The Academy

The first week at Kloss was easier than I expected. Though it was probably because they go easy on new students at every school. For instance, there was a test in Science on Tuesday. Since I didn't know what we were learning, I didn't have to take it. So it was probably going to get harder, maybe next week.

For now Cassie and I were in our dorm getting ready to head out to New York City. A weekend trip of shopping and tonight we would head to an underground club with the guys. Apparently Devin, Andrew, Brent, Jeff, Zach, and Jimmy had a surprise for us and no matter how much we annoyed them, they would never tell us. We knew it was a lost cause but we would find out soon.

I told Cassie as we were looking through her clothes to try and find something for her to wear tonight, that we would buy something before we went to the club. Surprisingly, her closet included nice t-shirts, jeans, and sweatshirts, nothing flashy or club worthy. I continued packing, as did Cassie.

“I have no clue what to wear tonight,” I sighed, flipping through the clothes in my closet. “I mean I have this,” I pulled out a black one shoulder dress with an embellishment on the right side that came a little below my thighs. “Or this.” I held up a strapless black mini dress with rhinestones at the top.

Cassie sighed, thinking. She put her hand on her hip, looking back and forth between dresses.

“I like them both,” She admitted. “Pack them and try them on tonight. Then make the decision.”

I nodded, throwing them into my suitcase along with my shoes for tonight and makeup bag, then zipping it up. I put the case on the floor and relaxed while Cassie continued to pack.

“So, are you going to hook up with anyone tonight?” I asked, smiling mischievously at Cassie.

“Well, I kind of think I like Christian,” She shrugged. “So maybe.” Her face turned bright red. “But what about you Riley? You have to want to hook up with someone.” She urged me.

I instantly felt my face heat up. As odd as this may sound, I never blushed when I wanted to hook up with someone. Probably because I never wanted to, it kind of just happened. I knew I couldn't lie to Cassie now, I am such a bad liar.

“Well, I was kind of hoping Andy or maybe Danny,” I smiled. “Not both, though it would be a bonus, but just one would be exceptionally good.”

“I think Andy likes you!” She squeaked. “He is always staring at you during meals and in English. I'm not really sure about Danny though, he is a bit harder to read.”

“Well, we'll just see what happens tonight,” I smiled and stuffed my phone and iPod into my bag along with my wallet and some extra stuff I didn't feel needed to be in my suitcase, as Cassie closed her's and did the same.

“We still have half an hour before we have to get on a bus,” Cassie said looking at the time on her phone. “Why don't we have everyone meet us at the cafe?” I nodded as she mass texted everyone to meet us down there.

We decided to bring our suitcases so we wouldn't have to run back to our rooms to get them later. Before walking out I put on my oversized sunglasses and handed another pair to Cassie as she didn't have any. We walked down to the cafe and each ordered a Latte as others began to file in, starting with Audrina and Claire, and ending with Sam and James. But no sign of Devin, Andrew, Brent, Jimmy, Zach, or Jeff.

“Where are the others?” Audrina asked, taking a bite of a pastry.

“They left early,” Jinxx shrugged. “It was something about the surprise for tonight that they talked to the Dean about leaving early and had another bus come and get them and their stuff.”

“If only we knew what was going on,” I sighed. “They wouldn't even give us the slightest hint as to what it was.”

“Well, don't feel left out,” Danny laughed. “We have no clue either. They just told us we would find out when you guys did.”

We all just say, talking, trying to figure out what the others had planned for us, but we just came up with a blank. Though the other guys were their good friends, they knew as little about what they were planning as us. We talked more until we heard a woman over the loud speaker telling everyone who is going to New York to head down to where the buses were loading, which is conveniently right by the cafe.

There were several buses for everyone to get on. Since the ride would be just a little over two hours, they had gotten coach buses so we wouldn't have to sit and not be able to go to the bathroom for that allotted time. We were all walking, suitcases in hand, heading for an empty bus in the back so we could all be together.

“Guys!” We heard someone yell and we all turned our heads to see Michelle's head popping out of a bus door. “Come on this one!”

The guys just ignored her and shook their heads and continued walking with us. I shot Michelle a smile a smile as she glared at our little group. We boarded the bus and Andy pulled me down next to him and laughed when I squeaked. I rolled my eyes at him as I stood up to put my suitcase in the compartment above our seats. Cassie, who was sitting next to us, smirked at me and I just rolled my eyes at her. Audrina, who was sitting next to Cassie, giggled at her and whispered something to her.

“What time are we going to the club tonight?” Claire asked, sitting behind us.

“Around like 9:30,” Cam said. “That gives us enough time to walk around the city, go to dinner, and still get back in the hotel in time to get ready.”

“Do they teachers even care what we do?” I asked. “I mean, we're going to New York, won't they want to keep a close eye on us?”

“Not really,” Ben shook his head. “They understand we are teenagers and outside of boarding school we need to have some fun. That is why every year they plan this trip to New York. They get to have us out of their hair for a weekend and we get to do whatever we want, so long as we keep the school's name clean.”

I nodded, understanding what he was saying. It was pretty much a win/win situation. Everyone relaxed in their seats as the bus started in motion. I put one earbud in and started listening to music and talking with everyone, mainly Andy.

“So when do people find out who is on The List for girls?” I asked, twirling a strand of hair on my index finger. “I'm dying to know who is on it.”

“People will find out when they find out,” Andy laughed, grabbing the other earbud and putting it in his ear. “But,” He started whispering. “It's safe to say you are probably one of the top...three.”

“So, I would be at the same level as you, Danny, and Devin?” I asked. Andy nodded. I felt a strange sensation of heat come over my face. I hoped he didn't notice.

Andy and I talked a little more during the ride. I guess we had gotten a bit drowsy because Audrina was poking me in the shoulder telling me the bus had stopped and apparently my head was on Andy's shoulder and his head was on top of mine. Cassie and Claire were both laughing at me, while Ashley was giving Andy a kissy face. I blushed slightly and Andy and I both laughed at eachother.

We got off the bus and grabbed our luggage that was laying on the sidewalk. We were staying at a fancy hotel called The Roosevelt. The teacher in charge of our bus told us what rooms we were in. We ended up staying with our roommate which gave me an advantage. If anything happened tonight, Cassie and I could talk about it after it happened, well that is if I wanted to.

Cassie and I headed up to our room. I didn't bother to unpack. Whenever I went away for less than a week, I lived out of my suitcase. I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes while Cassie unpacked her bag.

“Not unpacking, Riley?” She laughed at me.

I shook my head, sighing. “What's the point? We're here until Sunday night,” I answered. “Why unpack when you just have to pack it all up later? It's like you are a nomad with nowhere to go but you unpack to feel like you belong somewhere.”

“Deep moment alert,” She laughed. “So, when are we going to walk around with the guys?”

“Anxious to see Christian?” I laughed and noticed her blush. “Soon. Danny's supposed to be text me when everyone else is ready. Audrina and Claire will be over soon.”

Just as I said that there was a knock on the door and Cassie went over to answer it. In walked Claire and Audrina, both wearing their sunglasses all ready to go and came over and sat on the chairs across from the beds.

“So when are we leaving?” Audrina asked, running her fingers through her long brown hair. “Surprisingly my mom gave me her credit card and said I could buy whatever I wanted so I need to go shopping now.”

“Same here,” Cassie said. “When you go to a boarding school, shopping opportunities are pretty rare, at least at Kloss.”

“You're in luck then!” I exclaimed closing my phone. “Danny just texted me and said that he and the guys are ready to go. Well, except Devin and them. They are still setting up their surprise for us.”

They all nodded and grabbed their bags, pulling their sunglasses off the top of their head, as I did the same and we headed down to the lobby to meet Danny, Sam, Cam, Ben, James, Andy, Ashley, Jake, Christian, and Jinxx. They were all sitting in chairs in the lobby and looked somewhat surprised when they saw us.

“You girls are already ready to go?” Jake asked surprised. We all nodded and laughed at bit at the surprise in all of their faces.

“Tonight is the time when we will take forever to get down here,” Claire laughed as she started heading for the door. We all followed after her. “So where to first?” We stepped out into the bright sunlight, an unseasonably warm air around us.

“I promised Cassie I would help her find something to wear for tonight,” I told them. “So we'll be in and out of a couple stores.”

Everyone nodded. The guys didn't seem to object to a small shopping spree, which probably meant even the guys felt deprived of shopping. Back home, if you wanted to go shopping, guys would scatter at the very idea so you were mostly out with your best girlfriends with the occasional guy who just tagged along to feel like a ladies' man.

We walked around for a while, going in and out of stores, window shopping, but nothing sticking out to neither I nor Cassie. We were heading into the Upper Class district where if you shopped there, you were obviously somebody. None of them were somebodies but had enough money to spend, though I wouldn't dare tell them about my being a small “somebody.” Now, I was thankful for my last name being common.

That's when I saw it, the store where I have found so many outfits. The store most people only ready about in magazines or novels about New York socialites, Barney's.

“Cassie, we're going in here,” I said, grabbing her hand and pulling her in, looking around as fast as I could. This was the place to find any outfit you wanted for any occasion you needed it for.

“Riley, this is Barney's,” She pointed out with a slightly bewildered look. “I highly doubt we will find something in here that will suit me.”

“Nonsense. We will find something. It's all about knowing where to look. Plus, even being in this store is an honor,” I shrugged.

“You realize this stuff is what socialites wear, not boarding school students,” She said with a tone that suggested that she believed I was crazy, which I knew I wasn't. I turned to look at her with the most serious look on my face.

“Cassie, how many opportunities as a boarding school student do you have to go shopping? Not many. You have your mom's credit card and she said you can buy whatever you want. She won't get mad for one four-hundred dollar shirt. She would be mad if she knew you went to a club in a sweatshirt and denim flare jeans. I will supply you with everything else you need,” I tried to persuade her and I could tell it was working.

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “One shirt and that is it. I'm buying shoes from a less high end store.”

I squealed and began to look around in any section I could find worthy clothes. I didn't see anything that suited Cassie until I saw it. A gorgeous brown silk shirt. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and a braided embellishment just under the bust. I smiled picking a size small off the rack and walking over to Cassie.

“Try this on!” I demanded, shoving it in her face. “It's going to look amazing on you. Please just go and try it on!”

She obliged and walked over to the dressing rooms. I hadn't even noticed in my bombardation of the store that the others had come in too. When I was near the dressing room waiting for Cassie to come out, Andy walked over and stood beside me.

“Hey,” He said, smiling at me. “So, what are you wearing tonight to the club?”

“I don't know one hundred percent yet,” I smiled up at him, biting my lip. “But you'll find out tonight at the club.”

Then Cassie came out of the dressing room. The shirt went a little below her hips and hugged her in all the right places. I nodded at the excellent choice.

“It's perfect,” She started. “But it doesn't really go with flare jeans. The shirt itself is flowy and flares don't go with flowiness.”

“I have a pair of jeans you can borrow. I don't mind you wearing them tonight. I'll just wear them tomorrow. No biggie,” I shrugged.

“Thanks Riley,” She smiled at me going back into the dressing room to get changed into her normal clothes.

While she did that I continued to look around to see if anything caught my eye for myself. My problem was that I couldn't go into Barney's and not buy something. Maybe if I say something I could wear that night. Seeing no shirts or dresses I liked, I continued to look at other things Barneys had to offer and settled on a neutral brown oversized bag.

We walked out of the store and headed down the street. Cassie had a radiance of coolness surrounding her as she carried her Barneys bag. Her shirt wasn't as expensive as she thought it would be, only a hundred-and-fifty dollars, which is actually considered pocket change by the people who regularly shopped there. After walking around for a while, the girls and I headed into a store by the name of AMI, just to look around. Meanwhile, the guys stayed outside just taking in the New York scenery.

I was looking at dresses, just to see what they had, having no intention of buying anything. Though, if I found something to make an impression on one of the guys, then I would buy it. I knew I wanted to impress either Andy or Danny tonight, or at least this weekend.

“Riley, we are going to help you find an outfit for tonight,” Claire said, Cassie and Audrina nodding by her side. “We figured you have been such a good friend this past week, we felt like this is a way to thank you.”

“Really, you guys don't need to do anything for me. I like helping you guys. Besides, it should be me thanking you. You guys didn't care that I was the new girl at Kloss. You guys talked to me like I was always a student,” I said with a slight smile.

Truthfully, Cassie, Audrina, and Claire had been the first true friends I actually felt comfortable with. My friends from my old school were the kind that would only like you when you were drunk, needed someone to stick up for them against someone like Michelle, or because they knew of the connections you had. These girls had no idea what I was like drunk, had no idea how tough I actually was when I first arrived here, and had no clue about how I was brought up or who my parents are and their connections. One thing these girls did need to know was that they didn't need my help sticking up for them because they had it in them, they just didn't know it yet. That would be another project, teach them how to stand up to her.

“Well, you're the first person to every stand up to Michelle. Telling her she doesn't rule the school. Everyone is afraid to even look at her the wrong way, let alone stand up to her and stick up for those guys,” Audrina said. “Everyone at Kloss is afraid to talk to them and you walked right up to them. You're probably one of the least fake people here. Some people talk about putting Michelle in her place but you actually did.”

“Thanks. But really, I don't think you guys need to help me,” I laughed. They just shook their heads and pulled me along looking in every rack they could find.

The held up shirts to me and shaking their heads when it wasn't good enough. They finally picked something out and all agreed on it. I have to say I like their choice of apparel. The dress was a strapless mini with stretch material and had sequin all over. Then, they pushed me into the dressing room to try it on.

“I think someone is going to be impressing a certain someone tonight,” Cassie winked at me when I came out.

“That looks great on you!” Claire and Audrina nodded. I couldn't help but smile and blush a little at what Cassie said. Then I saw Andy coming towards us.

“Just to let you know, Devin, Andrew, Zach, Jeff, Brent, and Jimmy have all just joined us. Christian texted them to tell them where we were,” He said. We all nodded and he walked back out. Then they all turned back to me.

“Someone is all smiles right now,” Audrina laughed. “I think you either like Andy, Devin, Andrew, Jeff, Brent, or Jimmy.”

“Well, that is for me to know and you to find out,” I said heading back into the dressing room and changing back into my other clothes, coming out with the dress in hand. “Right, so I have the perfect outfit for tonight and I think I have the perfect accessories to go with it back at the hotel and the shoes I have will look great with it. Speaking of shoes, did you find anything Cassie?”

“Yeah,” She said holding up a pair of black heels. “Thought the back would compliment the brown.” I nodded agreeing with her.

Once we all made our purchases, went went outside to be greeted by several sighing guys. We said our apologies, using the oh so original excuse, 'we're girls!' and hen headed on our way. We stopped at a couple more stores, just looking around, not feeling up for anymore shopping. Then, we all decided it was time for dinner and afterward head back to the hotel to get ready for tonight.

We settled on a nice restaurant. We realized we didn't know almost anything on the menu, so all ordered hamburgers. The food came and we talked for a while, making jokes and making plans for tonight. As I took a bit of my burger, my phone vibrated with a text, a text from Devin.

'I saw your dress through the window of the store, you looked amazing. Can't wait to see you dance tonight.' It read with a winking smiley face at the end. I smiled and texted a brief 'Thanks' to him and put my phone in my bag.

“Who texted you?” Cassie asked, taking a sip of her 7Up.

“Oh, just a friend from California wanting to know how my first week went,” I shrugged, taking another bite, hoping to avoid more questions. Dinner ended shortly after that and we all headed back to the hotel to get ready. We went to our rooms, all equally excited for the night to come.