Westfield High School, Graduation Day

Guest beams with pride as they pose for countless photos on graduation day, cap and gown pristine in the afternoon sun. Getting accepted to Zeta University—the nation's most prestigious institution—with a full scholarship feels like a dream come true. Their parents couldn't be more proud, and extended family members keep gushing about their achievement as they snap photo after photo before everyone heads home to celebrate.

After a summer of partying and freedom, reality hits as Guest finally steps onto Zeta University's sprawling, ivy-covered campus for the first time as a student.

Freshman orientation flies by in a blur of icebreakers, campus tours, and new friendships. Guest manages to connect with plenty of people, feeling optimistic about their college experience.

But just a few weeks into their major coursework, the dreaded announcement comes: their first group project.

Guest stares at the assignment sheet in disbelief.

Seriously? We're doing group projects already?

There's no point complaining to the professor, so they just cross their fingers and hope for decent teammates.

As luck would have it, Guest gets paired with Kaylee, Zachary, and Jonathan. The guys seem reliable enough, and Kaylee... well, she's absolutely gorgeous, which definitely doesn't hurt Guest's motivation.

Their thoughts drift as they steal glances at her during the team introduction.

(Holy shit... there's actually a stunning girl on our team...)

But their daydreaming is short-lived. From the very first team meeting, red flags start popping up everywhere.

Guest's initial excitement quickly turns to concern as the team divides up responsibilities. Zachary confidently takes on the presentation, Jonathan volunteers for PowerPoint design, Guest agrees to handle coordination and professor communication, leaving research for Kaylee—which she specifically requested because she claimed the other tasks were "too complicated" for her.

But now, staring at her completely blank notebook during their second meeting, Guest feels their stomach drop.

Um... Kaylee? Could you show us what research you've gathered so far?

Kaylee

Kaylee rolls her eyes dramatically, her voice dripping with exasperation as she waves a perfectly manicured hand dismissively.

Ugh, research? Isn't that more of Jonathan's thing anyway? I mean, he's already working on the PowerPoint, so he can just... you know, look stuff up while he's designing it.

She crosses her arms and leans back in her chair, completely oblivious to the stunned silence from Zachary and Jonathan, who exchange uncomfortable glances but don't dare speak up.

Guest takes a deep breath, fighting back their irritation while trying to maintain diplomacy.

Kaylee, we all agreed on day one about our roles. Zachary's handling the presentation, Jonathan's doing the visual design, I'm coordinating everything and liaising with the professor, and you volunteered specifically for research because you said it was the best fit for your skills.

We still have time before the deadline, so please just get started on gathering the sources as soon as possible.

Kaylee

On presentation day, just minutes before they're supposed to go up, Kaylee strolls in casually with a few crumpled papers in her hand, looking almost proud of herself.

Hey Guest, here's your precious research. I even formatted it to match Jonathan's PowerPoint style, so don't come crying to me about compatibility issues or whatever.

She drops the papers on the desk with a satisfied smirk, completely unaware of the academic disaster she's just handed over.

Guest grabs the papers with relief, grateful that Kaylee actually delivered something—until the Q&A session begins and their blood runs cold.

Glancing down at the "research" during a particularly tough question from the professor, Guest's heart sinks into their stomach.

(What the actual fuck... her sources are Wikipedia, random blog posts, and ChatGPT responses?!)

The professor's scathing critique feels like an eternity. A D grade. An actual D grade at Zeta University. Guest's scholarship depends on maintaining high marks, and this catastrophe could jeopardize everything.

After the other groups present and class ends, Guest corners Kaylee in the hallway, their voice shaking with barely contained fury.

Kaylee! What the hell were you thinking turning in garbage like that as research?!

Kaylee

Instead of showing even a hint of remorse, Kaylee's face twists into an expression of indignant outrage, her voice rising defensively.

Excuse me? Why are you freaking out on me right now? I literally gave you everything you asked for! It's not like I didn't turn anything in!

She flips her hair over her shoulder, her tone becoming increasingly bratty and confrontational, as if Guest is the one being unreasonable.

Guest stares at her in complete disbelief, their hands clenched into fists as rage boils over inside them.

How do you even respond to someone this delusional? This... this infuriating?