Chapter 2

The driver pulls to a slow stop right at the edge of the steps and climbs out of the car. I don't even pay much attention to him. My eyes are glued to the students walking around the courtyard.

Suddenly, I feel self-conscious. I don't want to step out like this, not in front of them all. This is why I wished my mom would have at least met me here for my first day before leaving on her honeymoon.

You would think meeting your child for the first time in seventeen years would be important enough to push back the honeymoon trip.

I guess to a woman like my mom, it's not as essential as going on her honeymoon to Spain.

The school never sent me any uniforms, so I ended up having to wear something that I owned, and it's sad to say that a lot of my clothing doesn't look the best.

Most have stains on them or holes, just because I have had them for a long time.

My mother mentioned that I have a credit card coming in the mail, and when it arrives, the headteacher will give it to me.

My stepfather will give me a generous allowance each month. She didn't tell me how much, just stressed the word generous.

I didn't know how I felt about that. I appreciate him allowing me to come here. It's an entirely different thing to allow myself to depend on a man financially that I have never met.

I know I'm supposed to be meeting a girl named Shelby in front of the school. She is one of four scholarship students attending Blackmore Academy.

I don't have any background information about her apart from she has been here a week, and I was volunteered to show me around the campus.

I guess the spoiled brats would rather not waste their time showing around the new girl. I had expected my new stepbrother to be the one showing me around on my first day, but I was I got my hopes up for nothing.

Oh, well.

I'd feel much more comfortable with someone like me anyway. I don't want to feel like I'm getting judged on my very first day at my new school.

I'm not dumb, though. I know I won't be making many, if any, friends while I'm here. I don't have any high expectations of becoming someone popular or even someone to sit with while I eat in the cafeteria. Maybe she and I can kind of stick together, at least I'm hoping so.

The driver comes to my side of the car, opens the door for me, and stares me down. I guess I don't have any other choice but to step out.

He doesn't say a word to me, just walks to the back of the car, popping the trunk, and tossed my suitcase out.

Yes, I mean literally tossed my second – hand suitcase towards me, and I watched in horror as it plopped down on the gravel.

The already broken zipper came undone, causing what few outfits I had brought with me to spill out.

Rude much?

I didn't bring much, I was happy to know at least we would have uniforms, so I wouldn't have to bring a lot of my old clothes, but everything nice that I had is inside that suitcase.

When I say nice, I mean the ones that don't have stains and holes.

Most of my clothes came from cheap thrift stores. I paid 5.99 for my favorite top. That was about as expensive as I would pay for clothes.

My favorite thrift store is a place called Roses. You can find a lot of nice-looking clothes for really cheap.

The driver could be a little more mindful.

I bet the other kids' drivers didn't do that to any of their suitcases. Heck, no, they probably would get fired if he had tossed those name – brand clothing around.

I seriously doubt this chauffeur did the same thing to my stepbrother's suitcase.

I have been told that Todd here, the rude man who just tossed my suitcase out of the trunk of the black BMW, is the personal chauffeur of my new stepbrother. He will drive me home from school on Fridays and then back to school on Sundays.

I step out and softly close the door. What I genuinely wanted to do is slam it to express how unhappy I was with him,

I can't pay for any damages I may inflict, so I decided against doing what my mind demanded that I do.

Shame, really.

I could take the driver down a peg or a dozen.

“The girl, what's her name?” The driver stops in front of me, rolling his eyes as he tries to think of her name.

“Shelby?” I supplied with an eye roll of my own. Guess she isn't one of the top people in this school to even remember her name.

Obviously, I realize she isn't, I'm just being a petty.

“Yes. She should come to meet you soon. You will recognize it's her. She does not belong here either,” He snarls before leaving me shocked at his words and climbs back into the car before driving away.

Fuck you too, dude.

I bent down on the gravel and helped my poor suitcase stand up. Once I have it sitting up right, I take my time looking around, and I wish I didn't. All I see is the other students peering down their noses at me. One girl even giggles and points to my suitcase.

Yeah, I know it's old, but again, it was bought with my money. Bet the girl can't say the same.

Her friends join in on the laughter as they walk closer, and I suck in a deep breath, already knowing what's going to go down before it happens. They all have disgusted expressions on their perfect, made-up faces.

I take a quick second to look them over and just as I expected on the drive over here, they are perfectly, what's that word?

Posed?

Polished?

Not a single strand of hair on their obviously dyed heads is out of place and each one has their nails done. They are all decked out in what looks like expensive jewelry.

I don't even have my ears pierced.

“You're the new girl?” One asked me, with a dismissive glance.

“Obviously, Jill, look how she is dressed. Poor thing,” the other giggles out, sending me a snarky glimpse.

“Oh, I know. I was just pointing out the obvious. She definitely doesn't belong here. Look at her hair!” She all but shouts, drawing the onlookers' attention to us even more than it already was.

“What's wrong with my hair?” I grind out, fighting the need to flick my hand through my hair to make sure it was okay.

I got curls, and I'm not speaking about salon perm curls. I'm talking, born with curls and yeah, it's hard to tame down occasionally. I don't call it my lion's mane for nothing. It's absolutely untamable some mornings.

“You could use a dye job. Is that your natural color?” The one that has yet to talk, finally opened her red painted mouth.

“Obviously, my hair's real. Not fake” I smirk at them, yeah that's right, I'm the original one here while you three are the phony ones.

Apparently, they didn't like how they were born, and it isn't my fault they felt the need to change up. I'll be the first to admit that I don't have the perfect body. I have a little extra weight on me and I have freckles. I never had a boyfriend, but I have been told that I was a gorgeous young lady by elderly people. That counts, I think.

“Excuse me? I just paid over three hundred dollars for my hair!” Snapped the one called Jill, and again I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her outrage.

Seriously, her and her little companions can provoke me, but when I try to shove back, they have an issue with it?

Spoiled brats.

“Come on, girls. This one is not even worth our time to humiliate. Let's go find the knights.” The ultra-blonde hair snarks before wandering away, leaving her classmates walking fast to catch up with her.

Yeah! bye.

Suddenly, I hear a sweet voice breaking through my thoughts.

“Are you Lexi?” I turned to meet the source of the voice and saw that it must be Shelby. She was wearing normal clothes like I am and her hair and accessories didn't match those bitches.

“Yes. Shelby?” I asked her, bending forwards and pick up the handle of my suitcase, feeling a bit more relaxed than I was seconds ago.

“I'll show you around.” She smiles and heads up the big stairs leading into the school.

The only questions in my brain now, is who the fuck are the Knights and why the hell are they even called the Knights in the first place?