The Charington Academy stood proud with a sense of dignity and sophistication as it overlooked the wealthy uniformed students that walked with grace through the doors of the school. High school students being dropped off and picked up by chauffeurs, sophisticated girls carrying around Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Christian Dior purses, golden jewelry gleaming on wrists and necks, and diamonds on ears, catching the eyes of many...

The sight was unbearable for Alex Avery.

Ever since she had first stepped through the doors of the prestigious school, she knew that things were going to be much different from what she was used to back at her old public school in Louisiana. Charington Academy was probably the most high class school in all of California. From an outsider's point of view, it was a school that was most envied, where they longed to be but to Alex, as a "commoner", it was a place she knew that she would never belong.

"OMG!" one of the girls around Alex exclaimed, "Where did you get that gorgeous purse?"

"Oh this? Why, it's only a limited edition. I just had to buy it."

"Wow. I bought the same one last year for Christmas!"

Alex shot the trio made of giggling girls a cold glare before rolling her gray eyes up to the ceiling, trying to block out all of the conversations buzzing around her that reminded her just how different she was from everybody, financial wise that is.

Personality wise as well, she thought bitterly.

The chatter finally subsided once the teacher emerged into the room, his thick rimmed glasses flashing as he scanned the room for any misbehaving students.

"Alright class, today, we will be learning about..." the teacher's voice idly trailed off once his eyes settled on a new face amongst the students. A flash of admiration glinted in his eyes but his smile remained in a deep frown.

"It seems like we have a new student that has joined us today," he remarked slowly, narrowing his gaze at Alex.

Alex wanted to duck under her desk to hide herself from the burning stares darting her way. So many eyes were on her, so many whispers filled the room. It made her nervous, scared in a way.

"Stand up and introduce yourself to the class."

Slowly nodding her head, Alex drew herself from her seat and said in a quiet voice, "I'm Alex Avery."

"Class, Miss Avery is here for the scholarship the principal had given out. Even only being a sophomore, she is obviously smart since she has been accepted into not only this school but Math Models as well. I believe that you will treat her with the upmost respect as you do to your peers."

There wasn't a chorus of "yes sirs" or greetings for the room had fell into complete silence once Alex had slumped down into her creaking seat.

As she did so, her eyes had suddenly met his piercing gaze. Her breath caught in her throat in surprise but he had tore his gaze away uninterestedly, his face placid. Alex snapped herself out of her reverie and leaned heavily against her seat, sighing.

During lunch, Alex plopped herself onto an empty chair at an unoccupied table. Her empty stomach growled as she extracted a brown bag from her backpack that was filled with the lunch that she had prepared for herself. As she opened it, she tried to ignore the smell of expensive cuisines wafting through the air. She carefully pulled the lid open when all of a sudden, a crash erupted from behind her.

She whirled around in her seat as she watched the fine porcelain plate and crystal glass crash onto the marble floor, shattering into millions of countless pieces and sending chunks of food arcing into all directions.

A collective gasp rang throughout the cafeteria and then an unearthly silence followed after.

Alex glanced over at the shattered glassware and then over at the trembling girl standing in horror in front of a boy who's shirt was drenched with water and cuisine. The boy merely flickered his gaze down to his expensive-looking orange drenched shirt, his expression unreadable.

"I-I am s-s-so sorry," the girl stammered helplessly, looking downright terrified, "I'll buy you a new one, I promise!"

He let out a humorless laugh.

"A new shirt?" came the mocking reply and the girl shrank in her seat, looking more and more petrified as his suppressing anger rang in his booming voice, "What a cruel joke that is!"

He fumbled with the buttons on his shirt and flung it in the girl's face. The girl slumped, looking like a helpless puppy that was about to get beaten by it's master.

"What kind of fucking joke is that?!" he shouted as he shoved her into her seat.

Alex looked away, biting down on her lip so hard that she could feel her own blood trickling down her throat. She couldn't stand witnessing someone getting yelled at, let alone a mere freshman. She could almost feel her pain. It was unbearable.

The boy leaned closer to her, "Just what were you thinking running into me like that?!" he shouted.

The girl said nothing, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as his booming voice rose uncontrollably.

"I said what were you thinking-?!"

"Stop it!"

The boy turned his head towards her and people at the surroundings tables whipped their heads around to face the girl who had boldly(and idiotically) spoken up. Her voice had been loud and clear and the silence seeping into the room was agonizingly painful. It was so quiet that Alex was certain that everyone could hear her heart pounding against her ribs.

The boy's face intensified into a scowl and his glare hardened murderously at her. All of a sudden, she grew lightheaded, feeling as though it was all a dream but at the same time, she was aware to the fact that everyone was staring at her.

She avoided his gaze in fear that making eye contact with him would kill her but she could still feel his glare burning through her.

"It was only an accident," she assured quietly, "I'm sure that she didn't mean to..."

For several moments, though it seemed like ages for Alex, no one did or said anything when suddenly, the boy straightened himself up and began to walk towards her, never taking his narrowed eyes off of her. Alex began to tremble and her heart was beating so hard against her, she was afraid that it might burst out of her ribcage.

She braced herself for the blow that was to fall on her but it never came. Instead, he slowly walked around her, like a tiger sizing up it's prey. She timidly gazed up at him beneath her thick ebony lashes and caught his piercing dark gaze for a brief second before he turned away and stormed out of the cafeteria.

It was a look she was not likely to forget soon.

Crap. What have I gotten myself into?

The loud, obnoxious ring of the bell signaled to all attenders of the school that it was dismissal time. Gathering her things, Alex headed towards the door that was blocked by a tide of bodies hurriedly rushing out of the room, their designer shoes making dull shuffles and clacks against the floor.

Once she was out in the hallway, she gracefully strode down to the exit. Alex's hips swayed with grace as her long slender legs descended the stair steps leading her down to the paved sidewalk but they stopped abruptly once she met the piercing gaze of the boy she had confronted at lunch earlier.

She swallowed dryly and shifted slightly so that she could embark on her journey home. She was shocked to hear another set of footfalls following after her. Quickening her pace, she took a sharp intake of breath and gently shut her eyes.

"Alex Avery," she heard him say and she almost stopped walking at the sound of his voice.

Suddenly, she was yanked back and her backside collided with his firm body. She could feel his body press harder against her as they leaned their lips down to caress the shell of her ear, causing shivers to ride up and down her spine.

"Do you hear me talking to you, gurl?" Alex didn't respond to him and he gathered her hair into his hands and shook her violently, "Don't act like you don't hear me!"

"I'm in a hurry," she mumbled.

"Ya hear that, fellas?" he asked glancing over his shoulder to his friends who cackled as they slowly approached them, "The girl's in a hurry. She gotta get home to mommy," he said in a mocking tone. His grip on her hair grew harder as he yanked her up to his face so that they were making direct eye contact.

"You ain't nothing but a slut." Droplets of his spit pelted on her face as he spoke.

"Please, I gotta get home," she pleaded in a whimper.

"Awww. Guys, I think poor Alex is about to cry," he said putting his hands up to his eyes and wiping away his tears that were unseen to his audience. His friends erupted into a fit of laughter.

"Mommy, I don't like this boy at my school," he said bending his knees so that he was standing at Alex's height, "He is such a meanie! And everyone else keeps picking on me!" His voice became high-pitched as if he were imitating a young, helpless child. He then heaved out his chest and made loud sobbing noises. Even his face twisted into a false display of sorrow.

His friends were laughing so hard that they could barely stand.

Rage boiled within Alex, so much that tears welled in her eyes, making her look as if she were really about to cry. She hated herself for being so small and weak, for being a girl, for being able to get humiliated when she was only a few blocks from her apartment. She hated this boy with every fiber of her being but she knew that if she even dared to hit him, he would beat her into a bloody pulp and she would never be able to make it home.

Then, the boy shoved Alex towards one of his friends who had instantly shoved her back towards him and he had took another cold hold of her hair and yanked her up so that they were staring directly into each other's eyes once more. Alex held back a yelp.

"You got any money on you, gurl?" Alex merely shook her head, knowing full and well that she did in fact, have money in her pocket. The boy seemed to sense that she was lying and motioned his friends to search her.

Her heart stopped once one of the boys extracted a five dollar bill from her front pocket.

"Hey, Michael, she does have money," he informed him as he Michael the money and Michael merely shoved it into his pocket and stared menacingly at Alex.

"One thing that you must know about me, Alex is that I do not tolerate liars." He yanked her up by the collar of her shirt, "And I don't tolerate broke ass commoners either!" He brutally slung Alex to the ground and swung the tip of his shoe into her stomach, eliciting a cry of pain from her.

"You better have more money on you for me tomorrow or I won't let you off this easy again." He gave her one more final kick in the stomach before strolling down the sidewalk with his friends hastily following after him.

Alex laid there, silently writhing in pain. The sun dried the tears from her eyes as she laid there but the throbbing pain in her stomach never subsided.

She had never been more terrified in her entire life.