Chapter Two

n.

"I'm so tempted to skip this stupid assembly, but I know Dean Blackwell will be on my ass. Nastassia, you're my Co-HOH for the Cordelia Alpha's and all of the students look up to you, she says. I mean, they'd better. My heels are six inches" I say, touching up my flamenco red lipstick in the mirror of my vanity.

It's the only old thing in my dorm room- passed down from my even greater grandmother and down to me. It's also the most 'Look at me, I'm rich' thing I own besides my clothes. Gold and accented in black, but the gold is real. I've always hated it, but my mother insisted that I take it with me.

Peyton giggles, brushing through my ice blonde hair and staring at nothing as if in a trance. "I've always thought that monthly assemblies were a bit much, but no one ever listens to me" she replies absently.

"I don't agree with you on much, but that's just a fact" I tell her and she nods, smiles and places the brush on the vanity beside my phone.

"Yeah, that's because you said it, Nastassia. Verbatim. You think that everything you say is 'just a fact'. I've learned to go along with it".

"Smart". I lean into the mirror, pinching the skin along my jawline and squinting as if that will make my eyes zoom in to where I'm looking. "Serious question, Pey. Is my face gaining weight?". "Don't tell me you've developed body dysmorphia or something. Maybe you should have a talk with your therapist, Stas".

I laugh, standing up from the vanity. "It's never good to look at yourself for too long, because your mind will find something to fixate on. Your face is just as beautiful as ever. Let's go and get this shit over with".

"You're the wisest bitch I know and you're right, too. I am beautiful and also...super smart".

"I never said the last part. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves" she says, linking her arm with mine. I giggle bumping my hip against hers. "Love you, Pey-Day". "Love you, too, Stassi-Wassi".

...

I'm not one of those pumpkin spice, thigh high boots with jeans and an orange-y brown sweater bitches, but I do love fall. The campus is beautiful all throughout the year, but when the trees turn colors and the leaves crunch beneath your boots it just feels so much more special.

The air is crisp and fresh, and a deep breath feels like you're filling your lungs with an angels breath. Fall at Ivy Cordelia is truly something to experience.

I remember the first time visiting the campus while scouting boarding schools near the beginning of my eighth grade year. ICBS was the last stop, because I already had my eye on it due to the fact that it's reputation outshines all of it's competitors.

So, of course, I saved the best for last. Nothing felt more magical than walking through the ivy covered archway on that day.

The first thing I noticed was the fountain. It sat in the center of the quad- large and imposing, surrounded by students on blankets, having picnics just because. On either side of them were the food stands and since they change depending on the time of year, these were all autumn-y and cozy types of foods.

Every person I saw had their hands wrapped around a warm mug or coffee tumbler of something delicious. And in the other hand, some type of decadent dessert or comforting hand held thing.

All of that was encompassed on a perfectly manicured, circular section of grass. A paved walkway wrapped its way around it, separating the students from an expanse of lawn on either side. Trees lined the walkway- colorful trees whose leaves had fallen, blanketing the nearby grass with red and orange and yellow.

I remember having to try hard to keep myself from spinning in a circle with my arms outstretched, so that I didn't look like the uncool eighth grader that I was. Back then there was only the main building, and just looking at it, I could tell how important it was. I wanted to make it proud, somehow. I wanted to live up to what it represented for so many people.

On either side of it was nothing, which is really hard to remember because by the time I came back- the hall my parent's had donated was there. And on the other side, the one that Grayson Du Pont's dad had gifted was as well.

Both of those coming into play AFTER we had already been accepted into the school. Petrov Hall- for gala's and balls, and Du Pont Hall for large lectures and assemblies.

Bracketing the quad were the dorms with two buildings on each side- a smaller one for Alpha's and a larger one for Beta's and Gamma's. The guide made living in the Alpha building seem like so much of an accomplishment and I knew immediately that I'd do anything to live there.

Being a Cordelia or Ivy Alpha means so much to the students here- whether they are one or not. And I knew that I had to be, even then.

To get to the rest of the building, you have to pass the main building. That's where the Alistair Gym, the Cordelia Garden's, the Art Center, the Olympia Theater, the tennis courts, the boating house and the stables are.

All of those things are centered around Forgami Lake, which is still my favorite thing about campus to this day. I can't name how many times I've been dared to jump into the freezing cold water during the winter months.

Today, Pey and I decided to be extra and wear our adorable Salvatore Ferragamo beige moon boots to celebrate the first snow of the year. Everyone is huddled up in groups with their friends, gossiping and laughing about yesterday's drama.

"Can you believe that Gray showed up as Hugh Heffner with all of those frosh girls as bunnies. He's literally a senior" Peyton whispers shakily, taking a sip of her Hot Choc to warm herself. "I wouldn't let him near my kids, is all I'm saying" I respond, to which she nods in agreement.

And, of course, saying his name is like a summon because Grayson comes and throws his arm around my shoulder. "Dropped your girls off at daycare and now you have nothing to do?" I ask, immediately pushing his arm off. He grins, showing off all of his pearly white veneers.

"I would've thought you'd come up with something original using that big brain of yours, Nastassia. It was a costume party and they were the only ones willing to dress up with me. I would have preferred you and Peyton, and all of your other little CA friends, but you guys would never have gone for it. I ditched them as soon as we got to the party. Relax, babe".

"You're right. We wouldn't have and I'm not going for you calling me babe and pretending we're friends, either. But it was nice talking to you, really" I say, flashing a fake grin and pushing past him. Pey snickers, pulling me down into the first two empty seats she finds.

"You should've saw his face. He clenched his jaw so hard, I saw one of his teeth crack". "His mom's a dentist, Pey-Day. He'll be FINE". "Not if anyone see's the shark tooth he has hidden behind that porcelain. He'll never be able to show his face here again". "That's optimal".

Dean Yarbrough- or Yarby, for all of the students, taps her mic three times in her usual signal for us to shut up. "Welcome, all of my wonderful students, to the third monthly assembly of the year. Today, we have some interesting news to share with all of you, that I'm sure you'll want to hear. And I also have someone amazing joining us as well, which I'm really excited for" she announces in a voice that demands respect and attention.

"If it's that annoying comedian from last time, I'm probably going to scream" Peyton whispers, taking a bite of her Pain Au Chocolat. "If the scream isn't anywhere near me, go for it" A voice from her right says and we both turn to it with deadly glares. An uncaring gaze meets them head on, and somehow both of our looks falter.

A girl that I've never seen before sits beside us, which is more than a little weird since I've been living with these people from a few months to a couple of years. And while I'm amazing with faces, this one was completely unfamiliar to me.

She had the clearest skin I'd ever seen, the color of coffee with absolutely no cream. Her eyes were the foxy shape that all of the celebrities pay for, in the color of cognac. Long, thick lashes surrounded them and her full boy brows matched their energy perfectly.

A heart shaped face with high cheekbones and a defined jaw, full lips that turned down just a bit at the corners and a dainty, pierced nose completed her look. Her hair was styled in what I'd learn later were called gypsy locks, with all of these cool little silver decorations that wrapped around some of the braids. In other words, she was the most beautiful person on planet earth.

"Are you new?" Peyton asks and she shrugs, turning back to face the Dean. Peyton looks at me, mouth agape, shocked that someone would deign not to speak to us. "That was kind of rude, don't you think?" I ask and she doesn't even acknowledge that I SPOKE.

"Oh, look! Peyton and Nastassia, although they should not be talking, have sniffed out the four leaf clover among us. Selah, would you mind joining me for just a couple of minutes" the Dean prompts, motioning for the girl beside us to come onto the stage. She stands up and squeezes past us without a word, everyone's eyes following her tall, lithe body as she makes her way to Yarby.

"We have a new student joining us today and she's someone quite special to our institution" Yarby says, placing a hand on the girls arm. "This is Selah Stryker, granddaughter of Ivy and Cordelia Daley". The hall goes from silent to what a classroom sounds like when the teacher is sick and there's a substitute in her place.

"I saw something about her the other day. Apparently she was kicked out of the boarding school she attended in London" Peyton tells me and a girl sitting in front of me, Kennedi Fox, turns around in her seat. "I read that, too. But I couldn't find WHY she was kicked. Did you see anything?".

"I'm telling you she slept with her teacher, Ken. You never listen to me" Elliana Combs says, turning around in her seat as well. "That was Peony Donovan, Ell. YOU never listen to ME" Kennedi corrects, rolling her eyes.

"How much does a Daley heir have to do, to be KICKED out of school? She had to have done something really bad, right?" I ask and all three of their heads bob like one of those things they sell at baseball games.

"Like what, though? What is the definition of really bad?" Elliana wonders and we spend five minutes listing things way too horrible for her not to be in prison.

Yarby does the three tap microphone trick in between drugs and prostitution ring, but absolutely no one stops their talking. It takes a second and third time for us to sit back and shut up.

"Thank you for your silence. Selah doesn't want it to be a big deal and I'm sure the last place she wants to be is on this stage. I just wanted to introduce her to all of you, to make sure that she feels welcome".

She looks like she doesn't want to be on stage, but she doesn't seem uncomfortable, as if she's used to the attention. And of course she is. Ivan and Cordelia are not only known for their activism history.

They also took Ivan's old money coming all of the way from before the Mayflower and put it into new money ventures. Their tech company is one of the best in the world and would have them sitting on top of every Forbes list if they didn't give every dollar over two billion to charity. Their reputation and stature holds more weight than their bank account.

"I figured that I'd have her tell you guys the news that I've been secretly dreading since the decision was made. I'm excited about it, but I fear that you guys will have a totally different reaction than I did. So, I'll pass the microphone onto her since I'm sure it'll sound better coming out of her mouth, somehow".

Selah grins, accepting the microphone. "I'm sure that's not true, Dean. You could be reading a nursery rhyme and it would sound like an inspirational speech to lead us into a war battle. But, I will do this because you asked me to" she says, left hand on her heart, sounding like a viper hiding behind the smile of a politician.

She turns to face us, still wearing that same smile. She was dangerous. I could feel it. And Peyton could, too. "What are we gonna do about her?" she whispers and Selah's eyes single in on the both of us even though it was virtually impossible for her to have heard what she said.

Peyton breathes in sharply, sinking down into her seat a little and Selah smiles as if she knows something that we don't before turning away.

"I've been asked to talk to you all today about the closing of Glenwood Boarding School. It doesn't seem like something that should concern any one of you, but it does. Almost four hundred students were left without a school to attend, and ICBS, along with two other boarding schools have agreed to split the load".

The hall erupts into madness again, but before I can even get a word in past my shock, she clears her throat. "Let me finish, please" she says, just a little bit more of that viper slithering into her tone. The hall goes completely silent, as if they had a spell put on them that glued their lips shut.

"Thank you. I know this news is scary and exciting, and you're wondering how it will affect you. I'll quickly answer some of those questions. For one, there will be one hundred and ten students joining the campus and 58 of those are female. There are fifteen rooms available in the CB and CG dorms. In the IB and IC dorms, there are twenty-two. And sharing rooms, that leaves twenty eight girls and eight boys. So, those students will have to be placed in the Alpha Dorms".

She's staring at me as she says it, giving me the only reason I needed not to freak out. She wanted me to. Because she knew what being in an Alpha Dorm meant to everyone. And being the Head of House with Peyton, she knew that we were the people who made the decision on who was in or out. And that was just taken away from us.

"And I also know that everyone who is an Alpha has worked hard to be one. One of the perks of doing that hard work is the fact that you get your own space to do what you want with it. But, sadly, there's not enough free rooms in the CA building to fit 28 students. That means roommates for quite a few of us. We believe that the HOH's are meant to set an example for the rest of the student body.

Accepting a roommate and taking this process in stride will make things run more smoothly for everyone. Hopefully you continue to be the mature students that we know you are. Thank you". She hands the mic to the Dean and walks off the stage, continuing on past us and leaving PH entirely.

The doors sounded like bombs going off behind her, because she DID leave quite a few of them behind. Peyton and I were getting roommates. A bunch of students that I don't know are getting an Alpha spot. And that she was, stated plainly, a CA.