I blow out my dark hair, which falls dead straight down to my waist, though the only real attention I pay styling is to my bangs. My hair is pretty thick, so it requires a little wrangling to make my bangs look awesome. Once my hair is done, I head to the closet, but I don’t find the uniform Pattie supposedly left for me. I swear to God, if Blair took it to fuck with me, I’m not afraid of punching her right in her new nose.
I close the empty closet door and open the door next to it—another fucking closet—and find the uniforms. Five of them. At least that's one for each day I guess. Who needs this much space for clothes? I’m used to living out of a suitcase… Tour life isn’t as glamorous as people think. I’m not sure I’ve ever had or needed enough clothes to fill one of these closets, let alone two. Pulling the protective, plastic bag from the hanger, I take in the uniform.
The skirt is black and white plaid, which comes with thigh high socks and a starched white shirt. Along with them is a black and white neckerchief thing and a fitted black blazer, both embroidered with the school crest which has accents of a teal green… Someone fucking save me. There’s a note taped to the hanger that catches my eye.
Shoe choice is optional.
However, I suggest a pair of Mary Janes or something equally as sophisticated.
My aunt can choke on a dick.
If I have to wear this get up, and the shoe choice is optional, I’m wearing my Chucks. I pull on the excuse of a uniform and groan as I take in my reflection. I knew it was going to be bad, but holy fuck. I spin around and face-palm. My ass is practically on show with how short this stupid skirt is, like I know I have curves, and I’ve always loved them, but damn. I look like something out of a fucking porn movie.
Please let this be the worst part of my day…
* * *
Whispers follow me as I walk from my rental car toward the main doors of Echoes Cove Prep. At this point in my life, rumors and gossip are nothing new. Being the daughter of Stone Royal means this stuff has followed me for almost my entire life. He was the nation’s King, and I was their Princess. Whispers were part of the territory.
Except these whispers… They have nothing to do with my old life. These whispers have everything to do with me being back here at Echoes Cove Prep for my senior year. It’s not hard to overhear everyone talking about me. Most of it isn’t true, so the whispers of whore and slut don’t bother me so much. It’s the whispers about my dad that sting. I should’ve known that Echoes Cove would have more gossip than Page Six.
It’s obvious from the sneers and lewd glances that these people don’t want me here any more than I want to be here. I wonder once again why my dad thought that this would be a good idea, what it was that made him put that stipulation in his will. There are better schools in the world than ECP, so why send me back to this pit of despair?
The whispers of why I’m back just add to my want to be anywhere but here. The jealousy from having full access to my inheritance seems to be another thing that fuels the rumor mill.
“I heard she fucked her lawyer to get him to change her dad's will and forge the signature.”
“I heard she offed her dad just for the money.”
“Well, Becky heard her dad didn’t even commit suicide. It was a murder cover up. I bet she did it.”
I roll my eyes. The things people say blow my mind, but I know the truth, so I try not to let it get to me. They might not want me here, and honestly? I would have much rather spent the year homeschooling and continuing to travel, so the feeling is more than mutual. Plus, I’m a little worried about how well I’m going to fare in traditional schooling compared to homeschooling as it is.
I know I’m not like a lot of the trust fund babies here, thanks to my dad. While most of them will have limits to what they can access in their trust funds, I don’t… And I’ll never, ever have to worry about money again, so long as I stick to the stipulations in the will, and I fully intend on doing that. All that money is one hell of a point of contention with my aunt and uncle. Apparently, despite the mansion on Ballers’ Row and the fact that they’re both from what Aunt Vivienne likes to call ‘old money,’ plus the fact that Uncle Nate is a hugely successful investment banker, I’m still an incredible drain on their resources.
Yeah, that was a fun conversation. The one where they told me I’d have to pay my way because they couldn’t possibly take me in, out of the goodness of their hearts. It doesn’t really bother me, though. Money isn’t everything… I'd much rather have one last day with Dad, doing all of our favorite things. Granted, if I said that out loud around here, I’d probably be shot.
I shake my head to clear the thought and focus on the front of the school as I approach. It looks like the type of school you see on TV with the pale stone arch around the large main entry doors. The year the school was founded along with the school crest—a shield with a horse and swords, topped with a crown, surrounded by flora—is engraved at the apex of the arch, just the way I remember it. The red brick exterior is still covered with ivy, and it screams money as much now as it did the last time I walked these halls. It might only be a three-story building, but it’s so fucking imposing. It all feels like a lie. This isn’t a place where dreams come to thrive. It’s where they go to die.
I watch the people around me and wish I was anywhere but here. Everyone around here is so fake, and despite how I grew up—or maybe because of it—fake is everything I despise.
These people… Well, they were my people once upon a time, but everything I’ve seen in the few weeks I’ve been back in Echoes Cove tells me that either I’m not the same person I was when I left, or they aren’t. My cousin, who was once practically my sister, is nothing short of a vapid bitch from hell, and my once three best girlfriends… Well, from what I’ve heard from Blair, they’re her friends now and every bit like her.
That's before I even think about the boys who were once my rocks… my saviors. If they’re anything like Blair has said, then everything about being back here is going to suck. I haven’t heard from any of them since I got back into town, and Blair made it clear to me that I waspersona-non-gratato them. I hate that she might be right, but if they’re anything like I’ve heard, then maybe it’s for the best. It seems I’m not the only one who’s changed in the last five years.
Thankfully, I’ve been able to hide out in the pool house since coming back to Echoes Cove. I've been able to avoid the truth of my new reality, but today there’s no escaping the facts of it all. Now I’m here, ass deep in it and wishing I was anywhere else.
I try to pull down the skirt of this stupid-ass uniform while I walk, ignoring everyone, and head to the office to pick up my schedule and locker assignment. How this skirt, along with the thigh high socks, can be considered a demure school uniform is completely beyond me. My best guess is that the principal is a perv. That or whoever is pulling his strings likes this ridiculous outfit… and is also a perv. My shirt is almost too tight around the girls, and I’m pretty sure the outline of my bra is on full show, and the blazer is definitely a slim fit too. I look fucking ridiculous. I would kill for my jeans, band tees, and leather jacket back.
I push open the door to the office to find an older, gray-haired woman sitting behind a desk in an excessively lush office. You’d think the wood paneling would be enough, but no. There are gold accents on everything, and a mass of plants that makes me feel like I’ve stepped into an alternate world entirely. Maybe I’m in the wrong place.
“Hello, dear, can I help you?” She looks me up and down, her bright and sparkly voice at odds with the resting bitch face she looks at me with.
“My name is Octavia Royal. I just started here and was told this is where I should come for my class schedule and locker assignment.”
“Oh yes, I should have known. We don’t get new students very often at all. Please take a seat, and I’ll get your things.” I glance over my shoulder as she points, spotting a shiny, black leather sofa. Taking a seat, I try not to wince at the chill of the leather on the back of my thighs.Stupid fucking skirt.
She gets up and heads into one of what I’m assuming are smaller offices just as the door to the principal’s office opens. My stomach drops. I swear to fuck, I didn’t think my day could get any worse, and yet here we are. I knew I’d see one of them at some point, the school isn’t big enough for me to avoid them for long, but to see him before my day even starts? It feels like a bad omen.