Hierarchy | ongoing |

One

Unedited because I'm pretty lazy tbh and i have actual uni work to do...

As I made my way toward my locker I acknowledged the eyes on me, from freshman and seniors alike. No matter how many first days I had, it never got easier. I fiddled with the Tiffany ring around my right ring finger, feeling the uncertainty kick into my stomach. It's not that I was worried about anything in particular, only the fact that I was by far the most talked about girl in the school, and it hadn't even hit first period yet. I could feel the whispers among the students, talking about what I was wearing, where I went over the summer and what I was planning on doing this year. I enjoyed being the centre of attention, in fact I thrived on it, but sometimes the constant staring made me want to run to the nearest bathroom and empty my stomach of my avocado toast from this morning. One misstep in my Jimmy Choo's and it would be photographed instantly by at least twenty people, sent around the school in a matter of minutes and most definitely making its way to the school's gossip site The Greenwood Gossiper run by no other than my best friend, Rachel Greenwood herself.

Rachel, being the loyal friend she is, would take it down immediately, but that still wouldn't be enough. As soon as something was posted on The Gossiper every phone in our school would beep with a notification, every student wanting to know the latest scandal, lest they be out of the loop come lunchtime. After all, at Greenwood High, it's all about blackmail, lies and scandals. 

Fortunately for me I was fairly free of a three of those, preferring to make my way up the social ladder through kindness and respect. I prided myself on keeping tabs on everyone in the school, always befriending the freshman to learn their quirks before the rest of the school exploited them. I had the whole student body wrapped around my finger, and they knew I could shift the dynamics of the school in a day, but I was transparent enough to let them see that I wouldn't do that. 

I continued to tread carefully in my heels, keeping a confident air about myself while walking down the cluttered hallway, aiming to get to my locker before the first bell rang, signalling the end of summer and the beginning of my senior year. Was I nervous? A little, but the fact that I was undoubtedly this schools reigning queen for the rest of the year made me feel a little less anxious about what lied ahead. As long as I kept my title, I would be fine.

"Tate!" I turned my head at the sound of Rachel calling my name from halfway down the hall. She tiptoed in her heels as fast as she could toward me, somehow not managing to look like a newborn giraffe while walking only on the balls of her feet. For some reason she hated the clopping sound that occurred when her heel touched the floor. I, on the other hand, loved it. It made me feel powerful.

"Hey Ray," I said once she was close enough for me to speak in a comfortable tone. I grabbed my phone out of my bag, seeing three notifications from The Gossiper already. I unlocked my phone and found the combination to my lock in the notes section. "You ready for our last year of school?"

"Is that even a question?" Rachel tossed her blonde ponytail over her shoulder, her hair reaching her waist even while tied up. "I was born ready for this year." It was true. Rachel had been talking about graduating from Greenwood High practically since kindergarten. Her dad had been the principal of the school since before we were born, so she had always heard stories about the seniors from years past. This meant she knew all the great party spots, the best ideas for senior pranks, and what not to say when you inevitably get caught.  

Rachel had been my best friend since we were born; my parents being neighbours was mostly to blame. We used to spend all day at one of our houses, and then sleep over at the others that night. There was something that just clicked with us, never feeling jealous of another. Rachel respects my title as queen, something I worked hard to earn, and I know that I could never attempt to cheer, whereas I swear Rachel was cartwheeling out of the womb.

While I knew I couldn't cheer to save my life, there were other reasons I was an undisputed queen. Being student body president was the foundation, gaining respect by teachers and students alike. I had a very good memory, allowing me to remember information about schoolwork and students with ease. I was a straight A student with a hope of getting into an Ivy League school by the end of the year, and  caring and kind to my subjects – the students. While they may gossip about me, I make it difficult for them to find a fault. Nobody wants to be remembered as the bitch who yelled at everyone all senior year.

"Sorry about this morning, Caleb practically begged me to take him to school." Normally Rachel and I carpooled, but it was her brother's first day of kindergarten and he insisted that she take him. I would have tagged along but I love my sleep too much to wake up an extra twenty minutes early. Plus, it takes time to look like a queen. Between the hair, makeup and designer clothing, I need as much time as possible in the morning.

"It's alright, it gave me a chance to shake out my nerves before getting here." I carefully twisted the combination into my lock, satisfied when I heard the clink on the first try.

"What's your first class?" Rachel and I already knew we wouldn't be in classes together, as we were taking different subjects this year. Rachel's focus was on psychology, whereas I had been dreaming of law school for years. We didn't mind though, we already saw enough of each other outside of school.

"AP Lit. Remind me why I'm taking two AP classes this year?" Between this, AP U.S. History and my other electives, I knew I would be slumped in homework. I wanted to get as many credits as I could to show how hard I could work though, and I knew it would all pay off.

"Because you're smart, Tate. Let me know how it goes!" Rachel blew me a kiss and sauntered on toward her locker. I quickly gathered my textbooks and phone before leaving toward my first class. 

Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I have about five chapters written already but i want to space them out so you're not left with nothing to read for a few weeks while I keep up with typing. Let me know what you think so far, the first couple chapters will be very introductory but we'll get into the fun stuff soon! Don't forget to vote and comment your thoughts!

much love,

- elizabeth

P.S. Isn't Shailene just beautiful?