Character Analysis
Led by Carleen Lovejoy, the richest and most popular girl in school, almost all of the high school girls snub Mary Alice when she shows up in their midst. They don't like that she's from Chicago, and seem to have this impression that she's stuck-up just because she's from a bigger city.
Although Mary Alice doesn't get bullied outright (except for that incident on the first day of school with Mildred Burdick), she certainly isn't accepted. It's clear that Carleen—in true queen bee fashion—feels threatened by Mary Alice and is determined to freeze her out.