By the time the sun rose over New York City the next morning, NYU's campus was alive with energy. Freshmen hurried across Washington Square Park, clutching campus maps and free tote bags from orientation booths. Music blasted from speakers near the student center, and groups of students gathered around food trucks, chatting excitedly.
Lana and Carlyle stood near a cluster of tables set up for Welcome Week activities. The air buzzed with the scent of coffee and warm bagels, and students swarmed from booth to booth, collecting pamphlets about clubs, upcoming events, and student organizations.
"Alright, Carter," Carlyle said, sipping an iced coffee. "What's the plan? Socializing? Or should we see how many free snacks we can collect before they realize we're not signing up for anything?"
Lana laughed. "Let's start with socializing. But snacks are a close second."
They had just started browsing when trouble walked in.
A girl with sleek, honey-blonde hair and perfectly coordinated designer clothes strode through the crowd like she owned the place. People seemed to part for her automatically. Her boyfriend, a tall guy with sharp features and an effortless smirk, walked beside her, an arm draped lazily over her shoulders.
Carlyle groaned under her breath. "Oh, great. That's Bailey, and her boyfriend, Xander. They're basically NYU royalty—if royalty was insufferable."
Lana raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"
Carlyle nodded. "Think Gossip Girl, but with worse personalities."
Before Lana could react, Bailey's sharp eyes landed on her. In an instant, a dazzling smile appeared on her face.
"Well, well," she said, stopping right in front of them. "Fresh meat."
Lana stiffened, but Bailey's tone was warm—almost too warm. She tilted her head, examining Lana like a curious shopper inspecting a new designer bag.
"You must be new here," Bailey said sweetly. "I don't recognize you. What's your name?"
Lana hesitated. Something about the way Bailey was smiling didn't feel right. But still, she answered. "Lana."
Bailey's eyes lit up. "Lana. Cute. Where are you from?"
"Small town in Illinois," Lana replied.
Bailey gasped, touching her chest as if Lana had just confessed to being royalty. "Oh my God, that's adorable," she cooed. "A small-town girl in the big city—so wholesome."
Lana wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult.
Carlyle crossed her arms. "What do you want, Bailey?"
Bailey's lips twitched. "Oh, Carlyle, don't be so defensive." She turned her attention back to Lana. "I was just saying hello to our lovely new classmate. It's important to make friends, you know?"
Xander, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke. "Bailey." His voice was low, calm, like he was reminding her to keep moving.
Bailey pouted but obeyed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Fine, fine. I'll see you around, Lana," she said with a wink. "Welcome to NYU."
And just like that, she strolled away, her heels clicking against the pavement.
Lana exhaled. "What the hell just happened?"
Carlyle sighed. "Bailey happened. She's either sizing you up or planning something. Either way, don't trust her."
Lana watched as Bailey and Xander disappeared into the crowd.
Something told her this wouldn't be their last conversation.