Disclaimer: I don't really quite know who to give credit to...

Eleanor was one of the most fashionable girls at Claremont Academy. It was hard to believe because in the world Ellie actually belonged to she was far from fashionable. All she ever wore was her stepsisters' last season designer clothes. But they were worth more than anybody at Claremont could afford.

Ellie wasn't exactly popular at Claremont. She could have been; everybody liked her, but she couldn't cope with popularity. Ellie didn't have a social life at all. Her friends, if she could call them that, were the other honor students at Claremont. She spent her time at volunteer soup shelters, peer leadership, volunteer hospital work, ballet lessons (which she paid for buy acquiring a scholarship to the studio through a competition) and every other extra curricular activity she could think of.

Ellie found herself tired at the end of everyday. She would stay up until four, not because she was partying, but because of her extra curricular activities and excessive amounts of homework and extra credit. She was taking four more classes than everyone else in the school. As a result, she had no free time during school.

And she barely had any time to adjust the clothes her sisters would give her when they didn't want them anymore. Luckily she had Serena's help. Serena was the twenty six year old maid and Ellie's only real friend. She was great with answering the door for Ellie's stepmother Lela, and great with picking up Ellie's stepsisters' trash. But Serena was especially great with seam work. She could make any of Ellie's stepsisters clothes fit Ellie.

And Serena, a college student had taught Ellie how to drive. She had taught Ellie how to sew and sneak out at night. She taught Ellie how to apply make up and pretty much everything else Ellie knew about being a teenager. Serena was Ellie's lifeline, her connection to all things modern.

Ellie found she liked to live in Jane Austen novels and literary classics written by other female novelists, or just literary classics containing female protagonists. In fact, she read so much she didn't even bother watching movies or television. The only movie she'd seen in the past six months was Becoming Jane. She thought it was a horrible portrayal of Jane Austen's life.

All of Ellie's dorkiness was for one thing: her acceptance to St. Andrew's. Her father and her mother had both gone there. She wanted to be like them. St. Andrew's was her dream. But at Claremont, such a dream was hard to accomplish. And without Ellie's innumerable extra curricular, her dream would be impossible. If her father was still alive…well she didn't really want to remember that.

Ellie had an infallible memory. It was her key to success. Ellie loved not having to study for every single exam because she remembered the lesson so well. Without her memory Ellie wouldn't have had anytime to talk to Serena at all. She would have been the lonely, lifeless, cold hearted bitch that no one liked.

But she wasn't. Ellie was the sweetest person in all of London, or so Serena believed. She was always sharing whatever she had. And Serena truly believed that if Ellie's father hadn't died she still would do all that community service. She never yelled or scolded anyone or anything. Ellie was the ambassador of perfection.

Ellie sat at her laptop, a seventeenth birthday gift from Serena and the cook, and began her research project on the collapse of Gaul's government. The subject Ellie found fascinating, but it wasn't exactly "social" Serena would say. Think of her only friend and maid Serena popped up in Ellie's doorway.

"Get up and stop writing your stupid essay," Serena threatened. "We're going to the bank."

Ellie looked at her skeptically. "The bank?" she asked, "What business would two impoverished women have at the bank."

Serena smiled mischievously "You'll see," she cackled.

Ellie followed Serena out of the apartment without so much a note to Lela. Serena dragged Ellie away from Kensington. She followed as Serena dragged her all the way from Kensington to Newham.

"Thereare banks in Kensington you know," Ellie remarked when they first entered Newham. It certainly wasn't the wealthy community Ellie knew. Even if she wasn't really in society she still knew Kensington and loved it. It was her home. It was where her father had raised her.

Serena dragged her into an International City Bank in the smack middle of Newham and told her to wait in the "lobby". Ellie looked around in disgust. Even if she didn't live in the same comfort as the typical Kensington heiress, the guest apartment was nicer than any apartment in Newham could ever hope to be. And the people in Kensington were much more refined.

To distract herself from the disgust she felt at being in Newham, Ellie examined her nails. However examining her nails made her seem like an uptight bitch. Serena noticed this and made a joke out of it.

"Stop looking so happy and relaxed and move your ass," Serena directed these words toward Ellie. Not knowing where to "move her ass" to Ellie simply stared at Serena dumbfounded. "Come on," Serena nagged when Ellie didn't move. "We've got somewhere to be."

Serena motioned for Ellie to take a right. Ellie moved quickly down the street following all the directions Serena gave her until they arrived at a dilapidated brick building. Looking at the building Ellie's disgusted face appeared on her face once again.

"What are we doinghere?" she asked Serena.

Contrary to Ellie's face, Serena's was one of delight and complete happiness. She was tottering back and forth on her heels with excitement. Not able to hold her news in a moment longer she burst, "I bought a flat."

Ellie's face changed to acquire a pleasantly surprised look. "A flat?" she asked? "Of your own?" It was now her turn to totter back and forth in excitement.

"Yes, here." Serena stated matter of factly.

"Here?" Ellie was taken aback. When Ellie thought of a flat the luxuriously decorated three bedroom flats in Kensington came into mind.

"Yes. Here," Serena was more somber now as if offended by Ellie's comment. Unlike Ellie, Serena was not raised in Inner London among high fashion designers, hedge fund owners, and society hostesses. "It's not all that awful."

Ellie made a face, but followed Serena to the top floor of the building. She had best accept this style of living now. Likely enough she would be stuck like this living for the rest of her life.