All these contrasting stories are throwing me for a loop.

The latter, I’m afraid.

Wouldn't that be...hard to miss?

Uh…I don’t actually know. I should probably try to be more observant about that kind of stuff.

Really? They don't seem all that appealing to me...

You should probably start getting used to it, kid. It’s not changing anytime soon but I’ll tell you this; food fights are always something to look forward to.

Ooh, I'm sensing a brave soul in you.

A little of both. The dining hall is sometimes a little unkempt, but never to this extent. It looks like a storm hit it, and this storm was effectively a food fight. I don’t know what happened because I run off as soon as the disaster began.

How mini are we talking, exactly? This seems like a bit of a disaster zone to me.

Both. 

The food is disgusting, and it was used as a weapon during a mini food fight.

Well, yes. I've gathered that...

Maybe you weren’t in the dining hall ..?

Uh, you sound like you'd want to be in on something that gross.

Pretty sure it’s just like that all the time, unless there was a food fight I wasn’t invited to, which wouldn’t really surprise me. 

Did I miss out on a food fight in the dining hall, or have I just not noticed how disgusting it is on a daily basis...?

Name: Peyton Monroe Age: 15 Grade: Freshman Born: August 25th in Washington, DC Rank: 5

"In six months, I’ll either be the queen of something, or wallowing in self pity and counting down the seconds ‘till I get to drop out of high school. That’s what we’re supposed to do, right? Spend all freshman year trying to figure out which side of that coin we belong on?”

Background

Adopted as an infant, Peyton has never known her biological parents and can’t help but wonder if things would be different if she had. Highly authoritarian, her adoptive parents gave her few choices as a child, and those options seemed even more limited as Peyton grew up. Most of their rules, through strict, were fairly normal; others were over the top. Peyton could only hang out with boys if there were at least three times as many girls in her group; she couldn’t bring classmates home whose yearbook photos her parents hadn’t seen; she couldn’t wear new jewelry until her mother had safely disinfected the entire piece in a vat of rubbing alcohol. For obvious reasons, it wasn’t long before Peyton began to envy her classmates and their more lax households. She realized she was tired of being treated like a little girl - her quick mind was capable of so much more, and her family was holding her down. She began fantasizing about a life with her biological parents. She imagined them to be kindhearted souls, who understood and talked to her like an old friend. More than anything, she just wanted to be provided guidance with reasonable explanations, and have all her biggest questions answered.

The Monroes, however, refused to respond whenever Peyton inquired about her true origins. In actuality, she’s pretty sure they have no idea either, and that her real surname will remain a mystery forever, but Peyton still thinks about it. Finishing up middle school, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She researched faraway boarding schools for months, weighing the pros and cons of each institution and eventually coming up with a shortlist. Her father a police officer and mother a housewife, the family always stuck to a budget and reasoned that they couldn’t afford the tuition necessary to send their daughter to the “safest” possible schools. They initially rejected her motions, guilt tripping her by various methods and showering her with tough love, as per. But this time, Peyton was adamant. By May, she found out about Melrose Academy and begged her parents to let her take part in the project, citing that absolutely nothing could go wrong if it was an experiment, since the scientific community would go nuts if something bad happened. Reluctantly, the Monroes agreed… but on a very specific condition. The entire family packed up and moved to Massachusetts. Though Peyton now lives on Melrose campus just twenty miles from her parents, she still feels freer than ever. She’s convinced even the ranks can’t pull her down - she’s right in the middle as a 5, and though things could go either way, she’s sure with the new year she’ll only soar higher.

Personality

Peyton was pampered as a child, but you wouldn’t know it unless she told you. Clever and possessing a sophisticated sense of humour, she’s nothing if not a sarcastic little sweet talker. Since leaving Washington, she’s matured at a crazy accelerated rate - so much that she even appears wise beyond her years. Of course, hardly any of that is natural; she’s a little too eager to prove herself, so all those quirky, suggestive jokes she tells? She found them online. She’s the kind of girl who will look up “how to start a conversation while waiting in line” just to be sure she’ll never screw up. No one knows how meticulous she is yet, and she doesn’t plan on revealing her insecurities any time soon. Because even though her efforts are paying off and she has plenty of friends, she’s struggling with self-esteem. Her parents made her feel incompetent, and she wonders daily why her real mom gave her up. Her fascination with the past was innocent at first, but now it’s slowly having a destructive effect on the girl. She’s becoming an insomniac, as her mind is filling up with more new ideas than she can even comprehend. And when she does fall asleep, she dreams of abandonment, the consequences of her failures, and… girls?

Relationships

Remy Owens: Peyton and Remy met through the Academy’s tutoring program; they’re both rather intelligent freshmen, and were recruited by the school librarian to help others during study periods. Peyton wants to avoid reproducing her parents’ teaching methods, so she’s completely laid back as a tutor and a little less helpful than she could be. Remy, on the other hand, is 100% serious and honestly an amazing teacher - and that’s what Peyton likes about her. Remy is practically myth-shattering, in that she manages to be strict and gentle at the same time, while also helpful. Not only that, but as a person, she’s an absolute sweetie, and Peyton really wants to get to know her. Unfortunately, there’s one obstacle in the way of them even being friends: Remy’s boyfriend, Noel, is completely possessive of her, to the point where Peyton is convinced the girl has no social life outside of her supposed sweetheart. Not only does that anger her, but it’s fueling another sort of passion that Peyton can’t identify. Her heart gets all funny around the other girl, and she can feel every part of her body burning up for whole variety of reasons. It’s almost too much to bear - but what even is it?

Hazel Louie: Fluttery feelings aside, there’s nobody at Melrose Peyton loves more than Hazel Louie. Even though the other girl is two years older, they’ve become good friends and Peyton knows they’ll remain that way until the end. Hazel is like a big kid, honestly - which is sometimes too much considering Peyton is trying to grow up, but it’s so refreshing to meet someone who can’t possibly have a hidden agenda and who is easy to interact with regardless of the circumstances. Peyton seriously admires Hazel’s artistry and is encouraging the older girl to do what she loves with her life. They have numerous inside jokes, and are probably on the brink of making up their own language so even fewer people will be able to understand them. Almost daily the two girls tease each other on the subject of Peyton’s overprotective parents, and come up with ridiculous, unrealistic schemes to boot the Monroes out of town so they can go wild. Peyton knows it will never happen, but she’s glad to have someone to joke about her past with as that makes it much, much easier to bear.

Gianna Vescovi: Peyton has always wanted a big sister - or at least someone to take care of her and give her advice that parents cannot. Gianna is exactly that; she may have a slut reputation, but Peyton looks up to her and thinks she’s perfect. Had it not been for the older girl, she wouldn’t know anything about parties or drinking or flirting, or understand how exactly to conduct herself in new social situations. Because sure, the Internet is huge and comprehensive, but it’s nice to have a real live role model, too. The only problem is that Gianna seems adamant on her idea of getting Peyton a boyfriend, and Peyton’s not sure that’s exactly what she wants. Even though she spent her whole life isolated from “dangerous” males by her parents, she feels no desire to get to know any of them, and is in fact more interested in their games and overall weirdness than making out with them. She seriously has no idea how to tell Gianna that, but she better hurry, because one of these days the senior is going to succeed in getting her a date.

Face: Hailee Steinfeld Inspiration: Teen Idle - Marina & the Diamonds Availability: TAKEN