Mary is going to a private school that costs $15,000 to attend each year. Mary does not have to pay anything though because she has a scholarship. Her parents are very poor. Her mom works as a cashier at 7/11 and her dad works as a custodian. Mary has to get a 3.5 GPA every semester to keep her scholarship. Mary pretends that she is rich so she can have friends. Everyone at the school has nice cars and clothes. It can be hard for Mary to keep up. Mary's friend Patricia is throwing a party for her 16th birthday. It was going to be in the ballroom of a hotel. There was going to be hundreds of guests, a chocolate fountain, an ice sculpture, and famous singers. Mary had to wear a beautiful dress, but she knew she could not afford it. "Mary, what are you going to wear?" Patricia asked. "I think I'll wear the dress I wore at your birthday party last year," she said. Patricia started laughing out loud. "You're kidding me, right?" Patricia said. "Yeah, I am! Guess you got me!" Mary lied. It took Mary over two years to pay off the dress she bought last year. Now she had to get a new one. Everyone would be wearing dresses that cost at least $100. Mary could only spend $30 on a dress. She went to a thrift shop. She looked around for hours trying to find something good. Mary finally came across a long, red, and strapless dress. It was originally $300, but now only $20! What a good deal! Mary wore the dress at Patricia's party and everyone complimented her.
