Chapter One
Primadonna

SYDNEY WOULD LIKE to say she that her childhood looked the same as everybody else's and that her family was normal like all of her friend's families. That they ate dinner together every night at the kitchen table and talked about their days and Sydney came home to fresh cookies being baked and she had help with her homework. Because as far as everyone around her was concerned, Sydney Benoist had the picture perfect life.

But the truth was that Sydney spent the majority of her childhood alone with different babysitters since she was the age of ten. By the time she was fourteen, she didn't need babysitters anymore because she learned how to do everything on her own. Cook, clean, dress herself properly, get to school on time. She spent most nights in her home alone, she would eat dinner alone, watching TV alone.

By the time she thirteen, Sydney had developed anxiety and the only person who truly knew was Sam Larusso, her best friend since. . . well, always. The Larusso's were her second family if not basically her first. Being the child of parents in the traveling medical field had both its perks and downs. Sydney was really the only one to see the downs while the kids she went to school with saw her showers in the most expensive jewels money can buy, dressed in designer clothes, and walking in the most ridiculous but beautiful high heels. Sydney Benoist was the picture perfect high school girl and she liked to keep up the imagine so that none of them could see that she was struggling.

But it wasn't like Alexander and Caroline Benoist forgot they had a daughter in California. No, they very much loved her and worked their asses off to give her a good life. Her mother always mailed her the finest gifts from wherever she was sent or when she'd finally come home, Caroline would have bags and bags worth of gifts for her. The last gift she received in the mail from her father was a pair of black Louboutin heels (they stayed in her closet for a good month before she finally gathered the courage to wear them). People either sighed with jealousy when they saw her or made it clear that they didn't like her.

Not like she could blame them. Being alone for most of your life changes a person. It certainly changed her. She was sixteen-years-old and even though she lived a life most people would dream of, lived in a home more grand than any in a movie, Sydney always felt alone. But she found out quickly the solution to never letting people see how she truly felt. She simply just turned it all off. She turned off every emotion possible. She never cried, she hardly ever smiled unless she was with Sam, she barely laughed even when she did think something was funny, and she was mostly always angry. If she appeared angry and mean enough, people would leave her alone. It's worked so far in her favor.

That morning was the same as any. Sydney woke up, she got dressed, she walked down the stairs of her empty home, the silence so loud it was as if everything around her was hallow. The walls of the Benoist mansion was very much family oriented. Pictures of Sydney when she was a baby. Photos of her parents when they were teenagers or when they had gotten married. A large family portrait of them hang from above the fireplace. Even with the bright white walls and cream colored couch, or the very tall, open windows shining bright light into the rooms, Sydney always felt like her house was dark.

The house was too big in her opinion.

The living room lead into the kitchen that had far too many chairs at the island. White and blonde wood, her mother's decision. Sydney sucked in a breath, her white nails tapping against the white counter top, the colors nearly blending in with each other. She sat at the island eating a bowl of cereal and staring out the window that showed the pool house. It was the first day back at school, her sophomore year. Sam and Moon had already texted her five times asking what she was wearing.

She ate in silence, the kind of scene that slowly drove you crazy. Sydney washed the bowl and spoon when she was done and locked the front door on her way out, now surrounded by the many, many trees that surrounded the home.

Sydney first met Moon their freshman year of high school. At first she thought she was weird because everyday, Moon would come to school with some new petition to be signed or she would dress in the craziest clothes with her hair in all kinds of different braids and patterns. She was a true hippie at heart, but her heart was also kind, which is what Sydney admired most about her. Moon didn't have a bad bone in her body.

"Ocean!" Moon squealed when she walked into school, her bright blue heels being the first eye catcher. "There you are. I've missed you."

"You just saw me last night, Luna." She said with a laugh.

When Moon found out that she was named after Sydney, Australia, the place where her mother and father went on their honeymoon, she immediately started calling her Ocean. Sydney called her Luna

"You just saw me last night, Lune," Sydney laughed.

Ocean and Luna were a running joke between the two girls.  When Sydney first met Moon,  she immediately started calling her Ocean because she was named after Sydney,  Australia; the place her mother found out she was pregnant on her honey moon.  When Sydney discovered Moon's name, she started calling her Lune because it meant Moon in French, her father's tongue, or Luna as the English version.

"I know but that hours ago, you know I have separation anxiety. I can't be away from you that long.

They locked arms. "Oh believe me, I know."

A boy she didn't recognize smiled at her when he passed by. "H-Hi, Sydney."

She gave him the famous blank Sydney stare, causing him to run away.

Moon laughed. "And you wonder why you don't have a boyfriend?"

"What do I need a boyfriend for, Luna? They're basically like pets. You have to feed them, clean them, and keep them around or else they get lonely and whine. I have better things to do with my time."

Sam's father and her father were friends in high school, meaning Sydney and Sam were basically destined to become friends. They were born in the same year only a few months apart (Sam being older which she never let her live down) and they were pretty much sisters. Daniel and Amanda always welcomed her over to their house, understanding her situation. Amanda also liked having another girl in the house since Anthony never did anything but stay in his room or play games on his iPad.

"Ugh, are we even sure this is real meat?" Yasmine scoffed in disgust when she eyed the meat on her lunch tray. "I mean, what happens if I start breaking out in hives?"

Die, possibly, Sydney said in her head. Yasmine was pretty much known as the Queen Bee at West Valley. She was on Sydney's level of rich as well as her level of meanness. It some way, that's how their friendship worked. Being mean to people and being rich was almost the only thing they had in common.

The group of girls went and sat down at their claimed table. "I can't believe I have math first period. I don't want to do that much thinking this early in the morning." Sydney complained and screwed off the cap on her water bottle.

"Karma for signing up for Geometry." Said Yasmine, still poking the meat on her tray with the plastic fork.

She was given a dumb look. "It's the requirement."

"Plus, if she takes Geometry now, she has a better chance at taking Calculus later." Sam educated.

"Exactly, Sammy. Thank you."

Looking ahead of herself, Yasmine started laughing. Ew, do you guys see that guy over there? The one who looks like he went down on a lawnmower."

Sam grimaced. "That is so wrong."

Sydney followed her eyes, seeing a table of boys sitting just by them. She knew two of them, the other she didn't recognize. "That's the Moskowitz kid, remember? The one with the cleft lip?" She whispered to her.

Should I wink at them?" Yasmine whispering back and laughed.

"No, you'll probably give them a heart attack."

From their table, Eli shifted uncomfortable in his seat. "Oh, shit, Yasmine and Sydney are looking at us," he spoke quietly when he saw the popular girls's eyes on him. He self conscious covered the scar on his lip. "They're probably just making fun of me."

"Sydie, I think you have an admirer." Moon teased and lightly kicked her foot with hers.

The boy she didn't recognize was staring at her, his lips parted and jaw dropped. He was tan and skinny, his eyes and hair dark. He had to be new, Sydney thought, or maybe he was just another nerdy kid she never talked to. "Please, don't make me gag. I might vomit all over Yasmine's lunch." Sydney said and smirked at her blonde friend.

Yasmine shoved her arm. "Don't say that! Speaking of wrong, check out Fuglicia. She looks like she ate a picnic table."

Sam and Sydney glanced over at the same time. Aisha was their childhood friend, all three of them growing up together. Sydney couldn't remember exactly when their friendship started to fade. Aisha wasn't on the level of popular that her and Sam were on, which was awful to say, she knew that. Sydney just rolled her eyes.

"Uhhh, Ocean. Look who's coming over." She heard Moon say.

Sydney saw the skinny new kid stand from his table, his silhouette making his way over to them. Their eyes met, her judging his moments. But he stopped by Kyler and Brucks appearing at their table. "Ladies, how are we doing? Sam, you looking beautiful." Kyler flirted with Sam.

"Looking fine as always,  Syd." Brucks said to her with a disgusting smirk.

Sydney looked away from the kid and rolled her eyes at the comment.

Kyler smiled mockingly at him, sending a sarcastic finger wave in his direction. The new kid shook his head and walked back to his table. "See you later, 'Rhea!" Brucks laughed.

"You know that kid?" Sydney questioned them.

"Not really. Ran into him at the Mini Mart last night," Kyler began to explain. "We were trying but beer and he snitched on us so we poured a bottle of Pepto Bismol and said he has diarrhea."

The two of them laughed again and fist bumped each other. Sydney swore to herself that they shared one single brain cell.

Moon changed the subject, "what classes do you guys have after lunch?"

"Spanish and World History."

Yasmine quickly looked at her. "Why would you take Spanish instead of French? Isn't your dad literally from France?"

"Yeah, you're fluent in that shit. I'd be taking that easy A." Kyler agreed.

Sydney's father, Alexander, was born in Nice, France but he moved to the United States when he was twelve. His family would still go back to France every summer. Sydney grew up with the language, her dad always speaking French around the house. Her mother, Caroline, was born in Kingston, and she developed the accent from her. "I like a challenge," she answered them with a simple shrug, "besides, I'm pretty sure they stuck me in there on purpose for that very reason after what I said at registration."

"What did you say?" Moon asked her.

"Je te dirais bien que je ressens mais je n'ai pas assez de majeur pour m'exprimer." Sydney spoke flawless French.

All of their eyes widened. "What does that mean?" Brucks asked her, almost entranced.

"I'd tell you how I feel but I don't have enough middle fingers to express myself."

"Syd!" Sam said but giggled anyway.

"Yo, she just spoke French with a British accent!" Kyler exclaimed with wide eyes as if he hadn't heard her speak French since the literal seventh grade.

"That's so hot." Brucks added.

Again, she rolled her eyes.

Sydney sat at the desk close to the front of the class and she twirled the ends of her hair around her finger, waiting for the class to start in a bored state.

The kid from early walked into the classroom and took hesitant steps toward the desk she was at. Sydney looked his way, staring blankly, which clearly made him uncomfortable. "Hi, I'm Miguel — "

"I didn't ask."

"Yeah, okay," he mumbled quickly and faced the front of the class, gulping. It went silent and she messed with her manicured nails. Miguel licked his lips and looked at her again. "Are you any good at Spanish?" His voice wavered.

Sydney rolled her eyes as well as her neck. "No, not really, but, they wouldn't let me take French." She explained with an annoyed tone of voice.

Miguel felt like he couldn't faint when he realized she had a British accent. "Oh. . . D-Do you like French better?"

"I'm fluent."

His eyes widened. "Really? C-Can you say something?" He asked, telling himself in his mind to stop stuttering.

Sydney desperately wanted him to stop talking to her. She rolled her eyes once again and faced him. "S'il te plaît, arrête de me parler."

British and French. Wow, Miguel said in his head. "Wow. What does that mean?" He asked with a dropped jaw.

"It means please leave me alone."

His shoulders dropped and Miguel picked his jaw back up. He looked down at the table with a frown.

When the class ended, Sydney grabbed her back and walked out, not giving him or anyone else in the class a glance. Sam was waiting for her in the hall. "Are you coming over for dinner? Kyler's supposed to be meeting my parents. Dad's making sushi."

"Ugh, I love your dad's sushi." She answered and looped her arm through hers. "But really? I don't feel like sitting through an awkward dinner with your asshole of a boyfriend."

"Okay, first, he's not my boyfriend yet. And second, please come." Sam begged her. "My parents love you. If all goes south you of all people can get me out of it."

She gave her a harsh side eye. Sam just smiled. That was the kind of relationship they had. Sydney was the black cat while Sam was all things sunshine and golden retriever. She couldn't resist her bright attitude. "Okay, fine, whatever." She gave in, rolling her eyes, "but I can't promise you I'll stop your father if he happens to jump across the table and choke Kyler. I might even join him."