"Tiffany, oh gosh, I'm freaking out right now! I don't know what to wear!"
"For the hundredth time, Melly, wear anything you see in there and stop panicking. You're going to school, not a fashion show."
"Really Tiffany? How can you even say such a thing?!" Melanie groaned.
She stood in front of her closet, clothes flying in every direction as she rummaged through them.
Tiffany, who was comfortably sitting on Melanie's bed, barely looked up. She blew a bubble with her gum, popped it as she filed her nails.
"Melly, stop whining like a child and just wear—" she started, but was cut off when a dress flew at her face. She froze, holding the dress mid-air with a glare.
"Melly, could you at least try not to—"
"Tiffany, should I wear this?" Melanie interrupted, holding up two options: a baggy sweater and fitted jeans in one hand, and a long-sleeved crop top with baggy jeans in the other.
"Melly, could you please wear any cloth you find in there? You're not walking the runway, and you're definitely not auditioning for America's Next Top Model," Tiffany said, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, shut up Tiffany. It's my first day, and I want to make a good impression," Melanie said, looking thoughtful as she weighed a blue flowing dress with a matching scarf in one hand, and a black leather jacket with ripped jeans in the other. "So which one looks better?"
Tiffany didn't look up from her nails. "The leather jacket and ripped jeans. End of story."
Melanie frowned down at the outfit. "But that makes me look like some badass girl… which I'm not. You get what I mean?"
"Fine, wear the blue dress then."
Melanie eyed the blue dress. "Hmmm, but this cloth looks kinda odd to me, doesn't it?"
Tiffany finally dropped her nail file on her lap and shot her a look.
"Melanie, you're wasting my time. I have better things to do than listen to your Oscar-worthy drama about which outfit screams I'm fabulous. Just wear any cloth. We need to get to class early."
Meanie pouted. "Easy for you to say. Anything you wear, people fall head over heels for you," she huffed.
A slow smile crept onto Tiffany's lips as she twirled a lock of her hair.
"Well, you can't blame me. What do you expect from a famous model? I'm just blessed with the beauty and fashion, baby girl," she said.
Melanie rolled her eyes. She was about to respond when the door creaked open. One of Melanie's roommates walked in, eyes glued to her phone and thumbs flying across her screen.
Tiffany barely glanced up, still focused on her nails. Melanie, however, offered a tentative smile.
"Good morning," she greeted brightly.
But she got no response. The girl simply grabbed her notebook from her bed and walked out, closing the door behind her.
Melanie and Tiffany exchanged a look.
"Geez, if I were you, I wouldn't bother next time. That girl's an asshole," Tiffany said.
"Don't say that, Tiffany. Maybe the girl was just… probably lost in thought, I guess," Melanie said. She gave a small shrug, dismissing the topic as she turned back to her closet. "Hmm, I think I'll wear this."
After a moment of scanning her clothes, she finally pulled out a grey hoodie and a pair of loose-fitting jeans.
Tiffany whispered, "Hallelujah," and looked heavenward in mock relief.
Melanie glanced at her side of the room, a battlefield of clothes, even her bed was covered in fabric. She sighed wearily.
"You might want to start cleaning, babe," Tiffany teased with a grin.
Melanie shot her a glare but started folding her clothes anyway. Within minutes, her space was tidy again.
She slipped into her chosen outfit and tied her hair into a loose ponytail. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she pulled out a small makeup pouch from her drawer.
Her makeup was light, just a touch of concealer over the freckles that scattered across her nose. When they were hidden, she did a quick once-over with her compact mirror.
She looked effortlessly pretty, as always—soft hazel eyes behind her glasses, a tiny silver stud glinting on her nose, and lips curved in a faint, hopeful smile.
"You look adorable. Like, nerdy hot," Tiffany said, smiling.
Melanie blushed, smiling shyly. "That's… good, right?"
"Trust me, baby girl. Guys eat that up."
Melanie laughed, shaking her head. "You're impossible."
"Damn right," Tiffany grinned, heading for the door. "Come on, let's go."
Melanie slung her tote bag over her shoulder and grabbed her books, clutching them to her chest. Moments later, the sisters stepped out of the room and into the bustling hallway.
Students hurried past, heels clicking, voices echoing. The air buzzed with life.
Seeing so many girls moving to and fro made Melanie's stomach twist with nerves. Her hand gripped the strap of her bag a little harder.
Tiffany, however, walked with effortless confidence. Her red heels clicked against the marble floor in a steady rhythm, and her pink Chanel handbag hung elegantly from her elbow. She had that radiant, put-together look that turned heads, her smile bright, her chin lifted high.
Melanie often wished she could be like her sister: brave, fearless, so sure of herself. Tiffany was everything she wasn't. She carried confidence like perfume. And Melanie? Just anxious, nervous, shy. Confident? Not a chance.
As they walked, Tiffany greeted girls passing by with her usual flair.
"Hey Zoey! I love your shoes," Tiffany called out.
Zoey turned, her face lit up. "Thanks, Tiff! You coming for tonight's party?"
"Duh, of course I'm coming! I can't believe you'd even ask that, Zoey," Tiffany laughed, tossing her hair back. "You know I never miss a party."
Zoey chuckled and said, "True. The Tiffany I know would rather die than miss one. See you tonight!" She waved before disappearing into the crowd.
In every greeting, no one noticed Melanie. No one asked who she was. It was as if she was invisible.
Not that it surprised her.
Whenever she was with Tiffany, people's eyes naturally went to her sister. She was flawless, and damn beautiful. It didn't really bother Melanie anymore. The feeling of being invisible had almost become… normal.
Melanie followed silently beside her sister, lost in thought, until her phone buzzed with a notification. Her heart jumped with a spark of hope. She quickly checked it, only for that hope to crumble when she saw the message wasn't from who she expected.
Just a random text. Not him.
Her shoulders slumped. "Noah still hasn't replied to my messages," she muttered, opening their chat. The unread texts stared back at her.
Since arriving at Crestmoor Academy, she had sent him plenty of messages, texts, calls, even voice notes. But there was nothing. No reply, no read receipts, just silence.
Her chest tightened with a mix of sadness and confusion.
"Tiffany?" she said quietly.
"Hmm?" Tiffany turned, her confident stride slowing as she glanced at her sister.
"Noah hasn't answered my messages. Or my calls. Or my voicemails." Melanie's voice wavered as she stared at her phone screen. "I feel like he's just… ignoring me or something."
"Has he even read them?" Tiffany asked.
Melanie sighed. "No. Not really."
"Well then, maybe he's just busy," Tiffany said, her tone soft. "Give him some time, Melly. Stop being so worried. He's not ghosting you, promise."
Melanie bit her lip. "And what if he doesn't reply, Tiffany?"
"Melly," Tiffany teased lightly, bumping her sister's shoulder, "He will. Your dah-ling boyfriend is the captain of the basketball team. The guy's probably buried in drills, balls, and sweat right now. So chill babe."
That earned a small laugh from Melanie, the tension easing from her shoulders.
Tiffany smiled, satisfied. "See? There's my sister again." She looped her arm around Melanie's shoulders as they turned the corner. "Now, no overthinking, okay? Don't go writing breakup speeches in your head yet."
Melanie giggled. "Okay, fine."
"Good," Tiffany said, smirking. "Now, let's grab something to eat before you start texting him again just to check if he's seen your messages."
Melanie rolled her eyes, smiling. "You're annoying."
"And fabulous. Don't forget that part," Tiffany grinned as the two sisters stepped out of the building.
Outside, rain greeted them immediately. The sky had turned pitch grey, heavy clouds pressing low as the sound of pouring rain filled the air. It fell hard and relentlessly, drenching the ground within seconds.
Tiffany pulled out her umbrella, and they both stepped into the rain, heading toward a building.
Melanie casually stared at the mighty structure they were walking to when Tiffany said, "That's Block C, Melly. You see that building over there?" She gestured to another building at the far end.
At first, Melanie couldn't spot it, but moments later her eyes locked onto it. She nodded faintly.
"Okay. That's the boys' dormitory. So if you want to see Noah, you can go there. His room number is 101. Don't get lost, baby girl. Just ask for directions, okay?" Tiffany said, and Melanie nodded, but her brows furrowed almost immediately.
"Tiffany, isn't that against the school's rules? Like... it isn't right for a girl to just go into the boys' dormitory. That's the boys' dormitory," she said innocently.
Tiffany burst into loud laughter, the kind that made it hard to catch her breath. It took a moment before she calmed down, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. Melanie's brows knitted even tighter.
"Melly, there's a lot for you to learn. The students here don't go by the rules. We break them, baby. Just sneak in and make sure no one finds you," Tiffany smiled.
Melanie sighed. Indeed, there was a lot for her to discover about college and its dirty rules. Still, Tiffany continued to show her around the campus.
When they finally reached Block C, they stepped inside.
"Melly, I can't wait to show you my friends. Gosh, you'll love them, trust me," Tiffany chatted as they turned a corner.
"I hope so," Melanie murmured with a faint smile.
They entered the dining hall and grabbed trays. Tiffany took a plate of salad and a bottle of diet milk, placing them neatly on her tray. Melanie stared at what she chose and rolled her eyes. She knew Tiffany. She wasn't the foody type like her. Tiffany lived by one rule: slender body, no fatty foods.
Melanie, however, piled her favourite meals onto her tray—crispy french fries, grilled chicken with ketchup, and chilled yoghurt.
"Melly, you should be lucky you have me here. You're hanging out with my friends," Tiffany bragged proudly as they walked. "Do you know what that means? Me and my friends are called the Savage Barbies of Crestmoor Academy. The most popular girl group in this school. Actually, we gave ourselves that name. Doesn't it sound awesome? We even won a prize for being the most popular girl group."
Melanie looked amused. "Wow. That's surprising. You and your friends are seriously called the Savage Barbies?"
"Of course, babe. Hanging out with the Savage Barbies is priceless. So be grateful you have me here," Tiffany winked playfully.
Melanie rolled her eyes, suppressing a smile, as she followed behind.
They approached a table filled with perfectly styled girls.
"Hey girls," Tiffany greeted brightly.
Melanie stayed just behind her sister, partially shielded by her presence, and for that she was grateful. She wasn't quite ready for all those eyes yet. Her stomach fluttered with nervous anticipation.
She always got like this around people. She couldn't blame herself, she wasn't socially bold like her sister.
"Hey, Tiff," one of the girls replied.
"I've got a surprise for you all," Tiffany announced.
"Tiffany, your surprises are honestly exhausting," another girl muttered dryly.
"Oh, come on, babes. Trust me, you'll like this one," she said before stepping aside. "I'd like you all to meet my identical twin sister."
Melanie stood there, feeling herself shrink under their blatant stares. Warmth rushed to her cheeks, her fingers tightening slightly around her tray.
She forced a timid smile and lifted her hand into a shy wave.
"Hey," she squeaked.