Briarwood-Octavian Country Day School
The Great Lawn
Monday, September 28th
7:54 A.M.
Kristen Gregory ran her fingers through her freshly blow-dried cinnamon brown hair. She pinched her cheeks with her DIY French-manicured nails to give them a healthy dose of color. She pulled a tube of lip gloss out of her 40-off-at-Macy's Harajuku Lovers bag and applied an extra coat. But no quick primping ritual could prepare her for the toughest beauty critic of all.
Her best friend.
Massie Block pressed a few keys on the touch screen of her iPhone as she clacked up to Kristen in her Ralph Lauren (sorry, Alicia) metallic gold heels. Oblivious to the rush of chattering students around her, she distractedly glanced up at Kristen as she lifted her phone to her ear.
And then she dropped it.
"Ehmagawd," Kristen gasped, wondering if it would seem pathetic if she picked up the expensive phone, which was now lying face down next to her friend's high-heeled shoes.
But the fate of her iPhone seemed to be the last thing on Massie's mind. She was staring open mouthed at Kristen's pale green short-sleeved button-up shirt. "Is that…Old Navy?!" Kristen hadn't heard Massie sound so disgusted since they'd been forced to move into the originally dirty overflow trailers almost three weeks ago.
"No!" Kristen insisted, crossing her arms in front of her new shirt, which she'd actually thought was adorable. "I got it at H&M." For five dollars, she added silently in her head.
Massie rolled her eyes. "Not much better." But she seemed to be willing to forget about it as she bent down, picked up her iPhone, and dropped it into her purse. "Come on," she instructed, brushing a strand of chocolate brown hair away from her face as she began to head toward the main building. "Dempsey told me he'd leave me a surprise in my locker."
Kristen glanced behind her to see if Dylan Marvil, Alicia Rivera, or Claire Lyons had shown up yet, but no such luck. She had no choice but to follow Massie into the building, subjecting herself to whatever other criticism her friend had to offer. Ever since her father had lost his job as an art dealer and she and her family had been forced to move into an apartment building, Kristen had always felt inadequate around her friends, especially Massie. While Massie, Alicia, and Dylan got their hair done professionally, she styled hers herself at home. While they went to a salon to get manicures, she painted hers herself using polish she bought at the drugstore. And now, as Alicia was going out with Josh and Massie had been asked out by Dempsey last week, she also found herself longing for a boyfriend.
"Kristen Gregory," the voice of Principal Burns over the PA system pulled Kristen out of her silent pity party. "Will Kristen Gregory please come to my office? I need you here immediately."
Massie looked over at Kristen and raised an eyebrow. "Sounds serious," she smirked. "You'd better go."
Kristen felt the eyes of what seemed like the entire student body of BOCD on her as she turned and began making her way to the dreaded principal's office. Memories of the time she and her friends had been sent there for wearing their sexy Halloween costumes to school came flooding back to her as she shoved her entire body against the heavy door in order to push it open. A single wooden chair sat across from Principal Burns' desk, and the lady who had caused her so much fear in the past gestured to the uncomfortable looking seat, inviting her to sit down. "Kristen," Principal Burns said to her in greeting, the expression on her face looking almost…evil? "There's something very important I need to share with you."