Represent Me

Selena's POV

I wasn’t planning to do anything that day.

Honestly, I just wanted to survive.

But the school had other plans. The universe, too. Probably laughing somewhere while tossing chaos at me like glitter.

It started with the assembly. One of those boring, you-don’t-really-need-to-pay-attention ones where everyone scrolls on their phones and whispers dumb stuff under their breath. I was sitting beside Sarah in the third row from the back, chewing on the end of my pen and pretending to listen.

Then the mic squealed and Vice Principal Larson stepped forward with her usual fake cheer.

"This year, as tradition, we’re opening up nominations for the Fall Term School Representative. One boy, one girl. You know the drill. Speeches will happen Friday. Sign-up sheets are posted outside the main office."

People clapped. A few whooped.

I didn’t.

I felt something weird stir in my chest. A little jolt of something stupid. I looked at Sarah, who had already rolled her eyes.

"Let me guess," she whispered. "Cherry already printed out campaign posters."

I laughed. Too hard. And then it hit me.

What if I did it?

I mean, why not? I was already the school’s unofficial freak. The girl who lost her mind over a guy who didn’t even remember her. The werewolf girl. The joke.

Why not make a new name for myself?

So when the bell rang, and the hallway flooded with bodies, I didn’t think. I just walked straight to the front office. My legs moved without asking permission. My lips were tight, and my palms were sweaty, and my stomach twisted the whole way.

The clipboard sat there. Just there. Sitting on a little round table with a half-dried Sharpie tied to it. I stared at it. Then I picked up the pen.

And I wrote my name.

Selena Rivers.

In crooked, shaky letters.

I heard whispers almost instantly. Like magic.

Someone behind me said, "Did she really just—"

Another voice, "She thinks she can win against Cherry?"

My lips snapped tight. I shoved the pen down and walked away fast, heart pounding, like I just set something on fire and left the match behind.

"You did what?" Sarah gasped.

I nodded. "Signed up."

She blinked at me. We were in the courtyard, on the concrete bench under the big tree that shed leaves like it had nothing better to do.

"You know Cherry's going to eat you alive, right? She’s been planning this since, like, kindergarten."

"I know."

"And Caleb?"

"I know."

Sarah stared at me for a second. Then grinned.

"You’ve officially lost it. And I love it."

I laughed. God, it felt good to laugh.

But that high didn’t last long.

At lunch, the world exploded.

We were halfway through eating when Cherry stood up in the middle of the cafeteria. She flipped her hair and clinked a spoon against her soda can like some kind of twisted princess.

"Hey everyone," she sang. "Just wanted to say good luck to all the School Rep nominees! Especially..." Her eyes locked on me. "Selena. I mean, it’s brave. So brave. To run without any friends. Or skills. Or, you know, purpose."

People laughed. Not all. But enough to make my skin itch.

I stood.

My chair scraped loudly. All eyes turned to me.

"Thanks, Cherry," I said, voice calm. Too calm. "It’s sweet of you to care. I know you’re used to being the only name that matters. Must be hard when someone else wants to matter too."

Silence.

Then someone snorted.

Then more laughter. At her this time.

Her face twisted. But she sat down.

Sarah gave me a slow clap. "Iconic."

And just when I thought it couldn’t get more dramatic, Caleb walked over. Right in front of everyone.

"Hey, Selena," he said. "Want to come to the planning room after school? I’ve got notes you might like to see."

I blinked.

"Planning room?"

"Yeah. You’re in the game now. Figured I’d give you a hand."

He smiled. Real. Warm.

I nodded. Heart thudding again.

And out of the corner of my eye—I saw him.

Dominic.

Watching.

Again.

His expression? Not happy. Not casual.

Just tight.

And still.

And I walked out with Caleb anyway.

Dominic's POV

This was not part of the plan.

She was supposed to crumble.

Be humiliated. Stay quiet. Hide.

But no. She signed up. For what? For attention? To mess with me? To play some game I didn’t understand?

I watched her write her name on that damn clipboard like she belonged there.

Like she wasn’t supposed to be ruined.

I followed her all day. Couldn’t help it. I needed to know if she was going to say something. Slip up. Tell someone. Expose me.

But she didn’t.

She just smiled. With Caleb.

Caleb.

I hated him.

He was perfect in that shiny, safe way that made everyone love him. Even his flaws were planned. He made people feel important. And now he was doing that to her.

And she was eating it up.

I saw the way she laughed at his jokes. The way her shoulders relaxed. The way she looked at him like he made sense.

It made me want to throw something.

And Cherry. Don’t even get me started on Cherry.

She clung to me like she was trying to mark territory. She whispered that Selena was trying to copy her. That Selena wanted to embarrass herself. That Selena was pathetic.

She didn’t get it.

Selena wasn’t trying to win.

She was trying to fight.

I saw it in her eyes. That fire. That hurt she wouldn’t say out loud.

And then I saw them.

Leaving the cafeteria. Together.

Caleb with his confident stride. Selena walking next to him, too close.

And I felt something snap.

She was ruining everything.

And somehow… I didn’t want her to stop.