C1

Maryjanes. They looked like shoes that a little girl would put on a baby-doll. Just real person sized. The dress code dictated they would be the only footwear acceptable. Bella sighed. Ivy League, she reminded herself. She pulled the offending shoes on and looked at herself in the full length mirror. Navy blue blazer with hunter green piping and gold school emblem, white button down, navy and hunter plaid skirt, white knee socks, navy maryjanes. She cast one last mournful glance at her Chucks.

"Later, my lovelies." She muttered to them. She shook her head ruefully wondering how many people talk to their shoes.

She grabbed her backpack and headed out. Her mom and Jasper were sitting in the living room. From the looks of it neither had gotten to sleep yet. Jasper was tucked under his usual blanket on the couch. His eyes looked heavy but she knew he was waiting to see her off. He still had another week until school was back in session for him. Her mom was dressed in her robe still wearing last night's makeup and hairspray, also waiting to see her off. Family, unconventional but mine, she though.

"You look like a pedophile's wet dream." Jasper told her smirking.

"Shut it, you," Renee said smacking her nephew's leg. "You look lovely Bells, very studious."

"Thanks, now both of you can get some sleep, you've showed your little Bella how much you care on her first day of school." She told them with a smile.

"Thank God." Jas groaned mockingly closing his eyes.

Bella and her mom both laughed. Renee followed her daughter at the door before she headed out.

"I'm very proud of you, Bella. You're going to do amazing things." She said softly in Bella's ear as she wrapped her in a warm hug.

Bella hugged her mom back tightly breathing in the familiar scent of her perfume and cigarette smoke.

"Thanks mom."

The bus stop was up the street for the school's main gate. There were sleek town cars dropping off other students and Bella was immensely grateful that her own method of transportation was chugging off in the other direction. As she approached she watched a driver open the door for a perfectly coiffed blonde.

"Not in Kansas anymore." She muttered under her breath. She glanced down at the friendship bracelet on her right wrist. The colors had faded over the years; it was twisted threads of black and baby blue, Jas's favorite color twisted with hers. She had made them when they were twelve. Jas hadn't wanted to wear his at first but she had whined until he had let her knot it on. Four years later neither of them would even consider taking the bracelets off. For Bella it was her talisman. It reminded her of where she came from, of who loved her…of everything. Ignoring the curious glances from other students she headed up the steps.

** FVP **

To say Bella's day had sucked would be the grandest understatement ever stated. She had sent her first text to Jas after her first class.

9:05 – bitch just knocked my dc out of my hand. straight up mean girls style. urge to kill rising.

The second was after third period.

11:08 – completely unconcealed snide comments about scholarships. wish I had your spiked bracelet right now would polkdot her face.

Lunch was barely any better.

12:25 – eating lunch in the library. call it hiding if you want. carpet in library probably costs more than mom's car.

Jas had answered each text with the name of another Ivy League school. He was really hoping things started to turn around for her before he ran out of schools. The day was sucking for him as well. Without the usual music from Bella's room the apartment seemed incredibly empty. He needed to hit the street and unload the last three dimes he had in his backpack. He had every intention of meeting his cousin as soon as her day was over and taking her to her favorite Chinese joint. He briefly wondered if their bell sounded like a normal bell or something more fancy.

** FVP **

Bella had quickly learned that scholarship was a dirty word at Fountainview Prep. Naively, she had thought those kind of social prejudices were just a figment of Hollywood imagination. There had been cliques at her old school but Bella and Jas had floated from group to group. Some weekends with the jocks, some weekends with the stoners. Here, it was different. Everyone else was rich and Bella was alone. It was Jas's texts that got her though the day. Every school name reminded her of the plan. Get into an Ivy League school, get an amazing job, take care of her mom and Jas. She had gritted her teeth and thought of the plan when the blonde bitch had knocked her soda out of her hand. She had bit her tongue and thought of the plan with the redheaded bitch had made her snotty comments about scholarship kids polluting the school. She had cried just a little and thought of the plan as she poked at her lunch sitting in a quiet corner of the library. Crying made her feel stupid and weak but she couldn't help it. She felt out of place and alone. So alone.

Things seemed to be going a little better during the second half of the day. A dark haired girl had offered her a shy smile in her sixth period class. Bella had put some real effort into smiling back. She wasn't normally much of a smiler but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Finally, Biology, her last class rolled around. Biology had never been one of her favorite subjects but she could see this class growing on her simply because it was the last of the day. She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves as she walked into the lab.

** FVP **

The most elite of the elite. That was the school motto. That being stated, Edward Cullen couldn't understand why the school continued to take in charity cases. Internet money kids were bad enough. But straight up broke ass kids from broken homes were just ridiculous. Alice accused him repeatedly of being a snob. She was under the impression that being from old money didn't make them better than anyone. Edward disagreed. Money and family name was supposed to open doors. That was just the way the world worked. What the hell was the point of having the money and the name if just anyone was walking through the door with them?

He had yet to run into any of this year's scholarship rejects. He had heard there were two guys and one girl in the junior class. Apparently Tanya and Vicky had already made it very clear to the girl where she stood. At lunch they had cackled about the look on her face when Tanya had slapped the soda out of her hands. They didn't think she would make it through the semester.

"Mr. Cullen, you'll make room please." Mr. Banner called from the front of the room. Edward looked away from the window. A petite brunette was standing at his desk. The last empty seat in the lab was at his table. He pushed his things to the side and appraised the girl as she made her way back. Decent rack, long brown hair, brown eyes, brand new uniform. Scholarship girl. He sneered.

She glanced at him briefly as she slid into her seat. She smelled like strawberries. Like candy. Suddenly Edward's sense of smell was hardwired to his dick. He felt it twitch to life. He felt disgusted.

"Scholarship." He muttered narrowing his eyes at the girl. His dick might be tempted to bottom feed but his head certainly wasn't.

** FVP **

Jasper never liked the phrase "drug dealer". Well, he didn't like the phrase when it was used to describe him. He liked to think of himself more as an herbal healer. However, leaning on the big iron gates in front of Bella's new school he found himself feeling like a drug dealer. He pushed the feeling aside. He was just waiting on his friend. He just happened to have one last dime he would be handing over to one of the prep school brats before he whisked Bella off for Honey Chicken and best Lo Mein in the city.

"Dude, you look shady." Mike told him as he separated from the rest of the kids flooding out the door.

Jasper shrugged and reached the baggy out of his pocket. Mike discreetly took the baggy while slipping him the cash.

"You called, I delivered." He replied. "Besides, I need to catch up with my homegirl."

Mike looked skeptic.

"Who do you know that goes here?" He asked. While the question wasn't meant to be accusing, Jasper heard it all the same. How could a low life drug dealer possibly know someone who went to school here.

Before he could think of an appropriate answer the sound of laughter caught his attention. It was musical and all that was girl. He immediate sought out the girl that made the sound. She was as gorgeous as her laugh. Tiny with jet black hair arranged in messy perfection. As if some great cosmic power was guiding things along, she glanced over at him. Bang. Pow.

It was also at this precise moment that Bella reached him.

"Can we please get the fuck out of here?" She requested with a huge sigh.

"Huh?" Jas was still staring. The black haired girl was moving along with the crowd but Jas had seen the look on her face. Slightly shocked. A look of recognition. Something had just happened. Something a part-time drug dealer…herbal healer, part-time stoner couldn't possible comprehend.

"Earth to Jasper!" Bella snapped her fingers in front of his face. "What the hell?"

Jasper shook his head as if to clear the fog.

"Uh…yeah." He said focusing on his friend. "I'm here."

"Good to know." She said. "Can we go?"

"Hey, you're the new kid, right?" Mike chimed in. He had been too busy staring to speak. She was hot. Brutally hot.

Bella regarded him cautiously.

"That's me. New kid." She replied.

Mike smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry. I'm not like them." He said nodding his head back to the school. "I'm new money. Practically scholarship."

Bella offered a friendly look.

"Nice." She said.

The friendly reprieve was interrupted by the sound of a voice Bella already recognized and hated.

"Yo, Newton!"

** FVP **

Edward had spent the last hour smelling strawberry candy. It made his mouth water. His mind kept skating off into dark territory. Thoughts of throwing scholarship girl across his bed and burying his head in between her legs kept slinking in despite his efforts to squash them. He wondered if she was wearing cheap cotton underwear under her school skirt or if she could afford the slippery silks and satins he liked.

Now the day was over and his jaw hurt from gritting his teeth for so long. He needed to zone out. He needed to smoke a fat one. He pondered the possibilities as he threw his books in his locker. Vicky usually had weed but she couldn't smoke without getting horny. That usually wasn't a bad thing but Vicky also always used a gallon of perfume. Edward couldn't deal with being immersed in any more girl scent today. Eric had weed half the time but he was so coked out lately that he made Edward twitchy. Lastly, Mike Newton crossed his mind.

Newton was internet money but he was also a pleaser. You could always count on Newton to go along with whatever. And you could always count on him to pass the blunt.

Decision made, Edward headed outside. He spotted Newton near the gate with a tall blonde guy.

"Yo, Newton!"

He was immediately regretful when he saw none other than scholarship girl standing next to him.

** FVP **

"Fuck me." Bella muttered. She grabbed Jasper's arm and jerked him toward the street. "It's time to go."

He was still making his way over. Cullen, the douche from Bio. The gorgeous douche from Bio. It had only taken one look at the boy for Bella to know all she needed to know about him. He was panty wetting gorgeous and unrepentantly snobby. He had sneered at her. He had hissed the word scholarship like it was a plague. Typically, Bella gave people the benefit of the doubt. Not this time. She fucking hated him.

Jasper glanced at the guy making his way toward Mike. Bella didn't like him. That much he gathered quickly.

"Later, Mike." He said, moving along after his insistent friend.

"Uh, later." Mike replied looking confused. He'd never seen a girl from friendly to fuck all quite that quickly.

"So…" Jasper started as they headed down the street.

"I want to set that kid on fire. I literally want to douse him with gas and set his ass on fire. I fucking hate him." She said as they walked.

"Wow. Tell me how you really feel." Jasper replied.

"That douche hissed at me. Called me "scholarship" like I was scum of the earth. Fucking dickbag." She grumbled. She had been too lost in her venting to notice they had passed the bus stop. As they cleared the block she noticed. "Hey, where we headed?"

Jasper smiled.

"Changs."

The corners of Bella's mouth tilted up. Jasper knew he had made a good call. Delicious Chinese food could always make a bad day go away. They would eat and he would make her spit out at least one good thing about her day. And in the back of his mind he would keep the mental picture of the tiny goddess with the spiky black hair.