Chapter 1

Matilda glanced across the street, green eyes sweeping past the shops and cabs that lined Morgan Avenue.

Shoot! She thought Where the hell was Kelly?

"C'mon girl…." She muttered tapping on her phone screen in frustration.

They walked to school together, always… that was their thing. And not just because they were the only day students at Perfect Confederacy Academy. This was the begining of the new term. She had made sure Kelly had it marked out on her calendar, date and time. Just how could she miss it!

Matilda had her bet that Kelly was sitting under an apple tree somewhere completely engrossed in another silly old book.

She sighed. You just wait till I get you….

She threw herself on her black bike and rode furiously, not bothering to put on the helmet and ignoring her auburn hair that swiftly caught in the wind.

Kelly sat under the apple tree strapping her pen in the binding of her diary and shutting the book.

Best get going…. She thought letting out a soft chuckle as she imagined Matilda having a fit at Morgan Avenue where they had planned to meet.

Quite truthfully, she had been diligently on her way when a novel had so temptingly fell out of her backpack. Honestly it wasn't her fault she was always behind schedule.

Matilda appeared from behind the bushes fixing Kelly with her death stare.

Uh-oh… kelly tried for a lopsided grin. "I uh…just got a lil carried away…."

"I'm sick of the ritual Kell," Matilda began having planned the scolding before hand. "You know how much this means to me, you can't just keep getting carried away." She said with air quotes.

"Aw sucks! C'mon gal…really thought I forgot didn't you? Like I'm capable of forgetting something this important," Kelly scoffed linking her arm in Matilda's.

….but you never showed up on time alright..? Matilda eyed her skeptically. "We're dreadfully late already. The students must have assembled in the big hall by now and Principal Lauren would be giving the speech… she only gives one speech!"

"Jeez! Talk bout overthinking!" Kelly rolled her eyes secretly.

She hopped on her pink bike and put on the helmet professionally. "A'ight cupcake, try to keep up."

The gates to Perfect Confederacy Academy were swinging shut when two bikes zoomed in. Kelly drew a perfect curve and stepped on the brakes, Matilda stopping beside her.

"Late again I see,"

Both girls looked up to see the sports captain, Drew Freeman frowning down at them.

"But then again, kinda made history in that aspect. Didn't take long for the head prefect to notice the usual two were missing."

"Technically," Kelly began turning on her phone. "Assembly doesn't start in a minute so we're still sixty seconds early." She grinned.

"Well smart mouth, I'd like to watch you race up the stairs and down to the locker room to keep your stuff and finally to the mess hall all in sixty seconds… maybe then I'll even add you to the team," She scoffed. "And I'll be taking that thank you."

It was Kelly's turn to frown as she placed her phone in Drew's outstretched hand. "I forgot… this was Perfect Confederacy," She thought miserably.

"You can stop giving me that pity look now." Kelly glared at Matilda.

They were on their way to the hall after arranging their lockers and taking their schedules. Matilda cringed a bit. Kelly looked almost scary when she tried not to appear upset.

Another thing Kelly hated was pity parties. She never hosted them so she couldn't see why her best friend kept giving her that look.

"Everyone knows phones aren't allowed in classrooms and hallway and basically during school hours. My bad for forgetting."

"Yeah but it's the first day. Drew should have shown a bit if grace." Matilda reasoned.

"Grace?" Kelly rolled her eyes. "Don't kid me Matty it's not like we're new students."

I'm supporting you okay..? Matilda bit her lips. "How good of you to stick by the law even when it clearly affects you."

They slipped quietly into the hall and took their seats at the back.

Kelly trailed her eyes on Drew as she joined the rest prefects at the front on the Prefects League table.

"I'll get it back. You can't steal what's already yours." She said a sharp glint in her eyes.

"Do I really have to remind y'all to pull down the blinds and turn off the lights…? Make things a little dramatic around here!"

The assembly looked up at the podium to see Principal Lauren who arrived from the side door, her hands raised frowning up at where the spotlight was supposed to be.

She was exquisitely dressed as usual in the latest fads not leaving out the jewelries and remarkably high heels, donning a blue pinstripe suit just because she thought it made her look somewhat regal.

She was an aesthete of art and fashion however the students knew better, that her seemingly vain appearance was just a lovely facade for the real sadist she was.

"Hmmm… girls to my right, boys to my left," She observed turning around. "At least something's done right." She smiled at the prefects.

"I heard it's a girls only school."

Matilda glanced beside her to see a freckled girl with blue eyes and straight brown hair dyed with red streaks.

"Yes and no." She smiled. She had thought the same when she first came here. "There's a boys school close by. They're both called Perfect Confederacy. However, the two schools are somewhat independent." She explained.

"Now in case you're wondering why we're all gathered in the girls school to launch the new section," Principal Lauren continued talking to no one in particular. "I'll have to remind you that the Perfect Confederacy Academy gals succeeded the gold trophy in the Conquest of Talents… as usual." She said a flicker of pride in her eyes.

On cue, the door opened and two senior girls stood in their white long sleeve shirt, striped purple vest that matched the skirt pattern and blazer jacket, carrying a large gold trophy cup between them.

A red carpet extended from the doorway to the podium.

The Principal spread her hands gleefully and glanced up, her face twitching a little, emphasizing the need for "spotlights."

Everyone stood up, the hall exploding it an applause as they passed, and a series of grumbling coming from the left.

"They'll be another conquest. We can all try again this term." She said a sly twinkle in her eyes.

Once the trophy was safely on its platform on the stage, Principal Lauren took her seat beside it and a girl from the Prefects table stood.

"Head girl Carmela," She introduced. "New students please step forward."

"C'mon Kelly look up. Let's see if they are any cute guys this time." Matilda smiled playfully nudging her friend.

The schools were separated so it got really frustrating knowing there were guys but they didn't get to see them much less strike up a reasonable conversation. Unless of course there was something like the Conquest of Talents. And it would suffice to say that the boys were fierce competition.

"Of course Matilda… the highlight of the event." Kelly nodded absently flipping a page of her book. "Matty you obviously can't live without guys so couldn't you read about them like me instead of disturbing?" She thought solemnly.

Matilda barely noticed the girl beside her stand up as she scanned through the guys.

Her eyes rested on a tanned guy with a surfer dude style tee and styled jeans, rocking it in his Nike sneakers and headphones, his blonde bangs covering his blue eyes slightly, giving him that out of the movies feel.

It wasn't really hard to notice him since he stood out among the rest of the guys and not just because he was a head taller than them.

He glanced in her direction and gave the slightest of grins.

Matilda instinctively scanned behind her. "Is he smiling at… me?"

He winked and turned back to the podium as the perfect began speaking.

Matilda stared in a trance and felt her cheeks that had gone slightly red.