FOURTEEN HOURS BEFORE HER DEATH -

JASMINA HAD ALWAYS DISLIKED people. The empty words and greedy hands that surrounded her since youth, clinging to the air of money in her golden jewelry, had been enough to prove that for her. People weren't to be trusted - or as her father had once told her, people were only to be used. She didn't say anything then as he looked at her, eyes distanced, and he may as well have worn a crown, because he had always been the king of this simple world for her.

She remembered thinking how he had never been wrong as she entered her school. All people could do was whine and take, but at least it was amusing. School had always been her very own dollhouse and she would dress everyone up the way she wanted, take the people she thought would suit her image best and place them beside her dolled up face. She was the only one fit to rule and everyone knew it.

So as she walked down the long hallways of Gaia High the reverent and fearful stares kept the smirk on her face up, the smile of someone who knows the world is but a snow globe in her hand, chaos ensuing at a mere action of her. After all, she could shatter it all so very easily - and everyone knew broken things never were appreciated in a superficial world like this.

She could hear someone call out her name, but didn't slow her pace as her Louboutins clicked on marble tiles.

Gaia High was known for many things, but it's easy selection wasn't one of them. It was one of the few schools specifically for the rich, beside Athena, and the tall, white buildings of glass and gold decorations, fountains and parking spaces filled with cars more expensive than half of the country made in a year were enough to see that. The whole place was built from riches, attended by the top of the top of society. Still, that didn't mean there weren't ranks though and she was number one on all of them.

Her name was called out again, but before she could even snap, someone grasped her arm. As she shook it out of the person's grasp, annoyance blooming on her face, her eyes turned towards the disturbance.

"Jas," the girl panted as she placed a hand on her heart," didn't you hear me?"

Lena Philips was without a doubt beautiful. Her eyes were sweeter than her cacao skin, oozing chocolate and good intentions, something that was rare in a world as corrupted as theirs. Or well, in the world that surrounded her at least.

She had known the girl since middle school and at first just thought she was foolish, a prey just waiting to be eaten by the fangs of society. And then one day, a guy who had annoyed Lena to no end with rude catcalls and unwanted advances got caught for drugs.

Jasmina wouldn't have thought anything of it, if not for the fact that she prided herself in being able to see through anyone, mask or not.

So when Lena had placed a dainty hand in front of her lips and gasped upon hearing the news, Jasmina had known.

And it was the only reason she tolerated the girl enough to be in her presence.

"I did," Jasmina said as they started walking.

When no further explanation seemed to come, Lena started to talk to fill the silence, her usual nonsensical gossip leaving her lips as she tried to catch up to Jasmina's pace. Jasmina didn't bother pretending to listen, eyes slowly sliding across the people she passed, the reverent stares like kisses of gold on her skin.

Oh, how she adored being queen.

"Hey."

Her gaze flicked up towards the guy who had called out to her, one shoulder leaning against her locker as he waited for her to near.

"Alan!" Lena called out, face lighting up as she momentarily slowed down.

Jasmina didn't change her pace though, causing them both to stumble for a moment before they joined her again.

"Not even a greeting, Jas?" Alan said with raised eyebrows," how cold."

She rolled her eyes.

"Don't pretend you're soft now, my sweet Al," she said, her amused smirk as always in place," it doesn't suit you."

"That's where you're wrong," Alan replied easily," everything suits me."

"You're a narcissist," she commented, more a fact than a judgement.

"You're too," he said, before adding as he slid an arm around her waist," it's why we fit together so well."

Lena chuckled awkwardly as she tucked a curl behind her ear - a nervous tick she had never seemed to lose. Jasmina glanced at the girl for a second, before focussing her gaze in front of her again, interest lost.

"You're both coming to Mike's party, right?" Alan said as he waved at a few people they passed.

"Of course," Lena said excitedly," his parties are always fun."

"And you, Jas?" Alan said when she didn't reply, gaze flicking to her.

"Mhm," Jasmina drawled," I'll see."

"What do you mean you'll see?" Alan frowned," you're so picky when it comes to events you attend, some people think I have a fictional girlfriend with how few they see you."

They reached the classroom then and she stopped, turning around to Alan as she placed a manicured hand on his cheek.

"Honestly," she said as she looked him in the eye," I really, from the bottom of my heart, don't care."

"Jas!" Alan exclamated with an offended frown.

"Find someone else if you need your masculinity confirmed with a piece of eyecandy on your arm," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

He stopped her before she could enter the classroom though, a firm hand on her wrist. Threats were on the tip of her tongue, but he spoke before they could leave her lips.

"You know I don't want anyone else, Jas," he said," I want you."

She looked at him, her calculative eyes piercing through his, before she shook his grip off.

"Fine," she said," pick me up at eleven."

Without waiting for his reply, she turned around and walked towards her seat in the back, Lena following closely behind.

"That was so cute," Lena gushed to her as they sat down.

"Cute?" Jasmina chuckled.

Alan Lewis was a lot of things, but definitely not cute. His mother was the most ruthless business woman the world knew, his father dabbling more in shady businesses than the actual fields his company was involved in. There were even some rumors he was involved with the Ambrosios, the notorious mob family that practically ruled the entire underworld.

So as Jasmina leaned forward, a predator towards it's prey, the amusement in her eyes was very clear.

"Cute is something you call naive people," she said," Alan is definitely not naive."

She leaned her chin on her hand then as the teacher entered, her last words hanging heavily in the air as the lesson began.

"You should do best to remember that."