Before It All

We begin with homemade documentary tapes a-rolling...

Ella (Take one-rolling)
What was my life like before all this? Wow, um, where to begin...?
Well, I uh... I lived with my parents in Brooklyn until I was eight, but then my mom passed away. She had cancer, and eventually everything crashed to a halt. I still sort of remember her. I mean, she had been bed-ridden since I was 5, but I do recall the odd day in my memory that she smiled or tousled my hair. Nothing after those ever gets better.
When I was ten, my dad re-married. I think he was desperate to move on. My stepmother is nothing like the stories. She loves me, and sometimes I slip up and call her Mom. Stuff like that makes me happy she isn’t a wicked witch.
My stepsisters, however, are like the books. Except they’re beautiful. Evil, yes. Ugly, no. It’s always a competition, so I think I’ve just given up at this point to try and do anything better than them.
I started dating Todd about two years ago, and yes, we did meet in a pumpkin patch. But I wasn’t in glass slippers.
Anyways, that’s when my life was going great again.
Until the prom theme was announced. That day everything went down the drain. It all fell down around me, again.

(End Ella- Documentary Part One)

Belle (Take one-rolling)
Don’t worry, I know how this works. It was my idea. The film about prom, I mean.
Before this, I can’t say I had the greatest life. It wasn’t bad. I did focus mainly on my school work- can’t get into Harvard Law just by slacking off!
My mom left when I was too young to remember. My dad’s been managing okay since then, but Harvard is going to have to give me a huge scholarship if they want me. Even as a kid I saved my money. I’ve done everything- yard work, pet sitting, Bluenotes, McDonald’s... I’ve saved virtually every penny. Except for a few gifts for family and friends, I’ve never indulged. So far I have my first year’s tuition saved.
I’ve volunteered, too. That’s always good for the applications.
That was why I chose the head of prom committee. I’m already a co-president at this school, so I figured prom committee was no big deal.
Worst. Decision. Ever.

(End Belle- Documentary Part One)

Aria (Take one- rolling)
My name is Aria Walker. I’m 18 years old. I’ve got green eyes, red hair, I’m about 5’6”.
But if you’re watching this, I suppose that is obvious.
Today I’m representing the Christian Club. I’m the only member who attended prom, so I didn’t really have a choice in the matter.
My life’s been pretty easy, until the whole prom issue. Grew up in Rhode Island, moved to Ontario for a few years, then down to Mississippi, then here. My dad’s a preacher. We moved for his job. Or lack of. Ended up here for ninth grade, up til now. I like it here. Just the right amount of Christians for Daddy, enough people for me to make friends.
Before prom, I’d had two boyfriends. Jimmy Fetter in 10^th grade, and Dave Parsons in 11^th. Only for about 3 and 5 months, respectively.
My dad introduced them to me. Each one was from my congregation. Dad liked them because they were “nice, charming, young, white Christian boys”. And my Ma plays cards with their mothers on Wednesdays.
I guess there was never a ‘spark’ with them. Of course, my dad never let me alone enough to let a spark ignite. It was always family dinners, family picnics, family outings.
‘No, you can’t go to the dance, who knows if the chaperones are trustworthy.’
‘No, you can’t go see that movie with him. It isn’t appropriate/tame/Christian enough.’
‘No, you can’t have him over after school. Your mother and I are out of the house. What would that look like to the neighbours?’
I understand following my religion, and I try to live how the Bible tells me. But Daddy takes everything a bit over the top. Sometimes I think he’s stuck in the 1800’s. I’ve never even been kissed, thanks to Daddy’s rules, curfews, and prejudices.
I did meet one boy, once. I’m pretty sure we had a spark.
But Daddy’s opinionated. Highly opinionated.

(End Aria- Documentary Part One)

Aurora (Take one- rolling)
Well, I was, um, you know. I don’t know. Like, as a kid? Well, as a kid I was kind of wild. Cuckoo. A liiiittle bit out there. I dunno. I suppose I talked a lot. I mean, I was a kid, and kids talk a lot, and we’re all crazy as kids, so I mean, really, how can you blame a little kid for blathering on about-
Hmm?
Oh.
Dylan.
I used to call him Dill. Like the pickle, you know? It was so funny, because he actually hated pickles, so every time I called him Dill, he’d get his angry face on, but in a little kid way, and that just really makes you want to pinch the cheeks of the little bugger, and just keep calling him Dill, just ot see that little scrunchy face every-
Oh, right. Stick to the topic.
Yeah. We were friends as kids. But I went into music. I can sing, you know. And he became the youngest football captain at our school. He was born a natural, I suppose. But I used to beat him at soccer all the time, so I don’t really know how-
Sorry.
Anyways, we’re still sort of friends. When you’ve grown up together through diapers and daycare and... Stuff like that... you get to be best friends. We never spoke to each other in public in high school, only when he’d climb across the tree to get into my window at night.
Oh gosh, that sounds so bad.
Mom, if you see this we were just talking.
So that’s how we stayed close.
Right up until...
Yeah.
That’s about it I suppose.
I guess you could say I’m speechless.
Actually, that’s pretty ironic, because most people tell me I never can be quiet, and that’s probably due to the way I was raised, and the fact that my brain just seems to run on its own-

(End Aurora- Documentary Part One)

Neige (Take one- rolling)
Yes, oui, like the snow.
My parents were trés créatifs, non?
They own a fairly successful vineyard. That’s how I could go on this exchange. My best friends all came along. Dean, Harry, Stephen, Brydon, Darius, Spence, and Grayson.
Have I mentioned, at my private school, I was the only girl in a class of eight?
Well, I was.
I wanted l’experience American, before I’m shackled to the vineyard forever. It probably helps my social standing here that I have connections at the vineyard. I can get alcohol for all the parties. People just eat it up. Er, drink it up?
That’s probably why I was spotted by him before prom.

(End Neige- Documentary Part One)

Tink (Take one- rolling)

I’ve always been the little one in the class. Pretty voice, ‘tinkling’ laugh.
My real name is Gertrude. Thank gosh for the laugh, or else I’d be called Gerttie instead of Tink.
I know the boys are into me. I was the gymnast, dancer, cheerleader, skater... I was always top of the pyramid, always did the best lift poses, always the front and centre ballerina. I’m pixie-like, what can I say?
All the guys want me, all the girls are jealous.
Maybe if I was out, it could have been the other way around.

(End Tink- Documentary Part One)

Wendy (Take one- rolling)

I wanted to be loved. Even as a kid, with my standard house and family, I wanted more love.
I wanted the prince.
That’s where prom came in.
That’s where Pete came in.

(End Wendy- Documentary Part One)

Jasmine (Take one- rolling)
I grew up in New York. The rich and famous know me by name. I can’t say I’m complaining. It was fun. I had my boyfriend, Jake. The paparazzi loved us. We were the cutest teen couple on the scene. We started dating at 15, and we were still at it by the time I celebrated my 18^th birthday in January. I was raised this hotel heiress, and he was an heir, as well.
But, it was just me and my dad. I was 13 when my mom got too bothered by the high life. That, and my dad had an affair with my twenty four year old tutor. Anyways, mom killed herself. Jumped right off our high rise hotel. Died on impact.
My dad didn’t even flinch or wait one second before marrying and knocking up (not necessarily in that order) my tutor. That’s when I left, in the middle of the night. It was the easiest way out.

(End Jasmine- Documentary Part One)

Tia (Take one- rolling)

I’m kind of unsure about what exactly you want me to say here. My past doesn’t affect how my story ended up.
Whatever.
Okay, so I have a sister and a dog and 2 parents. I’m a good kid. Still 17. But my birthday’s soon.
I’ve never been the greatest at anything. As a kid I never had the prettiest braids. In junior high, I just floated along. I never had the best of anything.
Until Pete.
That was... yeah. That.

(End Tia- Documentary Part One)

Golden (Take one- rolling)

My past. Well. Pretty simple.
My mom’s a drunk.
My dad’s in the military.
We always move. The only constant thing, so far, has been Adam. We met in Memphis when we were 10. I stayed there for a year before having to move.
Adam was my friend through letters, until we happened across each other’s paths when we were 13. It was in... I don’t even remember the city. I’ve moved so much.
Yeah, we were shocked to see each other again. That year was the first time mom got a little too drunk. A little too mad.
Just once. Adam noticed. He made me promise I would tell my dad once he was back from the Afghani tour.
I sealed the promise with our first kiss.
Two weeks later, I moved again.
Finally, when I was 16, my dad got a pay raise, and we could afford a better place. We moved here, to Orlando, Florida.
My classmates all had weird names. Half of them, I’m sure, were inspired by Disney World.
And then in grade eleven Adam moved here, too. We started dating almost immediately. And we’ve been together ever since. Things were going smoothly for us, at Castle County High School.

Author's Note

Hello. You have just entered Cheese Central. Sorry for that. :)