Maria "Aria" Montgomery's Story

The Upper East Side

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It's Thursday, September 4th and for the students of Constance Billard School for Girls and Saint Jude's School for Boys, that means that school is back in session. Both schools are located only a couple of blocks away from each other in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the neighborhood where most of the students reside in.

Although today is the first day of the school year, academic classes are not in session until tomorrow. Today is the day of the "welcome assembly", where the upperclassmen of both schools will come to Constance Billard from 8:30 to 10:30, and the underclassmen from 10:30 to 12:30. The short day will allow the Head of School to welcome the students back, and address any changes that have occurred while the students were on break. Students will also have an opportunity to socialize with their friends and possibly new classmates, and introduce themselves to their teachers for the year. Textbooks will also be available for pickup.

Later that night, Annelise Walton will be hosting a back-to-school party for the students at the Elmo Restaurant & Lounge. All students, regardless of their social standing, are welcome to the event. A DJ, open bar and light snacks from the menu will be provided, as well as a photo shoot in the dining area to welcome everyone in.

It sounds like an easy and enjoyable day, but with a new anonymous blogger leaking gossip and rumors about the students on a blog, things are destined to be less than perfect.

Melissa sat at the table, a bowl of fruit and a glass of apple juice sitting in front of her, her mother sat just beside her.
"Why aren't you having any cereal?" Elizabeth asked when she spied the bowl, as she herself sat with a bowl of fruit loops and a cup of coffee.
"If it wasn't for the coffee you would think you were a big child." Melissa teased, with a smile and look of comical disbelief in her eyes. "And anyway, I'll get more energy for the day from a single apple than I would that bowl of diabetes and obesity."
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Elizabeth chuckled to herself, she always thought she was the funny one of the family. "You already don't fit in, in America, maybe some obesity would help." Melissa let out a gasp of surprise at her mother's words.
"Mum! I can't believe you just said that!"
"Said what?" Melissa heard the familiar voice of her father behind her and both looked up at him with a face of innocence.
"We're discussing lady things." Elizabeth blurted out and Melissa looked down from her father and had to stop herself laugh, whilst she also turned a bright red, and as she thought she had the laughter under control her father let out a disgusted sound and both them let out a laugh. "Oh, Andrew,how do you cope with me?" Elizabeth got up and planted a kiss on his cheek and he checked his watch.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?" He asked, nodding in Melissa's way and she just shrugged, knotting her eyebrows and looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. "Go." Andrew said, in a demanding manner and Melissa sighed as she pushed herself off the seat and brought her bowl of fruit up to her room, as she passed her dad she scrunched her face up and put her tongue in between her bottom gum and lower lip, Elizabeth raised her eyebrow and Melissa and she stopped immediately, turning a bright red. As she reached the top of the stairs, she heard the all to familiar sound of Mark's alarm blaring while he slept on.
"Oi! Faggoot! Get up." She called in teasingly.

Mark sat up in his bed as his alarm blared and Melissa shouted in at him. "Nooo!" He shouted before throwing his pillow at the door and hitting Melissa, knocking the bowl out of her hands, hearing the bowl smash and Melissa curse, he giggled to himself. "Whoops, you okay butterfingers?" Melissa gave him the finger before going to her room and getting ready for Constance. Mark stretched and cracked his neck and then his fingers before getting out from under his blanket. Dandering over to his wardrobe, he threw out a pair of chinos, a formal white shirt and his favourite hoodie. He opened his laptop and went onto YouTube and hit play on his music playlist and took his bluetooth speaker into the bathroom with him as his music played, he sung along to it in the shower, albeit terribly. After showering, he applied his lynx deodorant and antiperspirant before throwing his 'school uniform' on and loosely doing the tie. He grabbed his bag and threw a pack of cigarettes in it and his books, before going downstairs and grabbing something to eat.
"Bag." Elizabeth called out, non-nonchalantly as she read a magazine and finished her coffee on the sofa.
"Why?" Elizabeth turned her head and looked at him.
"Because you're either running about with condoms or drugs." Elizabeth put it rather bluntly and Mark blushed, before sighing and tossing the bag at her. "There's a pretty strict, no smoking rule, mister. So I'll hold onto these." Mark rolled his eyes as he waited for his toast to pop. "And Mark, I know you won't but... don't tell anyone about you being gay. I don't want to see you getting hurt again and god knows what these yanks think of gays." Mark nodded his head, a slight sadness to his face that she'd bring it up. She then got up and brought the bag over to him and hugged him. "Love you." She said before she planted a kiss on his forehead and he hugged her back.
"Love you too, mom." He teased before she let go of him and went back to her position on the sofa.

Not long after, he finished his toast, Melissa slowly made her way down the stairs, her eyes focused on her phone.

She tucked her phone back into her purse and smiled at Mark.
"This is okay, right?" She asked as she showed him the full outfit she was in.
"Not that kind of gay." He reminded her and she simply rolled her eyes.
"It'll do, I don't have time to change."

It was a short drive and Melissa was try to her word, it was only about 4 minutes but that may have been because she forced her mum to drop and Mark off at Constance instead of midway so as they both had to walk an equal amount. "See you later, mum." She said as she hopped out and then turned to Mark. "Later bum boy." Mark rolled his eyes and nudged his sister before making his way to St Judes. On his way he found a small packet of cigarettes in his hoodie pocket and took one out and had a smoke. "Today's already looking up." He hummed to himself as he dandered to school, taking his time and not really caring if he was late, even if the schools were only a block away.

Melissa walked into the entry courtyard and spotted Hana, "Hana! Hey." She called out as she waved to her and walked over and hugged her. "What's point in a uniform if everyone just wears what they want?" Melissa asked as she watched the other girls in their custom uniforms. Melissa took out her phone and typed a quick text. "I'll just text Maria and tell her we're sitting her.

Hana Lane

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Not much time had passed before Maria made her way over to the girls. Hana had met her briefly at the Cane's party and was even more relieved now to see that she and Melissa wouldn't be going through this year alone. She wouldn't have complained since Melissa definitely seemed to be good company, but having someone who knew the school and people too was definitely a plus. Maria seemed nice and grounded. Hana hoped that her first impression was right, and although she would act kindly to the girl, she would secretly be keeping her guard up. Just because Maria was friendly to them didn't mean that she didn't have stronger ties to other groups.

"Hey," Hana said, smiling as Maria approached them. "I'm tired and I'll admit, a little overwhelmed, but besides that, I'm good. What about you?" She ran her fingers through her dark hair and watched as people began to stream into the building. Part of her wanted to get in and get out, and the other part wanted to just leave and demand that she be re-enrolled in her public school. If she chose the latter, she would have to deal with questions from her sister and Alexandre, and Katherine, who would probably gloat about how she was right that Hana fit in. The thought made Hana tense up and she quickly made her decision. "Do you think we should head in? It's almost eight-thirty." She waited for the girls to agree, and allowed Maria to take the lead as they walked inside. Not only did she want to disappear in the sea of people as much as possible, but frankly, she had no idea where the auditorium was located in the large school.

They passed lots of people, girls and boys. She recognized very few of them, especially since Katherine and her band of friends were no where in sight. The ones that were familiar to her were mainly just people who she had seen at Melissa and Mark's party and even if she had spoken to some of them, she doubted she would remember their names. Out of the corner of her eye, she did spot someone that she would call a friend. Lex Manning. Without even realizing it, a smile appeared on her face. She considered calling out to him to say hi, but new that the hallway was too loud with chatter for him to hear. He was walking with a friend anyway, and Hana didn't want to interrupt whatever they were talking about. She told herself that she would just find him later, or talk to him at the party that evening. Hana was still on the fence about going to it at all, though. Her sister was insisting that she go and meet people, and now that she had at least two friends, she guessed that it wouldn't be too bad of an experience. That is, if Melissa and Maria were actually going to go. "Are you guys going to that party tonight? The one that Annelise Walton is throwing or something?" She wanted to sound as uninterested as possible, so that if they scoffed at the idea, it wouldn't be embarrassing. It wasn't like she really wanted to go, anyway. At least she tried to tell herself that.

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Melissa nodded in agreement with Hana, "Back in England we had uniforms, obviously but like it was strict, uniform literally means same so what's the point in custom uniforms. Just set one or don't have one at all." She shrugged her shoulders when asked about Mark. "I don't know, I don't think so. He's on his way to St Judes, no doubt smoking on the way."

Maria approached the girls and Melissa gave a polite wave, "Hey, Maria, good. Can't wait to get this day over with." She said with a smirk. "Don't be overwhelmed, chick, you aren't facing this alone, you've got us." She gently nudged her with a giggle. Melissa checked her watch and clicked her tongue, before sighing. "I guess, we should, shouldn't we? Maria do you want to take the lead, we don't have a clue where we are going."

Inside the halls, Melissa noticed all the boys mixed in with all the girls. "Oh my god, Mark's meant to be here... isn't he?" She rolled her eyes and whipped out her phone. "What a fucking idiot." Melissa quickly text him a quick message before looking to Hana. "I imagine I'll have to go, if you want you can all come to mine and we can get ready together. I mean do you want to be stuck with Katherine and all her friends, arriving with them or would you rather come with us?" Melissa gave her a hopeful smile. "And you can borrow some of my clothes if you want."

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Mark noticed Kenna's wave and flicked his wrist in response, with two of his fingers holding the cigarette in his hand as he made his way towards his own school. As he was a block away from the school, he felt his phone buzz and let out an annoyed huff before turning on his heels and marching straight back to Constance, no doubt by the time he'd arrive, he'd be the last one there and probably have to dander in as everyone turns and watches him, that didn't annoy him as much as his own idiocy for forgetting did.

Mark flicked the butt of his cigarette onto the road and lightly jogged up the steps of the school, removing his hoodie and slinging it over his bag as he entered the building, he slowly dandered about looking around for where he was supposed to be and then he could hear the hushed whispers from the assembly room, or auditorium thing. He followed the whispers and opened the door, which creaked loudly, he simply gave it a look and shrugged before making his way over to the back row and taking one of the free seats, he scanned the crowd for familiar faces and spotted Benjamin quite easily and Kenna too, she was with Katherine and the other girls. He continued to scan the crowd for Melissa, but as such couldn't spot her or Maria for that matter. But he simply shrugged and slouched into the chair.

The assembly started promptly at 8:30 in the morning. When Dr. Sarah Hutchinson, Constance's head of school, and Brian Mitchell, Saint Jude's head of school, took the stage, the crowd of students simmered down. Dr. Hutchinson greeted the crowd of students first. "Good morning, students," she said, her voice echoing through the large auditorium with the help of a headset microphone. In an almost equally loud volume, the sea of students returned the 'good morning' greeting, although their voices seemed more drone-like than the perky woman's.

"Dr. Mitchell and I hope that you all had a wonderful summer, and would like to welcome you back to school. We're excited for the 2014-2015 school year and hope that you all are as well. Before we get started with this morning's agenda, I would like to remind everyone that Miss Annelise Walton, one of your senior classmates, has been kind enough to offer to host a "welcome-back" party tonight for returning students. Although the event is not school-sponsored, we encourage you all to attend and reconnect after a long summer apart. Many of you have spent most of your academic lives together, but I would also like to give a warm welcome to our four new students who have joined the Constance Billard-Saint Jude's family this year. Mark Cane and Lance Cavendish were both chosen as promising students to graduate with us at Saint Jude's this spring, and Melissa Cane and Hana Lane were chosen to graduate with us at Constance Billard. As you are aware of, our application process is very selective so congratulations to these four on being accepted. Now, without further ado, Dr. Mitchell is going to outline our goals for this year and all of the wonderful changes that have been put into place over the summer."

The assembly lasted its scheduled two hours and the male head of school discussed everything from the newly updated weight rooms, cafeterias and libraries that had been added to the school, to the various study-abroad opportunities that the students would have. He ended the assembly with a reminder that students needed to pick up their textbook packages by the end of the day, if they hadn't already done so, and then dismissed the group.

Hana Lane

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Hana was appreciative that Melissa invited them to come to her place before Annelise's party. She almost laughed out loud when her new friend suggested that it would be better than arriving with Katherine's friend. It was true that she would prefer Melissa and Maria to Katherine and that group, but in what world did she think that Katherine would actually be kind enough to invite her to come with them? She had barely given a second thought to abandoning her this morning, so there was no way that she would feel bad about making Hana show up to Annelise's party alone. "I'd rather walk than go with those girls," Hana joked, although she wasn't entirely kidding. She secretly kind of liked the idea of being "cool", but it was an unattainable dream here, especially with Katherine as a sort-of step-sister. Melissa and Maria were clearly more her type and Hana wasn't going to complain about being in their company instead of Katherine's.

Speak of the devil... Hana's phone lit up and when she glanced down at the screen, she saw that it was Katherine. When she slid the message open, she was nothing short of surprised of its content. "I'm going to let you hang out with my friends today". Typing... "No need to thank me just find me after the assembly". Hana had only known Katherine for a few months, but she knew her well enough to know that she wasn't sincerely inviting her to socialize with her friends. There had to be some catch. Hana guessed that it was a cruel joke. She'd pretend that they all wanted to hang out with her and they would end up giving her a wrong address and leading her into Chinatown or something.

For a second, Hana considered that it would be cool to see what those girls really did when they hung out, but she knew it wouldn't work out. Besides, Melissa had already invited her to her house to get ready. She sent back a text denying Katherine's offer, but after another series of demanding and almost pleading messages, she gave in. She regretted it as soon as she sit the 'send' button, but it was done. She was going to be hanging out with Katherine, Alexandra, Kenna, and Annelise Walton. It was probably something that girls at the school would kill to experience, but Hana wasn't quite as thrilled. She still doubted that there was any real chance that those girls wanted her there, but she was willing to let Katherine explain.

The assembly started before she could share the news with Maria and Melissa, and during the two-hour assembly, her anxiety tugged at every strand of her mind. She nearly missed the awkward introduction that the head of school gave to her, Melissa, Mark and one other new student as she pondered over why Katherine had invited her. It was very possible that Alexandre had threatened to take away her credit cards if she didn't put in more of an effort with her, and if that was the reason for it, Hana would be mortified. She didn't want Katherine to be threatened into befrieinding her. She had spent the past few months feuding with the girl and had made friends on her own. She didn't need Katherine, and she definitely didn't need her almighty friends. As soon as the assembly ended though, her eyes searched the crowd of students for the four girls.

"The weirdest thing happened... Katherine invited me to get ready with Annelise and them before the party," Hana confessed to Melissa and Maria. She made sure to sound suspicious, since she doubted that Melissa liked the girls either. "She's ignored me all summer, and now, all of the sudden, she's basically begging me to go to Annelise Walton's house. Am I paranoid or is that really weird?"

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Lance slouched in his seat, one arm resting on the back of the seat next to him as the head she-beast of the group introduced each member of the gang. They seemed all right. He'd dealt with such high strung women before. He wasn't fazed as they threw obscenities at him. In fact, he was enjoying watching blondie lose her shit. Lance didn't think he's ever met a woman he could irritate so easily. She had handed him the matches and didn't even realise it. It was almost endearing the way she started blathering to herself. Almost.

He chuckled, giving them his best smile as blondie talked to her friend about him as if he wasn't there. He refrained from replying. He didn't feel the need. Simply enjoying their banter regarding him. Admittedly, he switched off when blondie and her friend started talking about . . . knowing things before everyone else? Yeah . . . That's what it was. Maybe. He'd stopped listening. As far as them knowing his name, Lance wasn't concerned. He'd been to many places around the world in his life. It was a strange occasion if people didn't know who he was before the time he got around to introducing himself.

The mention of the Elmo lounge reverted his attention back to Miss Walton. She was inviting him to a party tonight there. But Lances mind was two days back when he'd ended up there with a bunch of girls he had met at a club and they had somehow all ended up at the Elmo and the rest . . . as they say is history. Ménage à quatre anybody?

The assembly started. And droned on for two unbelievable hours. He didn't understand how someone could talk that long about basically nothing. Welcome back. Blah, blah, blah . . . He was certain, his eyes closed behind his Aviators a good few times. Good thing he wasn't a snorer.

Ten hours later . . . No, it was still only two hours but God help him it felt like ten; they were finally allowed to leave as the assembly broke up. Lance rose and stretched his feet. He was far too tall and the short space between the rows left his legs a little cramped. Stretching his arms to the sky, he removed his shades and tucked them in the front opening of his shirt. Slipping his jacket on. Turning, he watched a moment as people shuffled out of the hall. Just a little a head of him, the She-beasts were in the queue to file out.

Striding up behind them, Lance grabbed a slim arm and pulled. Blondie tumbled into his arms, losing her balance. But before she could even think about reacting, his lips were pressed against hers. Warm. Smouldering. Hot . . . Playful. The encore of shocked inhalation surrounding them from her group of friends only prompted his grin. He felt her melt into the kiss for a moment. It made Lance want to hold her tighter. Instead, he broke it off. The disappointment he saw flitter across her face pleased him some as he smiled down at them all crookedly.

“Just as good as I thought it'd be.” He grinned. “Not better.” He couldn't help but tease; just knowing it would drive her completely crazy. “But definitely good. And look! No lipstick on my face to show for it. Isn't it amazing where modern science is taking us in the 21st century? Lip stick that doesn't stain when you kiss. Absolutely amazing.”

He wanted to laugh out at the utter outrage on their faces. However, he never gave them a chance to retort.

“Miss Walton. Thank you for the invitation to your party. I'll check in my diary and see if I can fit your party in and grace you with my presence.” He smiled. Moving on without allowing any of them to get a word in. “Katherine, lovely name.” Shaking her hand. “And Kenna, by far the prettiest. Did I see you on one of the billboards outside?” He questioned, kissing her cheek but not allowing her to reply. “The pleasure was all mine. I'm so glad we can all be friends.” Lance smiled wickedly. “Ladies.”

With the slight bow of his head, he turned and strode through the throng of students exiting. Leaving in his wake stunned silence.

“I thought you said five minutes?!” A fashionably dressed woman, at least a decade older than Lance gestured, ticking a slender finger at her expensive Michael Kors watch. “It's been ten.”

“Babe. You know I'm worth the wait.” He smirked, coming down the steps; slipping into a town car behind her, heading into the New York pre-lunch traffic.

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Katherine's ability to focus was poor during things that enticed her, so it was close to impossible for her to focus on anything that was being discussed during the assembly. The added stress of having to figure out how she was going to deal with Hana didn't make things any easier, and the two hours seemed to drag on for an eternity. When the head of school finally dismissed them, Katherine was relieved to get out of there, but equally nervous to go to Annie's. She had managed to screw up what had once seemed like an enjoyable afternoon, and even though Annie had made it clear that not coming wasn't an option, Kat was reconsidering it. She loved Annelise. That went without saying. Even though people often saw Katherine as just being one of her puppets, she did truly love her. Annie had been her rock when she was hit with the sudden news that her father was marrying Hana's sister, and throughout all of the (many) other bumps that she overreacted to. She was her shopping companion, voice of reason and best friend, and even if she was anxious to deal with Hana around her and the girls, she wasn't going to disrupt Annelise's day over it.

When they began to file out of the auditorium, the boy that Kat had spotted earlier in the hallway managed to pull Lexi into a heated embrace. As if it were instinct, Katherine's expression quickly turned sour. This Lance boy was definitely attractive and she couldn't blame Lexi for her low-key reaction to it, but she wasn't a fan of the whole PDA stuff, and definitely not in their crowded school. It was only a matter of minutes before word would spread to the entire student body and at least in her mind, Katherine didn't find the encounter something to be proud of. However, she knew that she shouldn't be surprised. Lexi was gorgeous and was knwon for being a bit of a rebel, so breaking the social norms, especially for a guy that hot, wasn't so outlandish for her. She was going to criticize Lexi for the move, but when her eyes darted over to Annelise, she noticed her nonchalant expression and decided against it. It wasn't her place to step in, and besides, she had to worry about finding Hana.

Katherine linked arms with the girls but only remained by their side for a few moments. She had spotted Hana on the opposite side of the auditorium and now that they were exiting the school, she saw it as a perfect chance to break away from the girls and speak to Hana in private. "Ugh, I have to go find Hana," she said, making sure to groan dramatically as if the thought of her was that painful. "I'll just meet up with you girls at Annie's in like ten minutes. Our driver is probably already waiting outside and I need to find Hana, so just go on without me and I'll be there in a few." With her hopefully-valid explanation finished, Kat wasted no time in slipping away from the girls and back into the school. When she managed to find Hana, she grabbed her arm and began to speak, not bothering to acknowledge Maria Montgomery or the girl that looked familiar, but whose name was unknown. "Are you ready? My dad had someone pick up our books last week, so that's done. Annie and the girls already left so Julian will drive us over now, but we need to hurry because I am not missing my facial." Although she didn't want to explain her reason for inviting Hana, she figured that it was necessary. However, she wasn't going to do it in a school still crowded with people, especially when one of them was probably the anonymous gossip blogger.

Hana Lane

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It seemed now, that Katherine had no other choice but to go to Annelise's party, but when Maria asked her and Melissa if they were going, she shrugged. "I mean... I guess so. I wanted to go with you guys but Katherine's friends supposedly want me to go with them and I don't think it's legal to reject an invite from those girl," she said sarcastically, but smiled all the same. Did she like Katherine? No, not really. Did she want to hang out with Katherine? Again, not really. She hated the thought of it, but somewhere deep down, she wasn't entirely against the idea of the social group that Katherine belonged in. Even if it did seem completely overrated and catty, Hana was unsure if she would actually reject the chance to climb the social ladder, if she had the shot. The opportunity seemed to present itself to her now, and with Katherine's strangely desperate persistence, she didn't see any real harm in hanging out with the girls for a few hours. If for nothing else, at least she would be able to say that she tried it, and tell Melissa how truly overrated the experience and girls were.

As they began to exit the auditorium, she glanced back at the two girls. "You two will be there too, right?" Even if she had been invited to get ready with Katherine's friends, she doubted that they would actually want to socialize with her in public at the party. Katherine knew that there was a reason that she was invited now, and it wasn't because they actually wanted to get to know her. Katherine alone was too shallow for that, and she was sure that she would be even worse around her friends.

She quickly realized that she hadn't spoken to Katherine about where to meet, but just as she pulled her phone out to call the girl, she spotted her coming their way. Hana's expression fell flat and turned into a frown when Katherine came over, acted as if Melissa and Maria ceased to exist, and then demanded that she hurry up. She still had not explained why she wanted her to come, but Hana wasn't going to stoop to Katherine's level of immaturity and cause a scene in public. Instead, she nodded and turned back to the girls. "Text me later?" she said, before giving them a small wave and following Katherine out to the town car. When they were situated in the back row, she placed her book bag at her feet and looked over at Kat. "Do you want to explain what those frantic texts were about? Because I highly doubt that you want me there any more than I want to be there." Today was proving to be more eventful and strange than Hana expected, especially in terms of her relationship with Katherine. It was rare that they said more than a few sentences to each other in a day, and here they were, conversing in the back of the car about how Katherine had invited her to hang out. Although she was focusing on what was going to happen over the next few hours, in the back of her mind she hoped that Melissa and Maria didn't think she was blowing them off.

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Once Hana had nodded, Katherine had begun to walk to the car. She didn't need to wait for Hana to say goodbye to her friends, and even though she wasn't intentionally trying to be a bitch, she really couldn't have cared less about their presence. She didn't know Melissa, and didn't care to know her, and knew Maria from a few classes they had together over the years, but wasn't actually friends with her. They were neither important or relevant to her, so why did she owe them a hello or goodbye?

Their driver, Julian, was waiting just around the corner. Katherine slid into the back seat and after greeted the driver, who was one of her family's employees that she actually appreciated. "Morning Julian," she said, shifting farther into the car when the door opened again and Hana sat down. "You can take us to Annie's now, and then later just have someone drop off my outfit for tonight. Olga knows which ones they are."

Julian nodded and glanced at the girls through the rear-view mirror. "And where are you headed, Hana?" he asked. He probably had heard Katherine referencing them as "us" when she said they were going to Annie's, but it was no secret that the two didn't get along. He wasn't far-fetched in imaging that he may have just heard Katherine wrong.

"She's coming with me," Katherine replied quickly. She had thought that she could just pretend that she was being nice to Hana, but almost right after Julian second guessed them being together, Hana brought up the texts. "First of all, they weren't frantic. I was trying to be nice to you since I know that have no friends," she said, glaring at her for a second, before realizing that she probably shouldn't be in attack mode. Katherine still felt like she was doing a good deed by including Hana, but she was desperate for Hana to come. She didn't want to lie to her friends, but she also wasn't ready to give up her secret to them. Even though she knew that Hana knew about her body-image issues, she wasn't going to address them now and truthfully explain the reason to Hana. Her father, at one point, had told Ashley about Katherine's "dieting phase" and it had somehow gotten back to Hana. Luckily, she never brought it up, but it was almost comforting to know that it was one less person to have to hide it from.

"The girls just wanted to get to know you. I know you met Annie at the wedding and probable met Lexi a few times over the summer, but they wanted to see what you're like. Kenna will be there too. Just be like, normal. Well, not your normal. I don't know, just be cool and fun and not weird and it'll be fine. If they ask, just say that my dad wants me and you to hang out more." Katherine spoke quickly and didn't allow herself to make eye contact with Hana, but tried to reassure herself that things would be okay.

It only took a couple of minutes for them to arrive at Annelise's and they clearly hadn't left too late, since the other girls were just arriving in front of the apartment building as well. "Come on," Katherine muttered as she filed out of the car. Almost in the same instant as she approached her friends, she pasted an excited smile on her face. Even if she didn't feel comfortable, she needed to act it. "It's martini time, chicas," she said cheerfully. It had been less than a minute since she was sitting next to Hana, but it was enough time for her to almost forget that she was even there. She corrected her flaw quickly though, trying to be as nice as she could to Hana for now. "I know you met her, Annie, but this is Hana, girls," she said to Lexi and Kenna.

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Kasey tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for Cole. His "two minutes" quickly turned into five, and soon the crowded hall emptied out. She could hear the voices of the school supervisors echoing behind the auditorium doors and even though she wasn't excited to sit through the assembly, she wished Cole would hurry up. She wasn't going to go sit alone, even if it was true that no one would probably even notice. She had abandoned her search for popularity years ago and had done well at ignoring people's opinions, but she wasn't comfortable with being the literal loner on the first day of senior year.

She heard him before she saw him. The front doors of the building creaked open and Cole, looking more formal than Kasey was used to, strolled in. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that he was almost ten minutes late for the assembly or that they were the last stragglers in the hallway. In his hands were a drink tray and two bags.

"Took you long enough," Kasey said bitterly as he approached.

His cheeky grin didn't falter though, and he tossed a brown paper bag into her arms. "Plain bagel with butter, and a coffee."

She examined the coffee cup that he had handed her lastly, and took a sip of the steaming beverage. "Black with t-"

Cole cut her off, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah, black with two sugars, I know. Even if you don't want to give me credit for putting up with your shit, I'd think you'd be able to give credit for remembering how you take your coffee." He took Kasey's small smile as the closest thing he would get to gratitude and stepped past her, quietly opening the auditorium door and leading her inside.

There were a few empty seats in the back row, so they took the two closest to the aisle. Being able to eat breakfast made the assembly go quicker than normal, and even though Kasey was content with how the morning was playing out, Cole wished that one more girl was sitting with him. Aria, his girlfriend. Their relationship wasn't as public as most, since they had only began dating at the end of their junior year, but Cole wasn't trying to hide her. She was an amazing girl who was kind, intelligent and fun and while Kasey wasn't a big fan of her, Cole was.

When the assembly ended, the two were some of the first out of the school. "I'm coming over," Kasey informed him once they had reached the courtyard.

"Okay, but I'm inviting Maria over too."

"Ugh, invite those new girls too then. I need something to balance out her annoying energy," She knew that Maria was friendly with the two new students, Hana and Melissa, and even more than she didn't want to be around Maria, she didn't want to third wheel with her and Cole.

Cole was about to text Maria to find out where she was, but she beat him to it. He read her message and smiled, but pulled his phone closer to him when Kasey leaned in to read it. He doubted that Kasey would be willing to go to that party but if they were all going, she would have no choice but to come.

To: Aria
I'm down to go if you are ;). You and your friends should come to my place before. I'm heading over there rn so meet us there whenever you guys are ready.

His apartment building was no more than a ten minute walk at the casual pace that he and Kasey moved at. Neither of his parents were home when he got there, which he expected since they both worked full time. Annelise's party wasn't for another few hours, so the pair planned on watching as many movies as possible, ordering pizza and then, against Kasey's wishes, getting ready for the party. Cole hoped that Aria would show up sooner than the party, but he knew that she was close with her grandparents and may need to spend the day with him, or even with the new girls she had befriended over the summer.

Hana Lane

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As she followed the girls into the limo, Hana continued to switch between enjoying and even embracing her day with the girls, to hating herself for liking it. Annelise had been kind enough to welcome her into her home, which was nice in itself, but considering that her clique was so exclusive, it made the gesture that much more appreciable, and probably peculiar. She allowed her to wear a dress that she, herself, had designed, assisted her with her makeup and had some of the top stylists work on her appearance. Even if all of the day's events weren't so much sincere as they were out of courtesy, Hana still had to appreciate it. Annelise could have just as easily pulled a Katherine and told her to get lost. She didn't, and had even been gracious when Katherine seemed to insist that she be nasty. It was nice considering the circumstances, and even if Hana knew that she had never fit in with this crowd before, she decided to enjoy it for the night.

She was glad that Lexi had taken a seat next to her, since like Annelise, she too had been kind to Hana throughout the day. After spending a few hours with the girl, she wasn't as intimidated with the possibility of being excluded from their small talk in the limo. Just to be safe, though, she rested her phone on her lap, ready to pick it up and pretend to text someone if she was suddenly denied inclusion in the conversations. It didn't really happen, though and the ride went by surprisingly quickly.

Hana had never been to Elmo, but it was clear that they had arrived when the car stopped in front of a crowd. There were people outside who almost instantly swarmed the group when it was determined that it was Annelise's crew. Hana knew that none of the attention was meant for her, though, and instead of being the awkward one jumping into pictures she wasn't wanted in, she smiled and made her way into the building without waiting for the others. Another line of photographers outlined the red carpet inside, and Hana followed the same protocol, before waiting at the end of the line of cameramen. She didn't want to cling to the girls, but she was also unsure if she knew anyone who was here yet, and didn't want to be alone either.

The four appeared sooner than later, and looked a lot less fazed than Hana probably did. They were apparently used to the attention more than she was. Not just that, but she figured that big parties like this were also the norm for them, whereas a big night out for her would be a house party in someone's two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. The atmosphere only increased as the group made their way downstairs. The music got louder, the flashing lights brighter, and the crowd of party guests bigger. While the group gravitated towards the bar, Hana lagged back for a moment. She wasn't planning on drinking and didn't want them to think she was. Once the drinks had been made, she took a step closer. Lexi had pulled Kat off to the dance floor and Annelise addressed her, asking if she had ever been to a party line this before. For a quick second, she considered lying to seem cooler, but she was sure that Katherine had spoken poorly of her enough to ruin any chance she had of seeming cool. "Definitely not," she said with a laugh. "None of my friends would have connections to get us into a place like this," she admitted. Needless to say, none of them would be able to rent out a place like this either.

Hana doubted that Annelise wanted to stand and talk with her while she had tons of other people who socialize with. Again, she didn't want to impose, but she hadn't spotted anyone familiar in the crowd yet. As Annelise turned her attention back to the bartender to get her drink, Hana pulled out her phone and quickly sent a text to Maria and Lex. She had seen Lex earlier that day at school, but didn't have a chance to approach him. She wasn't really aware of his ties with Annelise, so she only hoped that he would be here tonight too.

To: Maria Montgomery
Are you guys at the party yet? I'm by the bar.

To: Lex Manning
Hey :)! Are you coming to Annelise's party tonight?

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The promise of an open bar was the only reason why Kasey attended Annelise's party. She hated the hostess and her friends, and honestly, she wasn't going out of her way to make friends with the majority of the other party goers. Nearly all of them worshiped the popular girls and anyone who was blind enough to play into that trap was useless to her. She wanted nothing to do with them. For the past few years, she had had Cole as her best friend anyway, so it wasn't like she needed to reach out and make new friends. Now that he was dating Maria, Kasey was realizing that he couldn't be at her beck and call as much as she wanted. Her own relationship with Cole was strictly platonic, so it wasn't that she was jealous of how he acted with Maria, but she did sort of resent the fact that he was able to make relationships so freely. He was so open and easy going that emotional walls seemed nonexistent in his life. This was quite contrasting compared to Kasey.

She spent the majority of the party seated in one of the lounge nooks, alternating between socializing with Cole and Aria and a group of three girls that she could tolerate from her past year's English class. "Tolerate" was seeming to become a stretch, too, because as each word came out of the girls' mouths, Kasey's eyes searched a bit more frantically for Cole and Maria.

"Did you see Annelise's dress?" one of the girls chirped as shifted her position on the couch so she was leaning in towards them. Kasey didn't answer, and her lack of eye contact probably showed her disinterest.

"The back of it is gorgeous.. like to-die-for gorgeous," another one gushed.

"I know, I don't see how she'll be able to top that," the third jumped in. With each word, Kasey's patience slipped away. "And did you see Kenna Valoir's? It had to cost a fortune!" Without waiting for the other girls to agree, which they most certainly would, Kasey stood up and walked away. No explanation, no goodbye. She just left. They would probably be too busy gossiping about the girls or drunk to take offense to it, anyway.

It didn't take long for her to spot Cole, leaning against the bar with Aria at his side. The pair had spent most of their evening dancing, with an occasional break here and there to catch their breath and chat with Kasey. Cole felt the tension between Maria and Kasey (although the animosity pretty much only came from Kasey), so he did his best to keep them separated, while not ignoring either of them. Even if he knew that Kasey would be less than satisfied with how much time he had been dedicating to Maria, he didn't care very much. He had had a great evening so far with Maria and knew that even if he had spent more time with Kasey, she would still be complaining.

"I didn't know that you could dance like that!" he laughed as he and Maria settled down by the bar. "Do you want something to drink?" He knew that she was an experienced wine drinker, which was expected considering her family's legacy, but they weren't the type of people to go barhopping enough for him to know what she would order besides wine. He himself was never a huge partier. He preferred more intimate gatherings but an occasional big party didn't do him any harm. Besides, he knew by now that in the Upper East Side, almost every event was done big, so it was something he was used to.

Kasey had ordered a cosmopolitan and after receiving it, approached the pair. She looked Maria up and down, as if it was the first time she had seen her all night, and then relaxed her gaze. "I can't stand any of these dumb bimbos," she stated bitterly as she sipped her cocktail.

"We can always count on you to bring a little bit of sunshine to our conversation," Cole joked. "You just need to lighten up a little bit! Ari, have you ever had a problem with Annelise or any of those girls? He doubted she would have. Maria was the sweetest girl he had ever met. She was the type of girl who didn't seem to have a bad bone in her. It was certainly a breath of fresh air for Cole, who was so used to Kasey's negativity.

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