John Quincy Adams Middle School, History Class

I was sitting in history class waiting for Dad to start the lesson, and I was getting impatient, the quicker he started the quicker it class was over. I was super excited for today, it's the N.Y.C. Interscholastic Debate and John Quincy Adams was going against Einstein Academy. Why was this exciting, because Amelia was on the Einstein team, and we made planes to hang out with each other all day, after the debate. Dad walked to the front of the class holding a present.

"Ancient Greece-" Dad started before he was cut off by Riley.

"What that?" Riley asked him. "What that that?"

"What thi-this?" Dad asked pointing to the present. "This is a present."

"Is it for me?" Riley asked.

Maya looked at him suspiciously, "What's your game, Matthews?"

"Really Dad?" I asked him already knowing where this was going. He winked at me in return.

"Game? I mean no game. I just want to know who here wants this present." Dad said. All the students raise their hands except Maya and me. "Oh, Maya, Rose what? You assume by playing hard to get, I'm gonna give it to you?"

"Well, yes. That's one of the many arrows in my quiver." Maya told him.

Farkle shudders, "Medieval talk- What are you doing to me, woman?"

"Riley." Dad said handing her the box.

"Don't open it." I warned her, but she ignored me.

"Yay!" Riley takes the box and opens it, only to pull out a mini blackboard. "The The Trojan horse" she read.

"Surprise." Dad smiled.

"I told you not to open it." I told her.

"This isn't a present." Riley complained. "This is one of your life lessons wrapped up in a class lesson wrapped up in a box of nothing."

"How you doing, honey?" Maya asked her.

"I'ma worked up." Riley told her.

"I know." Maya said, as Riley put the blackboard back into the box.

"You assumed because it was all neat and pretty that something good was inside." Dad lectured. "Ancient Troy was protected by walls. The Greeks couldn't get in, so they built a big wooden horse and left it behind. What do you think the Trojans did?"

"They left it there because they were afraid that somebody was trying to teach them something." Riley said.

"They captured it as a trophy and brought it inside. That night, the Greek soldiers crawled out of the horse and defeated Troy." Dad corrected her. "What have we learned here?" Lucas and I raise our hand "Mr. Friar, Rosebud"

"Don't make assumptions based on what you see?" Lucas told Dad.

"That noting is as it seems, and you should look deeper.?" I told Dad. Dad nodded at both

"Good, your both correct." Dad told the two of us, before turning to Riley. "Riley, listen, I'm sorry I made an example of you. So here's a gift for you."

"Ooh- No! I want to- No! Pretty ribbon- No!" Riley said struggling with herself.

"I'll take my chances with that, sir." Lucas told Dad, who handed him the present.

"No, Lucas. You have to assume it was no good because the first one was no good. Aren't you all proud of me, dad?"

"No!" Dad and I shook our heads.

Lucas opens the present to find a card inside, he reads the card out loud. "Get out of detention free." Since I was sitting next to him I could see what the card actually said and giggled silently, this was going to be funny.

"Ooh, I could use one of those. Gimme that and I won't call you "Ranger Rick" all week." Maya bargained with him.

"Here you go." Lucas said handing it to her.

"Thanks, Ranger Roy."

"Lemme guess. Ranger Roy is filling in for Ranger Rick?"

"All week." Maya told him before turning to my Dad. "And now... you."

"Oh, is something gonna happen to me?" Dad asked, I could tell he was trying not to smile.

"Yes, it is." she answered him as she stands up and approaches the table. "A d-d-d-d, a d-d-d-d" she tries to stand on top of the desk "a d-d-d-detention. But not today. Boom!"

"Read the card." I told her.

"Huh?" Maya asked confused.

"Card." Dad said.

Maya reads the card. "Say 'get out of detention free' then give worthless card to Maya then watch her dance on my desk." Maya gets of the desk and returns to er seat.

"Never assume. Look more deeply. Just because something is wrapped up all pretty, doesn't always mean it is." Dad lectured the class.

Maya turns to Lucas, " You were in on this!"

"I'm Ranger Roy and I'll be here all week." Lucas said tipping an imaginary hat.

Maya shudders and turns away, "Oh-ho-ho."

John Quincy Adams Middle School. N.Y.C. Interscholastic Debate.

I wasn't really paying attention to the debate going on, instead I was making funny faces and Amelia, trying to get her to crack the serious expression on her face.

I turned back to the debate when Lucas tapped me on the shoulder, " Farkle's almost done." he told me. I nodded in thanks turned and my attention to Farkle.

"...in conclusion, school uniforms reduce individuality which will be unnecessary in the real world when you're all working for me." Farkle said rounding up his speech. "Thank you. I am Farkle!"

"I don't understand debate." Riley told us.

"I say you do." Maya told her.

"Okay." Riley said.

"I like debate- exploring two sides of the same thing- good and bad, light and dark, right in front of you at the same time." Lucas explained to us. "Where else are you gonna get that?"

"Really." I said gesturing to Maya and Riley, one who was smiling at him and the other who was glaring at him. Can you guess which?

Lucas turned to the two of them, "Oh, right here. Look at you."

"And now from Einstein Academy." Dad introduces looking at the piece of paper he was passed. "undefeated this season, 72 pounds of raw intellectual power! She is who your mama wishes she gave birth to!" The one, the only... Smackle!" I could see Amelia rolling her eyes. I giggle at her and she smirked.

I watched as Smackle comes out and does some strange moves before walking toward Farkle, "You goin' down, chump" she takes the microphone and faces the audience. "Wearing a uniform makes you surrender to conformity and sacrifices uniqueness, which is our most valuable freedom. Don't let anybody tell you what to wear. Don't let anybody tell you what to be. Smackle, the one and only, out."

"Well, before I announce the winner, let me remind you all that our final debate of the season will be held right here next week, where our thought-provoking topic will be "Is beauty only skin deep?" Dad announces, I watch as Smackle makes a face at the topic. Dad receives the paper with winner on it. " Great, thank you. So the winner of today's debate is... " Farkle stands up and Dad forces him down. "Isadora Smackle, Einstein academy."

As soon as the debate was over I walked over to Einstein Academy side, I waited patiently as Amelia packed up her things.

"You won!" I congratulated her, she gave me a look. "Oh don't look at me like that." I released her from the hug.

"You heard your Dad, 'Isadora Smackle, Einstein academy.'" she said mimicking Dad.

"Well Einstein Academy still won." I replied.

She shrugged, "I'm just annoyed. Every time she's near Farkle she's horrible. She likes him, so maybe she should just stop being mean to him, and to everybody else when his around."

"You know it's not her fault." I told her.

"I know." she sighed. "It's just that we compete against Farkle she discards, everybody else's idea's and thoughts."

"Aww, do you feel unheard." I teased her, causing her to glare at me. "But in all seriousness I have you talked yo her about it."

"Nah." she answered me. "It's fine I just needed to vent, we don't face you guys that much anyway."

"I'm glad I could help. But I still think you should talk to her, you know how you get." I explained to her.

"Don't worry if it gets to much... I'll sick Asher on her." she smirked, I laughed at that.

I could heat footsteps coming from behind me. "Who's that." I heard Lucas ask.

"That's one of Rose's best-friend." Maya told to him.

"I taught you were are best-friend." he told her.

"I am, but that's one of her best-friend." Maya replied.

"You know, one of her best-friend can hear you." Amelia told them as we both turned to face them.

"I invited Smackle over." Riley told me. Amelia and I shared a look.

"That's nice." I told her, before turning to Lucas. "Lucas this is Amelia. Amelia Lucas."

"Hi nice to meet you." Lucas told her.

"You weren't joking." she told me, looking Lucas up a down. "He is cute, very very cute." I rolled my eyes at her, I don't understand why she likes riling Riley up.

"Hey!" Riley exclaimed.

"As nice as this is, we have to go we have a whole evening planned together." I told them, before making my escape with Amelia.

John Quincy Adams Middle School

I ended up having a impromptu sleepover at Amelia's house yesterday. When I came into school Maya was wearing glasses, when I asked her about it she told me she wanted to see if people would treat her differently with it on, I shrugged at her and told her that I didn't see any differences. Right know, Dad was grading papers while I was reading, I do this sometimes, it's me and Dad's private moment to bond. Riley and Maya were off bothering the debate team.

"Hey Dad." I called out to him, he looked up from the paper he was grading. "Why do you let us redo our essay's after you've graded them."

"Where did that come from?" he asked me.

"It's just something have been wondering about." I told him.

"Well..." he started, "when I assign you guy's the topic for the essays i've just begun my lesson. When I return them back to you, i've finished the lesson. I want to see what you guys have learned, how your views of the world have changed. it also allows me to see the type of person you are each becoming."

I looked at him skeptically, "You get that all that from one essay."

Instead of answering he picks up the paper he was grading and reads it. "Charles Kettering once said 'High achievements take place in the frame work of high exceptions.' It can be hard to except things for yourself when you've been let down many time, but if you don't except anything than how her you going to achieve anything." he put the paper down and grinned at me. "Another A, I think."

I grinned back at him, before returning to my book.

Svorski's Bakery.

I was heading to Asher's apartment to hang out with he other's when Riley texted me to stop by Svorski's Bakery. When I walked into the bakery I saw that Lucas and Farkle were already at a booth, walking up to them I took a seat on the other side of them. We started discussing the debate, and how excited Lucas was to be a part of the team when Riley and Maya walked in.

"Presenting your date from the modeling runways of Paris, France-" Riley started.

"The new face of Geek Chic-" Maya says speaking in French accent "Isadora Smackle." I watch as Smackle enters modeling her new look. My mouth dropped in disbelief, I can't believe what the two of them did.

I listened to the conversation as Frakle reveled to Maya and Riley that Isadora only did this to prepare for the debate. When Isadora realized that her new change in looks had effected her inner self I sighed, Lucas hearing my sigh turned to me.

"You've been quiet." he stated to me causing everybody else to look at me.

I sighed again, "I'm disappointed." I told them. I looked right at Riley and Maya "You changed her."

"She asked." Maya stated.

"Okay then, make me over." I told her.

Riley replied for her, "There's no need your already pretty."

"Yeah, we did her a favor." Maya said.

I frowned at that, "And you don't see the problem with your answers?" When the two of them looked at each other confused, I sighed again. I got out of the booth and went over to Isadora, I grabbed her hand and started dragging our out of the bakery.

"Where are you going?" Farkle asked me.

"To show her what pretty really means." I said pausing at the door. I turned back to them, "Sorry Farkle, but your not going to win this debate." I watched as the four of them shared a confused look, before exiting the bakery with Isadora right behind me.

Reed's Apartment.

I knock on the door to Asher's apartment, waiting for somebody to open the door for me and ignoring all of Isadora's questions. When the door finally open it was to Asher's 6 yr old twin brother and sister, Aurora and Andrew. When the saw me and Isadora there mouth dropped in surprise, I didn't even bother saying hi to them and bypassed them rushing to Asher's room. I slammed the door open, and Amelia, Asher, Eloise, and Maximo looked at me in shock, before seeing Isadora. There was a silence in the room before Asher exploded.

"What you do to my cousin!?" he exclaimed.

"Wasn't me." I told him. "Maya and Riley gave her a makeover so blame them."

"Actually it was my idea, I asked them to make me pretty." Isadora spoke up.

The room went silent again.

"Isadora, do you not think your pretty?" Eloise asked her. Eloise gets up and guides Isadora to the bed and sits her in between her and Amelia, while I take a seat next Maximo in the big bean bag he was lounging in.

"Yes." Isadora replied. "Before I was not aesthetically pleasing, know I get compliments from others. I mean.." she clears her throat. "Omigosh I'm so pretty."

"One, never do that again." Amelia starts. "Two, why does what other people think matter."

"It's easy for you to say. Your all considered beautiful." Isadora tells her.

The five of us share a look, before Maximo spoke up. "Isadora, I can say with confessed that yes we are what is considered beauty and that as we age our looks will only get better, but we aren't friends with each other just cause we have good genes."

"Exactly." Asher agrees. "Besides who ever told you, you weren't pretty lied to you, I was actually starting to worry that boys would take notice, and I would have to start kick there buts. I mean it would be good practice for when Aurora grows up so I wouldn't mind."

We all laughed at that, Isadora joining us.

I couldn't help but grin, "Isadora do you still wanna no what beauty is?" she nods her head yes. "This is beauty. This are are my best-friends, they make me laugh, smile and I can tell them anything, we keep no secrets. I know in world that is focus on this," I gestured to my face. "the see past that and focus on this." I laid a hand on my heart.

"Yeah who cares what the world thinks of your appearance." Amelia told her. "Yes you can awkward, and a pain in my butt when Farkle is around, but the best thing about you is the fact that your you, and nobody can take that from you."

"Besides," Eloise speaks up. "I think out of the six of us, the most beautiful person in the room is you."

Isadora smiles shyly at all of us. "I don't have to change back do I?" she asks.

"No." Maximo answers. "You have changed have you?" Isadora shakes her head no. "Than were good."

We all shared a smile.

Matthews Apartment, Living Area.

When I got home it was around 10ish, I already called Mom and Dad to tell them I would be late, so they weren't worried. I opened the door to the apartment only to see Maya and Riley sitting on the couch.

"Did you two wait up for me?" I asked them.

"We're sorry." they say instead.

"Don't be mad at us, We shouldn't have change Isadora." Maya started

"She was fine just they way she was, beauty isn't skin deep." Riley finished.

"Two things" I tell them"One, I'm not mad at you two, I was just disappointed." when the oponed there mouth to speak I stoped them. "I'm not disappointed anymore were cool." They two of them share a relive look.

"Umm, whats thing two." Riley asks me.

"Beauty is skin deep. It's just shouldn't matter." with that I left them to there thoughts and headed to my room to get some sleep.

John Quincy Adams Middle School. N.Y.C. Interscholastic Debate

I was sitting in the audience with Maya and Riley when Frakle came towards us.

"You promised you'd change her back." he told Maya and Riley.

"You did?" I asked them.

Riley nodded, "We tried."

"She wouldn't go for it." Maya said.

"What about you?" Farkle asked me. "You had a plan."

I smirked at him, "A plan to show are what pretty means. She's fine the way she is."

Farkle sighs before going to Isadora who was talking to Amelia, "I didn't want to win this way, Smackle. I hope you enjoy being beautiful."

"Oh, I do." Isadora giggled. I watched as Amelia smirked, and I smiled.

"How the once-mighty have fallen." Farkle said, before facing the audience. "The nation of Troy was charmed by a beautiful wooden horse. They neglected to consider what was inside. And they lost everything because of outer beauty. Don't be fooled by a pretty wrapper. I mean, who keeps the wrapping paper?"

Riley raises her hand, "I wear ribbons." The ribbons from the presents were on her dress and hair.I pulled her hand down.

"Okay. And our concluding statement will be made by Lucas Friar." Farkle said,

The audience claps as Lucas stands up, "There can be absolutely no debate that the quest for outer beauty at the expense of one's inner self is a road to personal destruction. People make assumptions. I've been labeled a jock and a cowboy, and this is from my friends. But here's a little secret; I like school and I do pretty well. You might look at me and assume baseball player. I look at me and I know I'd better get good grades, because what's on the inside has to be more important than what's on the outside to get into a good college and into a good life. Because beauty is not skin deep. Thank you." The audience claps.

"Still think were going to lose?" Maya asks me.

"That was pretty good." I reply. "But not good enough."

Isadora stands up and speaks in a 'Valley Girl' accent, "Omigosh, I'm so totally unprepared and scared."

"We finally got her." I heard some of the nerds from our school mutter.

"Maybe that's what you would assume I would say, considering the effort I put into my appearance." Isadora says in her normal voice.

"Uh-oh." the geeks mutter again.

Isadora starts speaking again, "I'm here to argue Today that beauty actually is skin deep. So I've done some research and I've learned... that it is. When you get compliments from people who don't ordinarily compliment you, when people look at you differently, packaging does matter. I wasn't pretty, then I was. This is a world where "pretty" seems better somehow. Which is too bad, but it's not debatable. However, I learned from some very beautiful people, that if you get swept up by what you are on the outside you can lose who you are on the inside. Even though it is easy to be fooled by the beauty of a trojan horse, it's real power comes from the army within- intelligence, compassion, integrity, courage. That army is the real you, no matter what you look like. So even though beauty may be skin deep, beauty is nowhere near as important as the army inside. And I'll try not to forget that." Isadora puts on her glasses "Well, look at all of you. You're all very deeply beautiful." she turns to Farkle "Especially you, Farkle." She turns and looks directly at me, "Thank you." The audience clap, while I smile softly at her.

"She beat us." Lucas said.

"Yeah." Farkle agreed.

I walk up to Amelia, while Maya and Riley talk to Isadora.

"So Isadora won again." I say.

"Yeah." Amelia tells me. "She did."

"Not mad?" I ask her.

"Why do you ask questions you know the answer to." she replies.

We both shared a look before laughing, we stopped when Isadora walks up to us.

"I want to give you this as thanks." she said handing the two of us glasses, we looked at her confused. "It's true when people look at you first they see the outer you, I thought this might help people see the inner."

I shared a smile with Amelia before we both put the glasses on.

"Thanks." we said.

Svorski's Bakery.

I was sitting with Amelia, Farkle, Lucas, Maya and Riley at Svorski's Bakery. I just bought Amelia a piece of devils chocolate to celebrate Einstein Academy's victory. She was kind of enough to share it with me.

"Valiant effort, Lucas, perhaps a smoothie would take the sting out of my latest victory." Isadora flirted.

"Whoa whoa, back off, sister." Riley said defensive.

"Calm down, Riley." I told her.

"I actually think that Smackle is just enjoying some newfound confidence, Riley." Farkle defended Isadora.

"You know me too well, arch-nemesis." Isadora told him.

"She was using you to make Farkle jealous!" Maya exclaims.

"Duh!" Amelia deadpans through a spoon of chocolate cake.

"Well, that's a new one." Lucas chuckles.

"Tell me the truth, Farkle. If Riley, Maya, and Rose weren't beautiful, would you still love them?"

"They're beautiful? Oh yeah, I never really noticed." Farkle answered her smiling softly at Maya, Riley, and I. We smiled back.