Author's Note: I do not own any of the Bratz characters. Original characters belong to me.

Chapter One

Burdine clenched her fists tightly as she listened to the radio.

"Yes, we're happy to announce that Bratz Magazine is going to be covering the Starlight Fashion Show next month!" Jade proudly told the radio host. "We cannot wait to see what imaginative designs have been thought up."

"Is it also true that you're also thinking of entering yourself, Jade?" asked the radio host.

"I was considering it, yes," said Jade. "Fashion has always been my thing!"

"Then why don't you?"

A brief pause. Burdine listened with keen intent.

"I suppose I ought to give what I have in fashion a go," Jade finally replied.

Burdine growled with her teeth infused together, as she pounded her right fist on her desk.

"Mother of pink! Mother of pink!" she cried. "How can those darn Bratz get the full coverage of the Starlight Fashion Show? How? I'm the reigning Queen of Fashion!"

She stood up from her high back chair and walked around the desk. Her arms were crossed firmly, trying to think. Ever since Bratz Magazine had launched, sales to Your Thing had plummeted. Burdine Maxwell had been doing almost anything and everything to get rid of the Magazine that dared to rival hers. But nothing had worked.

Just then the double doors to her office opened. Kirstee and Kaycee, Burdine's identical twin interns, walked on in. The girls dressed identically. The only way to tell them apart was Kaycee's bandaged nose from her latest nose job. Plus the fact that Kirstee seemed to have a better I.Q. than that of her sister. Not by much though.

"Where have you two been?" Burdine demanded, once she saw them.

"We were shop-"

Kirstee stamped on Kaycee's foot before she could say any more.

"Ow!"

"We were just picking up your mail!" Kirstee said quickly, presenting six envelopes.

Burdine went over and snatched them from the intern. She skimmed over the first five to see who they were from. It was the sixth and final one that caught her eye. She recognised the handwriting immediately, plus the colour of the envelope. There was only one person she knew that would send her a letter in a pale green envelope with navy blue ink and pen calligraphy writing. Burdine was about to open it, that was until she noticed that the twins were still standing there.

"What are you still doing here?" she snapped. "Go and do the errands I ordered you to do!"

"What errands?" Kaycee asked, confused.

Burdine realised that she didn't actually give the girls anything to do earlier. Not wanting to feel caught out, she quickly went to her desk and found a list of groceries she had planned to do on her way home. She picked it up and gave it to Kirstee.

"Make sure you get everything on the list!" she ordered. "Don't come back until you have it all done."

Kirstee and Kaycee knew all too well what would happen if they tried to argue. The last thing they wanted to do was do Burdine's food shopping. Most of the items were pretty easy to get, but they weren't the type of girls go into supermarkets. As far as they were concerned, they were disgusting and unhygienic.

"We'll get it done right away," said Kirstee, grabbing Kaycee by the upper arm and pulling her with her toward the door.

Burdine waited until the twins were fully gone before turning back to the unopened letter in her hands. Looking down, she opened the envelope rather rapidly. Just as fast, pulled the paper out and unfolded it.

Dear Mother,

I don't know how to put this, but I got expelled from the Boarding School you sent me to. Looks like you're going to have to put up with me again. At least until you find yet another place to ship me off to.

The letter of my expulsion should have arrived just before, or after, this letter. Sorry if it puts a spanner into your big fashion magazine plans. But looks like I'm going to be on my way home again.

See you when I get to Stylesville,

Ashlee

A sigh escaped from Burdine. This was one of the issues she never shared with people. Back when Burdine was in her early twenties she met someone who thought she was perfect. Or so he led her to believe. In a whirlwind of romance and fun, Burdine soon found out that she was expecting. The man had managed to convince her that she should get rid of it. Yet there was something in the back of Burdine's mind that kept telling her that she shouldn't.

Upon changing her mind about the whole abortion, the man's loving demeanour changed. He was quite rude and kept commenting on how fat she was going to be. Also that her career as a Fashion Editor was to go up in smoke. Very hurt by this, Burdine knew that the man she believed to love her wasn't even that man at all. He actually left the apartment they were sharing, with almost everything except for her clothing.

However, Burdine stayed strong. She had her daughter, Ashlee, and raised her as best as she could. In addition, carried out her ambition to be the best Fashion Magazine editor she believed she was. Your Thing Magazine became the biggest thing when it started hitting the shelves. Burdine started sending Ashlee to Boarding School, believing it was the best way her daughter can get educated and be able to carry out her career. Unfortunately, not long Ashlee had turned ten, she started playing up. Ashlee, who was now sixteen, had been expelled three times. Four, actually, after this letter. Why her daughter was doing this, Burdine didn't know. Didn't the girl know how vital her mother's career was?

Burdine shook her head, folding the letter and placing it back in the pale green envelope. Looks like she was going to have to find another Boarding School. In the mean time, Burdine will just have to enrol Ashlee into Stylesville – and find something for the girl to do while she was staying.

She swore she could feel a slight headache coming on.