"It isn't fair! How did she get a scholarship to Neverland Academy and not me?" I heard Cassidy sob from downstairs, and all I could do was roll my eyes as I pushed the book I was trying to read away. There was no way I'd be able to read with all that racket downstairs... "There's no way they'd want to have her go to that school and not me! I'm so much better than her!"

I let out a groan, almost throwing my book across the room. I knew that they knew that I could hear them, but that wasn't about to stop them from screeching at the top of their lungs...

Couldn't they just turn on the TV and watch their stupid show that they loved so very much? Why did they have to go on and on about something so stupid?

And why did she have to be so loud? If I could hear her, that meant my dad could hear her as well. I really hoped that he was already asleep and wouldn't wake up from her screaming. He had done it before, so there really wasn't anything I had to worry about.

"They must have made a mistake," I heard Claudia assuage, and I really wanted to go downstairs and yell at them myself. But I knew that that would get me absolutely no where... "I'm sure you're the one that's supposed to go to Neverland Academy! Why they would ever want Olivia, I'll never know!"

"She probably beat up the Headmistress," Cassidy sneered, and I wanted to hit myself in the head with the book that lied at my side. "That's the only reason she ever gets anything! She beats people up and bullies them! It's so unfair! I'm prettier than her! I'm smarter than her! I'm downright better than her in every single way and they still pick her over me!"

"I know, honey, I know," Claudia agreed, and I could just imagine her patting Cassidy on the shoulder. Why did she have to treat her like she was the most precious thing on the planet? "We'll get this whole mess sorted out, I promise. You'll be able to go to Neverland Academy, don't you worry."

Unless she somehow pulled a million bucks out of her ass, I highly doubted Cassidy would be going to Neverland Academy. I couldn't even believe that I was going! I wanted Cassidy to take my place, because then we both would have gotten what we wanted, but I knew that that wasn't going to happen in a million years. She wanted to go, and I wanted her out of the house.

But of course, it was the other way around. And we were both unhappy about it.

When their annoying voices finally stopped, I couldn't help but sigh. I didn't think they would ever shut up about something that wasn't even that big of a deal. You wouldn't see me yelling and screaming about how unfair this was. Just how could two people be so loud? Not to mention they never shut up... It was just too ridiculous.

When I heard the TV turn on, I jumped off my bed and headed toward the window. Cassidy and Claudia wouldn't check if I was in my room, and my dad would be asleep for the rest of the day, so I was good at sneaking out and coming back before anyone noticed I was even gone.

Cursing to myself quietly, my fingernails dug into my windowsill as I almost fell trying to climb down the side of the house. I normally was better at doing this type of thing, but I guess I was too pissed off about having to go to Neverland Academy to climb like usual.

I had called Simon and he had said that he was at Terra's house along with Henry, so that was where I was heading. After I heard Jersey Shore playing for a good ten minutes downstairs, I knew it was safe for me to sneak out without getting caught by anyone.

There was no way I'd last even a week at Neverland Academy. I wasn't the preppy type at all! Now Cassidy, she was definitely the type that would fit in at that school. So why not let her go in my place? Tell the school her name was Ivy or Olivia or whatever, and they'd probably believe it since they never saw me before... I just really didn't want to go to that stupid school.

How could someone like me be welcomed into a school like Neverland Academy? It was a prep school, and I was... the exact opposite of a prep.

What if people made fun of me, like I was sure they would? If they didn't back off, I'd hit them like I've done before... expect I couldn't do that anymore. If I got into a fight, or did anything to get in trouble, I'd be sent off to military school... So there wasn't even a point in sending me to that stupid school!

Claudia wouldn't even speak to me when I went down stairs a little earlier before I snuck out. Not that I really minded that, but I hated the snide looking scowls she was shooting me every chance she got. It wasn't my fault I got a scholarship to that school! I didn't even want to go in the first place! Cassidy could have taken my place for all I cared...

But Cassidy was acting even worse than Claudia was. When I had gone downstairs to get a glass of water to make it look like I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, she started crying and pretty much cussed me out, even though I couldn't understand her because she was blubbering through her tears. If only that could happen every time she spoke... Then it wouldn't be so bad to have her around.

Taking my time to Terra's house, I couldn't stop thinking about how I'd have to go to a school for people that didn't care about anything but money. It just wasn't fair. They had all the money they wanted, and yet my family had pretty much nothing at all. I wanted to go to school with my friends, not stupid snobs with nothing better to do but count their endless money!

As I continued to walk, I blinked when I saw a limo driving down the street next to me. What was someone rich doing in the middle class part of town? I didn't even think that I wanted to know...

I couldn't help but notice the car slow down as it came next to me, but this only caused my eyebrows to furrow and for me to hurry my pace just a little more. I had always been taught to turn the other way when a car slowed down next to you, but Terra's house was in that direction...

It stayed next to me for only a few seconds before speeding up and driving out of sight.

Man, that was weird.

When I finally got to Terra's house, I plopped down on her couch and let out a loud sigh. This told my friends that something was wrong and that I definitely wasn't happy, and all three of them were listening immediately and forgetting about whatever was playing on the TV as they sat around me worriedly.

"This is so stupid," I groaned before any of them could ask me what was wrong. "I can't believe any of this! It's so stupid and it won't help me at all!"

"What's up?" Henry asked, blinking as he waited for me to answer him.

I let out one last sigh before explaining what had happened and how I had snuck out through my window so I wouldn't get caught. If Claudia and Cassidy had seen that I was leaving, they wouldn't let me go anywhere. They just wanted to make my life miserable... Especially now, after I was going to Neverland Academy instead of Courtney.

"Please tell me you're joking," Terra practically begged when I explained to her what was going on. "There's no way you're going to Neverland Academy of all schools!"

"Oh, I'm going," I groaned, flipping myself so that I was now lying down on the couch very unhappily. "It's either that place or military school, and there's no way in hell I'll ever step foot into military school. But my dad said that if I get in trouble at this stupid academy place, I get sent straight to military school without a second thought."

"I can see you in military school, but not some preppy private school," Simon informed me from across the room, and even though I gave him a flat look, I agreed with him, even though I really didn't want to. There was no way I'd be able to survive in some prestigious prep school filled with conceited snobs. "Are your sure your dad just isn't messing with you?"

If he was, then he was the worst father ever and this was a horrible joke. But my dad was a great father, and he always played hilarious jokes, so I knew that he definitely wasn't messing with me this time. This was all too real, and I absolutely hated thinking about it with a passion. Why couldn't Cassidy just go to the stupid school? We'd all win if that happened!

"I'm sure," I answered back flatly. "It's either Neverland or military school. And I don't exactly feel like waking up at the crack of dawn and learning how to march or anything, so I guess I'll just learn how to become a stuck up snob instead."

It was silent for a few moments, none of us knowing what we were supposed to say to each other. What were we supposed to say? None of us wanted me to go to that place! We'd all love Cassidy to go and leave us alone for the rest of our lives... But that just wasn't going to happen because life just didn't seem to work out for me.

"This bites," Terra finally declared suddenly, crossing her arms over her chest as she continued to pout.

"You bet this bites," Henry agreed as he continued to stay splayed out on the other couch across from me. "You better not turn into one of those snobs or I'm going to disinherit you."

Terra blinked, obviously not getting that he was just joking. "You can't disinherit her. She's not your daughter or even a part of your family."

The three of us rolled our eyes at our friend, and Henry sat up to explain the joke to her. Terra was the type that didn't really understand many jokes that we made, so we usually spent the next few minutes explaining it to her until she finally understood, and then we wouldn't find the joke funny anymore.

She nodded, but none of us that it was very funny now that it had to be explained. A joke just wasn't very funny after someone has to explain it to someone else.

"It really sucks that you're not going to our school anymore," Simon now told me as he plopped down next to me on the couch, Henry and Terra in some kind of debate over the stupid joke now. "It just won't be the same without you. I was looking forward to you kicking more butt."

"Well, my butt kicking days are over," I sighed, smoothing out my jeans as I leaned back on the couch. I really felt like whacking Claudia and Cassidy over their heads, but I had to stop acting so violently... "I will not go to military school, so I'm going to have to be prim and proper in that hell they call a school."

"Well, I'm sure you'll have loads of fun! And you'll meet a load of new people!" Terra giggled, almost falling off the back of the couch until Henry caught a hold over her before she could fall. "Even if all of those people are rich... It sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you! And you never know, maybe you'll find a rich guy and fall in love, and then you won't have to worry about money ever again!"

I scoffed. "Yeah, like that'll ever happen. I wouldn't be surprised if I get to be all alone for the rest of my life. The last time a guy has ever liked me was fourth grade! Who would ever like a girl like me? I'm way more like a guy than I am a girl. And my name doesn't help me either. I either sound like an olive or a poisonous plant. That's not very attractive, now is it?"

"I like your name," Terra defended, sliding down from the back of the couch so she wouldn't almost fall once again. "I'd trade with you any day. My name is so common and I hate it! You're the only Ivy that I've ever known. You're unique!"

I didn't really think being unique was a good thing.

Terra continued to smile. "I'd totally trade with you!"

I stared at my lap flatly. "I wish we could."

Even though I'd rather be called Ivy, I couldn't help but remember the poisonous weed that made your skin red and itchy. I was sure that that was what everyone at the school would think, since they were too proper to know anyone by the name of Ivy. Now if I went by the name Olivia, I was sure things would be different, but there was no way I was going to go by that disgusting name...

"I'm sure you'll have a great time," Henry assured, patting me on my knee and smiling that bright Henry smile at me. "You'll be the coolest kid in school. And if you're not, well, I'll be there in a heartbeat to kick some ass."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Since I can't anymore."

"Henry's right, Ivy!" Terra now giggled, clapping her hands together excitedly. "You'll be the coolest kid in school!"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes again. "Sure I'll be."

Henry smirked, leaning back on the other couch now. "We know you'll be."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You have got to be kidding me!"

Claudia had gone way too far now, and that was sure saying something considering the things she had done before this. But this... this just wasn't fair. I knew Claudia hated me, but I never thought she was going to do something like this!

"No, I'm not kidding you," Claudia scowled at me, but that quickly turned into a smile when my father entered the room, kissing her on the top of the head and making me gag. I hated how she tried to act all sweet in front of my father when she was really an evil witch. "Walter, I was just telling Olivia about the living arrangements."

"Ah, okay," my father nodded, turning toward me with a smile. "How are you taking it?"

"Horribly!" I shouted, stomping my foot into the ground as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Why do I have to live in a dorm there? It's bad enough that I even have to attend that school! Why do I have to live there when we only live like twenty minutes away?"

"Because it would be easier and Claudia wouldn't have to drive both you and Cassidy to different schools every morning," my father explained, but I knew Claudia's reason was a lot different than my father's. Her reason was so I would just be out of the house.   

"And you'll be sharing it with another classmate," Claudia informed me, and I couldn't help but notice the smugness in her voice. "I'm sure you two will become great friends."

I knew she hoped that my roommate killed me in my sleep.

This was so not going to be fun.

"I don't want to live at that stupid school," I snapped, determined to get my way. I already had to get my friends taken away from me, I wasn't going to have my house taken away either. I was going to get what I wanted now. How did it always work so well for Claudia and Cassidy? "It isn't fair! What if I'm stuck with a freak for a roommate?"

"Then you're stuck with a freak for a roommate," Claudia smirked evilly, and I really wanted to smack her as hard as I possibly could. If only my dad wasn't there...

"When am I supposed to pack all my bags if I have to get to that stupid school before it starts this morning?" I demanded, looking in between my father and Claudia as if they were crazy, and it sure seemed like they were. "There's no way I'll have enough time."

"Cassidy and I took the liberty of packing your bags for you," Claudia sneered at me, and I couldn't help but find that unbelievable. Since when did she ever lift a finger to help, and the same with Cassidy? Did they really want me out of the house that badly? Apparently they did!

"And I drove it over to the school earlier this morning," my father informed me, wrapping an arm around Claudia's shoulders as if she could do no wrong. How he could be so deceived, I'll never know... "So we can go anytime you want. Do you want me to drive you?"

"No," I tried my best not to snap, grabbing onto my bag and making my way toward the door without losing my temper. I found it ever so hard not to. "Terra offered to drive me. Simon and Henry are going to come to see me off as well. Since I'm not going to see them as much anymore, they thought it would be nice to say goodbye. She should be here any minute, so bye."

"Bye, Ivy," my father called after I had opened the front door. "I love you."

I didn't bother to say it back, because I wasn't in a very loving mood right then. I slammed the door shut loudly behind me, still finding everything hard to believe. I just wanted to get this whole experience over with for good. I just hoped my roommate wasn't a complete bitch.

"Ready for your first day?" Terra asked me excitedly as I opened the passenger door and slipped in, making sure to slam the door shut so she knew that I definitely wasn't excited.

"No," was all I said, even though the door slamming pretty much said exactly how I was feeling.

"Oh, come on," Simon said from the back, leaning forward in between Terra and my seats. "You have to be excited, even if it's only a little. It's a brand new school, Ives."

"And I hate it," I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest and turning to stare out the window.

"You know Ivy," Henry sighed from next to him, and I almost rolled my eyes at his tone. He sounded like my grandfather or something. "She's too stubborn for her own good."

"Maybe I like being stubborn," I countered, not having anything else to actually say to fight back with. "But this totally isn't fair. I have to live in a dorm with someone else."

"What?" Simon asked in shock, his eyes going wide. "You have to live at the school? Why?"

"Because Claudia wants me out of the house for good," I explained, my arms tightening over my chest. "My dad just thinks it's easier, but he doesn't see that it's because Claudia wants me gone. She wouldn't even care if my roommate killed me! She's probably hoping for it!"

"I think that's a little too much," Terra blinked, but I knew that she agreed with everything I had said. She didn't like Claudia and Claudia didn't like her. But Terra didn't like Claudia because Claudia was a bitch, and Claudia didn't like Terra because Terra was too weird for her.

It was silent for the rest of the way to the school, and I felt myself groan when I saw the large campus come into view. Why did I have to go here? It was so stupid...

"Are you going to have to wear a uniform?" Terra suddenly asked when she had parked the car for me to get out. "Like, with a skirt and a tie and everything? That's so not like you... I don't think I've ever seen you in a skirt. Shorts, sure, but a skirt? That just isn't Ivy Morgan."

"There better not be a uniform," I grumbled, turning toward the door but not getting out. "I hate skirts."

"You don't have to tell us twice," Henry mumbled, and I only felt my lips twitch into a small smile. My friends knew so much about me... Was I going to be able to make friends like the ones I already had? I didn't think I would. Actually, I didn't think I wanted to.

"Well, I have to go," I sighed, even though I still didn't budge in my seat as I looked out at all the fancy cars and people that passed us by. Looking at the car I was in, I almost made a face when I noticed it was a banged up old truck. I usually loved Terra's car, but not when there were so many better ones surrounding us.

Terra hugged me tightly, and I couldn't help but hug her back just as tight. "I'll miss you," she told me over my shoulder. "Have a great time."

I felt tears at the corner of my eyes. Why was I getting all teary-eyed? We were only twenty minutes away from each other... "I'll try."

I then broke away from her and leaned over the seat to hug Henry. Kissing his cheek before pulling away, he waved his hand in front of his face. He made sure to make his voice sound super feminine as he said, "You better not find someone to replace me."

I smiled, wiping one of my eyes. "That definitely won't happen."

I then turned toward Simon, hugging him even tighter than I had hugged Terra and Henry. I had always been closer to Simon, and I wasn't afraid to admit that. We sat there for a few seconds just hugging until I kissed his cheek just like I had done to Henry before pulling away from him.

"Okay," I sighed once again, pulling my bag onto my shoulder. "I've really got to go now."

"Bye, Ivy," they all chorused, and I let out one last sigh before opening the door and stepping out onto the pavement. I breathed in and out as I shut the door behind me, looking around at my surroundings.

Rich looking people, rich looking cars, and pretty much everything else rich looking surrounded me. I noticed how Terra's beat up truck stuck out from everyone else's amazing cars, but I didn't really care very much about sticking out, because I knew I was going to stick out for the rest of my time at this school...

My eyes widened when I saw the two people that were a few feet away from me. I turned back toward the truck to see Simon and Henry both leaning forward to look outside the passenger's window. I gave them a look, and I knew what they were thinking.

There, looking right at me, was the boy I had run into at Starbucks. And he wouldn't stop looking at me. This caught the attention of the boy he was talking to. He turned around to look at what his friend was looking at, and I could now see that he was the one who had saved me at Starbucks that same day.

When I turned back around, I made sure to put an uncaring and bored look on my face. I didn't want him to know that I was freaked out, but I kind of wasn't. Why would he do anything to me when we were at a school that he obviously attended?

Noticing that I obviously wasn't afraid, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he continued to look at me. I couldn't read his friend's face, but I continued to look like I didn't care.

I made eye contact with the guy I had run into quickly before turning toward the front of the school and making my way toward it, completely ignoring him. For some reason, I knew that that would annoy him. And that was definitely what I had wanted.

I had a feeling that this was not the last time I would be seeing that boy.

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