The classroom hummed with the restless energy of students reviewing project work. The air was thick with low murmurs and the scraping of chairs, the usual chaos that filled the void when a professor was running late.
Stella leaned toward Michael, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. She told him Tia was completely unprepared, but she carefully omitted the "how" and "why." She didn't want him to see her as the villain of the story—just the messenger. Michael felt a surge of petty satisfaction at the news. He was eager to see Tia fumble when it was their turn to stand before the class. Both he and Stella were convinced their own preparation was flawless, they were certain they wouldn't mess up. They hadn't bothered asking Tia, the group leader, for guidance on the research. They felt they were beyond her help and could handle it better on their own.
Then, Tia walked in. She had chosen her outfit carefully—sharp, stylish clothes that acted as a suit of armor for her confidence. Her eyes scanned the room, landing on Stella and Michael sitting huddled together. She approached them with a slow, deliberate pace. Stella felt a sharp prickle of jealousy. Ever since Tia had overhauled her style, she looked consistently radiant, and that effortless glow infuriated Stella.
"Here comes the 'so-called' group leader," Stella sneered, her voice dripping with disgust.
Michael studied Tia's composure, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. "Are you sure she's unprepared? She doesn't look nervous at all."
"She's just putting on a front," Stella countered. "She's trying to pretend she's okay, but I know she's crushed inside."
Tia rolled her eyes as she reached them. She could feel their stares and knew they were dissecting her, but she stayed focused. The only reason she was sitting with them was because of the looming presentation. As she sat down she was secretly relieved they hadn't mentioned the campus forum post, and she was certain Michael wouldn't talk about the date.
"Are you guys ready?" Tia asked, her tone neutral.
Stella let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "All I know is that one person among us definitely isn't ready," she said, locking eyes with Tia.
"And who do you think that is, between the three of us?" Tia asked calmly.
"I don't think I need to name names. I think that person already knows," Stella replied.
Tia smiled thinly. "Well, if that's the case, I'd advise that person to do something about it before the professor walks in."
The retort caught Stella off guard. Tia wasn't showing a single crack in her armor; she wasn't acting like a girl whose work had been sabotaged. Instead, she seemed entirely unbothered.
"Can I take a look at what you've finished?" Tia asked, finally prompting Michael to speak.
"No, I don't think that's necessary," Michael said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Tia arched an eyebrow. "And why is that?"
Michael adjusted his posture, trying to look firm. "Because I don't want you to ruin mine and Stella's work the way yours was ruined."
"And who told you my work was ruined?" Tia asked.
Michael went silent. He didn't want to admit exactly what Stella had told him. His silence was all the confirmation Tia needed, but she played along, her expression unreadable.
"I'm the group leader," Tia said gently, though her voice had an edge. "It's my responsibility to ensure we've done the right thing. If there's a mistake, we need to solve it before the professor shows up."
"I really don't think you need to worry about us. Ours is perfect; you should be worrying about yourself," Stella snapped. She leaned back with a smirk. "All we're interested in right now is watching our group leader present."
Tia stared at them for a long beat. She could hardly wait to see the look on their faces once she actually started. A small, private smile touched her lips as she imagined herself at the front of the room. She kept her materials tucked away in her bag, refusing to give them the satisfaction of knowing she hadn't come empty-handed.
As the presentations began, Tia watched with the intensity of a hawk. She took meticulous notes, observing what impressed the professor and what earned his disapproval. She mapped out the flow of the room, refining her own strategy in real-time.
Stella leaned over to Michael, giggling. "I hope you aren't actually writing down what they're saying, Tia. In case you didn't notice, their topics have nothing to do with ours."
Tia ignored her. Explaining the concept of 'technique' to someone like Stella was a waste of breath.
Meanwhile, Stella and Michael stayed glued to their phones, completely tuned out. They were so distracted they didn't even realize it was their turn until someone tapped them on the shoulder.
Tia stood up and pulled a stack of papers from her bag, a move that left Stella and Michael blinking in shock. Stella leaned over and whispered to Michael that Tia was probably just bluffing—that the papers were likely blank or unrelated to the project, just a desperate attempt to save face.
Michael went first, handling Section A. He spoke with a misplaced confidence, believing he was doing an excellent job, but the professor's face remained a mask of unimpressed boredom. Because Michael hadn't bothered to watch the previous presentations, he stumbled into every trap the professor disliked. Stella, however, beamed with pride; she assumed that since the professor hadn't interrupted him, Michael was nailing it.
"What is he doing?" Tia whispered to herself. Michael was rambling, missing the core data entirely. If they had let her see the work earlier, she could have fixed these glaring errors, but now she could only watch in dread, fearing they might all fail. Stella's portion was no better, which made sense given she had been the one to "help" Michael with his.
Then, it was Tia's turn.
As she began to speak, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Stella and Michael watched with their mouths literally hanging open. The professor's expression transformed; he leaned forward, nodding slowly with a growing smile. Tia didn't just present; she commanded the room. She explained the complexities of the project with the authority of a seasoned academic. Every sharp question thrown her way was met with a precise, perfect answer. She didn't just do well—she outperformed everyone in the class.
The professor looked at Stella and Michael with a frown before turning back to Tia with a look of pure satisfaction.
"That was amazing, Tia," the professor praised. "As for you, Michael and Stella... your work doesn't even come close to Tia's level. It lacks depth and isn't nearly comprehensive enough. This is disappointing. You were supposed to follow the lead of your group leader."
Michael and Stella stood in a stunned, humiliated silence. They were livid that Tia was once again the center of praise.
The professor looked between the three of them. "To be honest, I was prepared to give this group a D. However, because I am so incredibly impressed with Tia's individual presentation, I'm giving you all an A."
Tia wanted to jump for joy, but she kept her composure. "Thank you, sir," she said professionally. She walked back to her desk, gathered her things, and immediately moved to a different seat. Now that the presentation was over, she was officially done with Michael and Stella.
Even though they had secured the grade, Michael and Stella were stinging from the professor's critique.
"I thought you said Tia was unprepared," Michael hissed at Stella the moment the class was dismissed.
"I know she was. I don't know what happened," Stella said softly.
"Next time, be damn sure before you tell me something like that," Michael snapped.
"I was sure! I personally deleted the file myself!" Stella blurted out, her hand flying to her mouth the second the words left her lips.
Michael froze. "You did what?!"
Seeing the fury in his eyes, Stella's mind went blank. Realizing she couldn't lie her way out of this one, she burst into heavy sobs. The sight of her crying immediately softened Michael's anger, making him feel guilty for raising his voice.
"I was pushed to do it, Michael! Tia spilled coffee on me and then I got mocked on the campus forum... I was just trying to get revenge!" She began to sob louder, burying her face. "I didn't mean for it to go this far!"
Michael sighed and moved to comfort her, pulling her close. Stella hid her face against his shoulder, a small sense of triumph bubbling under her tears. Her crying had worked; she had successfully distracted him from the crime she'd committed.
Across the room, Marcus had been heading over to meet Michael, his friend. But when he saw Stella resting her head on Michael's shoulder, he stopped in his tracks and turned away. He had heard enough of the way Stella spoke about Tia to know her heart wasn't pure. In that moment, he made a silent vow: he would stay far away from Michael as long as he continued to associate with someone like Stella.