Summary : The rich kids go to Carmel Academy, the poor kids go to McKinley High. That's how it's always been. Until now... Quinn has gotten a scholarship to Carmel Acadey and falls in love with Raymond the richest boy in School.
Chapter 1 – Becoming a Carmel
Quinn POV
I don't think I was supposed to meet him. I had never even seen him around town before. We went to different schools, we had different groups of friends, and we were definitely from different levels of society.
You may say that money doesn't really matter anymore, but even today the town of Lima takes pride in the disparities that exist between the haves and have nots that reside within the city's limits. The rich kids live in mansions, own bright flashy cars and attend the private Carmel Academy. The beggars attend Mckinley High, public school extraordinaire, live in shabby little ranch homes or in the miniscule apartments of the infamous Lima Complexes, sharing matchbox-sized rooms with brothers and sisters. These two sides never across.
Well, they did...once.
I remember that day as if it was yesterday. I woke up to the sound of the alarm clock, which I likened to the sound a mule makes when breeding. It had definitely run too soon. I turned the alarm clock off and sat up in bed. My head swirled and blood rushed to my head. The shower was running, and I knew that my little sister Charlie had already taken claim to the bathroom. I fell onto the bed once again and wrapped myself with my blanket. A small smirk debuted on my face as I drifted back to sleep.
"Quinn, reveille-toi!" My mother called for me to wake up. "Breakfast is ready."
I sighed knowing that it was indeed time to get up. "God, mom!" I yelled. As I stood, I kicked my sister's bed with my foot. I hated this room. it felt more like a closet than a room.
"Quinn, today is the big day." My mother screamed in a banshee-like voice, punctuating every syllable.
I sighed wiping the sleep out of my eyes and slowly opened the door letting the light flood in. My eyes turned into slits as I walked to the next room, which was a kitchen with a small whitetopped table in the corner.
"Oh, my goodness." My mom whispered with a sigh. "I thought that you were ready."
"I don't want to go mom," I said in all honesty. I let out a long sigh and a pout. "The Carmels are just so snobby. I won't know how to act around them. Plus, all of my friends are at McKinley. I can't just leave Mercedes and Brittany. I obviously didn't think this through."
"What's this nonsense about the Carmels?" Mom's long blonde hair reached her thights. Her blue eyes shone to match the blue dress she wore. "They just have a little more money than you do. So what, we're poor, and so are a lot of other people."
I shook my head. "They're all so pretty and put-together, and I look so –" My mom laughed.
"Quinn, with just a little makeup you can be beautiful too," My mom declared. "I'll do your makeup, if it's the looks your worried about." I breathed in. My mother was a hair and makeup stylist at nearby salon. She was well versed in the art of beauty.
I often felt that I fell short of my mother's definition of beauty. Though I had attractive features, like hazel orbs eyes and long golden blonde hair that reaches the bottom of my back, I was used to keeping to myself, as I was the poorest of all the McKinley High students and didn't have the money to hang out at the mall or go to the movies. Luckily, I did have two best friends Mercedes and Brittany who represented the extend of my social circle.
Ironically, despite being the poorest student at McKinley High, I was also the first student to ever be awarded with the honor of going to Carmel Academy on scholarship. This scholarship would have definitely been a blessing, if only my economic status were not etched on my skin somewhere, so that others would not immediately take notice of my disadvantage.
I began eating my runny eggs and toast. My mom had been a model in her past life and had certainly missed the "how to cook" stage in her development from child to woman.
Charlie, the little princess glided through the doorway. She was fifteen and already she was a slut. "Good morning little sister," I exclaimed, frowning at her. she was wearing a black belly shirt (a shirt that had grown too short on me) with a tiny piece of black cloth called a skirt in some amoral circles.
"Charlie Fabray, what are you wearing?" My mom scolded.
"Mama," my sister whined. "Quinn wore this just last week to the mall."
I shook my head. "That was summer honey, and I'm fairly certain your skirt has been halved," I replied. "Today is the first day to the new school year. You should care to give a better first impression." I glared at her, making sure to send the message that tattle tales pay.
"Shut your mouth," Charlie screeched. Then after she had calmed down, she turned to face my mom. "I just want the guys to notice me." I can't imagine how they couldn't. Charlie had short blond hair with my eyes. She was tiny, but had confidence that far surpassed her size. She was definitely the cutest tenth grader at McKinley High.
"Your bus is about to pass Charlie." My mom yelped and handed her breakfast. "Hurry up and eat then run back to the bathroom to brush those pearly whites."
We ate in silence as the minutes ticked by. Sissy ran back up to our room and finished changing into a nice blue sundress.
My mom and I wished her goodbye, and I moved towards the bathroom for a quick shower.
I changed into the evergreen and black Carmel uniform, which had originally been far too large for me. I was a skinny girl that I had to get the plaid skirt altered, and in this process, my skirt had shrunken so that it was now short. I wore a cute white top I had bought just last week Macy's summer clearance with the Carmel Acadey evergreen blazer over it. I felt so strange as I looked in the mirror. I was going to become a Carmel, even if I was a fake one. I should have done worse in school and then maybe they wouldn't have given me the scholarship. It was my senior year and I was leaving all that I knew for the Carmels. Not only that, but my hair was soaking wet and in my wide baby curls. And I looked like a sopping wet two year old.
My mother hurried me to our small living room and plugged in our blow dryer. As she straightened my hair, I checked my bag for any last minute changes. By the time she was done, I was sure that everything I needed was in there.
My mom pulled my hair into a tight ponytail. "Turn around," she whispered getting out her cases of makeup.
I kept my eyes closed as she put on my base. "Did daddy send his money?"
My mother didn't answer me. She just angrily padded my face with the heavy liquid. I decided that he had't by her reaction. We stayed silent as she hurriedly completed my face makeup.
"Mom, I'm scared," I whispered.
"Keep your mouth closed, I'm doing your lipstick," my mom whispered.
"I don't know anyone there, and they don't know me. They might not like me," I wishpered.
"Mouth closed Q," My mom whispered. "Why are you so worried? If everyone in this world would just accept others, there would be no war."
That's what my mom always said. I'm serious. She even managed to insert to phrase into "the sex talk" years earlier.
"Quinn Fabray you are absolutely beautiful inside and out," she whispered into my ear and I smiled. I hope that she was telling the truth and quickly left the house. I had to take the public bus to school. The bus stop was about three blocks away.
It seemed like forever until the bus arrived and the doors screeched open. I smiled at Diana the bus driver.
"What are you doing chicka? And why are you dressed like you go to Carmel?"
I'd known Diana ever since I was a little girl. She lived in the apartment upstairs.
"I can't believe my mom didn't tell you," I replied. "I got a scholarship last year."
"Wow, that's amazing Quinn! Aren't you nervous?" Diana's face looked concerned. I nodded and she sook her head and gave me a sypathetic smile. "Well, don't you worry you'll be fine. A smart girl like you will fit right in with those snobs."
"No, a rich girl would fit in with them," I declared.
"Quinn, those rich kids don't know what's headed their way. You're a spectacular individual." I laughed lightly. It took about twenty minutes to get to the other side of town where Carmel Academy sat in all of its spectacularity.
The bus stop was about two blocks away, but even at that distance, you could see the waving evergreen and black striped flag in front of the school. I hurried over hoping that I wasn't late. As soon as I entered the gray stone building, I knew that what I had expected was very different. I had planned to see people swimming around with high-tech laptops, looking filthy rich, but they looked like people at McKinley with different clothes on.
I had taken the tour of the school earlier in the summer and I knew the location of my first class. My locker was right by it. I placed my books inside of my locker and took out my notebook that said Calculus on it. As I turned, I smacked right into a girl with short blonde hair and nice green eyes. She had diamond earrings on with a matching necklace. My heart stopped.
"I'm so sorry," I said gasping. My eyes grew large as I waited a verbal beating that would come from her.
The girl's reaction was unexpected. She shook her head and smiled at me. "It was my fault," she said kindly. "I just wanted to come over and introuduce myself. My name is Christina Prudence Wilde. Yes, my parents were on drugs when I was born, so most people call me Kitty."
I laughed lightly. She seemed so sweet. "My name is Quinn Fabray, everyone calls me Quinn."
Kitty grinned and tilted her head towards the classroom door. "Are you in this Calculus class?" I nodded. Kitty's face lit up. "So am I! We can sit next to each other."
That's how I met Kitty Wilde. I didn't know that she was so popular until we entered the class and it seemed as if everyone stood up to smile at her.
The class went by easily and after Mr. Reeves completed his first class, the class was able to socialize.
"So what's the rest of your day like?" Kitty's voice was high-pitched, but not snooty.
"English, Computer Science, then History, and then lunch," I replied.
"Oh great, we have lunch the same period." Kitty exclaimed. "I'll meet you by the doors."
"That is so nice of you," I said sincerely.
"You'll love my friends," she said. "They're really popular, but down-to-earth."
I smiled thinking the exact opposite of what I was displaying.
"So, I'll see you then?" Kitty's face was so bright. I nodded.
"Which door are we meeting by?"
"The student's parking lot doors," She said and then the bell ended the period.
The hours passed slowly and I made no other friends. Everyone seemed to already have his or her little cliques. Perhaps one day I would fit into them.
When lunch finally arrived, I raced towards the student parking lot doors and got lost in the process. I suspected that Kitty had already left without me, so when I finally reached the door I was surprised to find Kitty standing there with a smile. "Did you get lost?" I nodded sadly. Kitty's smile just grew larger. "It's a big school and it happens to the best of us. my friends left ahead of us. We'll just go in my car."
"Thanks so much for waiting and for being so nice," I replied. "You don't know how much it means to me."
"I needed some help starting at this school too, my freshman year. I know how it is," she said simply.
We proceeded to enter her cute little red convertible.
"This is a gorgeous car," I said touching the leather seats.
Kitty shook her head. "I bet your car is fabulous and you're just saying that." Oh no, she thought I was rich. I hadn't thought about telling her. how would I tell her anyway? By the way, I'm poor?
"My parents won't let me drive." I hated it, but I had to lie. "They don't believe in driving until you are mature enough. I don't think I'll ever be mature enough for their standards."
"That's cute." Kitty said. "At least your parents care. There are a lot of people at Carmel who should not be in possession of a motor vehicle."
I shrugged as she drove out of the school parking lot. It took only a minute or two to arrive at Breadstick's. Students from McKinley High never came here because this was the Carmel's hangout. It was funny because the food at Breadstick's was cheat, unlike McNally's near McKinley High. I was definitely glad I had recently babysat and had money for lunch. I didn't want people thinking I was unable to pay.
"This is where a lot of people eat lunch." Kitty said not knowing I wasn't new in town.
"This is nice," I replied smiling.
As soon as I stepped inside the door, I heard the beat from the jukebox. I smiled to myself. I had arrived to the Carmel's hiding place.