An elderly woman stood in front of the academy's gates with a clipboard in her arms. The dreaded day arrived once again- the first day of term. It was the policy to register the arriving students and explain how the first day would go to them. Her head already hurt from the memory of the last-years' students talking over her and then complaining that they didn't know where to go or what to do. Thankfully, the older students had a separate entrance and they didn't need any help anymore. A fair number of students already loitered around the parking lot, saying their goodbyes or looking over their luggage. With a sigh, she glanced down at her watch- 30 minutes left until the day officially started.

---

Quinn waved at a departing car while chatting excitingly on her phone. Her father was on a tight schedule but at least he agreed to drive her to school which she was more than grateful for. Saying her last goodbye to her friends, she hung up her phone and grabbed the handle of her suitcase. Their school didn't start for another week and while she would never admit it, Quinn was jealous. There were many things that she had planned to do over the summer term and ended up not doing any of them. Her mother reassured her that she would be able to do them next year but based on what she heard about the academy, she would be too busy to do so. Slipping the phone into her jean jacket, Quinn dragged herself and her suitcase closer to the academy entrance.

@AnyAlex

Leo was being dropped off by his cousin, he was looking out the window sighing and looks at his cousin Juan," Hey why do i have to come here? Like i could of gone any other school." Juan looks at him and said," Pendejo(idiot) opportunity little cousin, you could do better than all of us, i especially don't want you to end up like i did, all tattooed up and went to jail. I worked hard to get you that new phone you always wanted and those soccer cleats and ball. I want you to succeed vato." He looks at Leo as they pulled up to the school. Leo said," I know primo, but I'm going to feel out of place here, with all these rich folks." Juan smiles and said," Remember what i told u think with your head and keep moving forward, and play smarter on the field." Leo smiles and hugs his cousin and he got off the car. Juan did too he put up his music a bit loader, it was of course Spanish rap and he said," Hey little man we be vatos locos for life i got your back no matter what cousin." Leo laughs and nodded as his cousin left. Leo seeing the car leave then turned to the car and sighed. He was nervous but held the soccer ball close. He pulled out his beats by Dre headphones of course these came with the phone his cousin bought him with a deal. And began to walk. He felt really out of place here but he hopes he could adjust soon.

Erik brought the conversation with the small group of new peers to a close, wringing a final laugh from the group before turning away and walking closer to the elderly woman near the gates of Pine Hills Academy. He focused on his face and put on the expression of a friendly, excited new student. The grin he had chosen, conveyed equal parts nerves and charm, allowing him to project an affable air while still attracting the attention of some of the other students. Word had already begun to spread that he was the new scholarship student, brought here for his intelligence. Erik had spent the greater part of the morning meeting and greeting amongst the incoming students, setting himself up with a good reputation as soon as possible. He smiled at several students he had met earlier in the day, navigating his possessions through the small sea of high end suitcases and bodies.

This was it. Erik had finally set himself up for success and made it into the realm of the elites, soon to enter their reality. The prestige of attending Pine Hill Academy would almost guarantee admission into any college he desired and the connections he would form with the wealthy students could prove vital for becoming a major success. Erik prided his accomplishment and his foresight to prepare his future, after all what students could resist becoming his friends? With a confident smile, Erik put his hand out to shake the hand of the woman in front of the gate.

"Hi there, it looks like you are in charge of registration. It is a pleasure to meet you! My name is Erik Fieldson. The scholarship letter said we should let you know when we arrive."

Although he had been the one to suggest to combine his singing carreer with studying, at that specific morning, he regretted the decision. He had a hard time coming out of bed and getting prepared, the day got even worse when he noticed a letter from his parents on the kitchen table.

"Sweetheart, we can't drive you to school, but we have called John to take you. Have a nice first day!"

John's family has served their family for generations already. John himself was the personal driver. Annoyed by the fact that Alex' parents wouldn't come with him to see him off, Alex texted John to take the day off. If his parents weren't going to bring him to school, he would simply walk the short distance.

When he arrived, a large crowd of students gathered around him. They were saying things like "So the rumours were true!", "I can't believe you really are here!" and "Can we get a photo with you?". He should have known that his first day wouldn't go by as easily and calm as he had hoped.

He gave everyone a bright smile, while thinking: "Can you please leave me alone!" Somehow he was able to push his way through and walk towards a location where less students were gathering, but still close enough to hear the elder lady.

@EurmalEye
Regina glared scornfully at the blue-haired man who began attracting the attention of the other students. Another celebrity it seemed. She regretted not getting that cup of coffee in the staff room this morning- this was going to be quite a long morning. Forcing on a stiff smile, she shook Erik's hand and checked his name off the register. Unlike the other students who would be registered as they entered the school campus, the scholarship students had the privilege of entering the school grounds early to help them ease into a new environment.

'' Yes, yes. Mr Fieldson. Did you attend the orientation a couple of weeks ago?'' she asked, looking back at her clipboard, ready to tick another box by the boy's name. Regina found Erik's friendly nature certainly refreshing, although a bit alarming. Most of the students were either young stars full of attitude or serious, no-nonsense heirs who felt that they were above everyone not in their social circle. She wasn't sure if he would be able to survive amongst his peers.

Blake walked up behind moving his earphones out of his hears and waited his turn. He still feeling anxious looking around. Blake honestly was lucky to be there recruited by scouting. Thinking he was only lucky his cousin and grandma always told him he was the one that was going to go far.Yeah a lot of pressure of me huh he looks at the school.
@EurmalEye@AnyAlex

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead."

Letting out a muffled groan, the teenage girl stirred and turned to face the older, better-kempt version of herself in the driver's seat as the latter spoke up again. "We're here. All the best, have fun, and I'll see you when I see you, I guess."

"Thank you..." Angelica muttered, running a hand through her flyaway but strangely-presentable auburn locks before she exited the sleek champagne vehicle.

She had nothing else to say to her sister, who was nearly as reticent as she was. However, it was clear that just like their parents, Antonia was hardly excited for her. Not that it mattered to Angelica, for regardless of how they felt about the whole situation, she was relieved to know that she would be spending some time away from them. She could use the change in environment, and perhaps she would get to be around more open-minded people. Surely many of these students cared about working on what they loved more than simply making tons of money, right? Of course, it would be absolutely fantastic if one could end up doing both, but even if she could not, her priority was set.

Angelica fumbled slightly as she gathered her belongings from the trunk, but eventually managed to sort herself out. She slammed it shut and gave Antonia a thumbs-up, signalling that she was good to go. She watched the car drive off for a couple of seconds before turning her attention to the building which stood just behind the entrance gates. Any drowsiness she had still been experiencing from her little nap on the way to the academy immediately vanished as she marveled at its lovely architecture. Grabbing the professional compact camera that hung from her neck, she proceeded to capture the beauty of the structure with several snaps.

She then lowered her camera with a subtle sigh of satisfaction before noting the presence of an older woman right at the gates. Observing that she had a clipboard, Angelica assumed her to be the staff member in charge of registration, but it seemed that she was waiting for the right time to address everyone who had gathered.

Erik noted the forced smile of the woman's face, but decided to continue to play into his current persona. He nodded at the woman's question and replied "I did, yes! I have to tell you, I cannot wait to see the amazing amount of effort that you all here have put into this school. I know working registration can't be too fun of a job, but I really appreciate you spending your time out here to get us situated." Erik layered the compliment with his best genuine, charming smile. While he was not sure, exactly what position this woman held at the school, the faster he got in good with the staff, the more his reputation would spread. It was even possible that the staff would write far better letters of recommendation in the future. The teachers and staff here were bound to have certain connections after all. He waited for a response patiently, and when she was done speaking thanked her and moved off to the side so the next person could go in the small line forming behind him to wait for the official start.

As he moved, he noticed Alex Pearson had made his appearance on campus. Erik had done his research and had made careful not of which celebrities would be attending Pine Hill this year. Noticing Alex's desire to separate himself from the pack, Erik saw an opportunity. He purposefully made a not too subtle glance at Alex, then to the crowd of people still whispering after him, and then moved slightly further away to give him his privacy and space. He gave a small head nod to the boy as he did so.

He let his gaze move around the crowd noting the people nearby and taking mental notes on his new peers. One of the new arrivals, a girl with auburn hair@Raptra took a professional looking camera and snapped several shots of what seemed to be the campus itself. Odd, in his opinion, but possibly a means to start a conversation with the student if need arose. Looking around more, he noted another student holding a soccer ball@Blade17. It was clear from his clothes that he was not the typical wealthy student, and Eric labelled him as another one of the scholarship students. Given his athletic frame, most likely, he had received it for his sports skills. The student was not projecting confidence however, but anxiety for some reason. He would have a difficult time fitting in Erik's judgement and dismissed him. There were several other students in the area as well and Erik took note of each such as the blonde girl with shoulder length hair in the jean jacket approaching the entrance@AnyAlex.

@EurmalEye @raptra Leo not noticing much but he was looking around, he noticed the girl taking pictures and thought hope im not it that. Blake was ready to go to his dorm and explore the campus and find the soccer field he was eager to test out his new cleats. He sighed as it started to get more crowded. Of course he didn't really care if he looks like a cholo, baggy shirts and lose pants of course he didn't wear his pants like regular cholos cause his cousin kicked his ass everytime but he liked wearing baggy clothing tho they do fit him normal just a bit baggy. He then looks at his phone all his family messaging him good luck and his friends from the soccer team too. Blake just needed to get to his room.

@Blade17@EurmalEye

''You must be the other scholarship student'' said Regina, turning to face Leonardo ''Mr Zamudio, is that correct?''. Looking over her checklist she marked off his name. Now all she had to do was to send off the scholarships student to their dorms and welcome the rest of the students. The reason why the scholarship students didn't have to stay at the gates for an extra thirty minutes was that all of this was already explained to them at the orientation- where each subject was held, punishments, locations of various businesses and leisure areas around the campus and the rules each student was expected to follow. With a sigh, she tucked her clipboard under her arm.

'' Feel free to head to your dormitories boys. If you get lost ask an older student for help or a member of staff. Hopefully, I will see you two in my English class tomorrow, if you're not late''

---

Leaning against the marble fence surround the school, Quinn was busy tapping away on her phone to her followers about how the school looked from the outside. Out of boredom, she would occasionally try to look over the fence to see the upperclassmen or a bit of the campus but due to her short stature, she could barely stretch her neck enough to get a glimpse which increased her curiosity about the academy. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice her bad attempts at looking at the campus and even if they did, Quinn doubted they would recognise her unless they were really into theatre. Many of her roles were small since not many people wanted to pay for a child actress due to high costs and complex legislation. As for her 'influencer' status, most of the time, people thought she was a doppelganger or an obsessive fangirl instead of the real deal. While her lack of popularity and recognition often saddened her, now she couldn't be more grateful for it.

Leo looks at the lady and nodded and headed inside he said to her," Thank you. Have a nice day." He went inside and walked to the room he was assigned he was looking around and said," Its bigger than i thought." Once he got to his room he unpacked everything and laid on the bed and looks at the ceiling he soon drifted Asleep for a bit. He was tired.

@anyalex

Erik was distracted from his examination of blonde girl by the woman, apparently their English teacher, allowing them entrance. He smiled and thanked her and began moving forward at a steady pace. Erik has already memorized the layout of the campus months ago and moved forward, comfortable in the knowledge that all those behind him would sense no weakness and know that he had received one of the coveted scholarships. Rather than go immediately to his dorm though, he sat at a nearby bench not too far from the entrance. He took in the campus, the sights of the other students, and felt nothing but satisfaction. He glanced over at the group of new students on the other side of the fence and decided to watch the orientation from this side of the fence. But for now, he allowed himself to relax and enjoy. He had made it into Pine Hill, he had set himself up well, overall he had done far more than his father had ever expected of him. Why that man did not see how talented and brilliant his son was, he would never understand. Erik allows a true satisfied smile to spread over his face.

@Raptra@Squirrel98
Regina raised her hand in an attempt to get the students' attention and in a croaky voice she demanded ''Everyone please gather round! All of you have received your rulebooks, schedules and maps of the campus in the mail. In case any of you haven't let me know now or forever keep your peace''. Having taught and welcomed the new students to the academy for years now, she could recite the welcoming speech from her memory perfectly. Without waiting for everyone to get close enough to hear her, she continued :

''Welcome to Pine Hills, everyone! I'm Professor Haney and I will be teaching you English. You're here because you were talented enough to pass our state of the art examinations and we were able to see your worth. Now I assume all of you have read the school rules but since you could have already forgotten, let me read out loud for you before we head in:

1) All students must arrive in their classrooms 5 minutes before the lesson starts.
2) There's no reason a student should skip class. If you're feeling unwell, notify one of the school nurses.
3) While classes are in session students need to be dressed in a formal office style attire.
4) Defacing of the school is prohibited.
5) Remain within the school grounds unless you've received permission to leave
6) Respect all staff and all of your peers.
7) All students should remain in their dorms after eight in the evening.
8) Consumption of any drugs is prohibited on the school grounds. Any student over 18 may consume ONE glass of wine during school events.
9) Do not wander into any staff-only areas without a teacher

Each rule is here for a reason and if any of them are broken, you will be severely punished. Any questions so far?''

Getting through the rules was usually the hardest part. Many students liked to challenge them, not understanding that she wasn't in charge of creating them and couldn't do anything about them. Despite her annoyance, Regina understood their desire to misbehave now that they were away from their parents- they had more freedom to be themselves.

Between the time of her arrival and that when the elderly staff member eventually called for everyone's attention had been the expected activity - students standing around alone, bidding their loved ones goodbye, or socializing with their soon-to-be schoolmates. Well, mostly anyway, with the exception of word going round that teen idol Alex Pearson was enrolling at the academy this year. Angelica was relatively familiar with his music, though, she would not consider herself a fan. When the elderly woman's voice rang through the car park requesting for all the students move in closer, she took her luggage and approached her together with the others to catch whatever was being said.

The welcome speech started off like any other, until the rather awkward part, in her opinion, about how they were all here because they were "talented enough to pass the academy's state-of-the-art examinations". It was as if the professor had gone out of her way to either compliment all of them or boast about the status of Pine Hills. Angelica figured that it was likely the latter, and her confusion then turned into slight indignation when she recalled that apart from those who were here on scholarship, the rest of the cohort, or the vast majority of them were here not just because of their talents but also because they could afford it.

The list of rules was nothing out of the ordinary, albeit probably slightly stricter. It was no surprise that an institution like Pine Hills would be that cautious about its image, after all. She subconsciously nodded in understanding along with several other students when the professor had stopped speaking, before discreetly glancing around to see if anybody was going to comment or ask a question.

He was glad to have some alone time when he noticed one scholarship student with brown hair and green eyes who nodded at him in a friendly way. A soft smile could be seen on his face as he nodded back. The guy clearly respected his wish to be left alone for a moment. @EurmalEye

When the woman gave them the standard introduction, he started to daydream and although he didn't hear most of it, he was pretty upset about not being able to skip or go outside after eight. One could see his surprise and frustration on his face, but he didn't say anything out loud.

He closed his eyes for a second, took a deep breath and opened them again. He couldn't be seen angry in public, it wasn't good for his image. And he wasn't someone to easily get angry to begin with. He made his usual smile appear again and nodded to show his understanding about the rules. @AnyAlex

Blake woke up as he sat up and thought to himselfhmm alright time to go practice. he of course got up and got his soccer ball and walked around the school of course to see around and then he went to the soccer field, empty for the day. He said," Perfect." He went in the soccer field and began to practice. His ball already had air so he didn't need to fill it up.blake just started kicking the ball to the goal post

Quinn edged closer to the elderly woman and listened half-heartedly to her speech. Her mother made sure she understood each rule before leaving for the academy. Still, she felt compelled to listen in case something new was added to the rules, despite her firm belief that after the first week they wouldn't be as heavily enforced. After all, most school rules just existed to make sure children would learn some discipline and the stricter the rules, the better a school looked to parents who wanted their offspring to aim high.

As the woman waited for a question, Quinn scanned the crowd, noticing that no one was speaking up. Wanting to break the semi-awkward silence, she hesitantly raised her hand and asked:

'' I know this is slightly unrelated, but are there any extracurriculars that we can attend?''

---

@Blade17@EurmalEye

After the silence was broken by the blonde girl, Regina answered, somewhat irritated that she couldn't finish off the orientation quickly.
'' There are many existing clubs that you may join, but you also have the option to form a club as long as you get permission from a teacher''
At least everyone seemed to have the resources that the school sent out- that always saved time. Satisfied that everyone else seemed to understand the rules, Regina pulled the clipboard from underneath her arm and looked over the names of the students and which dormitories they were placed in. Whilst looking over the names she spoke up:
'' Since all of you have maps, you shouldn't have any trouble getting to your dorms. Please go through the gate and head to your dorm as soon as I read out your name. You'll have the rest of the day off to explore the campus and get acquainted. Now the students in Leibniz dorm are...''

The teacher recited the names in a quick manner although her posture suggested she was tired of the whole ordeal. Time seemed to stop as countless students began filling the school courtyard and excited chatter filled the air. Finally, she had gotten to the final dormitory ( Currie):
''Casey, Angelica......Pearson, Alex...... McNamara, Quinn''

@AnyAlex

Blake was still training in the field of course. He would juggle the ball then kicked it into the goal post, he then looks around and said," Seems like everyone is in class." He got his ball and started to look around going to the front watching the rest of his classmates, and thinking hope i could make friends. he looks around and went back to his dorm.

When he heard the elder lady call out his name, a smile appeared on his face. He liked the freedom of having the rest of the day off. He took his luggage and walked towards his dorm to unpack.

His room looked less luxurious than the rooms he was used to, but it didn't matter. He took his time to unpack, after which he went back outside again. When he found a piece of grass bathing in the sunlight away from the big crowd, he went to lay down. That felt nice.

With his eyes closed, he started to think about the lyrics of his new song. He got so caught up in the lyrics of his song that he didn't realise what was going on around him anymore.

Quinn walked confidently through the academy's gates, excited to explore the campus. When she first saw the map of the academy, the number of facilities and shops on campus astounded her- the campus was like a small city in itself. Looking intently at the copy of the said map on her phone, she walked on the stone pathway to her dormitory.

Once she arrived in her room, Quinn couldn't help but be disappointed. It was way smaller than her room at home and it simply looked... plain. Immediately, she began unpacking in the hope of giving some personality to the bare room. Despite her best efforts the girl still thought that the room looked basic when she looked over her work. None of the posters and pictures she stuck up on the walls seemed to help either.

Deciding to try to improve her dorm room another day, Quinn shrug off the denim jacket off her shoulders and threw it onto the bed. The day was still young and she wanted to see more of the campus. Leaving her phone on her desk, she locked her door and headed outside towards the centre of the campus- which seemed to have most of the shops and services.