Luck wasn't on my side today.

Francis had decided to press the "snooze" button on the alarm clock, making both of us late for the annual "Foreign exchange student meet and greet breakfast". So much for a good first impression. Of course, I wouldn't have been the only down set of my family. Growing up in a little cottage along the great city of Paris, none of us were really destined for great things.

I cursed as I slipped on a classy knee length magenta dress, with a long butterfly shaped collar, as well as my black elevated-flats. Did I care about brands? No. Did I care for fashion? Not really. I was against the cliché - the one that all other fifteen year old girls followed.

Francis stirred in his bed sheets, and purred softly. He looked warm and cozy, all twisted in with his blanket, sprawled out to every corner of his bed. His amber eyes fluttered open peacefully, still adjusting to the brightness of the dorm. "Good morning, princess. That dress looks bedazzling on you."

I grunted in response as I brushed the last matted knot out of my long white hair. "Save it for later, Francis."

The body-length mirror reflected a short girl with shiny white hair and tan fur for skin. Her iridescent golden eyes flashed with annoyance, just as her squirrel-ish tail swished with irritation. She was pretty flat, with zero curves. Her bangs prodded at her thin eyebrows, just a couple shades darker than her fur. Huge triangular ears stood out of the white hair, like mountains on snow. The old school dress made her look no older than a sixth grader.

"No makeup today, lovely?"Francis mused while arching his back high into the air.

"Do I ever wear it?"I hissed.

He took a step back "It's always there. Don't you ever want to look like, say the reputable, De Nile?"

I ground my teeth to contain my frustration. Why don't brothers come with a 'shut up' switch?

"Just trying to be a helpful older sibling, little Renee."

I threw a bowtie at him. Not the world's best weapon, but still effective. Hurriedly, I grabbed my leather clutch-purse on the four poster oak wood bed.

"Hurry up and get your sorry butt to the meeting."

"Ah, lady Renee. What a pleasure it is to see you." A tall elegant-looking boy said, shaking my hand. He had curly black hair and a sharp face, with cheek bones so high that you could almost see the bone protruding from the skin. His eyes were deep brown and calm, with a hint of haughtiness.

I tipped my head to him, then looking up to his face I said, in an almost mechanical voice, : "As well to you, sir Jasper."

I don't know why he and I play this game. It's obvious that we don't find each other relatively interesting or noble. But everyone else thinks we are something more than friends, just because he has been my escort here.

He pulls back a detailed antique, red cushioned chair, and motions for me to sit. I do, and he takes a seat next to mine, trying not to catch my eye. The round, purple velvet room with the long draped curtains is crowded with other monsters finding seats next to their friends, or trying to snatch a muffin before the long boring inspirational speeches begin.

"Hi Renee." says a small voice next to me.

I turn to look at … nothing. The chair next to mine is clearly occupied, pulled out and cushion flattened, but there is just air in its place. Then realization hit me. It was the so called "creepy perverted stalker", InvisiBilly. Or Billy, as I called him.

"I didn't know you were a foreign exchange student, much less an honors one." I say, rolling my r's with the typical French-speaker tone. I didn't know why people thought it was sexy. I thought it was annoying, but it got most monster's attention.

The chair's cushion adjusted to the slightly-more-alert was perplexed. "Well... I'm just here for the free food."

Jasper's eyes rolled irritatedly in the sockets of his pale face. He and I both couldn't stand underachieving crafty people. The ones that found the easy way out of an essay, or guess stupidly on a final and still pass. Billy was one of those people.

The rest of the meeting was very dull.

I'd have to say that the most interesting thing to happen there was that Ernie McBee had squirted almost all of the syrup for the cheap pancakes on his fruit, and the janitor-zombies tried their best to clean it up with no success. Rochelle Goyle , an old friend of mine, had stepped in it and her high heels had gotten so sticky that they had almost rooted her to the she tried to walk, half of the carpet had ripped off from the floor, causing her a great embarrassment.

By the end of the speech, we all rose up after and followed in line after Ernie. The smells of processed food and buget-pancakes made my stomach turn. I wouldn't say I was a picky eater, but I can tell crap food from a sophisticated meal. I'd be sticking to the muffins and ham.

Jasper "accidentally" bumped into me , but he really meant for me to hurry was a smart person's way of doing it.

The tall girl in front of me glowered as I was "accidenally" shoved into her. She had glowing green eyes with no pupils, and a milky white complexion. Her slightly transparent red hair seemed to flare , like a warning signal from a civil war. She certainly wasn't falling for my "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to it was an accident" face, or my shrinking composure. She still growled at me, her eyes piercing my slowly she turned away and walked up to the pancake line.

"Scary, huh?" said the air next to me . I almost jumped,

"Stop doing that, Billy! You keep scaring me."

He chuckled softly. "You're just so fun to surprise ,Renee! And the way you react is priceless"'

"What's her name?" I asked, making a mental note to never be on her bad side.

"Avalonia just came here from Ireland Banshee Academy , but she's already warded off half of the school," he said quietly. "Banshees aren't perceived well at this school."

I walked up the line, placing a very small and moist,shiny blueberry-tuna (for the carnivorous) muffin from the pyramid of pastries that most monsters were now picking at. Billy snatched a chocolate filled croissant. When it hovered in the air for a while, some monsters glanced around at me, as if I had mastered levitation.

"You'd better place that on my plate"

Billy laughed. "You certainly do need some fattening up, little kitten."

I gave the space next to me a glare, as he had completely missed my point.

Jasper sighed irritatedly. "InvisiBilly, please stop holding up the line and distracting the lady Renee from socializing with other students. She needs all the friends she can make if she wants to survive at this school."

Billy snorted. "Why don't you just make friends with the group of cats over there? Or Frankie Stein and her friends?"

This time, Jasper and I exchanged a look of disgust. This utterly oblivious boy had no idea how social standings could affect you honors course, much more your future. A group of naive, stupid Hollister model teenagers would never go anywhere but parties in life.

"Jeez Renee. You look like you just stepped in crap."

Jasper took my arm,a bit too tightly and we marched back off in sync to the table that now held a freckled girl with short mousy brown hair and large teeth, as well as a chubby Arabic boy. Jasper almost slammed his plate into the table as I sunk into my chair.

Next to me, a white, grey pointed cat with yellow lunar eyes was laying down comfortably in his seat. "What did I miss, little sis?'

I ignored him, taking nibbles of my muffin. Jasper bit an apple slowly, staring angrily at the tablecloth below him. He slowly sucked the color out of the apple, and it shriveled up into a small lump.

The cheek's of the mousy haired girl next to Jasper bloomed into great rosebushes of red when he smiled halfheartedly at her. He was, of course, very well known and loved at the school.

Much less was I . Yet.