Got Milk?

When the three little stars returned to the school a week later, the students swarmed around them wanting to hear all about their trip. And they were all to happy to tell everyone all about it.
Three nights spent in a nice hotel, dressing up, having their make-up and hair done, shooting the commercial and eating fancy meals, then being rewarded with $3000 checks at the end…Tia didn’t like being jealous, but she couldn’t help it. Especially when Victrini, who slept in the same dorm as her, spent all night telling them all about it for about the fifth time.

“Can you believe how spoilt she is? I can’t believe they’d pick her, when the rest of us are all so much more deserving! Life’s so not fair!” Amille quietly complained.

Tia nodded. It would have meant so much to someone like her, or Amille, or Rosetta, or any number of the other students who’d been orphans most of their lives, but Victrini seemed to regard it as an event to be expected for a clever, beautiful girl like herself.
She already had so many nice things, and a bank account with plenty of money in it! She didn’t need something like that!

“I know… and I thought she was a terrible actress, compared to you, or Rosetta, or Karmica or Mela…” Said Tia.
“I hope she caught some bug off the farm animals that makes all her hair fall out!” Said Amille, giggling.

“What was that?” Asked Jari, looking over. The red-head was a close friend of Victrini, and known for her sharp hearing.
“Nothing.” Said Tia.
“Oh really? Vicky, you know I could have sworn I just heard Amille and Tiari talking about how they hope all your beautiful hair falls out!” Said Jari, her voice sharp.

All eyes were on Tia and Amille.
“Is that right?” Asked Victrini, haughtily.
“What I said was, ‘I hope she caught up on her studies some, she wouldn’t want to become a drop-out.’ You should get your ears checked, Jari.” Said Amille.
“I assure you, I have excellent hearing.” Said Jari.

“Well, speaking of studies, I really need to need to catch up on my modern history… does anyone have notes from yesterdays class I missed?” Asked another girl. Chessa, the resident peacemaker, had successfully changed the subject. Victrini was content to give the pair one last glare before pulling out her laptop and apparently forgetting about the incident.

Within a few days, Victrini’s commercial had been largely forgotten, everyone’s minds being focussed on finishing assignments and studying for their mid-year exams.
Tia worked hard, anxious to improve her grades. Everything would depend on how well she did this year.

It was a Saturday morning two weeks before their exams, and she, Victrini, and Jarni were the three girls assigned to clean their dorm’s linen that week. Tia went about her tasks with vigour, anxious to get it over with so she could be away from two of her least favourite people, and finish her report on the carbon cycle she had due on Monday.

Her mind absorbed in pulling sheets from beds and the various tasks she had to get done over the weekend, the last thing Tia expected was to suddenly hear twin shrieks behind her.
Instantly she spun around to see what the matter was, and a cloud of white powder flew in her face. She was covered in the stuff.

“How dare you! You little wench!” Called Victrini loudly, dropping something on the floor.
“We’re going to tell mrs Hilden all about this!” Said Jarni.
The two of them then ran out of the room, leaving Tia coughing and covered in white stuff.

“Miss! Miss!” She heard the girls call.
What was this stuff? It was irritating her skin, and tasted of nasty chemicals where it had gotten into her mouth.
She felt itchy, and her eyes felt like she’d rubbed soap suds into them… still coughing, she picked up the little jar Victrini had dropped on the ground and peered at it with her bleary eyes.

Itching powder!
The stuff hurt- she could feel her throat swelling up, and her eyes watering like crazy.
Tia darted into the shared bathroom, frantically trying to wash the stuff off, but it only made it worse. It felt like the time she’d eaten the blue-jelly lollies she’d been allergic to. She couldn’t breath properly, and everything was stingy. Her skin felt like it had been sanded with sandpaper, and then someone had rubbed chilli-paste into it!

Perhaps a minute later, Mrs Hilden followed by Jarni, and Victrini stormed into the bathroom. Tia was still bent over the sink, crying as she tried to get rid of the stuff.

“See miss!” Came Victrini’s loud voice, “She tried to throw that white stuff on me, but I pushed her hand before she could, and now she’s all covered in it instead!”

“Is that what happened, Tiari?” Asked the matron.

Tia looked up, startled.
“No! Of course not! I was just pulling the sheets of Famberine’s bed, and then suddenly she threw it in my face, and then they ran off! Miss! This stuff really hurts!” she cried.

“Tia, it will be a lot better for you if you just admit the truth. Did you try to throw powder on Victrini or not?” Asked the teacher again.

“No! I wouldn’t do something like that! Why are you doing this, Victrini?” She wailed.

“She’s lying miss! We were just cleaning, and suddenly she grabbed my arm, and had that jar in the other hand!” Victrini actually sounded as though her feelings were hurt when she said that.
Tia was rid of any ideas she’d had about the girl lacking acting skills.

Mrs Hilden turned an unfriendly gaze on Tia.
“I know you’re usually a good girl, Tia, which is why I didn’t say anything about that last incident Vicky came to me about, but this is really too much. Get yourself down to the nurse’s office, then after that the principal will be waiting to see you.” She told her.


It turned out that the itching powder contained a chemical Tia was highly allergic to, causing her to puff up like a little balloon for the next week. She’d almost had to be hospitalised. Thanks to a receipt for the itching powder being found in her own purse, she was found guilty beyond a doubt of having been the instigator of the whole drama, and sentenced to dish duty every night for three weeks.

Her eyes all red and stingy, not to mention swollen almost shut, Tia was unable to study for her exams or work on her assignments all week. By the time she was better, she was so far behind on everything, she knew there was no chance of getting a good result in her mid year assessment.

To make things worse, most of the students other than Tia’s friends believed that Victrini and Jarni’s story, and made fun of her apparently backfiring plan. It looked as though she’d been jealous of the fortunate girl, and had tried to spite her, only to fail and be humiliated.

Many sleepless nights were spent revising notes and making summaries, typing out essays and the like. Rosetta, who was quite clever helped her out a lot as well.
Still, it wasn’t enough to get Tia good grades.

She spent hours crying after receiving her results a couple of weeks later. Two C’s, two D’s, three E’s and an F which was for mathematics, which she’d never been any good at anyway. Her result on her chemistry test had been the worst she’d ever received for anything.

Looking down at that piece of paper covered in nasty red crosses and marked 28/100, Tia knew her life wouldn’t be going smoothly or quite as planned. Such miserable results, a poor health record, and what now could be considered a tarnished behavioural record… what decent place would want to employ her? Who would want her to live in their apartment?

It was at that time that she felt her childish optimism begin fading away. Instead of an exciting, challenging life awaiting her next year, it now seemed that a frightening, dark world loomed outside of Preston college.

Her friends noticed the change in her. While she’d been shy before, the girl became quiet as a muse, avoiding contact with Victrini, Jarni, and a couple of the other girls who didn’t like her at virtually all costs. If one were to go looking for her, she could be found glued to the computer screen reading, or else typing up some assignment or other. She wouldn’t joke or giggle with Amille and Rosetta anymore. The only thing she dared apply herself to was her studies.

As the months flew by, Tia felt a sense of panic building up inside her. Her grades had been good since the unfortunate middle of the year, and she hadn’t fallen sick again apart from a little cold, but it didn’t seem to make any difference.

All around her, people were busy looking up jobs, sending applications. On top of that, the school sent out their records along with recommendations to various real estates and companies which might be suited to them. Many of the students graduating that year were already set up to start their own lives away from the school.

Rosetta had very fortunate, being offered an apprenticeship at a large hydroponic nursery in Canada. The school had arranged for her to share an apartment with an ex-student who was working at a bar in the same area, so she was well set-up to begin her new life.

Many of the girls were envious of Victrini, who’d been offered a job as personal assistant to a new-York based producer, and would receive free accommodation as well as a good wage and probably other benefits too.

Tia and Amille had decided that they would try to share an apartment together and find employment as waitresses, though Tia was doubtful as to whether she’d be able to find a position after all. There were so many prettier, smarter girls with better health and behaviour records than her… but knowing her best friend, who was in a similar situation would be around put her at ease a little.

After several applications for apartments and jobs had been rejected, and their online adds had attracted many offers, all of which were very sleazy, the girls were becoming worried. The school year was almost over, and most of the other students had already made arrangements.

Of course, many were in worse situations than Amille and Tia.

One girl from their dorm, Belle, had already flat out decided that she would work in a brothel. She had always been a little slow, mischievous, and terribly clumsy, which ruled out almost any chance at even the poorer jobs like being a waitress or secretary. At least at the ‘gentleman’s club’ she said, she’d be relatively safe, and have a roof over head guaranteed. And perhaps in time she’d be able to get a better job, or save some money and move to a nicer area.

A girl from Tia’s art class would be going off to London for a somewhat questionable job- she would be the maid of a wealthy Japanese business man… although Ashley seemed sure that he really did just want someone to clean his house, Tia, along with most of the other girls, had their doubts and worried for her.

Finally, something came up.
A new catgirl themed café was opening up in Sydney, Australia, designed to cater to the growing demand over there for cute, cat eared waitresses in little maid outfits.
Hilda’s Attic, it was called. One of the first catgirl café’s in the country.

They would arrange an apartment for the girls to rent as well as their visas, and pay for their plane tickets over there. The pay would be meagre, and they’d be working long hours, not to mention the country’s somewhat un-desirable laws regarding H-mods making it a little dangerous, but it was the best offer the two of them could hope to get, so they took it without much reservation.

*****

A/N: yeah, not very exciting so far. More interesting things will happen soon. Sorry about the various mistakes that I've probably left in there. Any reviews would be very welcome!