In 1988 when Dylan Montgomery moves to Beverly Hills after her mother remarries, she must navigate the challenges of fitting into a glamorous but daunting upper-class life. Living across from the charmingly cocky Nicholas and his introspective broth...
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UPPER CLASS | cherriasian
february '89
The air was thick with excitement as Dylan stepped into the halls of Beverly Hills High School, the faint sound of love songs playing over the PA system only adding to the festive mood. Everywhere she looked, students were grinning, exchanging Valentine's cards, or chatting animatedly about what their "special someone" had done for them. The entire school was awash with red, pink, and white—a sea of roses, heart-shaped balloons, and chocolate boxes. It wasn't like anything she'd seen before.
Katie was practically bouncing beside her, her arms already weighed down with a stack of cards, most of which were from guys she barely knew. It was hard not to feel a bit left out. Dylan's attempts to downplay Valentine's Day had been in vain; everyone around her was making it impossible to ignore. The air was buzzing with affection, like a storm of roses and glitter had taken over the entire school.
"I swear," Katie sighed, flipping through her stack of cards as they walked to their next class, "every guy who's ever looked my way sent me something. I've gotten at least five cards from people I don't even know. It's ridiculous. Like hello buddy take the hint, it's never gonna happen!"
Dylan rolled her eyes good-naturedly, though a small part of her envied Katie's ease with the whole thing. Valentine's Day had always been... awkward for her. The whole thing felt like a performance, and she was far more comfortable staying out of the spotlight. Still, she couldn't help but smile at Katie's enthusiasm. "Well, lucky you. I've got about three cards, and they're all from my maid, Tom, and the neighbor's dog. So... yeah."
Katie shot her a sympathetic look, then shrugged. "Eh, you'll catch up. Trust me, by lunchtime it'll be crazy." She winked, making Dylan laugh.
Sure enough, by the time lunch rolled around, the school was in full bloom, love notes and candy everywhere. When they arrived at the lunch table, the girls couldn't help but notice the sheer volume of Valentine's Day cards they all collectively scattered across it. Cards that had been shoved into backpacks, stuffed in jackets, and piled in the center of the table, each with a little note attached or a heart-shaped sticker adorning the envelope.
"Alright, I'm ready for the card count," Katie grinned as she rifled through the cards, her stack growing taller by the second. Tiffany and Marissa, were quick to do the same, each of them proudly showing off the dozens of cards they had received. It was almost a competition, the cards stacked higher and higher as each girl boasted about who had sent them what.
Carter chewing the cafeteria pizza spoke with his mouthful, "Hey! Do you ladies mind? This is a lunch table," with eyebrows furrowed he pushed some of Katie's spilling cards off his lunch tray.\
"Carter!" Katie groaned as he messed up her stack, "My pile!"
Carter threw his hands up, "Well sorry for trying to eat!"
