---

Finn had really been enjoying his nap. He'd gotten a taxi from the airport and gave the nice driver man the school's address, and after he was positive that the driver wasn't a serial killer, he dosed off. When he'd woken up one hour later, it was to flashing lights and reporters pounding on his window. He'd always wanted to be famous, but he was pretty sure this wasn't the kind of famous he wanted. He stepped out of the car and suddenly, he was being bombarded by journalists. Okie dokie, obviously you trash heaps were never taught about personal space he thought as a microphone was shoved in his face.

"Did you cheat to get in to Caelbury?" one man shouted.

"Did you bribe the admissions director?" another demanded.

"How does it make you feel that Caelbury is shutting down?" another journalist asked.

Before Finn could even utter a response, a security guard swept the leeches that called themselves reporters away from him, and he was being brought through the crowd and towards the auditorium, bag in hand. Finn couldn't process all this. Why the hell were they asking about bribes, and cheating? His stomach was in knots, and he felt like he was going to puke. His hands floated up to his mouth where he began to absentmindedly bite his nails, a bad habit of his since age eight.

As the security guard escorted him to the auditorium, he was instructed not to leave. That was fine by him. He had no desire to be caught up in that wave of awful people. He took a seat, hoping one of his friends would stop by and he'd be able to discuss this, but until then he fished out his phone. He opened up every social media app he had, and there wasn't one mention of the attack the paparazzi had just launched on his school. Hopefully the dean will explain away all this bullshit

---

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Julia was pissed. As her limo pulled up in front of the school, she sat and looked out the window at the feeding frenzy that was occurring. "What the fuck to they think they're doing? Invading a place of education. Invading my place of education. I will have someone's head for this!" She shouted as her driver opened her door. The lights flashed as she stepped out. One reporter had the nerve to run up and shove a microphone in her face. That set her off. She snatched the stupid little thing out of his hands and chucked it into the crowd.

The reporters began to back off after that, fearing for the safety of their own equipment if they tried to bombard the tech heiress. A security guard wasn't even necessary, and so she strolled down the path, handbag swinging, and a smirk on her face. While most of the questions were lost in the air, she heard a few that those piranhas masquerading as humans shouted.

"Ms. Fenswait, how did you react to the allegations of cheating?"

"Ms. Fenswait, are you aware of Caelbury's corruption?"

"Ms. Fenswait, did your daddy buy your way in?"

Julia turned to look at the reporters that were following her before letting out a high pitched wail, one that sent them reeling, and then returning to strutting down the path towards the auditorium. Why the hell were these people here? Caelbury corrupt? If it was corrupt then it was obviously on the wrong side of the corruption spectrum because in her opinion, there were way too many nobodies here.

The heiress strolled into the auditorium, a steely look on her face. She took a seat near the front and whipped out her phone. She figured she must have missed something about this but it turns out that she hadn't. News of Caelbury hadn't gotten out to anyone yet. The dean better hurry his ass up and tell us what is going on or I'm going to have a fit.

---

After nearly mowing down a dozen members of the paparazzi, Cori put her car in park and flicked down the mirror to reassure herself that, yes, she looked perfect for the first day of school. She removed her sun glasses and stared at her reflection, unsmiling. ...Well, no one's perfect. She replaced the glasses and stepped out into the student parking lot and was immediately greeted by a scurry of reporters and-- and a body guard? Reporters she could handle, but as she gazed about the campus grounds, she realized that most students probably couldn't.

Discourse of corruption at Caelbury flooded her ears. None of this sounded familiar, and she made a mental note to check her phone once she was in the safety of the school. "Well, what do you expect when you let just anyone in?" she offered a woman who was particularly insistent on getting anything out of the student--and then the shouting grew. Cori was happy to use the media to her advantage, and she was confident her small question would plant just the kind of seed in pushing the lucky commoners out of Caelbury. Out of her learning space (not that her opinion was anything new to the tabloids).

Her bodyguard was frustrated that she had humored the crowd, but he did his job: she was escorted safely to the school without saying another word. Her arrival was announced by the loud click of her heels on the auditorium floor, rose gold plated phone already being slipped away as she entered. "Hello, lovely," she greeted coolly as she sat next to Julia, lifting her sunglasses onto her head. "I can't wait for them to explain this mess."

---

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For quite possibly the first time in his life, Nathan was right on time; pulling up to the school in his vintage, white Mercedes. The car had been a birthday gift from his father a few years back, and really, it was a beautiful thing - all shining rims and painstakingly polished curves. The first time he’d laid eyes upon this glorious automobile, was when he truly appreciated the benefits of being filthy rich.

Then again, everything in life came at a price.

As he approached, the first thing he noticed was, of course, the seething mass of paparazzi, converged around the front gate and its immediate vicinity. Now, on a regular day, paparazzi was common. Caelbury was a school for the rich and famous, after all.

But this? This was a far cry from the usual half dozen or so, and you had to be a special kind of oblivious to not realise that something was wrong. Nathan could barely suppress a grimace at the thought of getting near these people; and then, as if on cue, a gaggle of particularly unambitious reporters noticed his presence. They began to split off from the main group like some sort of overgrown amoeba - or maybe even a white blood cell, zoning in on anything stupid enough to get within grabbing distance.

For a brief moment or two, Nathan contemplated simply heading back home. Paparazzi was the last thing anyone wanted to deal with in the morning, but he held little doubt that his mother would throw a fit if he missed the first day of school. Ever since the last semester, after the event that would henceforth be dubbed: The Incident - the ever-perfect Mr. and Mrs. Glass actually began to worry about what their son was doing. Of course, dinner at the Glass estate were still filled with nothing but the quiet clinking of cutlery, but the fact that they actually did something was borderline ludicrous. In his eyes, it was a simple, harmless prank. People would point and laugh, his victim would scream at him for being an insensitive shithead, and that would be it.

Little did he know, however, that for all the effort he put in, they were petty enough to dump a lawsuit in his hands. What was it for, again? Intentional Precipitation of Emotional Distress? He couldn’t quite remember that technical mumbo jumbo, but apparently, it’d caused his parents enough money and trouble that they finally decided to take matters into their own hands - whatever that meant. As far as Nathan was concerned, all they’d done is threaten to cut his allowance if “he didn’t get his act together, goddamnit!”

Unfortunately, he was no longer able to follow this enthralling train of thought, as he soon noticed the approach of numerous paparazzi. Nathan had to wonder - didn’t they have anything better to do? As much as he hated to admit it, the Glass name wasn’t quite as prestigious as it should’ve been. Sure, they were basically one of the richest family in the Midwest, though compared to the children of celebrities and politicians, their reputation left much to be desired. Questions of corruption, bribery, and other unsavoury concepts grew louder and louder. Why they expected him to have the answers was a mystery to him. Still, illogic didn’t seem to deter the paparazzi, and they only grew more frenzied as he climbed out of his car.

Now, there was something to be said about reliable security, but Caelbury’s own was downright impressive. Before Nathan had time to process what was happening, there a security guard was by his side, sweeping him away from the circling vultures, and into the school through a side gate. Behind him, he could still hear the shouts of the paparazzi, even managing to catch a glimpse through iron bars, though it didn’t take them long to lose interest, moving on to more vulnerable prey. With a mumbled thanks, Nathan and his escort began to make their way to the auditorium.

By the time they reached the auditorium, it was already filled with a cacophony of nervous chatter. Nathan took a seat near the back, where some of his acquaintances were, seeing no use in paying any heed to the rumours that circulated. In time, all would become clear, but for now, it was way too early for this shit.

---

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Morning routines usually stayed the same for Albert despite his surroundings changing all the time. Apartment slums to Caelbury dorms, NJ trash heaps to Cali sunshine, mold ridden bathrooms to pristine washrooms. Albert sighed at the thought, staring pointedly at his own reflection in the untouched mirror before him. Really, despite all the changes around him, he still failed to change himself one bit. How dreary. Al shook himself away from his own stare after a moment, glancing down at the water running noisily into the white sink, and with another hushed sigh he lowered his face down and returned to washing. Water splashed across his face, droplets caught on his white undershirt and doused his hair in a chill he really wanted to avoid, and once he felt the feeling of last night’s bad mistakes fade away into nothing he straightened and reached for a towel.

Al stumbled back out into his dorm half-blind and groggy, rubbing the wetness from his face and hair while using his foot to seek out his bed, which he eventually tripped onto after allowing his ankle to collide directly with his still unpacked suitcase. He let out a soft groan into the sheets and blankets below his face, fighting off waves of lasting drowsiness that had yet to be swept away by the morning mood. He had to get up, he knew, but why was that again? Why? Thoughts, countless words he had seen over the years, flooded his mind with a headache and his eyes clenched shut. A faint murmur outside his window eventually brought him back from his half-daze, and he sighed. School… Right, school was starting today, and he was still lying around like a bum. Al let out another groan, shifting onto his back to stare blankly up at the ceiling.

It was his last year at Caelbury, right? Senior year, the last time he’d arrive at this school two days early. The last time he’d spend his days walking around the rich California neighborhood, calling out dames and dukes alike and laughing with acquaintances that he would later lose to school days. The last time he’d be able to see his friends, his enemies, and his teachers before the stress of college or work took over their lives. The last year of living in pristine, with money pouring out of every pocket he knew. Albert pursed his lips, grimacing at his own depressing thoughts. Last year of Caelbury, huh? A slight, devious smile crossed his lips, and he sat up slowly, running a hand through his blonde hair.

Why not make it count?

Al moved about his room lazily, pulling on a makeshift outfit while allowing his glasses to hang loosely on the tip of his nose. As he spent more time preparing for the day, the sunlight outside grew, and the murmurs that had started awhile back soon grew into a mass of voices. Curiosity eventually drew his gaze down towards the main gates, and his eyebrows rose curiously at the mass of bodies beyond.

”Dang, really? Paps here already?” Al squinted passed wide-rimmed glasses, lips curling into a smirk. Excitement so early in the morning? Al assumed it to be a blessing, though many of the kids he swore he saw parting the crowds probably thought of it as a curse. Al wiped the smirk off his face with one thought, turned on his heels and took a few pacing steps around the room, gathering up whatever materials he could find to fill his backpack.

Eventually, Al left his dorm behind, not really caring that the current state it was in was now more akin to a whirlwind wreckage than a room, and started the trek down towards the auditorium. It, like the rest of the school’s paths, was etched cleanly into his mind, so much so that he swore he saw a green line below his feet guiding him to his destination. Already his snide expression gleamed bright, and he walked with his back high and his head low and glaring. The usual Jersey waltz, a posture Al wore without really realizing it. Hopefully the few friends he was about to meet up with out correct his posture for him, but until then he creeped forward, one hand buried in his front pocket while the other closed around the pack strap over his shoulder.

Ahead of him, the halls varied, and familiar and unfamiliar faces appeared and vanished into forming crowds. The auditorium was close, and the start of his last first day was even closer. A half-smirk filled his stony face, and his mind whispered sarcastically;

stop with the sentiments already

As Maria walked closer towards Caelbury carrying her Canon - EOS Rebel T5 DSLR Camera that she had bought Maria adjusted the beanie she wore on her head and her shoulder bag that held all her school supplies.. She instantly noticed a horde of paparazzi standing out in front of the school itself, like a group of zombies they quickly surrounded students asking them questions such as, "Where are you going to go, now that Caelbury is shutting down!?" "Can you tell us about attending a corrupt school?" "Did you cheat to get into this school?" "Everyone wants a normal high school experience, don't you wish that you could be normal?" "All we want is just a statement! Dammit, just write that they're ignoring us because they're just as guilty as the school." "What kind of methods does the school teach you to cheat the system?" As the students were quickly escorted into the building, it was Maria's turn just as the swarmed around her. Maria for the first time in her life she was frozen, she had the look of a deer caught in the headlights of an on coming car.

"I, uhm uh-" Maria stuttered as she had no idea what they were even talking about, Maria could feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead she had never been in this sort of crowd before and her heart was racing and felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. Just as she felt like running away she felt someone's hand on her shoulder and started to escort her directly into the school. When Maria was in the safety of the walls of Caelbury the young girl sighed deeply in relief.

Maria started to make her way towards Caelbury's auditorium, looking around Maria could hear the voices of other students all of them talking about what was going on. Maria quietly walked and made her way towards the front row seats sitting not to far away from Julia and Cori, she took out her phone trying to get whatever news that could be related to the school but dint find anything.

Beyond the main gates and up above where the blinding flashes look like twinkling stars, Bellamy watched with growing unrest. She leaned against the railing of the balcony, chin propped on clasped hands and dreamy gaze drifting further into a world bent and shaped according to her whims. There, she stood alongside her fellow Caelbury students, surrounded by pesky paparazzi with their endless questions, being asked all at once so not a single one could be understood.

Bellamy wondered how she would handle a crowd like this. Would it be with the effortless grace of a seasoned celebrity, dancing across their pointed inquiries with the perfectly crafted responses—vague but sincere? Or would her temper flare after one paparazzo oversteps, accusing her of baseless transgressions, or worse, badmouthing the school she had come to dearly love in the short time she had been there.

It would be the latter, for sure, but she can pretend it's not.

Her eyes briefly refocused on the scene below when a familiar soft nest of black curls appeared. She felt her lips curl downward in sympathy: the ex-child star surely wouldn't like this one bit. Perhaps she could throw a flower pot across the street and distract the paparazzi for a good measure, give Sebastian Gable enough time to scurry away. She would get in trouble for it, but certainly nothing she couldn't manage.

Before she could carry out her plan, footsteps echoed behind her, signaling the end of her sightseeing.

It took him longer to find her than she had guessed.

"Would you believe my luck, Mr. Andrews?" Bellamy asked, not bothering to turn around. She already knew who it was—it was always him—and she thought it made for a more dramatic confrontation. "You know, I wasn't supposed to return to the dorms until this morning. I asked Gran if I could come back a day early, begged her even, and she only conceded the day of. But anyway, I was just thinking… if I'd listened to Gran, then I would have arrived around this time. I would have experienced going through a sea of paparazzi."

A wistful sigh, unnecessarily long and drawn, escaped her lips. The security guard couldn't help but sigh himself, although his was decidedly more exasperated-sounding. It came with eyes screwing shut and fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. The sign of defeat. Poor Adam Andrews, hired as a security guard just four months prior, was still at the bottom of the food chain. That meant he didn't get to securely guard the Wealthy or the Gifted—just the lucky lottery winners.

Like this noisy one.

"Ms. Hart," Adam interrupted, because she wouldn't stop otherwise. "You're supposed to stay in the auditorium."

"I suppose some people would think I was fortunate to have skipped this whole predicament, though. Sebastian Gable certainly would. But I wouldn't have minded a little intrigue to start my first full year here. It would set a nice precedent, don't you think?" Bellamy carried on as though she hadn't heard him, but she followed Adam into the hallway and down two flights to the main foyer. From across the hall, she could see more familiar faces entering the double doors of the auditorium, all buzzing with excited chatter. Among them was a talented cinematographer, biting his nails again!

"Oh! There's Finn!" Bellamy turned to give Adam Andrews a curtsy and a sheepish grin in parting, before racing inside in pursuit of her friend. "Thank you for escorting me here. I'm sure I'll see you again, Mr. Andrews."

Bellamy was certain she heard him grumble a mildly exasperated "let's hope not" but she was sure he meant it as a fond quip.

---

Finding Finn among the litter of students should have been a difficult feat, but Bellamy liked to think she had a special radar for her best friend. She scanned the crowd for but a couple of seconds before her hazel eyes locked onto the boy swiping away at his phone.

"Hey, you!" Bellamy sidled over, plopping down unto the empty seat next to Finn. She nudged him with a shoulder and grinned in greeting. "So tell me. How did it feel like, being hounded by the paparazzi like that? Did you feel like a celebrity caught in a scandal?"

---

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Finn smiled as his best friend found her way to the seat next to him. As he looked over, his stomach gave a slight flutter at seeing Bellamy for the first time in a few months, something that he mentally scolded himself for. He wasn't supposed to have a crush on his best friend. It was stupid, especially when she didn't even feel the same way. As his internal battle raged on, he started to answer his friend's question, grinning. "You know, if that is what the red carpet is like, than I think I'll have my Oscar mailed to me," he said, chuckling.

"So tell me about your summer? Was it everything you hoped it would be and more? Did you find buried treasure or solve an age-old mystery? Knowing you I'm sure it was something exciting," Finn asked, grinning his goofy grin still. One of the things that he liked so much about Bellamy was her ability to turn anything into an adventure of some kind, which is why he had no doubt that her summer had been loads more fun than his had been.

---

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Julia smiled as Cori sat down, a real smile, not the fake ones that she plastered on for a lot of people. "Oh I think I could do those paps out there a favor and explain everything. I'm sure any wrongdoings could easily be attributed to Jingle Bells and her boyfriend, Spielberg JR, over there," she said, gesturing to Finn and Bellamy, "or to the other camera wielding freak," Julia finished, glaring icily at Maria.

Finished with her rant, Julia turned and smiled at Cori. The two girls had been friends for a bit now, and while Julia could've asked how her summer went, it would've been pointless. She'd been in pretty much constant contact with the upperclassman since school had ended last term, and so she instead decided to ask about something else, and something slightly more important to Julia. "Where the hell did you get those heels? Because they are the only thing stopping me from having a meltdown about those trash bags laying siege to my school."

---

Cori followed Julia's gesture, a scowl coming to face as she watched Bellamy: obnoxious, loud, immature. She sighed and rolled her eyes back to Julia as she nodded in agreement. "That goes without saying," she said. "Hopefully, this commotion will put an end to the lottery." Even as she spoke, however, Cori knew her hopes were too high; the generous and press-friendly charity that allowed those people into Caelbury couldn't possibly be blamed for the reporters outside.

She returned Julia's smile as they changed subjects, and Cori adored talking about herself: "Well, you know I was in Paris last weekend--father's work stuff," she answered, sticking her leg out with pride as she admired the heels. "The Azzedine Alaia store is there, and we finally made time to visit." She dropped her foot and pouted a bit and added, "I had to chip in some of my own allowance, but I think they were worth it! Especially for the first day, oui?" She winked playfully and sat up straight again.