Siena had a terrible year. It was the absolute worst year ever. Mid-year, a girl who looked like she came from a troubled home transferred into their class. That would have been fine, but she clearly had a massive ego, thinking she could just steal other girls' boyfriends and win over their sisters' trust by playing the pity card. Victoria would take her boyfriend on "dates" to some shady pizza joints on the outskirts of town and to garbage dumps—aka arcade centers. As if that wasn't enough, Victoria would come over to their house and screech like a banshee with Melisa, her little sister. The whole situation was getting on her nerves, so much so that her grades started slipping.

On prom day, Siena looked absolutely perfect. A freshly washed and ironed white dress hugged her skin and accentuated her waist. The short hemline, just above the knee—a length Siena considered "divine"—showed off her legs, which she believed were her best feature. The fabric felt cool against her skin as she twirled once in front of her bedroom mirror, the material swishing satisfyingly around her thighs.

Michael picked her up from her neighborhood, just like she'd insisted, and they headed to the prom together. Siena even thought Michael had finally opened his eyes to Victoria, that bitch. But it was only the beginning. After they arrived, Siena and Michael split up. Siena was enjoying the music, the bass thumping through her body and the lights flashing in time with the beat. But when a slow dance came on—their song—she couldn't find Michael. More accurately, she was scanning the room frantically for him. Hello, he was supposed to ask his girlfriend to dance on their most important night! Her mood was sinking fast; she was this close to dumping the entire punch bowl over someone's head.

Then the unthinkable happened. She was standing near the stage where they were about to announce prom king and queen. Siena stared at the stage with hopeful, burning eyes, her heart pounding in her chest.

The host, Eddie, with hair and a smell like he'd bathed in gel, opened the first envelope. "Michael Rogers is crowned prom king!"

Michael walked onto the stage in his black suit; his hair was somehow messy, and he was flushed. Siena didn't like that, but she couldn't be mad right now—this was their moment.

Then Eddie opened the second envelope. Why did he look so surprised? He held up the card with a smile and announced, "Victoria Morgan is crowned prom queen!"

The whole moment unfolded for Siena in slow motion. What did this mean? Did Victoria rig the votes? Pay off the counters? She stood frozen in the middle of the crowd as silence fell, then suddenly erupted into supportive screams. Those idiots had actually voted for Victoria.

Victoria stood on stage next to a smiling Michael. He had his arm around her waist.

An empty metal Coke can flew through the air and hit a stunned Siena with a dull thud. It clattered to the floor. Everyone looked at her. Sean Kingston's "Fire Burning" seemed to grow quieter. Siena's blue eyes darted from Victoria to the crowd. She took a step back, unable to look away as Victoria smiled triumphantly. Someone in the crowd started snickering.

Siena ran out of the gymnasium, her breathing ragged and tears stinging her eyes despite her efforts to hold them back. She walked down the quiet hallway, her head pounding, then exited through a side door and sat down on the cold, beige concrete tiles. She nervously adjusted her dress, the material now feeling cheap and scratchy against her skin. She wanted to call a taxi, but her phone—of course—was dead. Furious, Siena stood up and threw her phone onto the asphalt, then started stomping on it with her heels, her face contorted in rage. She did it with wide, unblinking eyes until the device was nothing but shattered plastic and glass. Then she heard footsteps and looked up, her chest heaving with exertion and emotion.