It's her first day of high school. Piper gets out of her parent's BMW and smoothes her beige skirt and tugs at the collar of her polo. As much as everyone hates on the idea of school uniforms it has always been something that Piper secretly liked. Not because she couldn't afford nice clothes (because she definitely can) but because she always felt so plain and average in her style. At least with the uniforms she blended in with even the most stylish and cool girls around her.

Piper has gone to the same private school for as long as she could remember. It is a small school and most of the people from her middle school are also going to the same high school, but it still felt different. I mean this is high school, the most important years of her life, right? So, the anxiety is there and at an all-time peak as she takes her first steps on the small, yet bigger campus for the first day of her high school career.

"Piper! There you are!" she hears the familiar voice and senses some of her anxiety lift as she turns to see the face of her best friend since they were just kids.

"Hey Pol!"

"Can you believe it? We are high schoolers now! I've already seen a few cute new guys! We have to get in quick before Jessica gets a hold of them and get wedged into the dark side."

Polly has this unspoken feud with Jessica Wedge, the most popular girl in school (at least with the guys). It seems whenever Polly gets a crush, which happens a lot, Jessica is able to snag the guy before Polly has a chance while at the same time being sickenly nice to Polly like she doesn't know what she did. Polly is in the stage of her life where guys are the number one thing and all she can talk about. Piper has always listened and laughed along with her friend but never found herself in the same spot. As many guy friends as she had she is perfectly fine laying low and being single. I guess guys haven't intrigued her that much yet.

...

Alex gets out of her beat up truck and takes in the scene unfolding. There are bunch of freshman girls squealing as they run and hug their friends that they probably saw yesterday. How could they possibly have that much energy this early in the morning. Even after her coffee she can't pretend to be that excited to see anyone.

She is wearing her favorite pair of shorts (not technically approved by the school but they look close enough and honestly the teachers seem bored of calling her out on it so they just let her go) and her black polo (which is pretty much the only one she wears since the other options are just a little too bright for her taste). She already wishes that she can ditch but the only reason she can even go to this school is because of her softball scholarship and she isn't about to mess that up on the first day of school, even she has her limits. She knows how hard her mom works to keep her here and she doesn't ever want to disappoint her. The teachers think of her as the troubled kid since she often shows up to school high and ditches her fair share of classes but she knows how to charm her way through it. All it takes is that smirk and they tend to let her go with a warning if she is ever caught. The girls here aren't really her cup of tea, rich snobs that don't know anything about the concept of money and how much it is to even go to a school like this, but she has found her group (pretty much just the softball team) and has found a way to enjoy this stuck up school.

...

It's her first day of her junior year of high school and she already hates all her classes. The only thing that ever gets her through the day is the fact that she has softball practice at the end of it. She shrugs her backpack on, littered with old rock bands and starts walking onto campus.

"Hey Vause, is it too soon to ditch and go smoke in the back field because that is all I want to do right now." Nicky says as she pushes her mane out of her face and gets out of her brand new Beamer. "I guess at least there will be some new meat to look at right?"

"Yeah I don't know after all the squealing if I can handle any of these girls but I'm always up she a challenge." As she says this she gets a glimpse of blonde and blue eyes. Yeah sure that's what most of these girls look like, just a clone of the other rich girls trying to fit in, but there is something different about this girl as she nervously steps onto campus and greets her friend with a smile that takes up her whole face.

"See something you like?"

"Shut up Nicky, I'm just taking in the new conquests like I always do." Her green eyes roll.

"I don't know Vause that look was different. Looks like someone is in looovvee."

This time she just gives Nicky the finger and starts to head onto campus. Time to sit through seven hours of school and then she is free to hit the field. For some reason she searches for the blonde hair again but she is already gone.

...

The field looks freshly done, the grass is freshly cut and the smell of it attacks everyone's nose as they tie the laces of their new cleats. A new season brings new bats and gloves and fresh pants free of stains and rips. There is excitement from returning varsity players and anxiety coming from the underclassman that haven't had the chance to get called up to the varsity field yet. The field is freshly chalked in perfect straight lines leading to the tall yellow foul poles. Bases still perfectly white from having not been stepped on and worn out, it is Alex's favorite sight in the world. She couldn't picture anything better than a fresh field. Since it is tryouts for the underclassman she is wearing her running shorts and shirt with the word Knights across it, their school mascot and she is lazily stretching while talking to Nicky.

"You think anyone is going to be good enough to be pulled up this year?" Alex asks while wiping the sweat already forming at her brow.

"Who knows, after watching jv last year I couldn't imagine any of them coming up, unless someone suddenly can make it throw it across the diamond and actually make it in the first basemen's glove unlike last year's team. We really don't need anyone though with you on the mound and me behind the plate." She shows her cocky smile. "State is ours this year."

"We can't get ahead of ourselves but I mean it isn't far out of reach." She is interrupted by something her loud outfields are saying.

"Miranda do you think my socks match my pants or do I look just silly." Taystee says in her best white girl impression.

"I just hope that my manicurist is ready after this to clean up my nails. Do you think she is willing to help me after every practice so I don't have to walk around with this horrid dirt under my nails?" The short haired Poussey responds with a spot on accent.

"My mom and dad said that this would look good on college applications but I didn't know it would be this dirty, hopefully tennis is a little cleaner than this, plus sweating is not my thing." The whole groups breaks down in laughs until they hear a unmistakable clearing of the throat that instantly has them quiet.

"I see you ladies have already started messing around. I see that coming in second last year has not bothered you in the slightest. Maybe one of these new girls can show you how to be focused." The words curl out of her mouth and her red hair seems even more red than usual. They always say that they can see it redden the madder she is, today isn't the acceptation.

"Sorry Coach Red." They all mumble out while they get back to their stretches.

"All girls trying out please line up here. Our captains, Vause and Nichols, will lead you through stretches before we start in on drills. This is a high caliber team and if you want to make it I need to see heart and a true understanding of the game. Let's get to work!" Red pats Alex on the shoulder and walks to talk to the other girls already on the team.

"Okay everyone I'm Alex and that's Nicky and we are your captains, let's see what you got. Get in a line and start with high knees to Nichols and back." This is when she sees her again, that blonde from this morning all decked out in the newest gear, all Adidas with really nice white cleats. She seems more intense but probably even more nervous and Alex can't help but think how cute she is with her face focused and eyebrows furrowed. And don't get her started on those legs because they go for days.

"Hey blondie get those knees up higher." Nicky yells with a knowing smirk.