“Come on dear, it’s time to leave for your first day. You mustn’t be late for your new school, you don’t want to start off on the wrong foot” mom called up from the bottom of the stairs.

She took a deep breath in, added one last swatch of bright pink lipgloss to her lips. Blew a kiss to herself in the mirror and flipped her straight, blonde hair as she strolled confidently down the stairs.

“You’re not going to school like that are you? There’s snow on the ground outside and you’re wearing a mini skirt and heels?” mom asked, concern creasing her forehead.

“Relax, mom. You’ll give yourself frown lines. I know what I’m doing. No offence but I don’t need style tips from you.” Cheryl giggled to herself.

Mom huffed and marched outside to the car and Cheryl tottered after her. Mom knew better than to argue with her daughter. She knew it was better to choose her battles carefully with her and this wasn’t worth the hassle.

On the ride to school Cheryl thought about the last few days and how her life had drastically changed. She and her mom and dad had been forced to move due to her dad getting a new job here in Alaska and the commute was just too far. Her parents thought it was best if they all moved together. The choice was Cheryl’s beauty pageants or dads job and you can guess who won that one.

Cheryl resented moving to this little, good for nothing town from Cali’ but she was determined to show the school what’s she’s made of. She wanted to make a good impression; she needed to.

“I’ve got this! I’m a strong, independent beauty queen and I will shine brighter than anyone. I will be queen bee of this sorry little school in no time at all.” Cheryl mused to herself. She was after all, little miss popular.

Outside the clouds began to darken and the snow began to fall in flurries. They soon arrived at the gate. By now the snow was falling thick and fast and an inch of powdery, white snow had already covered the ice that was there to begin with this morning. Classes of people were still outside, now was Cheryl’s chance to make her good first impression. It was now or never.

Cheryl said her goodbyes to her mom and kissed her either side of the cheek. “Laters mom, mwah, mwah.” She opened the car door and instantly the cold, damp snow took her breath away. This didn’t slow her, she was determined to show off her best catwalk strut. This was always a crowd pleaser.

However, she should have known better. She should have known this was a bad idea.

Five paces. Five paces was all Cheryl managed before she started to careen into the nearby wall, before finally coming to a stop in a crumpled snowy heap by the front entrance.

“Haha, look at her!”

“What is she doing?”

“What is she wearing”

“Who does she think she is?”

“Wow, look at that bimbo” voices and laughter rang out all around her. The negativity was oozing off of everyone. She wasn’t used to this feeling at all and was surprised how she instantly felt upset and alone.

By this time everyone’s eyes were on the new girl. To them she looked like a prim and proper Barbie doll trying to show off doing god knows what. Whatever she was trying to do failed, miserably and people were not impressed in the slightest. She stuck out like a sore thumb.

Cheryl’s vision began to blur. For a second she was unsure what was going on but quickly realised that tears were beginning to form on her eyelashes. She pulled herself up and hurriedly got inside away from the many eyes boring into her outside. She blinked the tears away and refocused herself.

“Tears are a sign of weakness. Don’t show your weaknesses to anyone otherwise they will have the chance to use them against you” Cheryl repeated to herself the wise words her father once told her.

“Hey! New girl wait up. I’m Sophie nice to meet you. Nice entrance you made there, real head turner.” She giggled whilst sticking her tongue her out.

“Oh hi, I’m Cheryl. Yeah, that definitely was not the way I planned it in my head” she said sheepishly.

The sharp ding-a-ling of the bell tolled signalling it was time for first period.

In Cheryl’s mind she pondered over what was to come next “I hate this place.” She thought.

“It couldn’t possibly get any worse could it?”