Chapter 1

"This is the worst day in my life," Mick said dramatically as she poured a glass of milk for herself, making sure to warm it up to sixty seconds in the microwave.

"No. Milk. Milk bad. Water good. Water healthy." She looked up to see her ninety-three year old grandmother standing at the stove, making some sort of oriental Chinese dish.

"Got it, Grandma," Mick replied. "What's that you're making?"

"Good luck food. You need good luck. Do well in classes and eat right foods. Make right choices and stick with good friends." Before she knew it, Mick's grandma was pouring some disgusting brown liquid down her throat; too quickly for her to refuse the "generous" offer.

In the far distance, Mick could see a yellow school bus pulling up around the corner of the Rose Estate, and grabbed her backpack and violin.

"Bye Grandma!" she called out, running out the front door. It was at times like that that she wished that life could be simpler.

Though it was the first day of school, it wasn't the stress of making new friends or wondering if her boyfriend would be interested in her if she had close-drawn or close-open bangs. No. She didn't have a boyfriend –like she'd want distractions in the way of perfection-. She muttered her oh-so polite greetings to the old-looking bus driver, and made her way awkwardly down the aisle, trying to ignore the stares she was getting –not the good kind of attention-.

"Hey, can I sit here?" The only available seat was next to an artistic-looking girl, donning a turtleneck and a plaid skirt that Mick would never be allowed out of the house, if she wore something like that.

"I'm saving the seat for my friend." Of, course. The oldest rule in the book when a new kid wants to sit by you, Mick thought to herself.

"Is it okay if I sit here until your friend boards the bus?" Mick asked.

The girl didn't respond, but Mick took it as the closest thing to a polite "yes". "I'm Mick."

"I know who you are," said the other girl. "I'm Tina. Tina Walters." She put up her hands in surrender before saying, "And no. I don't do autographs."

"You're Tina Walters. So?" said Mick, setting down her violin before the bus jerked forward once more.

Tina looked at Mick strangely, as if she was some alien, extraterrestrial creature. "You're the first person not to go crazy over that fact."

"Okay," Mick trailed off. "Anyway, do you have your schedule printed out, yet?"

She pulled out a thin folder from her backpack. "I'm not that stupid. Just because I'm blonde, it doesn't mean that I'm not smart, or anything like that."

Mick looked away nervously. "No, it's not that. Never mind." She didn't say anything else, which was the safest bet, considering that she didn't have any friends in Roseville, and didn't want to get off on the wrong foot.

The rest of the bus ride was spent in silence.

-:-

"So, how was summer with the Senator and the Model?" Bex drawled out, picking up her messenger bag from the floor, and quickly applying another coat of blush onto her cheeks, which naturally gave off a rosy glow.

Her equally beautiful black-haired, pale-skinned friend gave her a disgusted look. "How do you think? Better than usual, I suppose. Where's Cammie and Liz?" Macey was referring to the latter members of their friend "circle", who should have shown up at least thirty minutes early. As if on cue, they both came running out of a limousine which attracted stares and a warning from the headmaster (apparently, limousines were banned), giggling.

They were both out of breath by the time they reached Bex and Macey. "What's all the matter?"

"Boys," Liz stuttered, as if that one word should explain it all. A few seconds after her words, boys came streaming out of buses on the east wing of the entrance to the academy.

"I've seen cuter," Macey said, only looking up from her biology flashcards for a millisecond. Again.

"Blackthorne Boys," Bex emphasized.

She looks up.

my first story. review, please?