Page 58 of The Ruthless Rivalry

I hadn’t planned on being there when the swim team found the mess I’d set up. I figured it was better to stay out of it, to leave the prank to play out on its own. But now? Now I wanted to see their reactions. I needed to see them freak out. Maybe it would pull me out of my head, away from the cold indifference Bishop showed when he broke up with Ophelia. Because if I keep thinking about my shadow and that strange, twisted feeling in my chest, I’m not sure I’ll like where it leads.

As we walk across campus towards the natatorium, the morning air nips at my exposed skin. I pull my jacket tighter around me, envying Aubrey’s thick woolen sweater. The temperature had noticeably dropped, and the deciduous trees were just starting to change colors among the evergreens.

We reach the building, its walls reflecting the gray, overcast sky. We push through the heavy doors, and a wave of warm, chlorine-scented air hits us. The sound of splashing echoes through the cavernous space.

Right away, something feels… off. It’s subtle, but it’s there—the kind of quiet tension you don’t notice until it’s already pressing down on your shoulders.

I glance around, surprised to find the pool looking completely normal. The “snow caps” I’d made and the boat I’d floated in the water at Sylvester’s expense are nowhere to be seen. Had someone already cleaned it all up?

I wasn’t expecting a meet today. I thought I might just walk in on a quiet practice or something.

“It looks like the swimmers just started warming up,” Aubrey remarks, oblivious to my confusion, as we enter the crowded space. The second level above the pool is lined with students and parents, all watching the swimmers as they wait.

I scan the lanes automatically, spotting the away team right away—their uniforms a sharp contrast to ours—but I don’t see anyone from Altair’s team yet. No familiar faces, and definitely no Sylvester.

The meet feels too put-together, too curated. I’d expected chaos—or at the very least, evidence that chaos had occurred. Instead, it’s like nothing happened at all.

As we stand there, taking in the start of the meet, I’m still trying to piece things together. I’d expected to walk in on the aftermath of my prank—maybe catch a few bewildered faces, or at least the swim team scrambling to figure out what happened.But the pool looks pristine. The swimmers are doing their thing, and no one’s even batting an eye.

I glance around again, unsure of what I was even expecting to find. My thoughts are interrupted when Sutton strides over, effortlessly cutting through the crowd like it parts for her. She’s all smiles, her eyes scanning the scene like she owns it, but something about the way her gaze flickers over the faces in the room tells me it’s not as easy as she’s making it look. When she sees us, her smile sharpens, and she lifts a hand in a casual wave.

Her grin lands directly on me, and that’s when I feel it—whatever’s different, it’s not just in the air. It’s in her. For a split second, there’s a flash of something else behind her smile, something almost like relief. No, that can’t be right, can it? It’s like she’s glad to see me—like she’s found something familiar in a room full of unfamiliar faces. But why would Sutton be relieved to see me? After everything?

“I was just about to take my seat,” she says, her voice light, with an edge of amusement. “Glad to see you’re here to join the fun.”

I raise an eyebrow, still trying to wrap my head around the situation. “Everything seems so…clean,” I say, almost to myself, my words trailing off as I glance at the swimmers.

There’s something in her eyes—quick, guarded—but it vanishes before I can pin it down.

Sutton shrugs. “Oh, didn’t you hear? I guess the other team must’ve snuck in early this morning and messed with the pool before we got here. The place was a total wreck up until about twenty minutes ago.” She grins like it’s a joke, like the whole thing was harmless and funny, but I don’t buy it.

I nod, but it’s automatic. She’s lying—I can feel it. I know exactly who did it. But that’s not what’s bothering me.

It’s the way she’s talking to me, like we’re in on something together. Like we’ve already moved past what she and the otherLegacies did to me. I remember when we were briefly friends. But this? This is different.

Then, cutting through the air like a knife: “Hey, it’s the Leaky Legacy’s twin! Think she floats better than her brother’s speedo?” someone yells from the second level—bold and sharp—and the entire pool area seems to pause for a second.

Laughter bursts from a few scattered students. I see Sutton freeze—just barely—but it’s there. A millisecond of pure, unfiltered discomfort.

Then comes the follow-up: “Hey Sutton! Where’syourboat? Or did you leave it floating with your brothers?”

More laughter. Someone even whistles.

Sutton’s face tightens—not with anger, but calculation. It’s rare to see anyone go after a Legacy so directly. And it landed.

She recovers fast, already rolling her eyes with a practiced scoff. “Oh, that? Please. The other school is just trying to rattle us. Super original, right?” she says, tossing her hair over her shoulder like the joke didn’t even touch her.

My gaze briefly flickers up to the student who made the comment. He’s wearing an Altair-branded shirt—definitely not from the rival school. Whoever threw that out there, they’re not just a bystander—they’re someone from our own university.

Looking back down I catch the way her fingers twitch slightly at her side. The way she doesn’t look up at the balcony.

Do the Legacies even know what embarrassment is? Have they ever experienced this kind of bold, open ridicule? Or have they only ever been the ones to start it, casting others down with a laugh, with no fear of retaliation?

I just nod, trying to act like her explanation makes sense, even though it doesn’t entirely. “Well, I’ll see you guys around.” Sutton says with a wave before quickly heading in the opposite direction.

Aubrey turns to me, practically bouncing with excitement. “That was weird, right?” she says, glancing after Sutton with a raised eyebrow. “She was acting all... nice? Anyway, since we’re already here, do you think we should stay?” she asks, her eyes wide with anticipation, clearly savoring the drama unfolding around us.

I sigh, glancing around at the crowd, and then back at the pool. I really wasn’t planning on sticking around. “I don’t know.”

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