It's 10 p.m. Monday -- the start of a new week -- and there's nothing to do or watch on television. Well, I've found the perfect thing to fill that time slot. If you love the most popular show on MTV, "The Real World," then you'll love this season's second best show, "Laguna Beach."

Whether you can relate to the cast or only reminisce about your high school days, "Laguna Beach" shows the fun and drama of high school with an added touch of money, fancy clothes and flawless faces. The cast members are so picture perfect that they look like they were touched up in Photoshop®.

"Laguna Beach" is in its second season on MTV. It is subtitled "The Real Orange County," playing off the success of "The OC" on Fox. The show is definitely a reality show for teens who like lots of drama. Ricky Vega, a 20-year-old Ewing, N.J. resident whose girlfriend makes him watch the show with her, says, "Whenever I watch, I get sucked in. The drama is hypnotizing."

If you haven't already caught the "Laguna Beach" wave, the show focuses on 10 students, all in high school last season but some having graduated to college this season. The cast could form a perfect "hook-up" tree of many branches, since much of the cast has had past relationships with each other.

The main character is Kristin, a true "queen bee" or perhaps "queen bitch." She is always attending parties, going on spring break in Cabo San Lucas, causing drama, and having fun. She is the blond bombshell of the show. Gabby, a 16-year-old student from Greenwood, S.C., says, "The way that she says 'Stephen' makes me want to die, and yet at the same time I want to live just so I can hear it."

Stephen is Kristin's ex-boyfriend and occasional "hook-up buddy." He is a true surfer boy with dark hair and eyes. He is away at college in San Francisco this season, but still has feelings for Kristin, though she wants to be single. He may be returning to Laguna very soon.

Lauren, or L.C., is totally into fashion and lives in a large mansion overlooking the ocean. After attempting college in San Francisco, she has returned to Laguna, leaving behind her best friend and crush, Stephen. Stephen and L.C. make a perfect couple, but are not together.

Talan is the mysterious surfer and football player. His best friend is Stephen, but Talan also hooks up with Kristin periodically. He would make a great boyfriend if he could decide between her and Taylor, a typical Laguna girl who everyone likes, except Kristin. Taylor has a crush on Talan. But will they end up together?

Jason is a bad boy, surfer and baseball player. With facial hair and eyes that tantalize, he has a reputation as being a heartbreaker. He likes to play with girls' minds, and has a history with Jessica and Alex M. Who will he choose?

Jessica is Jason's ex-girlfriend and Kristin's best friend. She can't seem to get over Jason. Kristin says that Jessica "would do anything for a guy," and she always believes a guy until she has hard evidence against him. Recently, Kristin hooked up with Jessica's crush. Will this spoil their friendship?

Alex M. is Taylor's best friend. She is the drama queen of Laguna Beach. She dated Jason in the past, but this season there is a constant love triangle between Jessica, Jason and Alex M. Will the girls scuffle this season?

Finally, there is the new girl, Casey, the ultimate blond beauty queen who Kristin hates. "Who wears high heels to the beach?" Kristin remarked about Casey on a recent episode. Recently Casey started a "bad hygiene" rumor about Alex M.

There has been speculation that "Laguna Beach" is a scripted show disguised as reality, and there are certain instances where it seems producers have set up a situation or put ideas into the casts' heads, but the cast and the relationships they share are real. This is unlike most reality shows because the characters have a history together that dates back before the show was created. Viewers see real drama unfold by real people who know how to push each others' buttons.

Tune in and catch the drama wave! A new episode of "Laguna Beach" airs every Monday at 10 p.m. EST. The complete first season of the show is currently available on DVD.

Christine Barron is currently a senior at The College of New Jersey and is doing an internship with Community News Service, LLC (Hamilton Post, Ewing Observer, Trenton Downtowner). She also works for the state of New Jersey and as a substitute teacher in Hamilton. She is pursuing a degree in journalism/photojournalism.