LIFE IN HILLS ACADEMY

Chapter 3

"Do you mind telling me about everyone in the classroom? I should know if I'm going to socialize"

"What does your Dad do?"

"My Dad? I wasn't expecting that. I don't know him, but my Mom is a makeup artist. She is good at it."

"Then, I'm sorry to tell you that socializing with people you want to socialize with isn't your choice. The whole friendship thing here is about levels. If you fit well into someone's level, they add you to their friendship clique."

"I'm lost," she said cluelessly.

"Most of them make friends with people whose family's wealth is almost the same as theirs"

"So, how about you? You don't have friends?"

James chuckled.

"I just prefer to be everyone's friend, but not their deep, deep friend"

"Come on, you don't fit into anybody's world?" Ashley tried to tease him. If she got a friend, was how rich her family was, she was scared she would never get one. If she was ranked, she would probably be placed around a hundred.

"I don't like to talk about myself, but I'll tell you, since you are so curious. I rank number four here. My Dad owns De Wine"

Ashley knew how large the company was. She had read about them online. It was a popular wine company, and she knew about how wealthy the owner was. He looked like he wasn't going to say more about himself, so she decided to ask other questions.

"Who is the Number One to three?"

"Probably in the cafeteria, you will get to know them soon."

"Who did the ranking?"

"Anonymous. There is a class website that drops all information. Nobody knows the person behind it. We all found out about Emma and Olivia through it. I'll share the website link if you give me your number, but right now I need to see Mrs. Johnson"

James said and closed his Trig note before leaving for Mrs Johnson's office.

Ashley couldn't believe she was in the same class as the Elite's kids. She wasn't a Scholarship student, so how was her Mom able to afford the tuition fee? She was ready to make her Mom tell her the truth once she got home.

The sight of a milkshake on her desk took her out of her trance and she wondered where it came from. She raised her head to look at whoever was in front of her.

It was a girl with silky blonde hair. She was beautiful and Ashley was sure she wasn't joking about her skin. It looked beautiful and smooth. Ashley couldn't help but admire her. Two other girls with black hair came to join her and, yes, they looked beautiful also.

"What do your parents do?" The girl asked. Great! It wasn't even thirty minutes ago that she heard about how important wealthy parents are in school. "My bad, I'm Vanessa Morris. The most popular girl in Hills Academy" she said confidently as she tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Erhm, My Mom is a makeup artist and I know nothing about my dad or where he is" She knew she had talked too much, and they didn't like her because of the irritation on their faces.

"Oh my God! Are you a scholarship student?" Victoria, who Ashley didn't know her name, asked in a grating voice.

"Okay. Rude", Ashley tried to be confident. "I'm not a scholarship student". She was glad she wasn't on a scholarship. Who knows how much she would be belittled if she was

"Until when will Hills Academy stop accepting students who don't meet up with others' standards? I can't believe after all my Mom and Dad have done for this school, I still have to learn with some pauper" Vanessa, whom Ashley had thought would be nice, blurted out, obviously not concerned with how hurtful her words were. Ashley knew if she didn't act confident, she might end up being bullied, so she braced herself.

The few students in the class were already looking at them, and she was not ready to be seen as a weak new girl.

"Hello? I'm not a pauper. I'm from an average family, okay?"

"Yeah, and the average is your Mom is a makeup artist. The confidence baffles me" The third girl, who was Kelly, said rudely.

"Average is not acceptable. Do you need a tip on how to survive?" Vanessa asked as she leaned closer to Ashley.

"Vanessa, you are not trying to bully her, are you? Save yourself the stress and have fun with me" Adams, the class asshole offered with a smile that matches his annoying character.

"I'm going to kill you if I hear you say those disgusting words again," Victoria said in between gritted teeth.

Vanessa snatched Ashley's necklace off her neck and Ashley rubbed her neck immediately because it was painful.

"Give it back!" Ashley said firmly.

She tried getting it back as Vanessa kept raising it, then she finally dropped it.

Ashley gave her a stern look before bending down to pick it up, but Vanessa stepped on it and also bent down to look at the already frustrated Ashley and pushed her with her finger repeatedly.

"Someone like you should be kissing my ass and trying so hard to be on my good side. So disgusting to think I was curious about a nobody"

"Can this stop already?" Amelia said loudly enough for everybody to hear

She has the highest power in the class. She was the Number One. Her Dad was a business magnate and investor, while her Mom owned KISS, a beauty company for both make-up and skin-care products. And Amelia herself was an actress and a model.

She was the only one that could make Vanessa stop her bullshit. Vanessa had tried so many times to be her friend, she wanted to know what Amelia's world looked like. She could do anything, as long as it would get her closer to her.

Amelia's words had just saved Ashley from her bullies as they all retreated.

Before Ashley could thank Amelia, she was already out of the class.