Chapter 2: Meme Wars and Old Rivalries

Her name was everywhere. Climbing the charts like wildfire.

After digging through all the gossip, I finally pieced together what had happened. Of course.

I skimmed post after post, screenshots flying by. Trying to make sense of the chaos.

Last night, someone took a screenshot of Old Monroe’s Facebook post. Shared it online.

Of course, the internet did what it does best: took a private joke and turned it into a public circus.

"My two best students both became actors! Not a single one stayed in research! I'm losing my mind."

The words looked even funnier out of context—like a sitcom dad complaining about his kids. Honestly, it was kind of hilarious.

Whoever did it probably wasn’t on my friends list. Only Marcus’s penguin-falling-down comment was visible below.

Which meant, to the rest of the world, it looked like Marcus was the only student in on the joke. Figures.

Old Monroe’s phrasing, plus the MIT thing? Instant viral.

People love a quirky genius. And when you add in a meme-worthy post, it’s internet gold. Internet gold.

With Marcus’s popularity? Trended all night.

His fans are rabid—one tweet and the whole world knows. I should’ve seen it coming. I should’ve seen it coming.

A bunch of influencer accounts made video compilations. Of course they did.

[Sharp-tongued rapper with everyone else: rebels against the universe.]

[Sharp-tongued rapper with his professor: penguin falling down.]

I watched the edits, half-laughing, half-cringing. Marcus’s tough-guy persona didn’t stand a chance against a cartoon penguin.

The comments were full of laughter. Everyone loves a good fall from grace.

People love to see the mighty brought low by something silly. I guess that’s comforting. Or something.

But a lot of people? Totally confused.

Because, in Hollywood, the only publicly known MIT Physics Department student is Marcus Dorsey. It’s not like there’s a secret club of us running around Tinseltown.

So who’s the other actor?

I could practically hear the gears turning in the internet’s collective brain. Here we go.

Not long after, maybe by coincidence, Camila posted on Twitter.

Her timing was almost too perfect. I raised an eyebrow. Her hair was perfectly tousled, lab journal artfully in frame. She knew exactly what she was doing.

"Even though my upperclassman and I are both working hard at acting, I still feel like our professor is mad we're not focusing on the right things..."

She attached a selfie from set, pouting, with the corner of a physics journal on the table.

It was a perfectly staged humblebrag. The lighting was flawless, and the journal was just blurry enough to be mysterious.

The internet exploded. Of course it did.

[So it's Queen Camila!!]

[Wow, is she finally admitting it!!]

[My Camila is really something else!]

[I knew Camila was a genius, but this is next level!]

[How can someone be this smart and gorgeous? I'm bowing down!]

The comments scrolled so fast I could barely keep up. The praise was relentless.

Me: Wait, what?

I just stared at my phone, blinking. Was I missing something here?

Wait, since when did I have a little sister? Did I black out and join a secret sibling club?

She was practically pulling her hair out. I tried to offer her a granola bar, but she just waved me off.

Camila Martinez—famous academic star in Hollywood. Our acting styles are similar, so we’re always being compared. Academically, too.

Sometimes I wonder if the casting directors are doing it on purpose. It’s like they want to see us fight it out on screen and off. Wouldn’t put it past them.

My acting and looks? Maybe a bit better. But academically, my fans are just frustrated.

I can almost hear them yelling at their screens, “Why can’t Savannah be smart, too?” Yeah, why can’t I?

Because I once said, “I didn’t take the SATs.” So now, I’m a well-known dumb beauty. A “Hollywood trainwreck.”

The phrase follows me around like a bad penny. I could tattoo it on my forehead and people still wouldn’t believe it. It’s my unofficial tagline.

“Savannah Rose is dumb, but truly beautiful.” That’s what people say about me online.

I’ve seen it on Reddit, in YouTube comments, even scrawled in bathroom stalls at auditions. It’s my unofficial tagline.

All I could do was shake my head. And sigh.

Sometimes I wish I could go back and just lie about the SATs. But that’s not really my style. Not really my style.

Been called a physics genius since I was a kid. Except for tying with Marcus Dorsey during state training, I always came in first.

My parents still keep my old trophies on the mantel, next to the family photos. Trust me, they never let me forget.

Compared to my brain, my looks are nothing. Being called “dumb and beautiful” is a first.

It’s like the world decided to flip my whole life upside down, just for fun. Just for kicks.

At the interview, I was just there as Camila’s comparison. Naturally, I got stuck in a corner.

The studio lights were blinding, and the chair felt like it was miles from the main action. I tried to blend into the background. No one notices the girl in the corner.

Once the livestream started, the show brought up last night’s trending topic first. Of course.

The host’s smile was sharp as a knife, and I braced myself for the inevitable. Here we go.

The host leaned in, smiling. “Camila, what do you think about Professor Monroe from MIT posting on Facebook last night?”

She leaned forward, eyes twinkling. The audience was eating it up. They loved this stuff.

Camila puffed up her cheeks, looking both embarrassed and annoyed. She really knew how to work the camera. I’ll give her that.

“Why did it have to go viral? Can’t a girl have a little dignity!” She threw in a little pout for good measure.

She giggled, and the audience melted. I could practically hear the hearts popping in the comments.