The boarding school was huge! The hallway looked like a cathedral with the stone walls and pillars with the stain glass windows. I was shocked that the cafeteria looked like it could fit an army inside. it also, apparently served food day or night, cause of all the teenage boys and jocks. It had tables were circular slabs of stainless steel. Boys were everywhere I went. I haven't met any other girls yet. I walked behind a shy mess of a teen named Samuel, who every few minutes would look back at me and blush. He had been assigned to give me the tour of the Schola Prima High. This could have been a bad idea since all he did was stutter.

"Uh... um D-Dru? The Library is really great! T-They have everything... Oh that is if you like to read! D-Do you like music? The music hall is awesome! The piano is really nice and they have records there! Actual records! How weird is that?

The tour went pretty much like that. He seemed like it was his sole duty to make me happy. Toward the end I had zoned out completely. But thankfully this Samuel didn't seem to notice at all. I thought about how much my dad would have loved the music room this boy was showing me. He loved the music he was raised to. He always turned onto the oldies station when we were in the car. The car... the car that killed him. I wondered if he had been listening to that station when he died. A huge wave of emotion flooded over me, and I sat down on a bench in the hallway. Samuel stopped talking about the clubs and activities and stared at me.

"Dru, are you okay? He asked slowly. I shook my head. "Ummm... Do you want to talk...?"

"No." The truth is I did want to talk. But not to him, not to anyone. I wanted my Daddy! Or my Mom! Not some stuttering blonde sixteen-year-old who could hardly look me in the eyes. For some strange reason he sat next to me. I turned and stared at him.

"I said I don't want to talk Samuel." He looked a bit hurt, but that was only for a second.

"Call me Dibs."

"What kind of name is that?"

"It's j-just a nickname some f-friends gave me when I c-came..." He looked down. "...I heard what happened to your dad Dru. I'm so sorry." I stayed quiet. "L-look. I know you don't want to talk now... but if you do...I'm in my dorm o-or in the library. I want to be d-doctor...So I read the medical books a lot." He stood up, blue eyes meeting mine. "H-hope you liked your tour. I'll s-see you around." He turned and started walking down the hall. "Oh and D-Dru?"

I looked up at him. "Yes Dibs?"

"B-Be careful around Anna. She's the Queen is here and she isn't gonna like some new girl like you in her t-territory."

I smiled at him, "who think she'd be worried about me? I'm not even that pretty Dibs."

He paused. "No reason... It's just that you... well, you...aren't ugly... Far from it, actually!" He started turning red, and fumbled over his words. "I-er... Um... I'll see you later!" He turned and walked quickly down the hall, ears burning red for all to see.

I followed the directions Dibs had giving me to the girls dorms, I still need to pick up my schedule from the office. But I opted for checking out my new room first. Auggie had gotten my room to myself saying I need my space. I was in a new state, city and need my personal area. I walked through the hall that looked like every other one. After a good half hour, I finally found it, Room 224, west wing second floor on the corner. After fighting with my bag for my key, I opened my door and walked into my bedroom.

All the furniture was white. My bed was made and was backed into the back left corner of the room and the closet at the foot of the bed. On the right side of the room was a desk that was in front of a window that looked out over the garden. All in all it wasn't that bad, except for the banana yellow walls. My bags had already arrived and were sitting on my bed, waiting for me. I sat on the full sized mattress. This was going to be a long school year.

2: The Tour Take 2

I heard the library doors open and someone talking to Dibs behind the help desk. Dibs is the only male I've ever met to reach that high of an octave after puberty while talking, which I find to be funny. I've been in the library since his shift started and not once has he gone that high. I could hear an irritated voice reply to his squeaking, this was followed by him sounding very confused. Soon his mouse talk got a little closer to his normal voice. I didn't bother looking up from the book I was reading, Alex Rider: Stormbreaker was not that bad and the more I read the more it grew on me. I was getting really into it when someone cleared their throat next to me. Causing me to jump and slam my book closed at the same time. I groaned, I hate it when I lose my place, especially when someone is the cause for it. It's kinda pet peeve of mine.

"What do you want?" I asked angrily, not bothering to look up.

"Some your time would be recommended, if you wish to know where your classes are. Since you never finished your tour of the Prima" Said a male voice to my right, there was a slight pause in between his words like he was translating it in his head before he spoke.

I glared up to see guy about seventeen wearing a black v-neck shirt and dark wash jeans, looking down at me with the winter blue eyes. "I never finished it? Really?" That actually explained a lot, not that I was going to say that. I turned back to Stormbreaker, and tried to find my place again, only to have slam shut by the blue eyed boy standing next to me

"Really." This guy wasn't going to budge was he?

"Fine! But I'm checking out my book first." I got to my feet and stormed off in the direction of the help desk. With my new guide right behind me.

The actual school was on the main level and the dormitories were on the upper levels. I found myself looking at this boy more than the actual school grounds, and he didn't walk, he glided. He noticed and looked right at me.

"I must have forgotten to introduce myself." He said with a small smirk "My name is Christophe Reynard."

"Well Christophe Reynard, my name is Dru Anderson."

His winter eyes looked at me like they were gazing into my soul. "I know."

We stood there for what felt like ages, and I started to feel uncomfortable. He cocked his head and gestured that we should start to move on. We walked passed the Gym, which was taught by a Mr. Jaskolski, who Christophe said could work you to the point where you wanted to faint.

"Christophe?"

"Yes?"

"I thought I had already gotten my tour earlier today...So why do we need to go on another?" I said as

He said "Samuel told me you were emotionally unstable when he was giving you the overview."

"Emotionally unstable?!"I thought back to the hour before. I had nearly started bawling my eyes out... No wonder he thought it best for me to have some time alone.

"Those were his words, yes." Christophe showed me more of the school. "Welcome The Math-Science hall, which is comprised of all the math and science class including the advance classes, all of the classes are taught by Mr. Wright, his wife, Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Bletchley are the math teachers and Mr. Peterson, Dr. Bates and Mr. Lynch instructed the science classes. Bletchley most likely the hardest teacher in Schola, the others are like every other teachers are strict but it's easy to stay on their good side."

It took me awhile to realize that there was nobody around. It was just the two of us. "Uh, Christophe? Where is everybody?" I asked as we doubled back on the passageway and moved to the one across from it.

"In class," he replied nonchalantly. "This is the English-History Hall. Which contains Art, History, English and Geography. Art is lead by Yolanda Prinsloo, she one of the easier teachers. History is Lance Rizzoli, who is strict but fair, nothing gets past him even with his back turned. English, Jacob Flowers and piss him off, he will make it his goal in life to make you miserable for the rest of the year." Christophe pointed to each door as we walked past it. As Christophe lead me past the History a second time the door opened and the younger looking teacher came out.

"Reynard! I want to see you in uniform when I see you in detention, today." The teacher handed him a slip of paper, then returned to his class.

"As you can see, Rizzoli will not hesitate to give you a detention slip." Christophe said as he folded the piece of paper and put it in his pocket and kept walking. I had to jog to catch up with him. He lead me to a door that read Antiquities and Artifacts "This is an extra curricular class lead by Dr. Jones, there are also music and drama. Drama is lead by Mrs. Mays and music is instructed by Mrs. Trucksal, which are taught closer to the library... Oh yes and cheerleading."

We kept walking for a bit more and things seemed to be going nicely until Christophe stopped walking and looked at me.

"Do...Do I make you nervous Dru...? He asked slowly and quietly

I was completely taken aback by the question. "Why on earth would you say that?!" I spat out.

He stared at me. "No reason."

The rest of the tour went like rather awkwardly. Christophe was kind of enough to take me office for my schedule then walk me back to the library where we said goodbye. I walked back into and went over to where Dibs was sitting behind the help desk reading a John Green novel.

"How'd it g-go?" He asked looking at me with round eyes.

"Good, Christophe seems nice enough."

"I didn't think they send him to give you the rest of the tour... After what happened last time."

"what do you mean by 'him' and what happened last time?"

"Well, Christophe is dating Anna and she doesn't like any other girl around him but her. The last time Christophe showed a girl around... well... Anna started a cat fight. It took two teachers to pull the girl off Anna and Christophe to keep Anna from launching herself back at the other girl. It wasn't pretty."

"Oh."

(CPOV)

Christophe closed the door to the room he shared with his two closest friends, Leon and Benjamin, and leaned against it. He had successfully avoided running into Anna. Whenever Christophe did it usually was full of her fake tears and yelling on both parts that usually ended in detention for both of them and a bad migraine.

His two roommates were sprawled out on their beds playing on their iphones, Benjamin was on the top bunk and Leon was the bottom. Both looked up when Christophe came in.

"So, does this new guy show promise? Or-God forbid-is he one of those losers." Said Leon.

"Losers?"

"You know? The stoners, Christophe. Seriously, those lanky boys and those girls who have no business spending time around them, hang out behind the bleachers and in the library? Leon sighed.

"The new guy turns out to be a girl." Christophe replied as he moved to sit on his bed at the opposite wall.

Benjamin sat up and whacked his head on the ceiling, "And she-who-shall-not-be-named didn't act up? Last time you could hear her from the football field. I thought the girl was going to transfers schools."

"Nah, Renetta has too much fight in her to go out like that." Leon rolled his eyes, "she was beating the crap out of HER until Rizzoli and Jaskolski yanked her off." Leon smile at the memory.

"What's the new girl look like?" Benjamin asked shifting around his bed so now facing Christophe.

"Well she has these incredibly beautiful blue eyes..." Christophe looked up and smiled.

3: My First Day

In all my years of school, I have never had to wear a uniform. Maybe it really was time for huge change. Navy blue blazers with white dress shirts and blue and yellow ties, gray skirts for girls, gray slacks for guys. And I was hating the knee socks.

Words cannot describe how much I hate Bletchley. In fact I hated her more than the damn uniform. From the minute I joined her Trig class, the witch has made it her goal to make my life miserable. "Miss Anderson, would you tell us what the answer is?" when I clearly didn't know the answer, or "What do you mean you haven't finished the problem yet?" in front of the entire class. She could turn someone into a killer, no joke. Dr. Bates (my science professor) made class fun, and made all the boring stuff seem the most interesting thing in the world, He really made you feel welcome. I had a lab partner, named Nathalie Williams, she was a cheerleader but wasn't the stuck-up kind. The girl was a fashionista, it turned out I wouldn't be as lonely as I thought because Nathalie was in a few other classes of mine. She kept insisting on taking me shopping with her sometime this weekend.

And Mr. Flowers (the English teacher) wasn't as bad as Christophe made him sound, Flowers was a huge fan of John Green and we got along great. After English, was Geography which was taught by Rebecca Jepson, who according to Nathalie, had it bad for the history teacher, they looked about the same age. Miss Jepson was nice, she turned out to be my homeroom leader as well. The last thing I had before I could eat was Gym, which was full of the craziest game of dodge ball I have ever seen. In the end it was and kid with a silver streak in his hair, who stood between my team and victory. It wasn't long for the opposing team to take out the skinny Japanese guy that was left of mine.

Now I was heading to lunch, I don't think I mentioned this earlier but the Dining Hall has gourmet food, so no freaking lunch ladies or anything, but you went up order, got your meal quicker than I thought. Dibs invited me to sit with him at his table. Which was full of mostly boys and had three girls. One of the girls at the table seemed to be in some kind of argument with a couple of the guys.

"Robert, you clearly don't understand this! Sherlock's death was not a figment of Johns imagination! Believe me!" The girl cried out. She had light brown hair that fell in beachy waves around her shoulders and grey/green eyes with glare that could have killed a vampire.

"Ren, I shit you not. He's probably in a comatose or something." This boy's legs seemed like they could hardly fit under the table they were so long.

Everyone seemed pretty intent on this argument. So it took a moment for someone the finally notice me standing there awkwardly with my tray of food. That someone was not surprisingly, Dibs. He looked up and grinned at me.

"Dru!" He gestured for me to sit next to him. "Ren-scoot a bit do you mind?-and Shanks shut up n-nobody cares about your theories of Benedict Cumberbatch's fictional death." Renetta scooted over so I could sit at the table with them.

"Samuel! The tragic and heart wrenching emotion was certainly not fictional! It was real!" She looked up at me and said "You must be Dru Anderson! We've heard quite a bit about you. Not in a creepy stalker way though, just to make that clear." I smiled at her

"Everybody this is Dru, please introduce yourselves." Dibs pointed to a boy with wavy brown hair. "Y-you go f-first."

"Gerry Barlow, can I have your number?" Everyone glared at him, and he threw up his hands in submission, "What? it's a fair question! If she not taken yet... you're not taken are you?"

"Lets move on." said the guy who had been arguing earlier. He had dark hair across his forehead in a wing and very white teeth "My name is Robert Langdon. But everyone calls me Shanks."

Renetta spoke next. "I'm Renetta Harmon. Call me Ren though, it seems easier." She grinned at me with perfect pearly whites. "You should consider yourself lucky that we got to you before they did first." Her smile all the sudden become plasticy and forced. I was a little unnerved by that comment.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked incredulously

"W-we'll get to that later" Dibs interrupted while flashing Ren a look

"I'm Alex Clinton! Great to meet you Dru!" He held out his hand and I shook it.

"Ash." said a boy with a silver streak in his hair as he nodded in my direction. He was the one who won the dodgeball game.

"Becca Chase," said the girl next to Alex.

"Lauren Walker" said a smiling blonde sitting between Gerry and Renetta.

"Hey! What up guys?" said an unfamiliar redhead guy in a letterman walked up to the table and gave Shanks a high five and kissed Lauren on the lips. When he and Lauren came up to breathe the boy continued to greet everyone, "Hey, look! New meat! I'm Peter Rune, and you are?"

"Dru Anderson"

Peter's eyebrows shot up, "aren't you the one Reynard gave the tour to?" Reynard? Oh yeah, Christophe. I nodded, "And the Anna didn't act up like last time?"

"I haven't met her yet," I replied. "Class was still going on when I got the rest of my tour." Peter sat down next to Lauren and wrapped an arm around her.

"That has to be some kind of record... I'm sure you heard about what happened last time. Anna had a black eye for a little over a week." Alex jumped in. "Ren hit her pretty hard, there were probably other bruises that we couldn't see, but Anna defiantly was bitching about them for awhile. You're going to want to watch your back around her, she can make your life hell if she wants."

"Wait... That was you, Ren? Dibs didn't mention that." I turned to her in shock

"Guilty as charged... I'm not sorry, that bitch had it coming." Renetta shrugged

Before anything else could be said Nathalie came up to the table, swing her hips and completely ignoring the boys, and went straight for me and Ren. Shanks was giving her big puppy dog eyes but she making a point not to look at him. "Ren! You are not leaving me to sit alone with Kendall! Trust me, I know it's your day to sit with your fellow wallflowers, but I wouldn't be over here if Eleanor wasn't with Leon and we know there's not way to separate them once kissing. Dru you are more than welcome to join us."

"Kendall's back?! She not supposed to come back till this weekend!" Gerry gasped wide eyed, there was a hint of fear in his voice. He shrank down in his seat, "has she come in yet? Kendall always makes a scene! Please please tell me we've missed it!"

"Yeah, she came back in time for gym She took everybody by surprised, you should have seen Jaskolski when she showed up out of the blue." said some guy from the table next to ours.

"Anyway Ren," Nathalie began "You need to sit with me and Kendall please! Don't act like you want to sit with that loser and his freakish friends. Roo, you are better than that." She gave Shanks the evil eye as she spoke.

Renetta glared at her "It's Ren, and they are not that freakish, Nathalie. And fine I'll sit with you, but if the force of her running into me gives me internal bleeding, my prominent death is on you." She started to get out of her seat then turned and looked at me "Dru do you want to come?"

I looked at Dibs who just shrugged and motioned for me go join them

When we reached the table and sat down there was a girl jumping up and down in her chair. She had blue hair, actually blue hair. When she saw us coming and she squealed and launched herself at Renetta sending them on to the floor causing Ren to scream.

"Roosie! i missed you soooooooooooo much!"

"Get off me!" Ren groaned

"Why? I know nothing's broken... So what's the problem?" she asked innocently.

"Well for starters it looks like you are riding me..." Ren muttered, the blue haired girl jumped off Renetta and was back in her chair faster than you could shout dixie.

"Roo, you know I am completely straight." she said furrowing her eyebrows.

Ren moved to her elbows, "it's times like this, I have my doubts."

"Uh Renetta? You might wanna pull down your skirt down, like now..." I commented as some guys at the closer tables were staring at her legs. Ren was on her feet and pulling down her skirt.

"Oooooooooooooo, New girl..." Squealed the girl who had jumped Renetta. "So you're the one that has Kit gave the tour to, huh? Hi, I'm Kendall Rizzoli, you must be Dru Anderson."

Her last name seemed so familiar, for some reason I couldn't place it. The four of us talked for the rest of lunch, in that period I found out that Kendall was the history teacher younger sister and quite fond of nicknames. Kit turned out to be Christophe. Roo or Roosie was Renetta and Nathalie was London, because she reminded Kendall of Stacy London. Nathalie was talking about the shopping spree that I was going to be dragged on. Turns out shopping was Forever 21, Uniqlo, Madewell and Meg. I mean what's wrong with Target, Dillards or even Walmart? In the end, it was agreed that the four of us would meet at Starbuck at the NY Plaza at 8 am that Saturday and spend most of the day shopping and maybe watch a movie. I never really had any girlfriends to hang out with, not that I had a lot of friends to begin with. It was odd but nice to have some girls to talk to.

Next thing I knew, the bell was ringing and everyone was heading to their next class, I checked my schedule, Art. I smiled. Yolanda Prinsloo was quickly becoming my favorite teacher, she went around giving tips and help where it was need or asked for. She handed out paper and told the class we were going to be sketching wildlife, by the end of class I made good progress on a owl. After that was History. According to Shanks that is, it was luckily I had made it in time to go over European folklore. History room looked different than the others, it was rounded room with the seats surrounding the teacher like the one the Romans used where each row was lower than the one behind it. Whereas the other classes looked like normal classrooms.

"Hello, you must Dru Anderson, I'm Mr. Rizzoli. Pleasure to meet you." Then turning to his students he said, "Class, we have a new student with us today. Ms Anderson would you be so kind to tell us a little about yourself." it was the same thing I had gotten in every other class that day, with the exception of Art. But this one went a little differently, as soon as I finished, there was a redhead in one of the middle rows giving me the look of death. This week was Norse Mythology, so it was Thor and Loki and the rest.

I chose to do Antiquities and Artifacts as my extracurricular that met every Monday. Which was full of conspiracy theories and looking at stuff that should belong in a museum. I found out Dr. Henry Jones was a retired archaeologist, he was talking about maybe taking his class to Machu Picchu, for a class trip in the spring. it was mostly full of stories of discoveries of other archaeologist such as himself.

By the time I was done with my homework and I could hardly keep my eyes open. Maybe I can make it work here, maybe, just maybe, I really can start anew like Augie said... that was the last thing I thought before drifting off into sleep.

4: First Encounters

After a long week of classes and homework, I was feeling it. Mostly in my back from leaning over a desk for a good deal of the day. So, I decided to go have a nice long shower in the locker rooms, instead of the short ones I had every morning in my dorm. The heater in shower had broken this morning and they were fixing it. I had just finished drying off and gotten dressed when someone cleared their throat behind me. For all the warnings I've received in the last week, nothing could have prepared me for the real thing. I was alone in the girl's locker room with the redhead who wore a red tank top and pink sweats, that hugged every one of her curves. The girl surveyed me from head to toe, with her baby-blue critical gaze. There was a nasty glint in her eyes, the one a cheerleader gets when she's talking to a nerd. The redhead looked like an add for Victoria Secret sports gear. Which did wonders to my self esteem.

"Well, well, you must be Dru." The girl smiled. "I've heard a lot of things about you... I'm Anna. You know, my boyfriend is the one who gave you your tour."

"He gave me the rest of my tour, yeah."

"I just thought I should tell you that Christophe Reynard is mine. Always has been, always will be." What the hell?

"There's nothing between us, he just showed me where the classrooms are and where the office is." and before I could stop myself, I added, "Possessive much?" I sucked with the whole keeping-my-head-down thing.

Anna rocked back on her heels like I had pushed her. Her eyes narrowed with a flash of hate in her pupils, her face contorting and smoothing in under a second. but the hate in her eyes stayed. "He's mine, and whoever tries to take him away from me is going to die. So make sure the 'nothing' between you stays that way. Clear?" Anna sneered.

"Crystal." as soon as the words left my mouth, I moved around Anna and headed to for the door. I had just reached for the knob when I heard the Bitch calling after me.

"Dru?" I turned to face her, "Welcome to the Schola, and as long you stay away from what's rightfully mine, I'm sure will be great friends." I didn't say anything, I just left.

From the few minutes of being in the room with her, I wanted to drive a stake through her heart. I could see why Ren tried to pulverise her the first time they met, I wanted too as well. What was her problem anyway? I've seen overly attached girls before, that particular redhead took the prize. Anna had acted like every and any girl was a threat to her. I thought back to the tour I had gotten earlier from Christophe. Do I make you nervous, Dru? Was he referring to his over possessive girlfriend? Or something else? On another note, I could see why everyone either hated or was scared of Anna. I also knew where all the stories about redheads being fiery and short tempered came from. I had only interacted with Christophe once, that had been the tour. But she acted like it was much more than that.

Before I knew it, I was standing at my door, feeling like I wanted to throttle someone, no, not someone, Anna. Going inside, I dropped my bathing stuff on my bed. I half wished that i shared a room with somebody. Nathalie and Ren were right down the hall and told me to stop by when I was free. I turned around and headed for room 227 where Nat said to find them. I knocked on the door and didn't hear anything.

"If the door is unlocked, come right in." Ren had said earlier " one of us might not have heard you knocking"

I turned the knob slowly and started to wonder if it was a bad idea. right as I was halfway into turning it, I heard a moan "Mmm George!" That was definitely Nathalie right there, and it sounded like she was busy.

I stepped back quickly, my face flushing. I stepped through the hall and decided to go to the library, where I knew I would find somebody. I didn't see Dibs at the front desk, or Ren in her favorite chair by the corner. I stepped around in hopes of seeing a familiar face.

"Hello Dru." A voice said from behind causing me to jumped.

"Hello Christophe." I turned to face him. His dark blue sweater set off his eyes, which seemed to glow.

"He always comes in at 4:35 on the dot. It is only 4:30 so he'll be here any minute now."

"Huh?"

"You are looking for Samuel, yes? You were looking for people not books, were you not?" he replied, eyebrows raised in a knowing look.

"Maybe I was or I wasn't," then in a voice that promised death, "why should you care?" Christophe looked taken aback but before he could reply, Dibs was suddenly next to us.

"Dru? You should have texted me, I would've come sooner."

"And break your perfect record, Samuel?" asked Christophe the same time I said "I don't have your number."

"What?"

"You are just punctual Samuel" All the sudden Ren was there. She threw her arm around his shoulders and said "He's just jealous."

"I have nothing to be jealous of." Christophe snapped.

"Dammmmnnnnn!" I heard Gerry say from behind me "Dibs dude do you need ice for that burn?"

Dibs furrowed his eyebrows, "Gerry, ice makes a burn w-worse. If you wanted to be logical you should have said 'apply cold water to that burn' but nice try." there was an obvious "duh" in his voice.

"Well then," Ren said slowly. "Ash said he was gonna hold a table for us...So let's go." she tugged and Dibs' arm making him turn a shade of pink "See you Christophe." Gerry started to trail behind them and nodded at me to follow.

"Nice talking to you Chris." I told him

"I'll see you around Dru."

---

(CPOV)

I watched her join her friends, and wished I'd been invited to go with them. Just to be near her a little longer, she was... Different. Stunning, but with no knowledge of it. I wanted her to wrap her arms around me, smiling and laughing. Even talking to her for a second made my day ten times better. I wanted her to know all of this, but I felt as if I was wanting her too fast. As if that if I rushed this she would pull away from me.

"So that's blue eyes, huh?" Benjamin said appearing next to me.

"Yeah, thats her." I replied quietly

"Wow."

---

(DPOV)

"So Ren," I began " I went by your room earlier and I think Nathalie was..."

"Oh..." She said softly turning to Shanks, who had joined a minute before. "I'm sorry about her immature way of revenge.."

Shanks looked down at the open book in front of him "Who is she with now...?"

"A guy named George." As soon as the words left my lips I knew that name held a lot more than I thought. "By the look of things, I'm guessing you two dated?"

"Yeah, for a few years, actually." Shanks mumbled "We had a falling out and now she's been banging every guy she can just to get to me."

"Bang." Ash muttered.

"We got that." Shanks snapped at him before getting up and saying he had a test to study for.

"George used to hang with us." Dibs supplied between stamping books. "He and Shanks were pretty good friends before he decided that we weren't cool enough for him."

"Highschool sucks." Ren half whined.

5: Shopping Trip pt.1

The next morning we had all met at Starbucks like we had planned. Kendall had brought her car saying that it would be easier than carrying everything with us as we went everywhere. We spent a good deal of the morning at Victoria Secret, since I 'need' bras that didn't a sports brand on it, and to start a good outfit to begin with the basics. From there it was Forever 21 which was much more popular with Nathalie, then Urban Outfitters that Renetta claimed was her store. After that we stopped at a little hole in the wall for lunch, then we hit Uniqlo, Madewell and currently Nordstrom. I had spent most of my mourning in the changing room, as the girls checked out clothes and sent me in with more, going in themselves when something caught their eye.

"But this stuff is just going to tear! It's not durable!" I complained as I was sent yet again to the changing room. "I'm in uniform five days out of the week, what does it matter what I wear on the weekends!" This was followed by a horrified gasped from Kendall and tisking from Nathalie.

"She has a point, you know." Renetta said slowly. "I fully support the right to wear sweats on the weekends and/or any other day of the week."

I laughed and headed for the changing room with a million name brand articles of clothing. "I still am against all of the cardigans."

"Nonsense!" Nathalie cried. "Cardigans are what make the fashion world spin around!"

"I thought you said ankle booties did that..." Ren commented.

"That was like, so three months ago."

---

(CPOV)

"But why Nordstrom?"

"Because not all of us can afford custom made clothes" Benjamin gave me a look.

I glanced down at my usual black shirt, dark wash jeans, and black kicks. Glancing up, I shot back, "What's wrong with what i'm wearing?!"

"Let's just say I'm not overly fond of the 'one outfit for all situations' idea and leave it at that. I think the only time I have seen you out of uniform and not wearing your usual get up was when someone raided all your shirts and left you with blue ones instead."

"I never did find out who did that..."

Benjamin wandered, I followed him around the store for a bit as he looked at the shelves and racks.

I stopped and looked at a hideous green jacket. I honestly didn't see why anyone would buy such an ugly thing. I suppose it could be called fashionable...I don't understand clothing. I wear similar things because that is what I know and I would rather not look like some kind of freak. A shirt is a shirt.. Why should it have a design if no one ever notices.

"Benji-Benjamin...? He had vanished when I wasn't looking, again. He had developed habit of doing that. I walked around the store for about five minutes before I found him. Surely surrounded by a few girls. No...Not just any girls...Renetta Harmon and Nathalie Williams. Dru's friends...Was she with them? I felt my heartbeat quicken at the thought.

"I am not sexually oblivious Renetta," Benjamin was saying.

"Oh Ben," she sighed. At least you're not the only one here-"

"Very mature of you Benjamin." I said coming up behind them.

"What?"

"Ditching."

He looked like he was about to respond when someone from further inside the changing room started gushing over whoever had come out. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. Except for the fact I heard Dru's name, as if insync with one another we all turned to see her. Dru stood in front of a mirror dressed in skinny jean, a grey shirt with arrow going across and a lather jacket. I was starting to rethink what I'd said earlier about designs on shirts and whatnot. She looked stunning Kendall was trying to get her in ankle high black keds, telling Dru how good she looked. Dru muttered something in reply whatever she had said gave Kendall a depressed look, turning slight toward us.

"London? Roo? Tell her how fabulous she looks!" London? Who the hell is that? before I could put that question to words Nathalie and Renetta were agreeing with the blue-haired girl who stood next to that rashing beauty checking herself out in the mirror.

"Don't you agree, boys?" Renetta said bring me out of my daze. A startled Dru and nearly red Kendall were now looking at us. Next to me Benjamin was stammering out acknowledgement.

"Yes, you look amazing." Trying and probably failing to keep my voice steady and calm.

---

They pulled away from the computer, no one spoke. Dru leaning back in the chair in front of Nathalie's laptop, Nathalie on her right, Christophe behind her and Benjamin to her left. Thomas and George stood at Christophe's shoulders. It was Nathalie who was the silence.

"I am not a slut! I don't care what you'd give me I'd NEVER, EVER sleep with George!"

"Dido." George replied.

"That's just now bothering you?" Thomas asked, looking at the girl standing next to him. "That was a whole chapter ago." Nathalie glared at him.

"The authors' nailed your hunger for shopping, Nat." Dru said looking up at her friend

"It's not that hard to do that, Dru!"

"Why in the name of everything holy is Leon in this story?" Christophe asked Benjamin just shrugged.

6: Shopping Trip pt.2

Previously

"Yes, you look amazing."

---

I stood in front of the mirror feeling my cheeks beginning to burn at what Christophe had said, for some odd reason his approval meant a lot. Kendall next me had dropped the shoes she had been holding. Glancing at her, I could see she had the deer caught in headlights look while turning a tomato red as she stared at Benjamin. Turning back to Christophe I stammered out a thanks. Getting over her stupor, Kendall picked up the shoes and shoved them at me.

"Put these on, they'll complete the look." she said with a slightly pitched voice.

In the end, I got sent back to the changing room a couple more times with outfits from Nathalie and Renetta. Kendall had tried and failed to get Christophe into some different shirts, saying he had no color. When he argued, Nathalie said black was not a color but a shade and if he was going to wear black jeans it was a crime to wear a black shirt with them.

"Heaven and hell both damn it! I'm not trying that thing on!"

"It is not a thing, Kit! It's a graphic tee-"

"Kit?" Christophe asked incredulously, staring at Kendall.

"-An article of clothing you are lacking in your wardrobe." She finished, glaring at him. "Yes, Kit. That's my special name for you. And I've only seen you in one outfit in the entire time I've known you! Outside of your school uniform!"

Their argument went on like that. It was rather entertaining listening to them go back and forth, mostly to Benjamin. Nathalie made sure I got at least three of the outfits at Nordstrom. After shopping, Renetta dragged the rest of us to the food court, claiming she needed food ASAP before she died. As soon as we got there everyone in our little party abandoned me and Christophe to get food, even Kendall who had claimed not ten minutes earlier she hadn't been hungry. So here we were seated at a table alone, I had no doubt I was going to get visited from Anna on Monday.

"How long have you been going to Schola Prima?" I asked, cause sitting here waiting for the others silently was getting awkward.

"This is my eleventh year attending a Schola school," He replied. "Schola has elementary and middle schools." Then, looking me in the eye as if to gage my reaction, he asked "How long have you been living with August Dabrowski?"

"How…. How did you know I was staying with Augie?" I stared at him.

"My father knows him."

I opened my mouth but before I could say anything, Ren came back with a chinese and sat next to me, moments later everyone was seated around us. Benjamin plopped down next to Christophe and handed over Subway sandwich. Kendall got wedge between Nat and Benjamin, both girls were holding Starbucks and slid a strawberries and cream frappuccino to me. I don't know how long we sat there, the five of us talked about everything and nothing. When Kendall mentioned that Christophe had be the Feir Wolves quarterback, it caught me off guard and causing him to visibly wince.

"You're the quarterback?" I asked, he hadn't struck me as a jock.

"Was the quarterback." Christophe corrected giving Kendall the evil eye. "I wasn't all that good at it either."

"You took Prima to state and won twice!" she shot back. "You were awesome!"

"They were pretty good seasons." Benjamin added eyeing Renetta as she stuffed herself.

"Fractured a vertebrae by my neck," Christophe answered my unasked question. "There is really nothing to miss."

After that we moved on to different subjects. When school came up, Kendall got drilled by the boys about possible quizzes or test, the blue haired girl smiled like a Cheshire Cat and changed the subject to how Christophe's wardrobe outside school being a crime to fashion. Which got Christophe, Kendall and Nathalie once again into a heated argument, Benjamin just laughed. Ren just seemed lost in her food.

"Again with the Kit!"

"I thought it was better than 'Apple pie boy'. If you want me to go back to that-"

"Why Kit?"

"A kit is a baby fox, who are known for being cunning and sly creatures-"

"So, you're calling him a fox?" Benjamin cut in.

Kendall turn pink, "No, n-no, I'm not! Just something about Christophe personality and aura reminds me of a fox."

"Aura?"

"Don't judge what you don't understand!" Kendall hissed at the boys.

---

"Why didn't you bring me Starbucks Nathalie?" Renetta said suddenly, even though we got Starbucks forever ago.

Nathalie stopped talking and raised her eyebrows "What? Ren, I think we need to be careful about your calorie intake."

"Are you calling me fat?!"

I actually laughed because Ren was and is super skinny.

"No I am not. I just thin-"

Kendall put a hand on Nat's shoulder and gave her a look that clearly meant "Shut the fuck up."

Ren glared and Nathalie and took a big bite of food. "Suck it. I'm on my period."

The boys turned red and Christophe snorted. "Miss Harmon, haven't you ever heard the term 'TMI'?" Meanwhile Benjamin looked like he wanted to die.

"I've heard it, I'm just using an excuse. Nathalie you have been such bitch lately and I-"

"Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" Kendall broke in. "Let's change the subject!...Has anyone seen Mean Girls?"

I shook my head no. Everyone stared at me like I was special in a bad way.

"Wow." Benjamin muttered, "How have you not seen Mean Girls?"

"Just never bothered, I guess."

"We're so fixing that, movie my place, well Lance's, tomorrow at 3pm sharp! No buts!" Kendall cried, "The rest of you are more than welcome to come!"

---

By the time I got back to penthouse Auggie owned it was about 10:30 pm, I had about ten shopping bags from being dragged all over New York. Auggie greeted me at the door with a hug.

"Hey Dru-girl, looks like you had fun shopping." He said in his familiar Bronx/Jersey accent as he grabbed some of my bags and helped me lug them inside. I smiled it felt good to see him again.