"Dad, don't leave me here." Emma begged Joey, chasing after him to his car with tears burning her eyes. She tried to hide it though. He considered tears as a weakness.

Behind them stood a tall school building and also a dorm, which Joey had just stuck Emma in. It was an all girls school.

"Emma, it's a great school." Joey insisted, opening his car door.

Emma was wearing the school uniform, grey skirt down to the knees, blouse tucked in and a blue blazer jacket.. tie if you wanted to but Emma didn't.

She wore her hair in a tight curly pony tail. Her face was beautiful, flawless, no make up but mascara on to pop her hazel eyes out.

In her last school, Emma she was the smartest girl, not to mention one of the most popular- she had it all. And it was all taken away from her even though she had been good. She studied, she picked goals over boys and she was getting punished for it? It always seemed her whole life she had been either striving for her Dad's approval and attention and it seemed even when she did her best, it wasn't enough.

It was like he just didn't want her, even if he claimed to love her.

She had lived mostly with her mom growing up. Her father and mom had divorced early in her childhood, and he wasn't much part of her life until her mom got cancer and when Emma was 9, she died, and she lived with him again. He traveled a lot, for work, and she grew up helping him get ready for those long trips and cleaning up the house while he was gone. She probably knew his maid, Glenda, more than she knew her own father.

Joey cared about the reputation Emma had though, but she had to find out that it was more for his own benefit then her own. A 'Jeremiah' couldn't be a failure- not under his watch.

Good thing she kept her mothers last name and kept her name as Emma Nelson.

It not like Emma could run away either, and she wasn't dumb enough to anyways. She knew that'd be a childish move and she was far more concerned about her future that being a runaway teen. She was smart. Mature. Maybe too mature for her age.

She had never really cut loose and just have fun. There was so many expectations of her.

"I gotta go." Joey kissed her head and shut his car door without another word, and Emma watched him go. Her face twisting in hurt.

She crossed her arms and watched him go, his car disappearing in the distance. She looked down and finally turned, facing the head master that was there all along.

Mrs H. She was the head master. She opened her mouth to speak but no words could come out.

Mrs H couldn't count how many times parents just dropped their kids off here just to get them off their hands. She couldn't see what was wrong with this young girl though. Emma had great grades, extra activities and great references.

"Come on dear, let me show you your room." she insisted.

Emma nodded and tried to bare small smiles as the older, cuvier woman showed her around. She began to grow annoyed though as Mrs H claimed that she and the girls of this school were like family. She said that Emma could learn some things here.

Emma was very unsure of that.

"Whatever." she mumbled under her breath as Mrs H now opened a door to what was to be Emma's very own room.

"Here it is." Mrs H said, opening the door to Emma's new home for the year.

Emma gloomily looked around. It was big, sure, but she was sharing the place with three other girls in ONE room.

Kill me, Emma thought to herself.

"Oh, here are your roommates." clapped Mrs H, smiling too brightly and Emma flushed.

One girl led them in, she was tall and skinny, wearing baggy beige pants that her fists dug into. She wore big hoops earrings, and a hard glare on Emma. She had shoulder length raven black hair and dark brown eyes. She didn't seem to like Emma the moment she saw her.

"This is Alex." Mrs H introduced them one by one and in came the next one.

The next one was a shorter dark haired girl, with a more feminine look than Alex, wearing make up and long brown hair curled quite nicely. Her clothes were a bit.. untasteful though. That was just Emma's opinion. She wore hip hugging jeans with highheeels, and a white tank top that showed off her lower stomach, and belly botton piercing (not to mention Emma could almost see her bra through her shirt). She had the cutest dimples but for the mean time, Emma wasn't so into the smirk she gave her as she eyed her up and down like fresh meat that was going to be beaten and cooked up.

"This is Manny." Mrs. H introduced them and the two girls just sat on their beds, Manny grabbed her stuffed pig and played with it as she watched in entertainment.

"She's quivering." Alex muttered under her breath and Emma heard Manny stiff a laugh.

Emma shifted uncomfortably until another blonde stopped in front of her.

"I'm Paige." She was wearing too much pink it hurt Emma's eyes.

What was this? Legally blonde?

Emma couldn't stand this hell of a place already.

"Well, you should all get along just great." Mrs H insisted, awkwardly patting Emma's shoulder as she gave her a desperate look to get her out of here.

Then, the door shut, and Emma was alone with these three girls who now sat on each of their own beds, showing that Emma's was the furthest right bed at the corner of the spacious room. She blinked, and started to walk over.

Paige got up from her bed and went to her dresser, pulling out her drawers. "Ella, do you like pink?" she asked. She glanced back at Emma who looked over as well from unpacking her bag on her bed.

"Uh-"

"Nevermind." Paige tightly smiled, closing her drawer.

Emma blinked and noticed everyone looking at her. Paige by her dresser. Alex from reading her magazine on her bed. And Manny was just bluntly sitting on the edge of her bed with her head tilted up at Emma, looking at her like she was some alien.

"So Ella-"

"It's Emma." she tried correcting Manny now.

Alex laughed, and passed Paige a mysterious smirk who too giggled.

Emma took a deep breath, and turned. She could do this, she kept telling herself.

"So Emma, how old are you?" Manny asked and crossed her legs, trying to get comfy as she got to know their new fabulous strange roommate.

Emma bit the end of her tongue, narrowing her eyes at the girls and especially Alex who laughed again.

"16." she mumbled.

"Why are you wearing your uniform?" Manny taunted, arching an eyebrow, "It's the weekend. We don't have to wear them when not on the clock.."

"Oh." Emma blinked and then dug through her bag, getting the schools rule book out.

Alex snorted, "Don't tell me thats a copy of the schools rule book."

Emma looked up, and paused like a deer in the headlights. "No." she lied, and threw it back in.

Paige shared looks with her friends, "Right. Well anyways. Girls don't really wear their uniforms here unless they're nerdy, or new." she explained.

Emma narrowed her eyes at Paige.

Alex finally looked up from her book again and noted, "I'm betting on both."

The bell rang and Emma looked around confused, "What was that?" she asked.

"Dinner time." sighed Manny, standing up and grabbing her cellphone.

"We-we're allowed phones here?" Emma asked, remembering her Dad saying they weren't allowed.

Again, the girls laughed at her and Emma rolled her eyes, staying back. Such rude mean girls. Brain dead, probably.

Emma hated them already.

Alex stopped by the door, looking back at Emma, "What are you doing?" she snapped

Emma heard her stomach growl but shrugged at Alex, "not hungry." she insisted with a small voice, a little intimidated by this one. She looked the oldest too.

"You don't get a say." Alex taunts, "Now get your ass to the cafeteria before the Dean sees your not there. Unless you're sick, you are always suppose to go."

"Always?" Emma asked in a mere whisper, looking at Alex in horror.

Alex looked strangely at her but nodded and rolled her eyes again, leaving.

Emma's stomach growled again and she tried to wrap her arms around her stomach to stop it. MAYBE one or two bites of something wouldn't be bad. Now you may ask, did Emma have an eating disorder? Maybe a small one. It was all about control for Emma... since her mom passed away Emma had so much pressure with organizing things, cooking everything, taking care of herself, her Dad, her homework. So when it came to controlling herself, and feeling horrible about herself and maybe felt not as pretty as the other girls in school, YES, maybe Emma DID have a small anorexia disorder. She ate, maybe once a day, and it could only contain fruits or vegetables.. then a small piece of chocolate in the middle of the day so she wasn't too weak or wanting to faint.

((((*))))

Emma entered the cafeteria and it was huge. Many tables were set up with plates and drinks, and Emma sat at the long table where her other roommates sat and slowly sat beside the empty seat beside Paige-

"Oh no hun, that's my minions seat." Paige informed, not letting Emma sit.

Emma looked around, kitten like, wondering where to go. She caught Manny eyeing her while she chewed on her fork for her peas and then scooch over for Emma to sit.

"Thanks." Emma mumbled, sitting down.

Manny just nodded and a cook from behind Emma laid down a plate of food for her and walked off.

"Did you see MR. O's body today in gym class?" Paige asked the table after two more girls joined the table.

The one that joined giggled madly, she was a darker skinned girl, with pretty Hazel eyes.

"Whose this?" the other one bluntly asked, staring at Emma who was oddly wearing the school uniform.

Emma stared at her back. Obvious cheerleader type, she could tell by the fake extensions in her hair and duh look on her face.

"This is Hazel." Paige told Emma, pointing to the girl with Hazel eyes, ironic. "And that's Darcy. Guys this is Emma."

Ah, so these were her minions. Shocking.

Emma looked down to her food as all the girls got into a conversation. Oh no, her favorite.. mash potatoes. But the carbs.. that starch... so unhealthy.

A fork appeared infront of her, Manny giving her a silly look, "Hey coco banana's, you eat it, not stare at it all night long." she teased with a small giggle.

Emma bit her lip nervously and took the fork. She stared down at the food and began to play with it. She thought, if she could trick her Dad for two years, she could probably trick these airheaded girls.

She missed the look from Manny though, who caught Emma's hesitance..

"Evening girls." greeted Tracker, another teacher who passed through during meals and smirked at his senior class girls.

Emma looked up and noticed he was a good clean cut looking man. Clean shoes, tight belt, nice button up shirt.. she also noticed Manny sit up straighter, boobs rising up a bit more and chewing on her fork again but this time seductively.

Emma blinked with wide eyes. It was clear that Manny was the man eater of the bunch.

"Hi Tracker." they all said at the same time, except for Alex, who happily ate her food without a second thought and even rolled her eyes.

He nodded to Emma, "You must be the new girl I heard about, impressive resume." he remembered scanning through it, "Leader of a few environment and math clubs right?"

"Ew." Darcy, Hazel and Paige loudly said at once.

Manny covered her mouth, trying not to laugh and Alex gave a short one.

Tracker raised his eyebrows, impressed with these girls' manners and gave Emma a 'good luck' look and nod, smirking and shaking his head as he walked off.

Emma's shoulders fell and she awkwardly shifted feeling Darcy and Hazel giving her crazy looks, eyeing her like a freak.

"I enjoy math." Emma declared simply and they gasped as if she had said she loved to kill people or something.

Emma rolled her eyes and let herself eat a bit more.

At night time, the girls crawled into bed. Emma braided her hair in a french braid bun and wore her lamb pajamas as she slid into her covers, the lights going off by Paige.

Emma's bed was next to Manny's, who practically wore nothing but a dollface dress to bed and laid in her black silk sheets. Paiges bed consisted of everything pink but Alexs bed was nothing but black or grey.

"Goodnight Paige." Manny sang through the dark room.

"Goodnight Manny." giggled Paige back, and tossed over to the other one, "Goodnight Alex."

"Night Paige and Manny." Alex practically sung and drifted off, "Goodnight.. Ella."

Emma stuck the pillow on top of her head, hearing the girls giggle like immature girls and shut her eyes tight. She wished she was anywhere but here with these crazy and unlady like girls who probably had no respect for themselves or another or their future.

How wrong Emma was, and how closed up she'd notice she'd come to be.. . .. . .and these girls were going to help her finally figure herself out.

((((((((*****)))))))

"Welcome back to another great Monday morning of English 101" teased Mr. O, the English teacher.

Emma wore her uniform, as did a few other girls. Her roommates were a bit right that not really a lot of people followed the rules..yet the authority system didn't seem to care enough to make them either.

By the way, if this was such an independent school? How come she's had mostly male teachers and only one woman as her teacher?

The class groaned, or giggled a bit, and by this reaction Emma insisted this must of been the Mr.O the girls were gossiping about last Friday night.

The weekend was hell by the way. No one talked to her, not like she wanted to talk to ANYONE, but doing nothing and sitting in a room with no Tv, sucked. She painted her nails at least twice this weekend.

"We're going to form up partners" Mr. Orlander said, his eyes scanning the class and Emma saw his eyes stop on someone longer than it should. Paige.

Paige smirked a little back at him before looking down at her binder.

Was that... did a this teacher have a THING with a student in highschool? Granted Emma did find out Paige was 17 and ready to graduate in a few months with Alex, who was 18 in a month... it still didn't seem right though.

Emma was shockingly paired with one of her roomates, and Manny wore a short black skirt and blouse that was unbottoned enough to show off her pink bra. Emma tried to sit up and not look so judgemental but why did she put herself out there so much?! Especially when this was a girls school?

As they worked on their assignment, Emma noticed Paige go up to Mr.O's desk, pretending to ask questions but noticed Mr O slowly take the pencil out of Paige's hand, to then put his hand on hers..yet no one in the class seemed to notice. Paige also giggled silently and swatted his shoulder now and then.

Manny caught what she was looking at and smirked a bit, "Gonna tell?" she teased.

Emma looked at her and her mouth dropped, "You're not...going to tell anyone? How old is he? 20?" she asked.

"24." shrugged Manny.

Emma's mouth hung down more, "He's 24?! She's 17!"

"She's also a horny chick trapped in this hell hole waiting to find her man." giggled Manny, shaking her head at Emma, "Why are you so uptight and prude? Have you ever even kissed a guy?"

Emma went red and she tried to glare, "I've been around boys, I went to school with them before trapped in here. Ofcourse I've kissed one or two." she stuck her chin up.

Manny leaned forward, biting her lip that smiled playfully, "Have you ever had sex?"

Emma sat up and nervously played with her hands, going even redder and Manny rolled her eyes smiling.

Question answered!

"None of your business." Emma went with that and got back to work.

((*)))

"Knew she was a virgin." Alex said, having a smoke outside the school under the porch and it rained softly. She and the girls were talking about Emma.

Manny shrugged, "She's pretty enough though if she wanted to."

Paige gasped, clapping her hands excitingly, "We should give her a make over."

Alex raised her eyebrow at Paige, "You know the type of girl she is? Stuck up, prude, self righteous. Last thing on her mind is make up or boys.. just numbers and rules."

Paige went into deep thought, not seeing how a girl couldn't care about boys. Emma was a goregous girl too.. she just had to let her hair down and stop wearing that god awful uniform. Her attitude could be adjusted too. The girl seemed like a control freak.

Manny tilted her head in wonder though. I don't know, she kinda had hope for the girl.

"You know what would make her really squirm?" Manny asked, slowly smiling so hard her dimples caved into her cheeks, "Letting her meet the guys."

"The guys would eat her alive." laughed Alex, almost doubling over, "Let's do it!"

(((((*)))))

The next day was bright and sunny, and Emma nervously followed the girls down the path to exit school property.

"Are you sure we're ALLOWED to do this?" Emma asked them, and was a LITTLE shocked they wanted to all hangout with her. Alex usually ditched everyone, Emma could never find Manny, and Paige left with her posse of minions a lot.

"Hey Roger." waved Manny to the security gaurd, flashing her best smile and wink to the overweight security guard who happily opened the gates for them, letting them pass through. He smiled and waved back.

Emma jogged a bit to catch up with them. She wore her hair in another tight pony tail, her blazer uniform on and skirt that Paige so MEANLY cut so it stopped at her thigh like most other girls in school did. Seemed 'slutty' to Emma.. but Paige insisted she should show off her 'killer legs'

"Stop." laughed Paige, noticing Emma trying to push it down more, missing the way the skirt use to go to her knees.

It wasn't slutty or anything, just a normal small waisted skirt. It looked better! If only she'd wear her hair differently or got rid of the blazer.. she could probably pass as one of them.

Emma looked around as they stepped in front of a small diner attached to an auto repair shop. Was this where they were going to eat?

Ugh, diners, nothing but fatty food. She'd have to order water.

"Em, you okay?" Paige teased, watching Emma pant a bit, "Wasn't THAT far of a walk."

Manny eyed Paige and glanced back at Emma, eyeing her harder. Something was up this girl... Manny just knew it.

"Fine." coughed Emma lightly, trying to gain some strength back. Ok. Maybe SOME fries, since they'd be walking back.

"Come on." snapped Alex, not walking towards the diner but towards the auto shop and stopping at a truck that was parked right outside the garage where a few guys were working.

Mechanics.

Young ones too, to Emma's notice.

"What are we doing?!" Emma asked, grabbing Manny's hand.

Manny stopped and turned, giggling a bit, "Just visiting some friends who'd want to have lunch with us." she teased Emma playfully, "You're not afraid of guys, are you?"

Emma panicked a bit but didn't say anything

"Hey losers." Paige greeted first as she leaned on the side of the truck where a guy with bleached blonde hair and too many ear peircings glanced up and grinned.

"Ah, the words I've been waiting for all day." Spinner taunted his ex. He worked on a tire with his buddy Sean who didn't wear the usual mechanic cover alls that Spinner did. He wore, instead, jeans and a white wife beater, that did everything to show off his muscular features. He looked up, and had piercing blue eyes that locked on Emma's and he too did a double glance to look at her- pushing his hair back a bit away from his face.

He was gorgeous. Emma knew it by just one glance and quickly turned her head away at his longing glance.

Alex went to the front of the truck that Emma didn't have a good view of, since the hood was up.

"Need some pointers from someone who probably knows how to do this better than you?" Alex taunted the person behind the hood who threw a tool into a box which made a loud noise and Emma jump.

Emma turned to see who Alex was talking to as she tried to ignore the hot guy to the right with Spinner and Paige.

"Nobody knows cars more than I do, especially a girl." taunted a voice, putting their hands on the hood and slamming it closed. There stood a guy who was tall, and lean and wore a black hat, that was backwards and hanging to the side just a little bit. He locked eyes on Emma for one split second, before looking at Manny next to her and Emma saw something strike into those eyes of his and his jaw clenched.

Emma glanced at Manny. She avoided even looking once at this guy who was just staring at her.. Emma took a good hint that Manny could be ignoring the guy, since he staring right at her with a tortured look

"You ever going to talk to me, Dimples?" his voice went to being so gentle after being so hardened with Alex.

Mannys eyes nearly flashed as she looked up and finally connected eyes with him. All their friends seemed tense as they began to fight..

She sarcastically snapped, "Gee Jay, I thought the blunt ignoring and not speaking to you would of answered that." she rolled her pretty eyes.

His mouth dropped and he then threw his arms out to the sides, "When are you going to believe that I did nothing with that girl?"

"When I don't find another girls panties in your back seat when we're dating. But don't worry- that won't ever happen again!"

Emma watched Manny storm off as Jay walked around the truck they were working on to yell after Manny.

"I just drove her home! She was with one of the girls Spinner brought home!"

"It's true." Spinner declared back with Paige and Emma, Sean still hanging off to the side. Emma caught herself trying hard to avoid any eye contact with him. Her palms felt hot.

"She thinks you're just covering for him." Paige confirms.

"Nah, he's in love. Wouldn't touch another girl if it meant losing her." Spinner admitted, watching Jay watch Manny storm into the Diner and torturously groaned before running after her. Spinner then turned his attention on the new girl and grinned before asking Paige, "Whose your friend?" he shook her hand "Spinner Mason."

Emma couldn't believe it herself that she was even smiling. The guy seemed harmless. "Emma."

"Sean." Spinner said with a point to the other guy who looked up from leaning on the truck.

Sean just merely nodded at her as she finally glanced at him and gave him a moment of her day.

"You can call her Ella, or Emma." declared Alex, receiving a glare from Emma and even a warning from Paige.

"Just Emma." Paige corrected, giving Alex a 'be nice' look as she passed Emma a supportive smile. She was about to be eaten alive by these hoodrats, why not give her SOME slack on their part?

"Nice uniform, Emma." Spinner teased but then had to grin crookedly as he took in her beauty. All she needed was a little loosening up. "Got a boyfriend?"

They all rolled their eyes. "God Spin, she hasn't even been here for three minutes." Paige taunted.

Sean even laughed. "Whose up for food?" he then asked. Emma tried to ignore how much she liked the way his voice even sounded, so deep and smooth.

"I could eat." nodded Alex and led them to the diners door.

Paige teased Emma in a whisper on their way,, "Breath, Emma. I swear none of them have criminal records."

Emma gave a fake nervous laugh, waiting for Alex to open the door, then Spinner went in, then Paige and then Emma, but someone opened the door for her.

She looked up and hesitated as Sean held the door and joked, "One time I did hard time. " he said, "I was bad. This kid wanted to fight me over crayons..so I hit him..and the teacher sent me to the corner for punishment."

Realizing he overheard what Paige said to her, Emma hid her blush and just teased him back for making fun of them, "And they let you out?"

"Probation." he shrugged and sighed like it was real and not some silly story from preschool.

Emma smiled and rolled her eyes, going inside. He shortly laughed and followed in after her.