Octavian Day School- Seventh Grade Homeroom

Alicia dabbed desperately at her dress with a Ralph Lauren silk handkerchief (it was from the mens section but she could hardly resist). Luckily enough, it hadn't stained but her dress did look a little off. Massie put her arm around her, leaning over to the other desk. The Pretty Committee were sitting in their usual configuration, Massie on one end, with Alicia next to her, then Dylan, then Claire with Kristen on the other end. Massie felt awful for Kristen, stuck next to Claire who was deep in conversation with Dylan and cutting out Kristen completely.

'Alicia, I can't believe she did that to you!' Massie whispered, looking nervously to see if her Alpha was eavesdropping. Alicia nodded nervously,

'S'pose, but its not important...' Alicia mouthed. Quickly changing the subject, Massie asked her if she had done the maths prep.

'Yes, and Dylan's...' she sighed.

'But she is in remedial and we are in regular?!' gasped Massie.

'And?' answered Alicia surprised by her astonishment, 'I do essays and such for her all the time!' Massie narrowed her amber eyes. Things must change. Soon. The bell rang, interrupting her mutinous thoughts.

'Sit down!' bellowed Miss Grant, the teacher, when she entered. This had limited point as the old practice of standing up when teachers arrived had long gone, 'School has started, I will now come and collect your maths and history homework.' Dylan looked over, finally breaking her long-winded conversation, and demanded her essay and maths book.

'The essay is an A standard, I assume?'

'I certainly hope so, I spent all of last night writing the two!' grinned Alicia, hope in her voice.

Dylan said nothing and the essays were handed in. The group then sat in awkward silence for ten minutes until it was time to go to their respective first lessons.

Massie scampered of to join Olivia Ryan, her only out of group friend, who incited her rebellious feelings with many a compliment and when she dared, an insult.

'Here she comes, striding through the hall, with the air of a martyr about her!' giggled Olivia. Many considered her an LBR, especially after her little run in between Dylan and her equally Alpha boyfriend, Derrick Harrington- creatively nicknamed Dee-Dee by Dylan, who then insisted he called her that as well. Nothing had happened, they happened to bump into each other at starbucks and their heads knocked (many eye-witnesses first admitted to this, but were bullied into making up some rubbish about passionate pulling an: what we call making out in England, I shan't americanize my writing in a cozy booth) but Dylan had sent her all the way down the social scale. Olivia was a fundamentally pretty girl, with bright blue eyes, thick luxurious blonde hair and an unfortunate nose. This nose had lately become the bane of her existence and she often thought about getting it fixed. Massie privately thought she should, as she was so obsessed with it that she would some how cover it when posing for pictures (with disastrous results). But Olivia had often read about the dangers of plastic surgery, not from the imagined glossy magazine but in New Scientist. Olivia was brighter than the sun shining on Massie's favorite Chloe shades. She just needed to study every so often. Like Alicia.

Massie thought that the pair would be excellent friends, but when she suggesting this to Alicia herself, she had blinked rabidly and shuddered. She worried too much about what Dylan would say. Massie had fought long and hard for her right to befriend the azure eyed girl. She was pleased to say that she had won.

Olivia was looking decidedly A-list (despite being far below even the C-list) in a periwinkle blue Splendid floral-print top, Blue heights skinny jeans from Paige, chocolate brown Uggs and a Marc by Marc Jacobs patent satchel in white.

'Rate me?' asked Olivia in a semi-mocking tone, she had always insisted that it was a silly tradition invented by Dylan for a daily ego-boost but little did she know, Massie had made it up to keep their outfits in checks. Massie immediately rated her a solid 9.4, and in her turn she received a 9.5. Grinning at the pair of good ratings they linked arms and waltzed to English Literature where they were currently studying Jane Eyre.

Carefully picking the perfect seats, the middle of the back- the back so they would not get chosen unless they wanted to (always good to appear as an effortless intellectual) and in the middle so they were exceptionally visible by their admiring peers, they lounged lazily on their desks.

'Settle down and take out your copies of Charlotte Brontë's best beloved work of literature!' beamed their rather pretentious English teacher, who resembled a badger. Massie fumbled in her tote to find her copy.

'I can't believe the state of your book, Miss Block!' gasped Miss Monford, shock in her eyes. Massie stared down in confusion, her book was in pristine condition. 'When I first read Jane Eyre, I reread it again and again till eventually it fell completely apart! Have you even read the book?'

'Of course!' answered Massie, truthfully. She enjoyed English very much but never bothered to contribute.

'Well, then, tell me your opinion on Jane.'

'I feel that she is entirely too much of a push over, an LBR with low self esteem. I mean, just because right now, she is lower than Blanche or whatever she is called on the social scale, she shouldn't like bow down and accept it. She should take over and get what she wants!'

'Lovely concept, but poor understanding of the time, "taking over" would never work in that era...Hmm, Allie-Rose, your opinion on Jane!'

Massie felt a note being shoved into her manicured hand. The note was written on pink, rose covered paper, the writing unmistakably Olivia's.

Good advice, why don't you take it yourself?

Love O xxx

Massie squinted at the note, wondering what it could possibly mean. Then she realized. She hovered her Montblanc pen, thought for a moment and scrawled

You don't understand, I can't just take over Dylan

She then changed her mind, scribbled it out and wrote

maybe someday!

on the back. The note was returned immediately.

Make someday today! I'll help you!

She looked at Olivia, and nodded gently.

Thus concluded an average lesson for Massie.