The Glow-Up Game

by cleenTeenStories

Chapter 1: Burn It Down (Complete One-Shot Story)

Mia Carter learned the hard way that kindness is a currency bullies don't accept.

The soda dumped down her white blouse was still freezing cold when she heard the laughter. Stacey Miller's high-pitched giggle cut through the cafeteria noise like a knife. "Oops! Guess you're even more transparent now," she sneered, waving her empty cup while Jason—Mia's now-ex boyfriend—filmed it all on his phone.

"Come on, babe," Jason had said just last week when she caught him texting other girls, "you know I'd never actually cheat. You're being paranoid."

Today, his arm was slung around Stacey's waist as he smirked at Mia's ruined clothes. "Should've seen your face just now," he laughed. "Priceless."

Something inside Mia cracked.

The Breaking Point

That night, Mia stared at her reflection—red-rimmed eyes, soda-stiff hair, the same oversized hoodie she'd worn since freshman year to disappear in.

Then she grabbed scissors.

The hoodie hit the trash first. Next went the apologetic slouch in her shoulders. Last to go? The girl who took punches and thanked people for swinging.

Mia didn't just change her clothes—she changed everything.

She stopped skipping meals to fit into someone else's idea of pretty. Started eating what she wanted, wearing what she liked, laughing like she meant it. She traded late-night crying sessions for late-night walks, headphones blasting music that made her feel invincible.

The first time she looked in the mirror and liked what she saw, it terrified her.

Then it empowered her.

She didn't need revenge. She just needed to outgrow them.

But oh, revenge would be fun.

The Wildcard

Lucas Kane wasn't supposed to be here.

The 21-year-old tech billionaire had no business wandering the halls of her high school, but there he was—leaning against the library shelves, watching her hack the school's grading system just to see if she could.

"Most people start with hello," he said, nodding at her laptop.

Mia didn't look up. "Most people are boring."

Lucas grinned. "I like you." He tossed a business card onto her keyboard. "I need someone who doesn't follow rules. You in?"

Mia finally met his gaze. "Depends. What's in it for me?"

"Besides the satisfaction of watching your ex's ego implode?" Lucas smirked. "How about a front-row seat to your own revenge?"

The Payback

Mia didn't need Lucas's money. She needed his influence.

One well-timed leak of Jason's very incriminating texts to the school's group chat.
One viral exposé on Stacey's "original" social media content (spoiler: it wasn't).
One homecoming dance where Mia walked in on Lucas's arm, dressed in a red dress that screamed look at me now.

Jason tried to apologize. Lucas cut him off with a laugh. "Sorry, man. She doesn't talk to losers anymore."

Mia didn't even glance his way. She was too busy falling for the way Lucas looked at her—like she was the prize, not the consolation.

The Twist

The kiss wasn't part of the plan.

Neither was the way Lucas's hands cupped her face like she was something precious, or the way Mia's heart stuttered when he whispered, "You're terrifying. I love it."

But as the fireworks exploded over the dance floor—courtesy of Lucas's "because why not" attitude—Mia realized something:

She hadn't just gotten revenge.

She'd won.

THE END.

(Mic drop. No sequel needed—but if you want one, just say the word.) ðŸ”¥

 


Read Novella ðŸ’Œ 

HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN TEN HATE-TEXTS

🔥 SYNOPSIS:
When sworn enemies Juniper Vega and Asher Cole get stuck planning their school's Valentine's dance, they make a bet: fake date for a week, first to catch feelings loses. But between forced PDA, a mistletoe ambush, and a kiss that changes everything, their "fake" rivalry starts feeling dangerously real.

💘 TROPES:
✔ Enemies-to-Lovers
✔ Fake Dating

📌 Think: The Hating Game meets Never Have I Ever – with all the messy, hilarious heartache of high school.

PART 1: THE BET

 

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