The Girls of Birmingham | Teen Ink

The Girls of Birmingham

May 17, 2012
By candyocotton, Mora, Minnesota
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candyocotton, Mora, Minnesota
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Favorite Quote:
"You never know what you can do until you try."


Through the Marc Jacobs bags filling Lindon’s cozy, yet large room, you would still be able to see a white blonde head shimmering with a sequined hair clip. While entranced with the new diamond bracelet that was wrapped around her tiny wrist, she jumped as she heard her best friend giggling in the changing room.

“Poppy! You have got to see this dress. It’s definitely going to be one of the top picks to choose for tomorrow,” Lindon sighed. Her crimson skater dress brightened up the all-white room, and the sequins reflected off of her and onto her calfskin rug.

Poppy opened her mouth out wide and gawked at the beauty of Lindon, who was striking her best model pose and flipping her hair. The dress looked like it fit her perfectly, with her luscious dark brown hair and chocolate eyes. Poppy wasn’t too surprised, though; she had seen Lindon wear better. But Poppy still wished she could pull off an outfit as easily as Lindon, who could walk around town wearing clothes that looked like they just came off the back of a homeless man and make everyone in their town of Birmingham try a hobo fad for the next week.

“Totally one for tomorrow, Lind,” Poppy replied nonchalantly as she walked around the closet and rummaged through the silver trays full of gaudy jewelry. She threw on several heavy pearl necklaces and looked at herself in the full-body mirror that stood against the ivory wall.

Poppy looked beautiful in clothes, too, with her petite figure. But her impression wasn’t as show stopping as Lindon’s.

When Lindon and Poppy were younger, they’d always play at Poppy’s family’s massive estate. She would always be the tiny fairy, and Lindon would always be the princess. It seemed to work that way in real life, too. Of course, Poppy didn’t take it seriously, and never thought about it for too long. Instead of moping around, she could get the most out of life.

Tomorrow was the first day of getting out of the house to Castlewood Eve, one of the most prestigious schools in Birmingham, the second largest city in Britain. Lindon was sure everyone would be waiting for her to get out of the sleek, silver limo and onto the grounds. Since her freshman days, she and Poppy ruled the schools, but sometimes her confidence got the best of her. She would occasionally boss her own friends around, and even hurt the feelings of some professors.

Lindon rarely got in trouble for her horrible actions. Her parents had donated money to renovate the art wing, literature wing, and algebra wing. She would always somehow escape her punishment, no matter what she did. She also was backed up with her trust fund, so if any of her wrongdoings had a monetary consequence, Lindon would just hand over the bills and smile in her most innocent way. She would always go clubbing, as Birmingham’s “cultural scene is undeniably happening.” Oftentimes her parents would be upset with her behavior after coming home late, but they would react blandly about it, as they were too busy in their offices. It almost seemed as if her need for attention began at her home, and she was fighting for her mother to play with her instead of sitting in a business chair all day long.

Later that night, Lindon laid on her enormous bed, wrapped in a soft, cashmere robe. She had told her housemaid, Kostella, to fill the room with lavender candles. The scent had shot through her and made her more alert and focused. The boost of her senses sent a trickle of excitement through her body. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a while, as she was so nervous about social life at school, not to mention academics. She wished she had her boyfriend, Elliot, to talk to, as he would always make her feel independent and gave her so much attention. But in August, he broke up with her for an unknown reason, leaving Lindon heartbroken for several weeks.

After Poppy had left Lindon’s mansion in the wealthy neighborhood of Sutton Coldfield, Lindon had begun planning her essay for a contest to win a scholarship for Oxford College. Of course, she didn’t need the money-her trust fund could get her a penthouse in London or tuition for four years, plus a new wardrobe full of designer clothes and shoes.

However, the scholarship would grab Oxford’s attention. Lindon was the top student at Castlewood Eve, and with her resume full of volunteer work, charity jobs, and non-profit organizations, no one could ignore her. She already had the best outfits, the best clique, and the most wealth.

After finishing her daily blowout and weekly nail treatment at Village Beauty Salon, “one of the best salons in the midlands”, Poppy jumped out of her favorite salon and jumped into Lindon’s shimmering limo. Once she stepped in, she found a gorgeous Lindon, with a tight, ruffled red dress that gathered down to her knees. Her legs and arms were bronzed from a quick spray tan, and she finished her look with dark lip gloss and Christian Loubotin pumps. She wore her signature limo-riding aviator sunglasses, which covered her eyes that, Poppy was sure, had ample amounts of Sephora eyeshadow and several coats of Chanel mascara. Poppy was ready to make her debut entrance with Lindon, as it had been for many years. She knew Lindon always got worried about first impressions, so she stayed quiet in hope of not breaking her peace. Poppy glanced through the tinted window and looked at the University of Birmingham.

“All right. We got this, right, Poppy? Just keep your cool,” Lindon murmured in a calm voice once the limo pulled up near the rocky curb. She grabbed her dark clutch and hopped out of the car, letting her shiny hair catch the wind.

Walking onto the stone steps, girls moved out of the way for Poppy and Lindon. Heading behind them were several other A-list girls, slapping their cell phones closed and reapplying gloss. They all shared envious glances while looking at Lindon.

Right when Lindon went to the top step, she abruptly stopped. There was a girl standing right in front of her, blocking her way. She almost seemed to look familiar.

She had long, curly, deep red hair with lips you could only get by being extremely lucky or by applying several years worth of lip plumper. Her emerald eyes sparkled with the rising sun, and the morning breeze billowed her sea-foam maxi dress.

“Who are you?” Lindon shrieked through her gritted teeth. The people whose eyes had been on her-almost everyone-had now turned to this new girl. Silently gasping, students dared themselves to walk up the steps and see how their ‘queen’ reacted to foreign invaders.

“I’m Scarlette. Scarlette Hayes,” the glamour girl announced, her chin up like a duchess. She looked around as if the students were her subjects. Though there were many looks of I’ll-do-whatever-you-say-to-get-me-to-like-you going to her, she could not ignore the cold glares of the brunette Lindon’s clique.

“You are…?” Scarlette asked, giving a small hint of a smile in hope of making a truce. She wanted to stay as calm as a summer sea on her first day of Castlewood Eve.

“I am the girl everyone wants to be. Needs to be. Will die to be,” Lindon gasped out, as if it was obvious, “And you think you can take away my fame that easily? Ha! No one will be ever getting in my way again. This school is mine. Go back to where you came from.”
With that, Lindon snapped her manicured fingers in front of Scarlette’s pale, unblemished face. She stormed into the hall and into her French class. Scarlette stood still, keeping herself composed, to everyone’s awe.
Maybe a new ‘monarchy’ was what Castlewood Eve needed. Scarlette didn’t look too bad, compared to other competition. Sure, Lindon might be at the top in social rankings, but what about the future?
Lindon checked her phone and found a message from UNKOWN. She opened it, and a picture appeared at the screen. It was an image of a redhead, with a cute boy in a beach somewhere in St. Bart’s or Monaco. Lindon looked closer-it was Elliot with her. Lindon’s Elliot.
“How could I be so stupid?” Lindon cried, staring up at the tiled ceiling. Elliot had left her for Scarlette. It seemed like everyone had left her in an instant.
Lindon planned her revenge. Revenge for her cheating ex-boyfriend, Elliot, revenge for the academy that had betrayed her as soon as another girl stepped in, and, most of all, revenge at Scarlette, a conniving, stealing little brat.
She was aiming for what she had done best so many times, many years before -
Total Destruction.

Scarlette stood straight up in a wooden stool in her favorite café in Birmingham, Kitchen Garden Café, sipping an organic coffee and reading a book. She wore a skater dress, with some casual gladiator sandals and kept a leather pouch.


School this morning turned out to be very stressful, as she was questioned by the whole student body about who she was, why she was at Castlewood Eve, and where she got her dress. Though she felt pleasantly surprised of all the attention she had got, she couldn’t help but remember Lindon, the stressed-out girl who had tried to defend her spot on the social ladder.

Scarlette had heard of Lindon before. Her new boyfriend, Elliot, had told her that she was an old friend. She wondered how someone so controlling could actually have friends and keep them.

Scarlette had moved to Birmingham from London, so she could stay with Elliot in his family’s penthouse. She had been wealthy at London, but she loved the view at Birmingham, where there were more trees, animals, and less pollution. She loved to walk in the many parks with her dog, Handsome, and think about her future. Her parents never expected her to achieve much in school, so her grades were only average. How could she get accepted Oxford, the college of her dreams? Her parents definitely had the money-they just didn’t have faith in her. She had to prove them wrong.

Scarlette went back into her car and drove back to school. Maybe there was a way to get noticed. Hopping up the steps where she made her debut-really just an argument with Lindon-she felt a chill go down her spine. She couldn’t decide if the memory of Lindon shrieking at her was the start or the end of a great senior year. Elliot had told her Castlewood Eve would love her-he was right to some extent. She just couldn’t get Lindon’s cold, brown eyes out of her mind.


“Miss Lindon! Please come down for dinner!” Kostella yelled at the base of the marbled stairs. Lindon popped out from her bed and pranced downstairs in a knee-length skirt and a white buttoned blouse.

“Darling, why don’t you come sit with us? We have some important news.” Lindon’s father, Mr. Shirwood, said from behind his newspaper. He looked up at his daughter and smiled.

“Your friend, Poppy, has decided to hold a start-of-school party. She is inviting everyone in Castlewood Eve!”

Lindon gasped and remembered the horrible first impression she had that day, with Scarlette. How could Poppy have acted so dumb and made the mistake of inviting the girl that could change her social status? Lindon scoffed, but then had an idea. She could use this to her advantage.

“Great, daddy! How great. It’ll be a bash, with all of our schoolmates!” She gave her most innocent smile, as she knew that her dad had no idea about social rankings for teen girls. He was privately tutored all of his life.

After eating, Lindon’s chauffeur drove down to Poppy’s house. She ran up the paved sidewalk in her traveling flats. She had a binder in hand, and her most dark pair of shades, even though the sun was already starting to sink into the orange horizon. She shuffled up the steps into Poppy’s room, and slammed the door once she got in.

“Poppy, you have got to help me make this-” Lindon panted as she tried to gain her breath back, but was interrupted.
“Oh! Lindon. I didn’t expect to be seeing you here,” said a voice right in Poppy’s closet.
Lindon peeked her head in, seeing who was with Poppy and found the girl that was the main character in her evil plot she was going to share with Poppy-
Scarlette.



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