When We're Alone

AVA

“Ithinkyoushould all go silver and I’ll go gold.” Of course she does. It’s Leila’s birthday in a few weeks and she’s throwing an over-the-top party at her mansion, as is mandatory for any member of the Court.

“But we always go pink.”

“Well, it’s my birthday and I want you all in silver,” Leila replies, throwing her mane of blonde hair over her shoulder. Everyone looks to me to settle the debate between Leila and Harriet, and I sigh. It’s Leila’s birthday, yes, but she’s been making moves to challenge my authority for weeks. Now’s the time to stamp it out. I couldn’t give two shits, personally, but it’s what’s expected, and if it ever got back to my parents that I wasn’t taking my “role” seriously, then it’d be more hassle than it’s worth. Especially from my father.

“If you want to go gold, that’s fine,” I say. Leila’s smirk appears. “But we all do.” I don’t need to stand out. Everyone knows I’m the true queen here. Not that I’ve asked for this role, but being a part of my family means it’s true anyway. She narrows her eyes but doesn’t say anything back, knowing she can’t outright defy me whether she’s a fellow queen or not. I can see the cogs in her mind turning, and it’s not long before she’s pushing back.

“Dane was asking about you earlier,” she starts. I don’t answer, because… why would I care? Leila seems to think my complete lack of interest in guys around here proves something, when really, it’s that they’re all losers. They take the whole “elite” thing way too seriously and are way too pushy. Especially Dane and his friends. They turn me all the way off. Leila takes that as proof that I’m frigid and brings him up when she’s trying to embarrass me, but like hell am I putting myself in a position where I’m alone with any of them. I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them.

Just then the bell goes, saving me from whatever inane remark she was planning to follow that up with. I stand up from the bench, putting my bag over my shoulder and stalking away. I don’t bother to check behind me. I know they’ll all be running to catch up, even though we don’t have the same next class. Most of us do different courses here at Highland University, except for me and Millie, but they’ll walk me to my room first. It’s actually really fucking irritating. You can’t get a minute’s peace, but it is what it is—the Court has to show a united front at all times. They’ll be doubling back on themselves, with my next class being at the back of the expansive old building that houses our university, but that’s irrelevant. We move and act as one. It’s what’s expected.

Millie ambles in a few minutes later and sits herself in the seat next to me. She’s the only one who doesn’t run after me. Maybe that’s why she’s my best friend, and why she doesn’t get the rich-bitch attitude from me that everyone else does. Her parents are a lot more laid back about her social standing, but even she carries on the charade to stay at the top, although that might only be to keep me sane. Unfortunately, the saying “speak of the devil and he shall appear” seems particularly relevant today, as Dane decides to sit on my other side.

“Hey, gorgeous.” He leers, his gaze travelling down my body before coming back to my face, and I bite my tongue as I throw him a polite smile. I know that as a king and a queen, most of this place expect us to get together, but I’d rather die never having had sex again than let Dane touch me. Something he clearly doesn’t realise, because he puts his hand on my knee. The skirts of our uniform are long and tight black pencil skirts that pair with white shirts, so that’s the highest up my leg he can go while still touching bare skin, the creep. He moves his hand slightly, the tip of his finger stroking just under the hem of my skirt. I shove Dane’s hand off me with a sarcastically polite smile and pull my cropped black blazer on as cover for the move. Dane’s smile freezes, not liking that, but he carries on regardless. “I heard about Leila’s party.” And? Who hasn’t? “I thought we could go together, maybe have some drinks alone beforehand?” He winks suggestively, and I swallow back bile. Absolutely fucking not.

“I think Leila will expect me to arrive with her, but thanks.”

“That’s okay, she already told me it’s fine.” That irritates me for many reasons, one being that Leila thinks she has any right to give me permission for anything. The Court might technically be made up of five queens and five kings, legacies from the highest donating families paired in order of net worth, but everyone knows the unofficial pecking order, and it’s me at the top, not Leila. That kind of thing matters here at Highland University. Prestigious institutions come with prestigious requirements—uniforms, astronomical tuition fees, and apparently, acting like hot-guy douchebags like Dane and social-climbing bitches like Leila.

There’s only two upper class universities in Laguna that the uber-rich send their spoilt spawn to before they take over their family businesses. It’s the perfect opportunity to shove an extra three years of networking down our throats. The best business connections are made during your university years, apparently. Every person here is nothing more than a pawn for their families, but I digress.

“We’ll see,” I say to Dane. He grins like he’s won. I hate that I can’t just say no, that I can’t tell him he’s pushy and leery and disgusting and I wouldn’t willingly touch him with a six-foot pole, because I’m supposed to be polite and cordial and not make enemies. My body language would say enough to warn off anyone who wasn’t a complete dirtbag. Shame Dane never seems to get the message.

Millie gives me a look, checking I’m okay, and I minutely nod my head. No idiot like Dane is going to upset me. It’s the general acceptance that he’ll get what he wants that infuriates me, the common consensus of our community that “boys will be boys,” but I won’t let him rile me up. At least, not in public. Dane’s exactly the type to rat on my behaviour to his father, and it’s not worth it getting back to mine. I am the queen of wearing a mask, but Millie knows my tells. She’s the only decent person in this school, and therefore the only one who knows me and what I’m thinking. Aside from Millie and me, I don’t think I could find two other people in this school who so much as like each other. What lonely, messed up lives we lead.

At the end of the day, Millie and I meet at the front of the university and walk through the sweeping gardens to reach the car park. Highland used to be a country estate, and the layout remains the same even now that it’s a working school. I can’t help but relax as we climb into my car—a white Superleggera Volante I got for my birthday last month—and pull out of the grounds, leaving this farce behind us until Monday morning. One of the main selling points of this car was it only having two seats, which meant I wouldn’t have to cart any of the other members of the Court around. And the convertible roof, of course.

I drop Millie off at her place first, promising to be back as quickly as possible, and then take the long way back to mine. My solace finally comes as I drive the quieter road along the beach with the top down and my hair flying in the wind. I don’t even need to go fast; the sea air and the sound of my engine soothes me. I steal longing glances at the golden sand in the distance all the way until it disappears in the rear-view mirror as I head home.

“You look like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards.” Hello to you too, Dad. Lovely to see you, as always.