So Typical

by Martha Greenwood

  Scarlett had been told that she was now to attend Humphrey Day. It was a high-end, fashion-forward high school. She had no idea how the hell Timothy and Rosa had been able to afford it, and she didn't ask. She just knew that if she didn't want to be picked on there, she had to dress to impress. And, in reality, she liked wearing clothes that showed of her curves. She liked being liked. She liked being popular. She liked people to know who she was. She liked the little pleasures of knowing people envied her. She liked not being at the bottom of the social chain.

  Scarlett's bed was covered with all sorts of clothes. It turned out that Timothy had a daughter, Melody Harman, from a previous marriage who was now nineteen and didn't want any of her old clothes. So now Scarlett was left with more clothes. And she couldn't complain. These hand-me-downs weren't horrible. They were all designer outfits. She looked over the form-fitting shirt and short skirts that had the labels from BCBG, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Baby Phat, Calvin Klein, Chloe, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, and Miu Miu. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at all of the patterns and one-shouldered shirts. And that wasn't even the best part. Melody apparently worked as an intern for some new designer, and she got tons of jewelry and accessories for free. She had donated some of them to her new stepsister.

  Scarlett finally picked out a yellow ruffle front sleeveless blouse, a Thurley Bubble bow skirt, silk lined black leather gloves, Prada Sport black patent lace-up flat boots, wool-blend ribbed tights, and a Forever 21 black, glossy belt.

  Scarlett looked at herself in the rectangular mirror hanging on the back of her door and took a deep breath preparing her for the first day at Humphrey Day. She had to make a good first impression. She didn't want to be known as the geek, or the nerd, or the loser of the school. She had to make a fresh start.

  Just then sudden vivid images of her past years at her old high school came zooming into her head, dampening her already low spirits. She saw the first day she entered her high school. She was so timid and shy because of the shocking events of eighth grade. They had scarred her, and she was certain that high school was going to be her personal form of Hell. She had kept to herself the entire first week. And then Ginny had introduced herself and she met Kate and Meghan.

  Then Scarlett remembered the last weeks of her days at Watson High, her old school. She remembered getting hit in the head with a rock from looking out of her window. She remembered Tristan and everything he had done for her. First he had proven that he wasn't the one who had so rudely posted that paper back in eighth grade. And then he had come over and comforted her after she caught Francis cheating on her. And that was the night she had shared her first kiss with him. But the best thing about Tristan was that even though Scarlett's faith in him was thin, and she always doubted his loyalty, he never used it against her. He continually explained to her that whatever Alice had done to try and break them apart was only a prank, and that Tristan really did care for her. She didn't know why, but now she really did believe that he cared for her. Why else would he go through all of that trouble just to get to know her? He could have any girl he wanted in that school, and he had chosen her.

  As the horrible truth rang in her ears that she may never get to see Tristan again, a single tear ran down Scarlett's cheek. She slowly wiped it away and grabbed her Louis Vitton purse before heading out the door. Timothy had managed to sell her old punch buggy, and now Scarlett was driving his daughter's former garnet mustang.

  Scarlett looked into the rearview mirror of her new red mustang and all she saw was sadness. Her eyes showed nothing, but quiet despair. Even though she had been given all of these designer clothes and a new car, she was still sad. She was never happy because what had been taken away from her was the caress of someone who actually cared about her. And that was worth more than the pretty clothes and nice car. Right now she only desired the wrap of Tristan's muscular arms around her to calm her fears. She shook her head and made her way to school.

  Soon enough, she pulled into the parking lot of Humphrey Day and gasped. The front building was huge. It was decorated with elaborate designs flowing up and down the stone walls and oak doors. She watched as all of the students walked into the building dressed in designer everything. She groaned and pulled her keys out of the ignition. Though she was dressed the part to fit right in at this school, she didn't feel like it at all. She felt like that quiet, shy girl from the first day at Watson High. She felt like shit—that was exactly what she felt like.

  Scarlett grabbed her bag and headed to the front building. If she thought the exterior was amazing, she couldn't describe the interior. It had gold tiled flooring and genuine Picasso paintings hanging on the wall lined with a golden silk bordering.

  For about half a minute Scarlett just stood glued to the spot. Her surroundings had changed so drastically in less than half a week. She blinked and forced her legs to walk over to the door labeled "Guidance Office."

  She opened the oak door and stepped into yet another elaborately furnished room. She walked up to the front desk where the woman behind it smiled up at her, "Hello, and welcome to Humphrey Day. You must be the new student, Scarlett White, correct?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "Oh, what wonderful manners."

  "Are you suggesting the students here are...discourteous, Ms…?"

  "My, my, how rude of me? My name is Mrs. Hope. And I am just stating that the majority of these students don't always behave as they should. Here's your class schedule. If you have any problems or questions, just come here and ask me."

  "Thank you," Scarlett said, walking back into the lobby of the school. She quickly looked down at her schedule, which also had her locker number and its combination. She looked up and noticed a few boys clad in very fine clothes with their hair combed back, looking snooty. But they looked at her with desire in their eyes. Scarlett glanced around nervously, hoping they were looking at someone behind her, but realized that she was the only one there. She hurried off to find her locker.

  Finally she reached locker #1265 and she hurriedly opened it to find her books. Scarlett glanced at her schedule. First period was Honors Pre-Calculus. She grabbed her textbooks and shut her locker.

  "Oh, hi, you must be, Scarlett, right?" a brunette, who was sorting through her books in the locker next to Scarlett's, said. "Word travels fast," she explained to Scarlett's bewildered expression.

  "Yes, I'm Scarlett. Do you know where room 157C is?"

  "Is that your homeroom? You have Ms. Roony too? Well, follow me. I have that room too."

  Scarlett nodded and followed the brunette to their homeroom.

  "Um...What is your name?" Scarlett asked, realizing she still didn't know this kind girl's name.

  "Oh, sorry, I forgot you didn't know. It's just everyone here knows everyone, so I didn't even think to...anyways, my name is Chloe Levine. I'm head of the cheerleading squad, dance team, and yearbook committee. I also won The Fall Dance Queen," Chloe said, offering her hand.

  "It's nice to meet you," Scarlett said, shaking her hand. It was odd; Scarlett had always associated cheerleaders and dancers to be spoiled preps, not nice students like Chloe.

  "You'll soon find out that there are a lot of students who go here who love to cause drama and spread gossip, and I am happy to tell you I am not one of them. Though sometimes I am stupid enough to get caught up in the drama that goes around here, I would rather spend time preparing for the next dance contest or an upcoming game."

  This was so different. Cheerleaders at Watson High were all about spreading drama and getting into other people's business. They weren't as prioritized as Chloe was. Scarlett could already tell that she liked Chloe. She had curly, brown hair that stopped right past her shoulder blades. Her skin color looked natural, though a bit dark for the northern regions. Her bright, hazel eyes were coated with thick lashes that made them sparkle with kindness. Her full lips were turned up into a sweet smile as she spoke.

  "Do you plan on trying out for any extra curriculum activities?"

/>   "Oh, no. I never tried out before; I don't see why I would be any better here," Scarlett replied, finding an empty seat next to Chloe where she placed her books.

  "Oh, well, what a shame. You do look the type to be an aspiring cheerleader. Maybe you should think about it—"

  "Hey, Chloe! Who's this?" A blonde came up to greet Chloe.

  "Hey, Zoey. Zoey, this is the new girl, Scarlett. Scarlett, this is my very best friend, Zoey Aron."

  "Hey, cute outfit. Where did you get the shirt? It's totally adorable," Zoey complimented.

  "Oh, my...um...these are my stepfather's daughter's hand-me-downs," Scarlett replied as she took in Zoey. She looked like the type to be a bitch, but the crinkle of her eyes as her lips formed a kind smile, identical to Chloe's, made it look as if she could be anything but a bitch. She also had curly hair that traveled past her chest in blonde waves. Her skin was a bit paler than Chloe's, but still tanned, especially for New Jersey. She donned the cheerleading uniform which consisted of a long-sleeved shirt of red and white. The short, red skirt stopped high on her thighs, and she wore silky tights under it to keep her from freezing in the cold.

  "Did your stepsister go here? That looks like the type of fashion we wear around here."

  "Her name is Melody Harman."

  Chloe dropped the book she was holding, and Zoey gasped. Her hand came up to cover her mouth.

  "You are Melody's stepsister?" Zoey whispered.

  "Why? Is there something wrong with her? I haven't exactly met her yet."

  "No, no, no. Melody Harman was the most popular girl ever to walk these halls. She is practically legendary," Chloe replied. "I plan to follow exactly in her footsteps. That's why I'm head of the cheerleading squad, dance team, yearbook committee, and was voted queen of the Fall Dance. That is exactly what she did. I can't believe I am meeting her stepsister. It is an honor."

  Wow, Scarlett thought, Melody must have been a HUGE deal.

  The rest of the day went by in a blur. Honors Chemistry II and AP English III were easy enough. Physics went by quickly. It wasn't until World History started, that anything special happened.

  It turned out that Scarlett had Honors World History with Zoey and another one of their friends, Millie. Millie was just as sweet as Zoey and Chloe. She had curly strands of dark brown hair. She was a wizard at makeup, Scarlett came to find out because Millie's face looked like that of a famous artist's creation. Her dazzling blue eyes made her flawless skin shine.

  Scarlett was sitting in the back, which she never did at Watson High, with Zoey and Millie when a boy caught her eye. It wasn't because he was extremely hot—which he was—but that he looked exactly like, "Tristan?" Scarlett breathed.

  "Who?" Millie asked.

  Scarlett blinked, "Who is that boy over there?" she replied, indicating the brown-eyed, blonde two seats in front of them.

  "Oh, that's Chris; he's head of the basketball team. Super hot, obviously. But his immorality is extremely high. Why did you say Tristan?" Millie asked.

  "Um..." Scarlett stuttered, contemplating on lying or telling the truth. "Well, Chris looks a lot like someone I know."

  "Tristan?" Millie urged.

  "Yes," Scarlett said, looking down at her binder, doodling on a piece of paper to distract her from the inevitable tears.

  "Well, Christian Cox is really—"

  "What did you say?" Scarlett interrupted Millie.

  "I said, Christian Cox is—"

  "Um...does Christian have a brother or something?" Scarlett asked, totally bewildered.

  "No, he's an only child. But he has a ton of cousins."

  "This is going to sound totally outrageous, but I think I know a cousin of his. Or at least someone related to him," Scarlett admitted. Her heart just tore from looking at this Chris. The similarities between him and Tristan were literally heart-breaking.

  "Sounds cliché," Millie said.

  "Tell me about it."

  Scarlett didn't have anyone she knew in her next class, except for that boy who looked exactly like Tristan. He had to have been one of Tristan's cousins. His name was Christian. It was kind of weird how the two names rhymed, but it didn't matter to Scarlett. She found herself watching him the entire class, remembering those few, short weeks when she and Tristan had really gotten to know each other. She missed him already and wished that she could be with him right now. Scarlett took a deep breath and tried to pay attention, but ended up watching Christian again.

  When the bell rang, Scarlett gathered her books up and started for the door, but ended up running straight into some hard wall—um…make that a boy.

  "Oh, I'm so sorry," Scarlett said politely as she bent down to get her books up from the floor.

  "Stupid, arrogant bitch," the boy cursed.

  "Um...excuse me? It was an accident. You don't have to be such a dickhead about it." Scarlett's green eyes flared up to the unknown boy. He had shoulder-length dark hair and menacing black eyes that seemed to be a bottomless pit of darkness.

  "Just because you met Chloe and her posse, doesn't mean you have the right to go around acting like you own the place on your first day of school, bitch."

  "You know, if you had just been a gentleman and said you were sorry for running into me, I might have been nice to you, but since you're obviously a jackass, I'm just going to pretend you don't exist. So have a fan-fucking-tastic life." Scarlett flipped her hair over her shoulder and started to walk back out of the door, but her arm was caught by the boy's hand.

  He whirled her back around to face him, and she came face to face with dark, brooding eyes that seemed to light up with angry flames. "Don't ever talk to me like that again, you worthless whore."

  "Hey, let go. You're hurting me," Scarlett whimpered as she tried to get loose from his iron strong grip on her arm.

  "Do you understand me?"

  "Let her go, Austin." A new voice entered the little bicker.

  "Don't tell me what to do, Christian," Austin growled.

  "Do you want me to beat your face into a bloody pulp?" Christian retorted.

  "What's going on here?" Their teacher entered the group.

  "Nothing. The new girl just ran into me, that's all," Austin said and stalked off in the opposite direction.

  The teacher looked from Austin's retreating back to Scarlett's frightened expression to Christian's angered face and drew his own conclusions. He would keep a watchful eye on the three of them in tomorrow's class. "Have a nice day," he said awkwardly to the two students who were left.

  "Thanks," Scarlett replied quietly and started walking away.

  Christian followed her. "Are you okay?"

  "Yeah, I think so. My arm hurts a little, but I'll survive. Thanks for sticking up for me." Scarlett sneaked a glance up at his face, and her heart pounded hard at the serious similarities between him and Tristan.

  "Well, I'm Christian Cox. You must be Scarlett White."

  "Yeah. That's me. The new girl."

  "Don't worry about Austin. He's all talk and no walk. His bark is worse than his bite. Any more clichés?"

  "You stole the best ones."

  "What class do you have next?"

  "Um…" Scarlett pulled out her schedule, "Foreign Language."

  "Me too. Spanish, French, or Latin?"

  "Spanish IV, AP. Mr. Rodriguez."

  "Same here. I'll walk you to class."

  "Thanks."

  It wasn't until lunch time that Scarlett realized how lucky she was to have made friends with Chloe. Because being friends with Chloe pretty much gave you a one-way ticket to her table. Yes, you heard correctly: her table.

  Chloe, Zoey, and Millie were the three most popular girls who went to Humphrey Day. But what Scarlett was not used to was that all three of them were extremely nice and optimistic. They were nothing like Alice or Kirsten or Libby or any of the popular girls at Watson High. These girls had standards.

  And sitting with them was the entire basketball team, which included Christian Cox. Sca
rlett kept her head down the entire lunch and tried to ignore Christian because every time she looked into his deep brown eyes... Scarlett shook her head, holding back the tears that were threatening to escape her eyes.

  The only bad thing was that everyone seemed really interested in the new girl. Meaning they shot questions at Scarlett left and right.

  "How was it like in Florida?"

  "Did you get to go to the beach a lot?"

  "Are the guys way hotter down there?"

  "Are the girls way hotter down there?"

  "How was your school in Jacksonville?"

  "I bet it was way more lax than this one. It's so strict here."

  "So you're really Melody Harman's stepsister? That's sick."

  "Okay, okay, give her a break," Chloe cut in, throwing her arm around Scarlett's shoulder in a friendly manner. "She needs time to actually eat the disgusting food this school serves us with."

  "So are you going to try out for the cheerleading squad?" Zoey asked. "I bet those long legs of yours could be of great use with hurkeys and toe-touches. Maybe we could even train you to do a scorpion."

  "I'm not all that coordinated. Believe me, I would drag the team down like that," Scarlett said, snapping her fingers to emphasize her point.

  "Nonsense. With a bit of practice, you'd be as great as even me, if I dare say," Zoey replied with a playful smirk.

  "Thanks, but no thanks. I really need to focus on my studies."

  "So you're smart?" Millie asked.

  Scarlett was hesitant to answer. At her old school, having the least bit of brains was considered to be the lowliest asset one could acquire. Was it the same here? What should she tell them? She was concerned for her grades, but not the best student? But why would she want to start her new life here as a lie. She should just tell them the truth.