Riveroak Prep is one of the most prestigious schools in the United States. Eighty-seven percent of the students who graduate go on to Ivy League. They've had at least seven A-List alums, twenty-three state senators, and four Nobel Peace Prize winners. 

So you can imagine my surprise when I walked into the guidance counselor's room and it looks like a tripped-out bedroom. Two large giant swing seats are hung in the center of the room. They're made out of a wicker basket material, and the pillows in it are tye-dye. There's a white rug underneath, and a wicker coffee table nestled on top of the rug. The North wall of the room has a large window that takes up the whole wall, and in front of the window was a small desk that had a lava lamp and a computer on it. On the West wall is a small television stand with two beanbags and a game system. There is a woman sitting in one of the bean bags.

I clear my throat as I walk in and she turns. "You must be Elena," says a woman with a pixie cut and bright purple hair. Her arms are covered in tattoos and she has a septum piercing. She has a pair of cat eye contacts. I try not to raise my eyebrows in surprise. She pauses the game she was playing and walks over to me and wraps her arms around me. "so nice to finally meet you. My name is Wendy." 

"Nice to meet you," I say. 

I'm totally floored. I feel like the idea behind this office is to make the student body feel comfortable, but right now all I feel is caught off guard. I was expecting a strict woman with a pencil skirt and a bun so tight her forehead had a natural botox look. Instead, I got a rave girl who just came in after a long night at the club. 

"I'm not what you expected, am I?" asks the guidance counselor. "I always get this reaction. It's so fun to keep you guys guessing!" she laughed as she ran over to one of the swing seats and jumped into the chair. The chair began to swing she motioned for me to follow suit. I walk to the chair and sit down in the swing. "So my goal is to allow you to create and flourish with your natural self at this school. I want you to feel completely comfortable to be yourself. So we will be meeting for the first couple of weeks to make sure you're settling in well." 

The uncomfortable feeling starts to go away the more Wendy talks. I smile at her and push off the ground so my chair can swing back and forth. "I really appreciate the welcome committee I've gotten since arriving at the school," I tell her. "My roommate is super sweet and she's been giving me the rundown of the school since I arrived." 

"Gala Summers is a terrific person to have on your side at Riveroak. She has a lot of friends and she's liked by a lot of people," says Wendy. "Now, the big question is what elective do you want to do? What are some of your interests Elena?"

True crime was the first thing that popped into my head. However, I don't think they have an elective where you listen to podcasts and talk about theories of unsolved cases to your mother. I didn't think I'd be asked about my interest. I was thinking she'd give me a list of classes and I could pick one and then I'd be on my way. 

"I don't even know what the school offers," I tell her. "I know your sports teams are really talented, but I'm not a sports girl." 

"Well, we have everything from sports to art classes, to theater. The auditions for the Spring Musical are coming up this weekend after classes restart on Monday. That could be fun if it's your scene?"

"I'm not really a singer," I tell her. "Or an actor. Or a public speaker." 

Wendy smiles. "What is something you've always wanted to do?"

Back at Kilgore, I was on the newspaper committee for the school. There wasn't a lot that went on, but it was always fun to write the reports and do the research for the articles. 

"Does the school have a newspaper?" 

Wendy squealed and clapped her hands together. "Yes!" she says as she rapidly swings quicker. "We do have a newspaper! You can totally join on!" 

I smile. "Sounds like a plan, Wendy." 

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I've never been a girly girl. I know how to dress nice, and I do like to be in a dress every now and then, but these girls take it to a whole new level. I've never seen someone actually throw clothes on the floor like in the movies. Most of which still have the price tags on them. Gala has gone full beauty queen mode as she does each of the girl's hair and makeup. All of us look like we could be winning a beauty pageant tonight. 

If only they could find me an outfit. 

"Her shoulders are too broad for that one!" cries Stassi as she motions to the spaghetti strap dress. "She can't wear this one." 

"The blue one washes her out," says Pria.

Gala comes over to the full-length mirror that Anne-Marie and Pria have in their closet. She runs the curling iron into my hair as the other girls pick me apart for my outfit. Their room was exactly what I thought it would be. All the furniture was their own, and none of it was school sanctioned. They had their own full-sized beds with large cloth white headboards. There were little rhinestone studs in the middle of each area where the quilt met together. They have two small pink lounge chairs in the middle of their room with a small coffee table in between them. A large pink fuzzy rug sat underneath them. It looked more like a large studio apartment than a dorm room. 

"This is going to be her first time coming into the public eye outside of that dinner last night. She has to look like a smoke show!" Gala says. "And you will," she whispers in my ear for good measure. 

"You know what?" Anne-Marie says. "I think I have just the dress for her." 

She struts over to her closet and digs into the very back. She pulls out a white sundress with broad shoulder straps. It has a lace top and little cuffs of lace that fall from the straps that cover my shoulder. She pulls out a matching white headband with a pearl on it. She hands me the dress and I gasp as I see the price tag.

The most expensive piece of clothing I owned was a pair of express jeans my mom bought me when I was a freshman. We went to the mall in the next town over for school clothes and I was shopping in the clearance section when I saw these amazing dark faded bell-bottomed jeans. I brought them to the dressing room and put them on and they fit amazingly. When we went to the register it turned out someone had put them in the wrong place and they were really full-priced, and pretty much my whole budget for clothes. 

I regretfully put them back and the next day my mom came home from work with them in an express bag. She had to work doubles for a week straight, but she never complained. Said I was a good girl and I deserved some good things. I still own those jeans. 

This dress is more than double the price of the jeans. 

"I can't wear this, Anne-Marie," I tell her. "What if I stain this?!" 

She grabbed the dress and looked at the price tag. She smirked and a light chuckle escaped her before she handed it back to me. "Girl it's been in my closet for a year untouched. I literally have no use for it. You can have it." 

The way that she throws things like this around makes me feel extremely uncomfortable. It goes to show just how different I grew up compared to these girls. They grew up on Gucci, Chanel, and Prada. 

I grew up on Walmart, Dollar Tree, and Target if I was lucky. 

They ushered me into the bathroom and I stripped off my clothes and put on Anne-Marie's dress. My eyes water as I look at myself in the mirror. This is the prettiest I've ever felt in my whole life. "Elena?" Gala knocks on the door and lets herself in before I open the door. "Darlin' why are you crying?" she asks me. 

She comes over to the mirror and wraps her arm around me. 

"I'm okay," I say. "I'm just really grateful I fell into a group so quickly. I've never felt this pretty before."

I'm not an idiot. I know that the only one of these girls that maybe have my best interest is Gala, but even then I only just met her yesterday. If this group makes my transition into this place any easier then I'm thankful that we met. 

"You look stunning," she says as she takes two cotton swabs from a jar on the mirror and places them on my tear ducts. "Girl, we aren't crying in the club right now. I spent too long on your makeup," she swirls her hand around my face and smiles. "This thing right here. My masterpiece. No destroying my masterpiece."  

I laugh as she lets the cotton swab absorb the tears before they fall down my cheeks. "I'm okay," I say as I sniffle. 

Anne-Marie comes into the bathroom with a white pair of strappy sandals and hands them to me, and pauses when she looks at me. "Oh my god, Elena," she says. "That looks amazing on you!" I resist the urge to blush as I take the sandals and put them on my feet. With the outfit deemed worthy by the other girls, it was time to make our way to the bonfire. 

"You ready for your first official party as a Riveroak kid?"

I sure hope so.