SuperStar!

September 2nd, 2021, Crestwood, Florida,

Elena Harper adjusted the strap of her backpack and took a deep breath. It was her first day at Crestwood High, and everything about the new school felt suffocating. The students milling around in their cliques, the unfamiliar layout, the sharp smell of disinfectant in the halls—it was a lot to take in. She felt a pang of anxiety but pushed it aside.

The bell rang, signaling the start of her first class—English. She hesitated for a moment outside the door, taking in the chatter of her new classmates. She'd heard the teacher was strict, and the last thing she wanted was to stick out. Sliding into an empty seat at the back of the room, she tried to avoid drawing attention.

The lesson started with the teacher, Mrs. Dawson, assigning a project on the theme of identity in modern literature. Great. Elena sighed quietly to herself, already dreading the assignment. She liked reading, but the idea of working with a partner in this massive new school felt overwhelming.

Next came History, and Elena's unease only deepened. The room was packed with students who all seemed to know each other. She tried to focus on the lecture, but the voices around her made it hard to concentrate. The teacher, Mr. Thompson, droned on about the American Revolution, but Elena's mind wandered.

Her classmates seemed to be a mix of cliques: the jocks in one corner, the nerds in another, and a couple of girls who whispered and giggled, casting occasional glances in Elena's direction. One of them, a girl named Jessica, seemed to take an interest in her and smiled warmly, but Elena wasn't sure how to respond. She had always been shy and wasn't sure if she wanted to make friends just yet.

Lunch was the worst part of the day. With no one to sit with, Elena found a corner of the cafeteria and sat alone, picking at her tray. Her mind drifted to her favorite artist, Ethan Jones. She could almost feel the music vibrating through her headphones as she imagined what it would be like to be in his world—confident, surrounded by people who understood him. The idea of fame seemed so far away, but with Ethan's music as her escape, it was all she had to hold on to.

Just as she was finishing her meal, a senior boy named Kyle walked by, nudging her tray and sending her drink spilling onto the table. The laughter from the nearby tables echoed in her ears as Elena scrambled to clean it up, her cheeks burning with humiliation.

"I didn't do it on purpose, loser," Kyle sneered before walking away.

Her hands trembled as she wiped up the mess, her face red with embarrassment.

The rest of the day felt like a blur. Chemistry was a struggle, and in Math, the teacher called on her unexpectedly. She managed to stutter through an answer, but the smirks from the students around her made it clear they'd noticed her awkwardness.

Finally, the bell rang for the end of the day. Elena grabbed her bag, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone, and rushed to the bus. She just wanted to escape, to hide away in her room and forget the agony of her first day.

"Elena! Dinner!"

Groaning, she grabbed a sweater to throw over her shirt and headed to the kitchen. Her mom was setting the table, a curious expression on her face.

"So, how was the first day?" her mom asked, pouring them both glasses of water.

Elena hesitated. "It was... fine," she lied, picking at the food on her plate.

Her mom gave her a skeptical look but didn't press further. Instead, she casually said, "Oh, by the way, do you remember that kid you liked—what's his name again? Ethan something?"

Elena's fork clattered onto her plate. "Ethan Jones?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Heard on the radio today that he just released some music videos or something."

Elena froze, her eyes wide. "Really?!"

Her mom raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you didn't know already. Aren't you supposed to be his biggest fan?"

Elena flushed, fidgeting in her seat. "Well, my phone's, uh... broken. It's not working right now."

Her mom's eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean it's broken? How did that happen?"

"It just... fell," Elena mumbled, avoiding eye contact. She couldn't bear to tell her mom about the boy who shoved her in the hall.

Her mom let out an exasperated sigh. "Elena, you need to take better care of your things. Do you know how expensive that phone was?"

The scolding lasted through most of dinner. Once they'd finished eating and her mom had finished lecturing, Elena escaped back to her room.

She closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling deeply. Her gaze wandered to the Ethan Jones posters covering her walls, and her mood lifted ever so slightly. Sitting down at her desk, she booted up her computer, her heart racing with anticipation.

Typing his name into the search bar, she wasn't surprised to see him trending. The first link was his official YouTube channel, where she was one of his 11 million subscribers.

As the page loaded, her jaw dropped. Thirteen new uploads.

"They made a video for every song on the album?" she whispered in awe.

Her eyes darted to the title of one video: Love Someone. Her breath hitched—it was her favorite track from the album. Clicking on the video, she settled into her chair.

The opening notes played, and a familiar warmth spread through her chest. The song had always reminded her of her dad, stationed abroad in the military. She hugged her knees to her chest, letting the music wash over her.

Downstairs, her mom's voice rang out, "Elena! Keep it down!"

But Elena barely heard her. The screen lit up with vibrant imagery. As the video unfolded, she felt the world around her fade away.

For the first time that day, she smiled.