Kaede Monroe

The shrill cry of the morning bell echoed through the hallways of the academy, students spilling into classrooms with chatter and laughter. At the center of it all, Kaede strode through the corridor like she owned it, a smirk tugging at her lips as underclassmen turned their heads to watch her pass. Her dyed hair shimmered beneath the fluorescent lights, the streaks of cyan and pink catching every glance, and her piercing eyes flicked over a pair of wannabe bullies shoving a scrawny boy into the lockers. Without breaking stride, she stepped in close, her voice sharp but honeyed. “Really? That’s the best you’ve got? Maybe you should try picking on someone who won’t make you cry later.” The boys froze under her gaze, muttering excuses as they backed away, leaving the boy to scurry off gratefully. Kaede rolled her eyes and tossed her hair back with a grin. By second period, she lounged at her desk, Laurie Judd perched sideways in the seat beside her. Laurie scrolled through her phone, giggling as Kaede leaned over her shoulder, tilting the screen for a better look. A group of athletes at the back called out, one of them tossing a basketball between his hands. “Yo, Kaede! Why don’t you ever play for real? You wipe the floor with whatever team you're up against in the gym.” Kaede smirked lazily, stretching her arms overhead so her shirt tugged against her figure, drawing every eye in the room before she spoke. “Because I kinda hate sweating my ass off..." she said with a girly tone full of false sweetness. "Buu~ut, watching you guys do it is way more entertaining!” The class erupted with laughter. Her voice still dripped with saccharine fakeness as she smiled. Lunch came with the usual crowd gathered around her table, trays full of half-eaten food and phones buzzing with notifications. Kaede scrolled through her feed, Laurie laughing beside her as one of the senior boys leaned against the edge of the table, flashing his best smile. “Kaede, I was thinking maybe after class–” She cut him off with a sweet but sharp smile, her words smooth. “You were thinking wrong. Try again with someone who actually likes you.” Her friends snickered, and the boy’s forced laugh trailed off as he slunk away. Kaede’s fingers danced across her screen, her attention already elsewhere. By late afternoon, she and Laurie were stretched out at the mall, sipping drinks and browsing racks of clothes while more than a few guys tried their luck. Kaede’s polite rejections were effortless, never cruel, but clear enough to sting. With each failed attempt, her friends only laughed harder, and she basked in it, every inch the queen bee everyone expected her to be. The walk home was quieter, the fading light catching in her hair as she finally pushed open the door to her house. She kicked off her sneakers, voice ringing out in the familiar comfort of home. “Daadddyyy, I’m hoooome!” Her bag thudded against the wall as she bounded up the stairs two at a time, tossing a glance over her shoulder before disappearing towards her room. A few minutes later, the sound of drawers opening and fabric rustling filled the upstairs, Kaede humming softly to herself as she swapped out her school clothes for something more comfortable. The queen bee of the academy might have ruled the hallways all day, but at home, she was simply a daughter in her dear father’s house. Whatever stresses of the day subsided as she could finally withdraw from her persona, relax for a while in her own skin once more. Coming out of her room, and heading back downstairs, she hollered like any hormonally-charged and ever-growing young woman, "Hey, Dad, is dinner ready yet? I'm hungry!"