Money Talks.

Byline: RENIQUA ALLEN Artwork by Andy Warhol.

money talks

Is your family income affecting your friendships? teen VOGUE reports on class envy.

Samantha*, 21, from Tacoma, always appeared to be one of the richest girls at her high school. She had stylish clothes, took violin lessons, and had lots of pals with fat wallets. But she was hiding a secret only a few of her close friends and teachers knew abouther mom was struggling to make ends meet after a nasty divorce. "People didn't know my financial situation," she says. "My sister shopped a lot, so I borrowed her clothes. It seemed like we had excess, but in the end it was my mom taking on a lot of burdens." Samantha says blending in with her wealthy neighbors helped to increase her social status. "I think the pressure for students to fit in is a common thing. I had to act the part to keep people from thinking there was something about me that was different and so I was able to sit with the popular girls."

At a time when the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that more than 9 percent of Americans are unemployed, …