The Perfectionists

Prologue

"In many ways, Auradon, looks like any affluent suburb: Porch swings creak gently in the evening breeze, the lawns are green and well kept, and all the neighbors know one another. But this land is anything but average. In Auradon, it's not enough to be good; you have to be the best.
With perfection comes pressure. Students here are some of the best in the country, and sometimes, they have to let off a little steam. What five girls don't know, though, is that steam can scald just as badly as an open flame.
And someone's about to get burned."

"On Friday night, just as the sun was setting, cars began to pull up to Ben Florian's huge, Italian Mansion on a peninsula overlooking The Enchanted Forest. The house had wrought iron gates, a circular driveway with a marble fountain, multiple balconies, and a three-tiered, crystal chandelier visible through the front two-story window. All the lights were on, loud bass thumped from inside, a cheer rose up from the backyard. Kids with liquor spirited from their parents' cabinets or bottles of wine shoved into their purses sauntered up to the front steps and walked right inside."

No need to "ring the bell—Mr. and Mrs. Florian weren't home. Too bad. They were missing the biggest party of the year.

Uma Arsulu, dressed in her best pair of straight-leg jeans, a teal crop top, and black vans, climbed out of an Escalade with her boyfriend, Gil Legume, and his soccer friends Asher Collins and Timothy Burgess. Gil, whose breath already smelled yeasty from the beer he'd drunk at the pregame party, shaded his brown eyes and gaped at the mansion. "This place is freaking sick."

"Aria Atlantis, who desperately wanted to be Timothy's girlfriend—she was also Uma's biggest soccer rival—stepped out of the backseat and adjusted her oversize, soccer hoodie. "The kid has it all."

"Except a soul," Uma muttered, limping up the lawn on her still-sore-from-a-soccer-injury ankle. Silence fell over the group as they stepped inside the grand foyer, with its checkerboard floor and a sweeping double staircase. Gil cast her a sideways glance. "What? I was kidding," Uma said with a laugh.

Because if you spoke out against Ben—if you so much as boycotted his party—you'd be off the Auradon Prep High A-list. But Ben had as many enemies as friends, and Uma hated him most of all. Her heart pounded, thinking about the secret thing she was about to do. She wondered whether the others were there yet.

The den was filled with candles and fat red cushions. Evie Grimhilde held court in the middle of the room. Her blue hair hung straight and shiny down her back. She wore a strapless Kate Spade dress and bone-colored high heels that showed off her long, lithe legs. One after another, classmates walked up to her and complimented her outfit, her white teeth, her amazing jewelry, that funny thing she'd said in English class the other day. It was par for the course, naturally—everyone always loved Evie. She was the most popular girl in school.

Then Crystal White, a junior who'd just dyed her hair the same blue shade as Evie's, stopped and gave a reverent smile. "You look amazing," she gushed, same as the others.
"Thank you," Evie said modestly.
"Where'd you get the dress?" Crystal asked.
Evie's friend Freddie Facilier inserted herself between the two. "Why, Crystal?" she snapped. "Are you going to buy the exact same one?"
Evie laughed as Freddie and CJ Hook, another of Evie's friends, high-fived. Crystal set her jaw and stomped away. Evie bit her lip, wondering if she'd been too mean. There was only one person she wanted to be mean to deliberately tonight.
And that was Ben.

Meanwhile, Audrey Rose stood with her boyfriend, Chad Charming , in the Florians' reclaimed oak and marble kitchen, nibbling on a carrot stick. She eyed a tower of cupcakes next to the veggie tray longingly. "Remind me why I decided to do a cleanse again?" "Because you're insane?" Chad raised his eyebrows mischievously. Audrey gave him an uh-duh look and pushed her smooth, straight, perfect dark hair out of her eyes. She was the type of girl who hated even looking at cross sections of the human body in biology class; she couldn't stand the idea that she was that ugly and messy inside.