Author's Note: I'm writing this up as if it were the next book in the series. So as a disclaimer I am not the author of this series. I am in no way making profit from this novel. I am only a fan of Mrs. Von Ziegesar's work. So please don't sue.
A WAVERLY OWL TRIES HER BEST TO REMAIN IN GOOD SPIRITS WHEN SHE'S JUST BEEN ROYALLY SCREWED.
Like most days here, the high noon sun made a bright haze over the Waverly Campus. And Shantelle Le Beaux, glared over the lush, colligate campus. Shantelle's mother was doing her best to ignore her daughters displeased behavior. "What did I do to deserve this?" she sighed, resting her head on the car window, as her golden blond hair with fresh caramel brown lo-lites rustled together against the glass. And her hazel eyes became fixated on her BlackJack™ texting her best friend Dani about the bullshit situation they were in. As her mom pulled the Range Rover into parking lot in front of the main office, Shantelle flashed back into the past, about the events leading up to now.
Shantelle Le Beaux; daughter of Reginald and Marie Le Beaux, former NBA All-Star turned All-Star NBA Coach for his old team, The San Antonio Spurs; and his silver spoon fed, debutante of a bride, have been married for the last 18 years. Although the family spent that time under the eye of the media, Shantelle never really spent much time with her father, as he lived out his dream, being the Spurs' Prodigal Son. Mama and Papa Le beaux never realized that the lack of attention and the pedestal-placing of her older brother Marqus, among other things were the reasons for her tough as nails exterior. So like most young girls, Shanny rebelled from mother's attempts to make her a debutante and began hanging out in the finest clubs Texas had to offer. But ironically, Shantelle excelled in her studies at school. But when her parents found out her and her best friend Dani were out in the clubs, academic performance couldn't save them from a first class ticket to boarding school. So they packed Shanny's bags and that brings us back to the present.
Marie Le beaux touched up her make-up, smearing her signature red M.A.C. lipstick all over her lips, just before she turned her attention to Shantelle. "Shantelle, babydoll. Cheer up. It's what's best for you my dah-lin'" She said, her Creole accent was thick and dead give away that she was born and bred straight from the Bayou. "Your Grandmama and Grandaddy sent me away to finishing school when I was your age. It was better for me, and I met your daddy while I was there. It'll be fun, baby."
Shantelle shifted in her seat and chuckled. "Of course ma. And I bet they regret doing that, everyday since then, don't they?"
Marie raked through her thick jet black tresses and sighed, "Child, you are impossible." She said. "Get your derriere out of this car, and go inside. They're expecting you. I gotta meet your daddy back in New York so we can make our flight out to Los Angeles." She planted a kiss atop Shanny's forehead just before she pulled away… annoyed. Marie called back out to her, "You take care now, baby."
Shantelle grumbled as she shut the door, "Yeah sure mom.", yanking her Butter Cream leather Louis Vuitton travel bag and back pack. The 5'7", light-skinned Creole beauty pushed down her Gucci shades that been pushing back her straightened locks, and headed up the stairway to the main office. Classes must have been in session because the place was deserted, practically dead. It was almost eerie, but maybe that was because Shanny really didn't want to be there. And hey… any excuse not to be there was good to her. Shantelle walked through the front door and approached the front desk in her black lace Gucci tank, the bodice part laced up in the front with silk magenta lining, dark denim Seven jeans, and big platinum diamond hoops. She forced a fake smile, when the receptionist addressed her. "How may I help you?"
She looked down at her and wanted to cringe. She looked a hot mess; her blond hair was up in a in a sloppy bun, her button down shirt was wrinkled; her make-up was far to dark for her face. She looked awful. "I'm new, so I'm here to check in." Shanny answered, "Shantelle Lebeaux?"
The receptionist glanced over her desk, pushing up her glasses, and then picked up a campus map and a laminated card. "Well, here's your schedule and dormitory assignment. You're in Dumbarton. Think you can manage to find it on your own?" Just before Shantelle can answer, a rather attractive blonde boy wearing his school blazer over a black "DC" T-Shirt and Dark Jeans walked through the front door, grinning from ear to ear. His menacing smile seemed to intrigue her and brighten this rather dull situation. "Interesting," Shantelle thought, "This school might not be so bad after all". It almost felt like he was watching her when she arrived and knew exactly what moment to pop in.
"Helen..." He said with a cocky charm. "You're looking radiant today. How's my favorite secretary this afternoon?"
Helen seemed to blush a bit, and responded. "Just the young man I was looking for." She turned her attention over to Shantelle. "Heath Ferro. This is Shantelle Le beaux… She's new here. You think you could show her to her dorm?"
Heath gave a small chuckle. "I'd be more than happy to… anything for you, Helen." Helen gave a nod and Heath then turned his full attention to Shantelle. He picked up a bag and motioned for her to follow him. Once out of the front door, Heath began walking backward to face her. "Welcome to Waverly. My name's Heath and I'll be the bad ass captain on this year's cruise."
Shantelle giggled as she pushed her shades back through her hair. "Looks like I lucked out. I got the best lookin' guide on campus." She placed a finger on her bottom lip coyly. "So was all that just for show or do you really have a thing for older, unattractive women?"
"It got your attention didn't it?" He smiled.
"Nah. You got my attention." She played back.
"You know Shantelle. I think I'm really gonna like you."
"Aww but honey, I haven't even shown you what kind of girl I am…"
"Just looking at you right now makes you marriage material."
She giggled as would then stand by her side and snake his arm over her shoulders, and they continued to stroll pass the students occupying the courtyard. She eyed them all as a few bystanders gazed back at her; all happened to be donning that who-the-hell-is-she look on their faces, a look that wasn't very unfamiliar to her.
"So what year are you… Heath, is it?" She asked him, her sexy southern drawl was bewitching him.
"Junior. So yeah… I'm experienced." He answered.
Shantelle giggled. "Well lookie here… guess that means we have something in common."
Shantelle began walking ahead of him when she noticed the sign on the side of an upcoming building labeled DUMBARTON DORMITORY. Heath thought about Shantelle's comment a moment, and scratched his head. Then he said aloud to her, "Wait… do you mean you're a junior or that you're ex--… oh you tease."
Shantelle turned back and winked at him just before she entered the building. She glanced down at her dorm assignment: Room 104. She clutched the strap her backpack and walked down the ground level hallway. She saw her number up on a passing door, took two steps back, and then stood in front of the door. She couldn't hear any voices or anything… so she rapped her knuckles against the wood grain as she pushed open the door. "Knock, Knock… OH MY GAWD!" Shantelle took a jumped back after the sight in front of her; two girls, a redhead and a brunette pulling away from each other. They'd been caught in a soft, sensual lip lock. Shantelle dropped her stuff at the door almost stumbling over it. She stammered apologetically, "I am s-so sorry about this. I'll just come back later."
The redhead fell to the floor trying to grab the papers that scattered everywhere. The brunette stood to her feet and grabbed Shanny's arm. "It's okay." She said, "You look lost."
"I was looking for my dorm room. This is 104, right?" Shantelle asked, grabbing her backpack.
"Yes, this is the place. I guess that means we're roommates. My name's Kara." She replied, extending her hand out and shaking Shantelle's. "They put this new bed in almost two weeks ago. I was wondering if you were ever going to show."
Shantelle laughed nervously. "To be honest with ya darlin'. I wasn't really expecting to come either."
Kara graciously helped Shantelle by grabbing her travel bag. Shantelle dropped her backpack on the bed opposite Kara's and then fell back onto her mattress. She let out a big sigh and closed her eyes.
"Long trip?" Said the redhead, Shantelle sat up on her elbows and turned her attention to them sitting on Kara's bed.
"You have no idea." She sighed, in response.
"I'm Brett, by the way, Junior Class Prefect for the Disciplinary Committee. " Brett extended her hand out and shook Shantelle's.
She giggled."Wow. You sound really accomplished. I'm Shantelle. Most folks just call me Shanny. But you can call me what you like." She smiled. "By the way, I can't tell you how sorry I am for just barging in like that."
"It's okay." Kara said. "You didn't know."
"So are you guys like…" Shantelle asked arching her perfectly groomed eyebrow. "Because if ya are I have no issues—"
"Oh no. We're not lesbians." Brett's voice faltered a bit as she looked over at Kara. It wasn't hard to pick up that this "relationship" was new to them. "It's complicated."
"Oh… I understand. It's cool, sugar. " Shantelle's thick Texan accent made the word sugar come out like 'Sugah'. Brett kinda liked that, she seemed sweet. "It's not like I'm fresh from the convent. And I'm no gossip queen, so you're secret's safe with me."
Kara chuckled. "Thanks Shantelle. But unfortunately it's not really necessary now. Hell, no secret is safe around here…"
Then Brett added on. "…if you have any skeletons in your closet, I hope they haven't followed you here."
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." She nodded, and then noticed the massive collection of comic books. "Are those all yours?"
"Yeah." Kara answered. Her first instinct was that Shanny was going to think she was some comic book geek. But surprisingly when she walked over and started thumbing through them.
"You have anything Frank Miller?"
"I have all of the Sin City novels."
"Nice. I love that series."
"You're into comics too?" Brett asked, ready to scratch her head in disbelief.
"Sorta. My brother is big on comics, and I would go in his room some nights and steal his Sin City graphics. They were the only ones that interested me."
After about an hour's worth of chatting, Brett excused herself from the room, and the girls made plans to meet up in the dining hall for dinner. Kara spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know Shantelle as she unpacked her things. Shanny was a pretty cool girl, very funny, kinda catty, but then again what girl isn't a little catty. Even though she expressed her objections of leaving Houston to come to school in upstate New York, Kara assured that her feisty ways would only help her fit in more around Waverly. Hell it was her own feisty ways that brought her from girl in the background to one of the elite in only a short period of time. Shantelle told her she'd believe it when she had seen it.
It has around dinner time when Kara and Shantelle stood outside Dumbarton 303. Shantelle leaned up against the wall glancing over her fresh manicure. "What are we doing up here anyways?" She asked Kara, who had just knocked on the door.
"I promised a friend that I'd walk her down to the dining hall." Kara answered. Just then a short, big breasted girl stepped out of the room, pulling her brown ringlets up into a ponytail. The girl looked at Kara and smiled, then turned her attention to the exotic beauty standing before her. Kara introduced the two. "Jenny... Meet my new roommate Shantelle. Shanny… meet Jenny."
"Heh. Shanny and Jenny. With names like ours, we could get together put on a Broadway act or somethin'." Shantelle laughed.
Jenny giggled. "That's cute. Well, it's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too." She winked. "Now if you ladies don't mind I'm starving. Let's go get some chow, 'kay?"
The ladies made their way out of the dorm and out to the courtyard. Shantelle couldn't help but think about the guy she'd met earlier. Heath was so cute, and from first impressions she figured he'd be a blast to hang out with. Maybe she'd run into him again at dinner. Walking the trail to the dining hall, Jenny and Kara proceeded to let her know who was who of the people passing by. Shantelle looked straight ahead of them and noticed a brown haired boy all by himself sitting outside of the library. He was cute, and he dressed quite impressive for a boy of his age. But…something about him bothered her; his appearance reminded her a bit of her grandparent's lifestyle, an old money lifestyle… or as Shanny liked to call them, 'Snobby Old Bastards'. She didn't get along very well with them. So she wasn't feeling the vibe she'd gotten from this guy.
"Who's that?" Shantelle asked, pointing up to him, but at the same time not trying to seem obvious.
"Oh… that's Brandon Buchanan." Jenny squeaked. "He's a really sweet guy."
"We'll see. " Shantelle huffed.
Kara nudged her and directed her attention to the two guys coming up the same walkway as them. She recognized the blonde instantly to be Heath, the guy she met earlier. Looking just as fine as she remembered. But there was something about the guy next to him… he looked like someone she knew. Kara went on to say, "You've already met Heath Ferro, so no point in really explaining there. But the guy walking with him is—"
"EASY WALSH?!!!" Shantelle called out, she was bewildered.
The boy's eyes widened, he could recognize the loud, southern drawl anywhere. "Oh my god. Shantelle?" He said to himself. "What the hell is she doing here?"
Shantelle took off, sprinting toward Easy. She leaped into his arms and kissed his cheeks. Shantelle squeezed Easy tightly. She couldn't believe it… Easy Walsh was in her presence again after 18 months of separation. Heath stood back in awe of this situation. Shantelle hopped down. "Dude, you know her?" Heath asked, very confused.
"Yeah… She's one of my best friends." Easy smiled then turn his attention back to Shantelle. "What are you doing here?"
"I go here now." She answered back. "I can't believe I forgot that you went here. But then again someone hasn't been responding to my emails."
"Sorry about that. You know me… I'm an artist—"
"Yeah, I know… a good artist's work is never done. Or some shit like that." Kara and Jenny caught up with the other three. Heath tried to snake his arm around Kara but she pushed him off. Jenny nudged Shantelle but she wasn't exactly paying attention to the girls.
"Off to dinner?" Easy asked.
"Yeah. I went on a hunger strike when Reggie and Marie forced me up here."
"Eesh. Listen, I really don't have much time to talk right now I gotta go meet up with my girlfriend."
"Ah. Yes. The infamous Callie, look, you go ahead and get her. And I'll catch ya later. 'Kay doll?"
"Thanks. Good seeing you though."
"Good seeing you." They hugged again.
"Heath you comin' man?"
Heath put his arm around Shantelle, and chuckled. "Nah, you go ahead. I'm feeling a bit hungry now myself… see ya later Walsh."
Easy shrugged and maybe a beeline for Dumbarton to meet Callie. Heath walked on with the girls into the dining hall. Where Shantelle made sure she let them know the real deal between her and Easy Walsh. Unfortunately that would leave the rest of the student body guessing.
Owlnet Instant Message Inbox
Sage Francis: You will never guess what I just saw?!
Tinsley Carmichael: What?
Sage Francis: EZ totally sucking face with some girl.
Tinsley Carmichael: So? It was probably Callie?
Sage Francis: Trust me, Callie doesn't have curves like that.
Tinsley Carmichael: Shut up?!
Sage Francis: Who'd gonna tell Cal? She's gonna be crushed.
Tinsley Carmichael: I wanna see this little tramp first.
Owlnet Instant Message Inbox
Alan StGirard: Where are you?
Heath Ferro: I'm having dinner with the new girl.
Alan StGirard: Really? She hot?
Heath Ferro: Smoking Hot. And apparently Walsh knows her.
Alan StGirard: What is she like his second gf?
Heath Ferro: Don't think so. She's about to be property of H.F. now.
Alan StGirard: Better hope Callie doesn't find out.
Heath Ferro: I smell a CATFIGHT!
A/N- Please Read and Review. Thanks.