Audrina Patridge is doing well for herself these days.

But she wasn't always a hit with the girls growing up.

"I got picked on," the 23-year-old said at her old high school in Placentia, Calif., where she was promoting the OfficeMax "A Day Made Better" campaign.

"Girls in high school were always rude and catty to my sister and I. They will say anything to put you down and make themselves feel better."

Their beef with Audrina Patridge? Guy friends. She had them.

"Girls didn't like it, so they'd call me names and spread terrible rumors," she says. "You just have to hold your chin up and take it as a compliment that certain people dedicate that much time and effort to talk about you. I don't think I will ever stop experiencing that. I have just gotten better at understanding and dealing with it."

The Hills star says she always wanted to succeed in school.

"I was committed to doing well. I took a few semesters of college with child psychology in mind, but dropped out and moved to L.A. to pursue my dreams to model and act."

Thankfully for us, she's on her way. Hopefully those rumors of Lauren Conrad hooking up with her loser on-and-off boyfriend Justin Bobby aren't too much of a distraction.