opposite Clarissa without so much as a glance for permission. Sophie tossed her designer bag onto the seat beside her and leaned back, her sharp brown eyes locked on Clarissa like she'd been waiting for this moment.

Clarissa's smile faltered. "Sophie. I didn't know you frequented... places like this." Her tone dripped with disdain.

Sophie arched a brow. "Unlike you, I don't get nosebleeds if I breathe the same air as normal people." She reached for the sugar bowl on the table, stirring it into the black coffee Clarissa hadn't touched. Then she glanced up at Alice, flashing her a quick grin. "Hey, babe, don't let Queen Iceberg here get to you. She's allergic to humility."

Alice's lips twitched despite the heat crawling up her neck. Typical Sophie, bold, sharp, and completely unafraid of making enemies.

Clarissa's friends snickered, this time less out of loyalty and more out of nervous amusement. Clarissa's jaw tightened, her cheeks blooming a dangerous pink.

"You've always been a nuisance," Clarissa hissed.

"And you've always been boring," Sophie replied sweetly, propping her chin on her hand. "Some things never change."

The words hung in the air like a spark waiting to ignite. The tension in the booth thickened, pulling Alice in even though she wanted nothing more than to disappear.

Clarissa leaned forward slightly, her tone dropping lower. "Careful, Sophie. Not everyone has the patience for your... theatrics."

"Oh, don't flatter me," Sophie said, her smile dazzling. "I save my theatrics for the stage. This?" She gestured between them. "This is me being generous."

The girls at Clarissa's side shifted uncomfortably, clearly caught between loyalty and the magnetic pull of Sophie's confidence.

Alice cleared her throat softly, stepping in before the clash escalated. "I'll get your order," she murmured, retreating toward the counter.

Her hands trembled as she poured water into a plain glass, no sparkling, obviously. She focused on the task, willing herself not to dwell on Clarissa's words. Don't let her under your skin, she told herself. She doesn't matter.

But the truth was, Clarissa did matter. Not because of who she was, but because she was with Brian.

A hand slipped around her arm, warm and steady. Sophie.

"You okay?" she asked, voice softer now.

Alice nodded quickly. "Yeah. Just... didn't expect that."

Sophie's lips pressed into a thin line. "She thrives on making people feel small. It's her favorite sport." Then her eyes softened, and she gave Alice's arm a squeeze. "But you're not alone, got it? Let her try her games, she's not half as powerful as she thinks."

Alice managed a small smile. Sophie had a way of making the world feel a little less heavy.

Together, they walked back to the booth. Alice set the salad and glass of water down in front of Clarissa without a word. Clarissa raised one perfectly arched brow, tapping a manicured nail against the rim of the plain glass.

"No sparkling?" she asked coolly.

Alice forced a polite smile. "Unfortunately, no."

Clarissa's lips curved in mock sympathy. "Of course not."

Before Alice could respond, Sophie leaned forward, her eyes glinting. "Funny thing, Clarissa, water's still water. Whether it bubbles or not, it won't make you any less bitter."

The girls at the table burst into muffled laughter, quickly stifled when Clarissa shot them a glare sharp enough to cut.

Alice fought back a laugh, biting her lip as she retreated again. Sophie winked at her before turning back to Clarissa, as if daring her to say more.

But Clarissa only lifted her fork delicately, her face a mask of icy composure. She didn't look at Alice again, though the weight of her presence lingered like a shadow.

From the counter, Alice watched them in silence. Her chest was tight, her thoughts tangled. Clarissa's cruelty didn't surprise her, it was the kind of disdain Alice had faced before, from people who thought they were above her. What unsettled her was the reminder that Clarissa wasn't just another entitled girl. She was Brian's fiancée.

And that made the sting sharper than anything Clarissa had said.

Alice sighed, rubbing her temple. Sophie caught her gaze and mouthed, She's nothing.

Alice wanted to believe her. She really did. But as she wiped down the counter, her mind betrayed her, circling back to Brian, his half smile, the way his eyes had lingered on her earlier, and that fleeting moment when it had almost felt like she mattered.

She shook her head quickly, forcing the thought away. It was foolish. Dangerous. Brian Carter was untouchable. And Clarissa was proof of that.

Still, a quiet ache lingered in her chest, one she couldn't quite name.