LIFE IN HILLS ACADEMY

Chapter 2

WELCOME TO ANOTHER SEMESTER IN HILLS ACADEMY

The Head Mistress's voice welcomed the students as every one of them was catching up with their friends.

Vanessa Morris, the only daughter of a billionaire father, got out of her new BMW I8 and the car drove off immediately. Ranking her with her father's net worth, she was the third richest in Hills Academy. She was a bully who couldn't stand people way below her level. She always wished Hills Academy would stop taking Scholarship students or students whose families had nothing much to their name. She smiled immediately when she saw two people she couldn't do without in high school. Kelly and Victoria were both a business tycoon's daughters. Which made them perfect for the type of friends Vanessa Morris wanted.

"Hi, bitches!" She said immediately as she got closer to them.

"Did I just see you get out of a BMW?" Victoria gasped.

"Like OMG!" Kelly added.

"You guys are being dramatic over nothing. You can get it if you want it".

"Well, I fought with my Mom, so my Dad said he is not going to get me anything new unless I apologized first, if it wasn't even my fault in the first place," Kelly said "And before I forget, our little girl, Evans, has transferred from Hills Academy to wherever"

"She doesn't belong here in the first place. It's only right she ran away before she dropped dead", Victoria said, and they all giggled.

"She has been useful though. Who will get us snacks now?" Vanessa pouted.

"I'm sure there will be another Scholarship student this time. They never know their place" Victoria said, and used her hands to fan herself.

Kelly looked away from them for a second and her eyes landed on David as he got out of his Ferrari 458 Italia.

"Why is your boy so hot?" She gushed as David Scott got out of his car. He is number two in the school ranking. His father was a billionaire. He owned hotels, resorts, and companies around America. He was the definition of a successful person. But regardless of his father's wealth, David doesn't bully like Vanessa, who was his childhood friend. His best friend's car, George Stevenson, stopped beside his. His father was the founder of Hills Academy, and he was number five in the ranking.

"Is this a car competition?" Victoria asked playfully.

"Oh, shut up Vikky"

Vanessa smiled and they all walked towards them.

"What is all this gorgeousness?" she said immediately as they got closer. Her face was beaming.

"See you in class," George said to David and left. He wasn't a fan of Vanessa and he didn't hide it.

"Oh my God, you two look forward so perfectly together" Kelly playfully slapped Vanessa on her shoulders.

"I know right" David agreed sarcastically. "Just like how perfect you would be with Adams."

Adams was a pain in everybody's ass. He would always poke his nose into people's business and irritate them with his words.

"That's an expensive joke, Adams is one of the disgusting people in the class" They all laughed as they walked.

Ashley got out of her cab and kept staring around. She knew immediately the school was out of her league. She felt small at the sight of expensive cars.

"Wait, who on Earth is that?" Lily asked her friends immediately after she saw Ashely get out of her cab.

"She doesn't look familiar, she is probably new" Grace

"And a Scholarship student", Danielle added.

The three of them, including Priscilla, who they had been waiting for, were always together. Lily and Grace were closer because their parents were both Judges, while Danielle's father owned a hospital. None of them knew what Priscilla's parents did, but they knew she fit in their world because of how expensive she always looked. The three of them ranked after each other. Number Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen.

Ashley kept staring around till she bumped into someone. She was afraid her shoulder bump could hurt a rich kid.

"I'm so sorry about that. Are you good?" She asked to know if he was okay.

"No, it's fine. I'm good. Are you lost?" He asked.

Ashley was sure he could help her find her way around. He doesn't have an arrogant face.

"Was I so obvious?" She chuckled

"Not really, that was just a lucky guess. I can help you with directions, by the way."

"Then, how can I get to the headmistress's office?"

The class was settled when Mrs. Smit h, the History teacher, wrote the topic they would be discussing on the whiteboard. Just as she was about to start talking, the homeroom teacher for class B, Mrs. Johnson opened the classroom door, and Ashley walked behind her. Thanks to her readings about being confident, her head was raised as she walked in.

"Hi Mrs. Smith, I'm sorry for the interruption. Can I go on?"

"Definitely," Mrs said with a smile plastered on her face and Mrs Johnson returned the smile.

"We have a new student joining us."

She beckoned Ashley to move closer and introduced herself.

"I'm Ashley Gomez, and I'm glad to be here with you all. I hope to get along with everyone". She doesn't mean what she said. She wasn't happy, maybe not yet.

"You can occupy the seat over there, Miss Ashley. Have a nice day everyone"

Mrs Johnson left. Ashley felt eyes were on her as she walked to the seat assigned to her. She wished she had a superpower that would just move her to her seat. She hated being a new person in a place. But there she was, thanks to her Mom. She got to her seat and blended with the class.

During lunch break, she had no idea of what to do since she was used to walking around with her friends.

"Hi, Ashley" the girl next to her seat called her in a friendly manner. She felt hopeful instantly, maybe she was about to have her friend now. The girl had short hair and looked like somebody who exercised a lot. She could have mistaken her for a boy if not for her breasts and uniform.

"Hey", Ashley tried to return the energy.

"So if you don't mind….."

"Go for lunch with you? I would love to do that" Ashley blurted out.

"Urmh, Thank you. But that wasn't what I was going to say. I was going to ask if you wouldn't mind going to another seat till the lunch break is over. My Girlfriend comes here every lunch break"

Ashley had never felt so embarrassed. She felt stupid for jumping to a conclusion, but then there was no one close enough to hear what had just happened.

"She could just own this place permanently," she said and faked a smile.

"Our grades might fall behind if we sit together. We won't concentrate"

Ashley stood up and almost immediately another girl stood up from one of the seats in the second row and was smiling at them as she walked toward them.

"Thank you for understanding," the girl said "I'm Olivia Jones". She gave a quick introduction. Her father was the CEO of a real estate company and she ranked Number Seven.

"I'm Emma Austin". Emma ranked Number Eight. Her father owned a toy company.

Ashley sighed heavily as she walked towards the seat Olivia stood up from.

Olivia's seat partner was the guy that helped her earlier, so she felt excited about seeing him again.

"I've seen you today, right? You helped me with directions."

James looked up from his trigonometry and smiled at Ashley.

"Yes I am"

"I'm Ashley"

"James Gustin, That's my name."

"So Jamee, Olivia is your seatmate, huh?" She tried to start a conversation

"Not really, maybe for today. I move around," James said. Ashley was glad he wasn't the type to make a conversation die quickly. His answers paved the way for new questions.

"Is everybody your friend? I mean, I don't know how to do it, sitting anywhere"

"It's a free world here. Unless Mrs. Johnson assigns you to a permanent seat for a reason."

Ashley had a great feeling James would be a good friend. So far, he had been the only one willing to have a conversation with her. She thought she had found someone she would go to the cafeteria with and probably become best friends in the end.