A Starling's Awakening

Introducing Elise

What have I gotten myself into? It was never supposed to get this far. I mean, we were only going to have a little fun together. What am I going to do? I mean, it started innocently enough.

It was mid-September. I was a seventeen year old high-school senior. I was at my hall locker, conversing with my friends – Cordelia, and Bernadette.

Cordelia Sedgewick has dark brown hair, green eyes and, for the most part, an average build. I say for the most part because she is seriously buxom. I mean, over-endowed.

Bernadette Spencer is every boy's dream. She has Blonde hair, grayish-blue eyes, a perky nose, and overall a very pretty face. She has a perfectly proportional body with an athletic build. The worst part is how well she knows it, and how she chooses to use it.

Bernadette asked me, "Elise, why did you and Pietro break-up?"

"Because he was boring. He was dragging me down, and I was in danger of having him ruin my status."

"How was he going to do that?"

"He wants to be a scientist. Worse, an astronomer. He'd separate me from our society."

"Do you want a guy who will be more of a challenge?"

"Let me guess. Bret Whitaker."

"I haven't been able to get his attention. Hopefully you will have better luck."

"Bernadette Spencer, I am not interested in him like you are. We all know what you would have tried to do with him."

"He would have made a woman out of me."

"I am most certainly not ready for that yet."

"We're seniors now, Elise Torgason, and you still haven't been slumming. The rest of us have. You need to find a grubber, use him to hone your teasing and tempting skills, and dump him in spectacular fashion. Then you can use those skills when you find a guy who will cement your status. Bret Whitaker is the biggest catch of them all. He's brushed me off repeatedly, and he made Cordelia cry. Seduce him, or stroke his ego – Whatever you do, crush him under your heel. He needs to learn that he's only a grubber."

"And if I succeed? Will you be jealous if I do?"

"Maybe a little. I have other plans."

"Like what?"

"I plan to make a play for your brother at the next cotillion."

"Creston? You really think you stand a chance with him?"

"Elise, look at me. I'm beautiful. Boys drool when I'm around. Your brother checks me out every time he sees me."

"Bernadette, he's twenty-one now. He's started to drink at parties. What makes you think he'd want anything to do with you?"

"I'll get his attention. I'll drink with him, if that's what I have to do."

"And risk having him take advantage of you?" Bernadette smiled. The bell rang and we went to class.

My name is Elise Torgason, and I'm a starling. Compared to my friends, I'm not much to look at. I'm five foot nine. I have light brown hair, Scandinavian blue eyes, and a roman nose. My face has a few freckles. I have a slender build. I'm also the complete opposite of buxom.

I'm an average student, but my teachers keep telling me I'm not living up to my potential. They want me to apply myself.

I have everything a person could want – well, almost everything. My family has money, status, and trendy friends. We live in a mansion, and drive up-scale luxury cars. We're the heirs of the Torgason shipping fortune. My parents hold controlling interest in Torgason shipping, one of the largest shipping companies in the world.

As much as I try to hide it, I don't want to marry for status. I want a guy who will love me for me. I hold more traditional values than many of those in my society. I have everything this culture tells me I should have. So why does it feel like something's missing?