I took a deep breath on the steps of Degrassi High School. There were only a few students out on the front steps with me and they all seemed too engrossed in their fun to notice the new girl practicing deep breathing. Their loss though, things are going to be different here. I'm going to have lots of friends and fit in. Riiiiinnnnng! Crap! Tardy on the first day! - So much for things being different. I flew up the steps and swung open the glass doors. It looked like an average high school with lockers lining walls, ugly linoleum floors, and students running to class. I already had my schedule, so the only real problem was finding my class. I turned the first corner I came across and bumped into someone clearly in a hurry.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

"Oh no, it's my fault." I attempted to get up quickly and gracefully because I was in a skirt but I still managed to look like a pig rolling in mud. "Here, let me help." He held out his hand to me and I finally got a look at the person I collided with. He was tall, cute, and clearly Indian.

"Uh, thanks…" I trailed off unsure of what I should call him.

"Sav, the name is Sav Bhandari. Are you new here?"

"Uh, yeah, I am," I said with a grimace.

"Well cool, I'm also the student council president, so welcome."

"Thanks," I smiled.

"Yeah well, I gotta run! I'm supposed to be giving the announcements right now."

"Wait! Could you tell me where honors bio is?"

"Yeah, down the hall make a left, room 402." He yelled turning the corner out of sight.

"Thanks again!" I yelled doubting he heard me. Sure enough my class was right where he said it was and I paused outside the door. Ok, you can do this Harper. You're a strong confident junior now and no one needs to know otherwise. I stepped into the room and looked around at the staring faces then at the teacher.

"Oh, and you are?" I handed him a slip of paper and he quickly glanced at it. "Okay class, I guess we have a new student joining us at Degrassi. Go ahead and introduce yourself."

"Uh, right." I turned and faced the class full of people that no doubt began judging me the moment I walked into the room. I began to feel self conscious of my suddenly too short denim skirt and too tight polo shirt. I cleared my throat. "Um, my name is Harper McDaniel, I'm 16 and I just moved here from Malibu." Suddenly everyone began to whisper excitedly to one another except for one boy sitting near the back. He stuck out like a sore thumb wearing all black. He sported a pair of headphones around his neck, had black colored nails, and full lips. His gaze was unnerving but I held my ground. This was a silent challenge and I wasn't backing down. Finally, after what seemed like ages locked in this silent battle with him he smirked at me informing me that I had earned his approval.

"Wait, so you're from Malibu?" some boy asked.

"Yeah, that's right."

"Did you ever meet anyone famous?"

"Wha-" Suddenly it dawned on me. They thought I moved from Malibu, California. In reality I moved from Malibu, Wisconsin. They all looked at me with an eager face expectantly, even the mysterious boy in all black had an eyebrow raised in question. Is this what they called a defining moment? Right here, right now I could either make or break my high school reputation. "Famous? Well duh!" The old me would have let this opportunity go by, but not the new me. "Just recently I uh, ran into Leonardo DiCaprio in Starbucks. We totally had like, a 5 minute conversation."

"What about?" a girl questioned.

"Oh uh, just some of his upcoming movies," I said waving my hand in a nonchalant way.

"Oh my gosh! No way!" she squealed.

"Yes way. In fact I'd tell you all about it but he made me promise I'd keep it hush hush."

"Wow, you are so cool!" That was new. Not once in Wisconsin had I been called cool. Ever.
"Anyone else?"

"Oh, tons!" Suddenly our teacher cleared his throat loudly signaling that this conversation was over. I smiled cheekily at him. "Buuuut it seems I'll have to tell you about it at lunch," I laughed as the teacher pointed me to sit in a seat diagonal to the boy in all black. I could feel his eyes on me for the rest of class and it made me feel a bit nervous. Thankfully the bell rand soon enough and I left the class as quick as possible. Unfortunately, I was delayed as soon as I left the room since someone collided into my side as they ran down the hall. "Hey watch it!" The jerk didn't even stop to say sorry or help pick my stuff up. I sighed in relief as another pair of hands with black nails reached down to help.

"You know, I never pegged you as an Austen girl," he said with a lopsided smile as I looked up and he handed me my worn copy of Pride and Prejudice. "I like Poe myself."

"Oh, actually…this isn't mine."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I had to pick it up for my English class, I haven't even opened it and…"

"And it just so happens to have your name written in it?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Um, yeah," I said snatching it from him. "I gotta go I'm gonna be late."

"Riiiight," he said oozing sarcasm. I quickly went down the hall and gave one last quick glance behind me. He was still standing there staring at a paper in his hands. I shrugged my shoulders and continued on to my next class. Little did I know that paper could destroy everything I would work so hard to gain.