Chapter 5 - Landing on the Gridiron
The pilot cut the engines, and the deafening roar died down to a low, mechanical hum. The cabin door opened fully, and Mara descended the metal stairs with absolute poise. The midday sun caught the lenses of her designer sunglasses, reflecting the stunned faces of two hundred people who suddenly realized that the girl they had invited as their court jester was now flying a private chopper over their heads.
She walked across the manicured turf of the football field—the exact field where Derek used to spike footballs and Selena used to rule homecoming court—with the measured, unhurried stride of an apex predator.
Selena tried to recover first. She forced a bright, brittle smile onto her face, smoothed down her expensive designer dress, and clicked forward on her high heels, pushing past Noah and Jasmine.
“Mara! Oh, my gosh!” Selena shrieked, treating it like a joyous reunion between old sorority sisters. “We couldn't believe you actually made it! When we added you to the chat, we weren't even sure your number was real. Look at you! Is that suit vintage? Or did you finally find a decent job?”
The silence around the canopy was so thick you could hear the distant chirping of crickets. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see how the class loser would shrink back under the queen bee’s spotlight.
Mara stopped three feet away. Slowly, deliberately, she hooked her finger under the bridge of her sunglasses, lowered them down her nose, and looked Selena dead in the eye.
May you like
“Selena,” Mara said, her voice smooth, cool, and carrying effortlessly across the quiet field. “It’s sweet of you to worry. I saw your invite. And honestly? I couldn’t miss the chance to come see how little everyone has grown in ten years.”
Selena’s smile flickered, dying a swift, agonizing death. Derek stepped forward, his face flushing dark red, ready to salvage his pride, but Mara didn’t even give him the floor. She had brought receipts, and she was ready to cash them out.
