Chapter 1

I walked toward the bulletin board with my exam paper in hand. The name "Valerie Miller" appeared in clear, bold letters at the very top of the honor roll.

A few girls stood nearby. As I approached, they took two steps back as if I were something filthy they wanted to avoid.

One of them, a girl with a ponytail, even made a show of covering her nose with her sleeve. "What's that smell? Why does it smell like a pigsty?"

They burst out laughing and looked me up and down.

My face grew warm. I had grown up in a small rural town. My skin wasn't dark, but it was nowhere near as pale and delicate as theirs, the kind of complexion that came from a lifetime of pampering.

My fingers were thick and rough, with faint yellow calluses around my knuckles from years of hard labor.

At St. Claire Academy, everyone came from a wealthy or powerful family. They all assumed I'd been admitted as a special exception because of my grades.

I lowered my head and hurried away. The words "Top of Class" on the honor roll suddenly hurt to look at.

"Valerie."

I stopped in my tracks.

Cassie Nolan leaned against the classroom doorway with three girls behind her.

"Come here." She lifted her chin and crooked a finger at me.

Several boys lounged against the windowsill with their hands in their pockets, clearly waiting for a show.

They had me surrounded, and my feet felt as heavy as lead.

Cassie's gaze settled on the crooked bow at my collar. The corners of her mouth slowly curled into a mocking smile.

She stepped closer and pinched one end of the bow as if it were a dirty rag. "Valerie, didn't your mom ever teach you how to tie a bow?"

The ponytailed girl immediately chimed in, "Her mom probably only knows how to feed pigs. When would she ever have worn clothes this fancy?"

Another girl laughed. "But aren't those shoes limited edition? They're fake, right?"