Meeting The Queen Bee!

Chapter Two

Ashley’s POV

"Chase, please take a seat." The lecturer instructed.

"And you must be the new transfer student." Turning to me, she continued to speak, "Please introduce yourself and share something you've found interesting about the campus so far."

As I watched Chase settle into a seat at the back—right next to him and his towering friends—I barely heard her repeat, "Miss, quickly introduce yourself."

I hesitated, meeting her expectant gaze.

"I'd love to hear what you think, given you're new here." She added, offering an encouraging nod.

Facing a room full of curious stares, I had to admit—internally, of course—that my first impressions of this school weren’t exactly great.

Everything and everyone seemed rather irritating.

Taking a steady breath, I started, "My name is Ashley Sky and—"

"And something you like about the school, girl." A voice cut in.

I turned toward the interruption, locking eyes with a girl lounging in her seat, lazily chewing a piece of gum.

She had shoulder-length ombre hair and striking grayish-green eyes, her expression laced with impatience as if I was wasting her precious time.

I gave her my most sardonic smile, almost relieved that no one here seemed to recognize my last name.

Which was surprising, considering Charlotte—my ever-so-charming stepmother—had spent the entire week drilling into my head how important my father’s reputation was at this college.

Apparently, back in his day, Richie Sky had been the president of the Student Business Association, before moving on to build his fashion empire. Now, as the owner of the city’s top fashion brand, he was practically a local celebrity.

"Calm down, Jessica." The lecturer chastised, throwing the girl a disapproving look.

Jessica rolled her eyes but leaned back in her seat with a scoff, popping her gum loudly.

"Just take a seat, Ashley." The lecturer instructed, motioning toward an empty seat near the middle of the room.

I gave a small nod and made my way through the seating area, but before I could reach my seat, my foot caught against something—someone’s conveniently placed foot.

The next thing I knew, I was stumbling forward, barely catching myself before I hit the floor. Laughter erupted around me, echoing through the cold room.

Straightening up, I brushed my hair back and turned toward the culprit.

Jessica.

She was grinning, still chewing her gum, though there was a flicker of guilt in her eyes.

Biting back the urge to wipe that smug look right off her face, I bent down to gather my fallen books. I shot her one last warning glance before slipping into the seat right behind her.

If it weren’t my first day, I probably wouldn’t have let that slide.

"Ashley, are you okay?" The lecturer asked, watching me closely.

"I'm perfectly fine." I replied, placing my books onto the desk. Then, with a dramatic sigh, I added, "It's just this squeaky-ass twig in front of me still learning how to sit properly."

A few quiet chuckles rippled through the room.

"Pipe down, young lady." The lecturer warned, though her tone remained firm rather than harsh.

"Yes, ma'am." I said smoothly, flashing her an innocent smile.

"Accidents happen, right?" Jessica shrugged, shifting in her seat, but I ignored her.

As the lecturer turned back to the whiteboard and started writing, Jessica leaned over slightly, just enough to meet my gaze.

She popped her gum loudly before speaking, her voice low and laced with irritation.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" She hissed, her voice low but sharp.

I rolled my eyes, flipping open my notebook.

"I'm the Queen here and you just tried to make a fool of me." She continued, her words laced with venom.

I arched an eyebrow, barely sparing her a glance. "The Queen of what exactly?" I asked, absentmindedly twirling my pen between my fingers.

Jessica scoffed, leaning in slightly. "Just know you're in my territory, so watch your back."

I let out a bored sigh, leaning back in my seat as I waved her off.

Her lips curled into a smirk at my silence, her eyes glinting with amusement. "We'll see how long you last here, Sky."

I met her stare with a slow, mocking smile.

"Looking forward to it." I shot back.

As she finally turned away, I exhaled through my nose, irritation buzzing beneath my skin. My gaze flickered to the girl sitting beside me, noting the half-full bottle of water on her desk.

An idea sparked in my mind and a sly grin crept onto my lips.

"Hey, could I borrow this for a sec?" I asked, already reaching for the bottle.

The girl blinked at me, her expression uncertain before she gave a hesitant nod.

"Thanks." I murmured, unscrewing the cap.

Without hesitation, I tipped the bottle, sending a cool stream of water straight onto Jessica’s perfectly styled hair.

A collective gasp rippled through the room as she shot up from her seat, water dripping down her face. Her jaw clenched, fury radiating off her in waves.

"You bitch!" She shrieked, her voice so high-pitched I was half-convinced a bird had flown into the classroom.

I placed the bottle calmly back on my desk, shrugging.

"Don’t tell me you skipped your shower this morning. Hygiene is important, you know." I quipped, tilting my head with mock concern.

Laughter erupted around us as Jessica fumed, her hands balling into fists at her sides.

Before she could lash out, the lecturer slammed a book onto her desk, silencing the room instantly.

"What is going on here?" She demanded, her gaze sweeping between us.

"Oh, nothing serious," I sat up straighter, schooling my expression into something almost innocent.

"Just an unfortunate spill." I said, suppressing a chuckle. "Accidents happen, right?"

I caught movement from the corner of my eye and turned slightly to see him—the jerk from this morning—watching the scene unfold with an amused smirk. He shook his head, exchanging glances with his friends.

Jessica, still seething, pointed at me like a prosecutor ready to present her case. "She poured water on me on purpose!"

The lecturer’s sharp eyes landed on me. "Is that true, Ashley?"

I met her gaze, tilting my head thoughtfully before replying, "Would I do something like that without a really good reason?"

A beat of silence.

The lecturer exhaled through her nose, clearly exasperated. "Regardless of the reason, we do not settle disputes like this in my classroom."

Jessica crossed her arms, lips pressing into a thin line.

"But," The lecturer continued, her tone firm, "I will let this go this time—so long as it does not happen again. Understood?"

Jessica and I exchanged a long look.

Oh, this wasn’t over.

But for now? We both nodded.

"Jessica, bathroom." The lecturer said with a dismissive wave.

Jessica huffed, snatching up her bag before storming out without another word.

I barely spared her a glance as I turned back to my desk, facing the girl whose water bottle I had so generously repurposed.

"I’ll get you another one." I offered, but she just shrugged.

"Don’t worry about it."

Fair enough. I settled back into my seat and started jotting down notes from the whiteboard, my focus shifting away from the chaos I’d just caused.

"Ashley," The lecturer called out, drawing my attention. "Could you remind me of your last name?"

"Sky." I answered absently, my pen barely pausing over the page.

A brief silence followed before she spoke again, her tone carrying a hint of curiosity. "Your father?"

I sighed internally, already knowing where this was going.

"Yes," I said, still scribbling in my notebook. "Richie Sky is my father and yes, I’m his only daughter. I’m well aware of that."

Almost immediately, murmurs rippled through the classroom, as if I’d just confirmed I was royalty.

The lecturer beamed, her excitement barely contained. "Well, I’m so thrilled to have you in my class, Miss Ashley!"

I shrugged, keeping my expression neutral. "It’s really not a big deal."

Apparently, someone disagreed.

"Do we get autographs, or is that privilege reserved for the lecturers, since she’s blessing us all with her mighty presence?"

The familiar drawl made my jaw clench before I even turned to look at him.

Leaning back in his seat with that same smug expression, he—the jerk from this morning—watched me like he was waiting for a reaction.

I arched a brow, tapping my pen against my notebook. "You want an autograph? Cute. Should I sign it ‘To my biggest fan’?"

His friends snickered, but he just smirked, tilting his head as if amused.

"Alright, class," The lecturer cut in, her patience wearing thin. "Let’s move on to the last point before we have any more unnecessary interruptions."

She launched back into her lesson, but I barely heard her.

Because as I locked eyes with him across the room, something told me this wasn’t the last time we’d be clashing.

Not even close.