casual, watching as Aria made her way closer. Jovi wasn't exactly sure what she expected from her first encounter with the school's queen bee, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be boring.

As Aria neared, her hazel brown eyes landed on Jovi, and she slowed her pace, a perfectly arched eyebrow lifting in what seemed like a mixture of curiosity and disdain. "You must be the new girl," Aria said, her accent crisp and polished.

Jovi flashed a grin, unbothered by the undercurrent of superiority in Aria's tone. "Guilty as charged. Name's Jovi. And you must be... Aria, right? The queen of this little high school kingdom?"

Aria's lips curled into a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "That's one way to put it. I've heard about you already. Apparently, you've been making quite the impression." She glanced briefly over at a few of her friends, who nodded in agreement, though their expressions were more curious than hostile.

Jovi chuckled, crossing her arms. "Good to know I'm making waves. I was worried I might blend in too much. But something tells me that's not really possible around here."

"Definitely not," Aria replied, her tone still cool but edged with something sharper now. "Blake seemed to take a liking to you this morning. That's... interesting. He doesn't usually go for the new girls."

Jovi didn't miss the subtle emphasis on "usually," and she could practically see the gears turning in Aria's head. The girl was clearly used to being the center of attention, and Jovi's sudden arrival must have thrown off her carefully balanced social order. But instead of feeling intimidated, Jovi felt a surge of amusement.

"Oh, Blake?" Jovi shrugged, playing it off like it was no big deal noticing Kats side eye. "We just talked. Nice guy, though. I'm sure you know him better than I do."

Aria's smile tightened. "Blake he's...complicated. Though, he seems to have taken a liking to you"

"Oh? Well I am irresistible, it's all about my wit, charm and impeccable taste in music" Jovi said, her tone light and teasing. Aria's expression remained perfectly composed, though her eyes flashed with something Jovi couldn't quite place. Was it irritation? Amusement? A challenge?

"Just a bit of advice, Jovi," Aria said, leaning in slightly as if she were sharing a secret. "Marshal High can be a complicated place, and not everyone is who they seem. It's easy to get caught up in the wrong crowd, especially when you're new."

Jovi met her gaze head-on, the corner of her mouth twitching up in a smirk. "Appreciate the tip, but I've never been good at following the crowd. I prefer making my own way. Keeps things interesting."

Aria straightened, her cool demeanor back in place. "Interesting. I like that. Well, welcome to Marshall's, Jovi. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other."

"Count on it," Jovi replied, her smile matching Aria's in intensity. As Aria turned to leave, her entourage trailing after her, Jovi watched her go, feeling the tension in the hallway gradually ease as students resumed their conversations.

"Well, that went better than expected," Kat said with a wry smile. "Aria doesn't usually take kindly to newcomers, especially ones who catch Blake's eye or any of the popular boys eyes."

Jovi laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, I got that vibe. But I think I can handle her."

Kat nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Just be careful, Jovi. Aria's not just another pretty face. She's got this place wrapped around her finger, and she's not used to sharing the spotlight."

Jovi glanced down the hallway where Aria had disappeared, a determined glint in her eyes. "I'm not looking to steal the spotlight, Kat. I'm just here to make sure nobody dims mine."

☆

𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒂𝒚 of school, Jovi Winchester pushed open the door to Jody Mills' house, kicking off her boots in the entryway as she dropped her backpack to the floor. Ares and Alex following behind her, the boy instantly going to the living room ready to throw himself onto the couch while Alex followed Jovi towards the familiar scent of something delicious cooking in the kitchen, the scent alone made Jovi immediately feel the tension of the day begin to melt away.

"Hey, guys," Jody's voice called from the kitchen. "Jov, How was your first day?"

Jovi wandered into the kitchen, plopping down onto one of the barstools at the counter. Jody was stirring a pot on the stove, glancing over her shoulder with a warm, curious smile.

"Eventful," Jovi replied, leaning forward on her elbows. "Where do I even start?"

"She killed it" Alex added going into the fridge for a water.

Jody chuckled, turning down the heat on the stove and moving to sit across from her. "That sounds like there's a lot to unpack. Start wherever you want."

"Alright, well, first things first—this school is huge," Jovi said, her hands gesturing widely. "I'm pretty sure I got lost at least twice before I found the cafeteria. But his morning I met Alex's Romeo, which night I add he didn't get offended at my unhinged jokes which was great. And then when we got to the school, and met one of Ares friends Blake."

"Blake, huh?" Jody raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her voice. "And who is Blake?"

Alex smiled knowingly as she exited the room leaving the younger girl to fill Jody in on all the drama. Jovi grinned, her cheeks flushing slightly as she thought back to their encounter. "He's... well, he's definitely something. British, Tall, dark hair, dark eyes. He's got that whole 'mysterious bad boy with a soft side' thing going on. He was nice, made some small talk, and, I don't know, he was just—"

"Charming?" Jody supplied, her smile growing wider.

"Yeah, that's one way to put it," Jovi admitted, her grin turning sheepish. "But Kat—this girl I met—warned me that he's a bit of a player. She said he's got a reputation for breaking hearts and not looking back."

Jody's expression grew more serious. "Sounds like Kat's looking out for you."

"She is," Jovi said, nodding. "Kat's awesome. We hit it off right away. She's got this cool, tough vibe, but she's also really down-to-earth."

"Making friends already, huh? I'm glad to hear it," Jody said, a note of relief in her voice. "And what about classes? Teachers?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Nothing too exciting there. Except the fact our demon of a headmaster put me in most of Ares classes but silver lining — Blake's also in them" Jody smiled eyeing Jovi suggestively which made the girl laugh before continuing "But then there's Aria..." Jovi trailed off, rolling her eyes.

Jody leaned forward, intrigued. "Aria?"

"Yeah, the Queen Bee of Marshal High," Jovi explained with a sigh. "She's this super pretty British girl who walks around like she owns the place. We had a little run-in in the hallway. She gave me the whole 'Welcome to my kingdom' speech, with a side of 'Stay in your lane, new girl.'"

Jody raised an eyebrow, concern flickering in her eyes. "Did she give you a hard time?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Jovi said, shrugging. "She tried to size me up, but I wasn't about to let her intimidate me. It's clear she's used to being the center of attention, and I think Blake talking to me threw her off. But honestly, I'm not worried about her. I've dealt with way scarier things than a high school mean girl."

Jody smiled, pride and affection in her gaze. "You're handling all this really well, Jovi. High school can be tough, even without all the extra stuff you've got going on. But it sounds like you're finding your way."

Jovi sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, I guess I am. It's just... it's weird, you know? Trying to balance the normal stuff with the not-so-normal. But Kat's cool, and even though Blake's probably trouble, I can handle it. And if Aria wants to play games, well... she hasn't met a Winchester before."

Jody reached across the counter, giving Jovi's hand a reassuring squeeze. "You've got this, Jovi. Just remember, if you ever need to talk or blow off some steam, I'm here. And hey, maybe lay low with the troublemakers for a while, okay?"

Jovi grinned, squeezing Jody's hand back. "No promises, but I'll try. Thanks, Jody."

"Anytime, kiddo. Now, how about you set the table? Dinner's almost ready. You know you should give you're dad a call, I'm sure he's waiting to hear about your day"

A frown pulled at Jovi's face thinking of contacting her father, she was still slightly pissed off about him not letting her help with the darkness but it was mainly the way he left her here and drove away without looking back. That had hurt her. "Yeah, maybe" she muttered hopping off the stool, a new sense of ease settling over her as she grabbed the plates from the cupboard. Her first day might have been a rollercoaster, but with Jody's support and her newfound allies, she felt ready to take on whatever tomorrow had in store.

☆

First high school chapter! Hope everyone enjoyed, keep voting and commenting. 🫶🏻