From a young age, everybody knew it: little Lana was a prodigy, brilliant to the point of frustration and going to, one day, take over the world. She did everything better than everybody at school, and did it so effortlessly and without even doing her homework. In time, as her reputation thickened and she became the target of all her teachers’ praises, she eventually started taking herself more seriously, but not once did she let herself become the victim of the mean children turned to beasts when envy came into play. No, instead, she became the wolf with the sharpest teeth, managing to avoid being bullied by being the bully and turning her wits into her shield. She soon realized that she could wrap any of the average children trying to make it to the top through rude remarks around her finger and place them in her pocket. It all became easy, because she had her way with words that was nothing like poetry and more like a storm meant to leave the interlocutor breathless and make them doubt everything they ever stood for — because she was and is that kind of assertive-intelligent that doesn’t let others win no matter who is right. She did drama, debate, choir, science club and fencing — all every other day of the week and without complaining or collapsing, because she was made of steel. The popular kids stood no chance and she soon became the smartest Regina George to ever walk the corridors of her high school in heels and with red lipstick on. She wasn’t wearing her skirt short because she was hoping not to make conversation and distract with her legs, but because she could and she wanted to be all that, just like her parents predicted she would be. But that was high school, and a fresh page also meant a new beginning, that Lana lost the head start for.
At first, she was excited to change the game and turn Oxford into her new ruling ground, but as soon as she stepped into the building that roofed over so many trust funds and brains that weren’t a third as malleable as what she was used to, she knew that the game had changed and that she wouldn’t be queen anymore. She was smart enough not to even as much as hint the intention to reach for the stars and be the magnet of everybody’s respect and awe. For that, when she walked in, she did it with a straight face on, lips pursed against each other into the subtlest line, skeptical and unimpressed with every step. No matter how fascinated by the new world she was just now discovering she was, she remained a skeptical, unmoving presence and doesn’t show much heart even now, as if everything still leaves her stone cold. She simply refuses the atmosphere and radiant people around to touch her, all part of a strategy. She is opinionated and when she talks, although much, she does it with such coherence and vibrance that most people still shut up to listen to her. It is true that most of what lies on the tip of her tongue lately is complaint towards something that doesn’t leave her so dissatisfied — because she loves the old building she is studying in, even though she is eager to tell otherwise, because haters have always been above anybody else.
Yet, her approach did turn out successful when she managed to climb up the social ladder straight to the big ten. Being part of the Quarrel Club definitely doesn’t leave her as indifferent as she would claim, rolling her eyes at every meeting and seeming increasingly bored of the concept of a sorority of a sort — but she loves it. She would sell her soul for it to never end and she would destroy it for the chance to rule the club, knowing that, in her hands, such a solemn concept would be handled the best way. Lana has been queen before and she could do it again, although she doesn’t want to steal it from Gwen rather than to have it handed to her, pressed in her palm because her reign would be with a rod of iron, much more effective than the child’s play the current leader is attempting at. After all, even back when she was wearing her hair braided and her dresses all floral and long enough to allow her to hopscotch freely, they all knew it: she was made to rule the world and she is taking it one step at a time. Nobody is a match for her, her intellect and strategic thinking, after all.
People look up to her. She has veins of ice, furious blood that is ready to take everything she classifies as rightfully hers and such a well-spoken way that her words sink into one’s heart — mostly with doubt planted there purposefully, slowly blackening one’s sense of confidence and making them take her every word after that for granted. After all, she is an overachiever chasing various dreams of great ambition all at once and managing to keep up with most of them — she just doesn’t have the time or the patience to also excel at being a decent human being, no matter from whose standard and whose point of view. Not allowing others to step over herself has turned her into the opposite type of person and her heels became dull from all the walking on the backs of others, breaking bones.
Jacob de Terreros Lana is his Cinderella, although neither is aware of that. They have met during the homecoming ball of this autumn, and although it wasn’t a masquarade, the two didn’t recognize each other as they sat on the same marble stairs outside of the party, just talking. There was no exchange of names, but a fluent trade of ideas, hitting each other with the best shots possible and, for once, connecting on a deeper level. Despite the Riot Club and the Quarrel Club being exclusive and narrow enough for people to expect all members to be acquainted with each other, fate made it so that Jacob and Lana never met beforehand and didn’t cross paths even after the night that tied them. Although nothing out of the ordinary happened at the event, his interest is sparked and even she has to admit to being slightly swept off her feet by the mysterious stranger. Little does she know that her Prince Charming is actual royalty.
Sophia Clare Sophia has hold of Lana’s biggest secret. Because she is at Oxford on a scholarship and the amount of pressure pressed against her shoulders is sometimes too much to handle, she approached Sophia to request brain enhacing drugs — which she treats as her worst, most despicable secret without realizing than three quarters of the people around her are on constantly on cocaine and wouldn’t even bat their eye to judge. Yet, Sophia considers it funny that she seems to have such power over the girl who seems impossible to crack open and understand and isn’t bothering to explain to her that it doesn’t matter, determined to have a little bit of fun with her before. The way she blackmails the other girl is soft, because she doesn’t want to lose her customer either, and playful, but Lana feels beyond scared at the thought that it could get out and hurt her scholar performance, leading to her expulsion from the university, eventually. The drug dealer doesn’t really know what games she is playing and what is at stake, otherwise she would be more sensitive, but who knows if one honest mistake underestimating the seriousness of the problem will eventually end Lana Chambers’ academic career prematurely?
Gwendolyn Armstrong In spite of never understanding what she wasn’t directly familiar with and never sympathizing with anything that didn’t concern her personally, Gwendolyn has grown rather fond of Lana, the girl she shares the sharpness and passion with, but nothing else, from social status, to life goals. Accepting her in the Quarrel Club, only so no one would say she is discriminating and only picking rich and popular people as members of her club, had a pleasant result, in the end, when it turned out that no one but Lana could relate to Gwen’s hatred for the rival club. She could never see her as an equal, but it spins the other way around in the same extent, because Lana sees past the leader’s shallowness and manages to be more rational in Gwen’s moments of craziness.
Nicholas Mercer Instead of running away from her origins and pretending to be part of the game in the true sense of the word, Lana stands out being proud to be here on a scholarship, just because her mind is brilliant enough to deserve it. Nicholas doesn’t understand it and little would he have cared about it and her if they didn’t know each other, having grown up in the same town. What a small world we’re living in. The young woman remembers him well — because how does one forget somebody like Nick? — but she is skeptical towards him just seeing his behavior and how he is trying to bury his roots as deeply as possible. Although it isn’t something she is actively trying to achieve through manipulation of a sort, she wishes to have him exposed in front of his posh friends who, mostly, think he is as rich as they are, which is why, to him, she is the most dangerous person on campus and he resents her for the power she now has over him.
