All Hail the Scheming Queen

•••The Day the Geek broke Mr. Perfect•••

Outside Math Class—Janice couldn't believe her luck as she stood hidden in the shadows of the corridor, her phone discreetly recording the conversation between Veronica and Heti about Austin. A devious smile played on her lips as she listened intently, her mind already formulating the perfect plan to use this information to her advantage.

Veronica's voice carried a hint of frustration as she spoke, unaware that her words were being captured by Janice's recording device. She was clearly tired of the rumors circulating about her, especially those concerning her feelings for Austin. Janice's eyes gleamed with excitement; this was the ammunition she needed to finally bring Veronica down a notch.

As the conversation continued, Janice noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized it was Austin himself, standing nearby and listening in on the conversation. Panic briefly flashed across Janice's face, but she quickly ducked further into the shadows, ensuring she remained unseen while still able to hear every word.

Her mind raced with possibilities. This was better than she could have ever hoped for. Austin heard everything Veronica said about him. "Game over, Veronica!" Janice thought grinning to herself.

With evidence of Veronica's true feelings for Austin now in her possession, Janice knew she held the power to manipulate the situation to her advantage. The thrill of the impending chaos filled her with a sense of exhilaration.

As Veronica and Heti's conversation came to an end, Janice discreetly slipped away, her mind already working on the next steps of her plan. She couldn't wait to unleash the rumors she would create using the information she had just obtained. Janice was determined to use this opportunity to cast Veronica in a negative light and secure a victory for herself in the social hierarchy of Orion High.

•••Janice DMs to Celine•••

Janice🧚‍♀️: Hey, Celine?

Celine💕: What's up, Queen? 👸🏼

Janice🧚‍♀️: •••Uploaded File•••

Celine💕: What's this?

Janice🧚‍♀️: Something juicy. 😉

Celine💕: 😈

•••End Convo•••

Now that the new bomb has been dropped, Janice knew exactly where to go next. You see, Janice has been infatuated with Austin since they first crossed paths in freshman year. She knows everything about him - his favorite food, clothing, movies, and even his hangout spots. Over the years, she subtly dropped hints to show her interest without being too overt, all the while trying to maintain an image that she's not overly eager when deep down, she truly is. One advantage of knowing so much about Austin is that she also knows where he goes when he's feeling down; he had confided that information to her in the past - Lucian's Hotel. Skipping school, Janice headed straight there.

•••At Lucian's Hotel•••

As Janice made her way to Lucian's Hotel, her heart raced with anticipation. The thrill of being steps away from Austin, the boy she had been crushing over, was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. She couldn't believe her luck at having the opportunity to be closer to him, especially now that she held the key to potentially changing their dynamic forever.

As she arrived at the elegant hotel, Janice's mind raced with thoughts of how she would approach Austin. She knew she had to play it cool, not to reveal her true intentions too quickly. After all, she had spent years carefully crafting an image of herself as the mysterious girl with a hint of interest in Austin, but never too obvious in his eyes.

Janice's eyes scanned the lobby, searching for any sign of Austin. Her heart skipped a beat when she spotted him sitting alone in a quiet corner, his expression thoughtful and distant. Without hesitation, she made her way over to him, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Hey, Austin," Janice said with a charming smile as she approached him. "Fancy meeting you here. Mind if I join you?"

Austin looked up, a hint of surprise in his eyes at seeing Janice there. "Oh, hey, Janice," he replied, a small smile gracing his lips. "Sure, have a seat."

As Janice settled into the chair across from Austin, she couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at being so close to him.

"My father requested that I meet my uncle here today, but it appears that my uncle has prior commitments, so I may end up meeting him much later," Janice said, skillfully hiding the truth.

"Oh, well, I'm just..." Austin stuttered, clearly upset. He continued, "I'm just taking a breather. I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention to anyone that I'm here," Austin said, his tone filled with sadness.

Of course, Janice knew why Austin was feeling down, and that's exactly why she was there.

"I won't tell anyone; it'll be our little secret," Janice said with a sweet smile. She continued, "Do you want some company? I promise not to pry. Let's just have some fun today." Janice suggested as she signaled a waiter to order some drinks.

Austin agreed to accompany Janice to distract himself from Veronica. They went to a club in Lucian's Hotel and drank until Austin reached his limit. Janice led him to a suite where she took pictures of them together on the same bed. She made it appear as if they had been intimate, although Austin was so incapacitated that hotel staff had to assist Janice in moving him to the suite.

"This is all going to be worth it," Janice said aloud, satisfied that she had finally achieved what she wanted. While Austin was sleeping soundly, she used her makeup to create kiss marks on her neck and other parts of her body, making the scene of them sleeping together appear believable to Austin when he woke up. Janice couldn't help but laugh at her work of sheer genius.

•••Orion High's Web Forums•••

SweetPrincess: New Tea! Have you guys heard of the geek's recording?!

Listless09: Have we?! It's everywhere! The nerve of that woman!

Pizza4Life: I feel bad for Austin, now she's pretending that he's the one into her.

JTP: @Pizza4Life no one would believe that crap.

I♡Coffee: Who does she think she is! I am livid!

The endless stream of nasty messages on the web forum was disheartening.

•••At Veronica's House•••

Veronica lay on her bed, idly scrolling through her phone, her expression shifting from casual to concerned in an instant as she stumbled upon the latest rumors about herself. The recording of her heated words to Austin had spread like wildfire across social media, a situation she never intended or imagined.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Veronica's fingers quickly dialed Zach's number. She needed to find Austin, to set things right before it spiraled out of control. Her heart raced as she waited for Zach to pick up, her mind racing with worry and regret for the unintended hurt she had caused.

"Hey, Veronica?" Zach's voice sounded uncertain over the phone.

"Yeah, it's me. I just wanted to ask if you know where Austin is?" Veronica's voice was tinged with anxiety.

"Oh, well, he messaged me earlier saying he needed a breather and that he'll be back tomorrow," Zach replied casually. Then his tone shifted, taking on a colder edge. "Veronica, I saw the new post on our school's web forum."

"Zach, I... I..." Veronica stuttered, at a loss for words as she struggled to find a way to explain her side of the story.

"I'm sorry if this will be tough to hear, but Austin is a good friend of mine, and I truly believe he's a better person than I am. The things you said about him made me think that maybe you were right," Zach explained. After a brief pause, he added, "Perhaps it's best for both of you to move on from that one date." Zach's words lingered in the air, leaving a weighty silence between them.

Zach broke the silence with a brief, "I gotta go. I'll see you around." With that, he ended the call, leaving Veronica on the line, feeling hurt and unsure of what to do next.

•••The Next Day at Orion High•••

In the hallways of Orion High, students were turning their heads as two figures emerged, hand in hand, drawing curious whispers from onlookers. It was Austin and Janice, finally the King and Queen of Orion High is now officially a couple.

The students parted like the Red Sea as the couple made their way through the crowd, their eyes following the pair with a mix of surprise and envy. Some whispered behind cupped hands, speculating about the sudden closeness between Austin and Janice, while others simply stared in open-mouthed awe at the sight before them.

As they reached the end of the hallway, Austin turned to Janice with a warm smile, squeezing her hand gently as he leaned in to whisper something in her ear. Janice's cheeks flushed pink, and she giggled softly, her eyes sparkling with joy and affection.

In the midst of all this commotion, Veronica's heart shatters as she watches the boy she had grown to like finally decide to let her go.