His Guilty Pleasure (FIRST DRAFT)

(6)

Gabby

"It's the first day of the most important year of your life!" Janice squeals, adjusting my curls to her liking. "I can't believe it! A senior!"

"Don't expect me to get into Harvard like Bianca." I suppress a smile. It's been a little under a week since the party and the scare, and I've learned to cope with it. I just hope that everyone else has forgotten. Janice and dad took the next flight home when they heard what happened and Janice has been glued to my side ever since. I'm surprised she's not coming to my classes with me.

"Oh, no, I don't expect you to go to Harvard. Maybe Yale? Spice things up a little." Janice plays with my hair some more. "Where is your father, Lord Almighty! George!"

My father, a somewhat chubby man with lots of wrinkles around his eyes from smiling and salt and pepper hair emerges. "Sorry, was getting the camera."

I let out an audible protest.

"One picture," Janice promises. "Haley!"

"I'm right here." Haley puts a hand on her hip. She's a junior now so she's obviously all that. Or so she thinks. "What do you want?"

"Picture." Janice points beside me and Haley wrinkles her nose in disgust. Ever since our fight four weeks ago right after the Hamptons, things between us have been...heated, to say the least. I don't know why she's mad at me. I was helping her. Still, Haley reluctantly trudges over and puts a very unenthusiastic arm around me. She'd never miss a photo op.

"One...two...three...smile!" The flash blinds me momentarily and then Haley drops her arm like it's on fire. "Are you girls driving together?" Dad asks.

"No." Haley speaks before I can. "I mean...can't. I'm going with Lisha."

I swallow the urge to roll my eyes. Lisha, younger sister of Julia Lipton, the biggest bitch in school. Lisha takes after her sister. She's a bitch with a capital B.

Before anyone can say anything else, I grab my yellow backpack and keys and jog out the door. I will not be late on my first day of senior year. My phone beeps and I see a text from Camille asking to meet in the SOH. SOH stands for "Seniors Only Hallway." The name pretty much explains it, only seniors are allowed in the hall. Not even faculty dares to enter. It's basically sacred ground. It's not always a good thing, though, because a lot of seniors use it as a place to hook up or smoke or whatever teenagers do. I text back to Camille that I'll see her there.

Fifteen minutes later I arrive at the gates of the Hansworth Academy for the Elite. Otherwise known as Hell on Earth. I punch in my pin on the pad and the gates slowly open enough for me to drive my convertible through. I find my assigned parking spot and park. My car fits in with all of the others here. Everyone at Hansworth is important in one way or another. There are children of politicians, celebrities, CEOs, the list goes on...being so connected is a blessing and a curse.

It proves to be a curse today as Julia and her crew strut down the sidewalk like it's a runway. I try to make myself small but the pastel yellow dress that I've chosen makes me stick out like a sore thumb. Julia spots me and changes her route, coming straight for me.

"Hey, Flabby! How was your summer? Eat any children lately?"

I roll my eyes. Last year I'd have stuttered and submitted to her. And I almost do this time, too. I'm ready to bow my head and apologize for somehow offending her with my chubbiness, but then something in me clicks. This year, I'm done with being treated like shit because I'm a little heavy. I'm still human, God damnit! And if they can't treat me like a person, then I won't treat them like one either.