The alarm blared too early for a day I already wanted to skip. I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head, but reality was relentless. First day at Royalty High. New girl problems. Perfect.
Dragging myself out of bed, I brushed my teeth and stared at the girl in the mirror. Silver hair. Blue eyes. A stranger to my own reflection. Nothing about me resembled my mother's dark brown waves or warm hazel eyes. I'd asked her once if this look came from my father — the man she never spoke of.
No name.
No photo.
No story.
"Some things are better left in the past, Alicia," she always said. End of discussion.
I pulled on a hoodie, tucking my hair inside it, the way I always did when I didn't feel like explaining myself to strangers.
Downstairs, the scent of coffee and buttered toast clung to the air. My mother sat at the table, sharp and elegant even on her day off. A lawyer with her own firm, she was the kind of woman who made people straighten their backs the moment she entered a room.
My stepbrother, Eli, was already halfway through breakfast, demolishing eggs and bacon like it was a championship.
„Morning, runt," he smirked.
"Don't call me that," I muttered, grabbing a piece of toast.
Mom barely looked up from her phone. "Good luck today, Alicia."
"Thanks," I replied, though I wasn't sure I meant it.
Eli downed his juice and stood. "I'm driving."
„Nope — I am," I challenged, grabbing my bag.
He grinned."race you".
I wasnt ready. He bolted out the door. I rolled my eyes, grabbed my bag, and chased after him. By the time i reached the car, he was already behind the wheel, grinning like he'd just won a gold medal.
Narcos by migos thumped through the speakers as we pulled out of the drive way. My stomach wasnt twisting because of the bass-it was the growing knot of nerves as the school came into view.
The place looked like something out of a teen drama_massive gates, perfectly trimmed lawns, windows gleaming like polished mirrors under the morning sun.
The moment we parked,Eli was gone, heading straight for his clique. Jason vert , always in gloves, like he was hiding something.jake dale , the loud one. But two were missing.
I barely had time to take a breath when a voice cut through from behind.
„Welcome, Alicia"
I turned. It was ryan daniels. My ex.
We'd broken up years ago_ no drama , no screaming matches, but it still felt weird having him around, showing up at my house, hanging with Eli like none of it mattered.
I sighed."right, thanks."
Without waiting for a reply, he walked off to join Eli and the others. A few minutes later, I spotted the rest of the group again. This time, with Zeke Voss, who'd finally decided to show up.
And just like that, Awkward found a new low.
Ryan was pressed up against some insanely gorgeous girl by the lockers, kissing her like they were auditioning for a soap opera. She was tall, dark-haired, with those perfect kind of lips people pay for. I wasn't jealous. Not even close. It was just unnecessary. Right there in their hallway, like no one else existed.
Typical Ryan.
I rolled my eyes and kept walking
The halls were too bright. The floor too shiny. The air reeked of lemon floor cleaner mixed with way too much body spray, the kind that clung to your clothes and followed you home. Posters for some charity gala were plastered across the walls, but no one was reading them. No one ever did.
Up ahead, I spotted a sign: First Day Student Help — Main Office. Grateful for the excuse to disappear, I headed straight for it.
Behind the counter sat a woman with bright red glasses and a smile far too big for seven in the morning. She slid a map, my schedule, and a lock across the counter like she'd done it a thousand times before.
„If you get lost, don't worry. Just come back here," she said, her voice cheerful enough to border on suspicious. "And don't let those faces intimidate you. You'll be fine."
I nodded, though my stomach felt like it was tied in knots. New girl problems. Same old story.