The First Frame

chapter 1.

1.

            Allie sighed audibly, her choices seeming both endless, and restricted. The beautiful young girl was staring into the full length mirror, contemplating what to wear to the most exciting event to ever occur in her life so far; her first day at Worthington Academy.

            At seventeen, Allie West had yet to experience anything, at least nothing that seemed exciting enough to qualify as a life event. Since her early teens she had wished for something earthshattering to come along and make her life interesting. Only two months earlier the idea had come to her during another lame movie night with her friends of convenience, while the girls she had grown to call her friends (despite their one-dimensional view of the world) gossiped about the pros and cons of the starlets lip gloss shade, Allie thought to herself, I would do anything to get away from here, to find people with real brains.  There’s got to be someplace…. That’s when it hit her: boarding school!

“Boarding school..?” Walter West repeated back to his only child, unsure.

“Yes daddy, boarding school. I think it’s our only real option here.”

“Well darling if it’s what you really want. I’ll contact the people at this…” he glanced down at the stack of papers Allie had just brought to him, still warm from the printer. “Worthington Academy, and get you in right away. You’ll be there just in time for Fall semester.

Allie’s father Walter West was an executive partner at a law firm in nearby and while he had enough money to buy Allie anything she wanted, he didn’t have enough patience to figure out what she needed. He left that up to her.

                                             *****

A quiet rapping on the door brought Allie back to her current decision: What does one want to be wearing when their new life starts?

“The car is all packed; bring your suitcase down when you come. We want to be on the road in a few minutes Allie; I have a deposition back in town tomorrow morning.” Mr. West said, peeking in her room from within the hallway. Throwing on her nicest pair of dark denim and her favorite ivory cashmere sweater, Allie zipped up her suitcase and headed down the stairs and onto the front porch, her cherry red velvet platforms clacking all the way. With one last look back at her childhood home, Allie got into her father’s new Lexus feeling less sadness than expected. She was ready.

            Six hours later Allie awoke to a sunny afternoon as the Lexus pulled onto a tree lined street. A large sign along the side of the street proclaimed, “Welcome to Finegrass, South Carolina, the best kept secret in the south!”

“Oh, you’re awake! Only two more miles ‘till your new home!” Walter turned on his left turn signal and began humming along to the radio.

            Allie opened the sun visor and looked into the mirror. Her long wavy chestnut locks were still tame, eyeliner not too smudgy, but something was missing. She reached into her worn brown bag and pulled out her favorite lipstick, radiant red; her signature color for all things. Just as she finished applying, they drove through a pair of large iron gates with the words Worthington Academy twisted into them. A leggy blonde woman strode towards their car waving, a crest total smile plastered to her face.

Walter cracked opening the door, gathering his bearings before greeting the cheerful woman. There is nothing he disliked more than over excitement. “Hello, you must be Ms. Dubois? We spoke on the phone.”

“Well of course! It is so nice to meet you Mr. West and this must be Allegra! I am so excited to be the one to welcome you to Worthington.”

“Thank you so much, please call me A-” She was cut off as a beautiful redhead came barreling around the corner of the nearest building donned in a highlighter yellow dress, black blazer and yellow cork wedges.

“Dallas! There you are. Allegra this will be your new roommate, meet Dallas Tate.”

“Hey there!” The young girl bellowed in a sweet southern drawl shooting out a hand for Allie and her father to shake, a dozen bangles ringing as she did so. “I’m Dallas, like the city! It’s so cool to have a new roommate; I’m always stuck with the same ol’ stuffy girls. We need some fresh blood up in that room!” Dallas laughed, linking her arm through Allie’s.

“Well then, let’s let the girls get acquainted while we get these bags sent up to Allegra’s new room!” Mrs. Dubois chimed in marching towards the trunk of the Lexus, while pulling out a bedazzled iPhone and dialing with determination.