King of Hawthorne Prep

You know what?

Screw him.

I’m not going to school today. Not only do I deserve a break after everything I’ve endured, I need one. For my own mental health or I’ll snap, and no one wants that. Least of all me. I need to take a day off and regroup. Maybe find a better way to deal with Kingsley. To keep him at arm’s length.

Is that even possible?

A sigh of relief escapes as I come to a decision. Just knowing I won’t have to see his smug face today already has me feeling better. I toss back the covers and pull on the tank top I’d discarded last night. Even now, at six o’clock in the morning, the heat of the day is evident. When I grab my robe from the chenille-covered bench tucked beneath my vanity, I find the bra I’d worn yesterday to school neatly folded on top of it. Kingsley must have returned it last night. I wrap the robe around myself before padding down the staircase. My footsteps falter outside the kitchen as I pause and give my cheeks a few hard pinches.

“Hey, honey,” Mom says from her perch at the island when she spies me. A steaming cup of coffee sits on the granite countertop in front of her. She blinks in confusion before taking me in. “Why aren’t you dressed?”

“I didn’t sleep well last night,” I mumble, wrapping my arms around my middle.

“Hmmm. You look a bit flushed.” She rises from her stool, coming around the island before laying a hand against my forehead. “I don’t think you have a fever, but still,” her voice trails off. “If you’re not feeling well, maybe you should stay home and rest.”

Agreed.

Mental health day, here I come.

But I can’t give in that easily.

So, I shake my head and protest. “School just started, and the teachers give so much homework. I can’t afford to fall behind.”

A stubborn light enters her eyes as she plants her hands on her hips. “Give me a break, you won’t fall behind after one day. It’s doubtful your teachers would want you to come to school and spread your germs around.”

“It doesn’t matter. I should go,” I murmur before tacking on a long-suffering sigh.

“Absolutely not, young lady!” Mom’s voice grows sharp as I continue to argue. “You’re going to spend the day in bed resting. For lunch, I’ll make your favorite homemade chicken noodle soup. Lucky for you, I have a rotisserie in the fridge. I’m sure by tomorrow, you’ll feel better.”

Yum…soup! That does sound good! Even though I’m not technically sick, it’s medicine for the soul, right?

Exactly. And right now, it’s much needed.

I chew my lower lip and pretend to ponder the decision. “You really think I should stay home?”

She rolls her eyes. Hard. “One hundred percent. Plus, we have that party coming up. I want you well.”

“All right.” I nod, giving the appearance of capitulation. “I’ll stay home.”

Now that it’s been decided, she shoos me from the sun-drenched kitchen with a flick of her wrist. “Go back to bed. I’ll check on you later.”

Don’t mind if I do.

I practically tap dance my way up the staircase before slipping inside my room and jumping onto the queen-sized bed with an ecstatic bounce.

Screw you, Kingsley Rothchild!

Victory is mine!

A wide smile curves my lips as I imagine the aggravated expression that will flash across his face when he realizes I’ve managed to outsmart him. It almost makes me wish I could be a fly on the wall in Ms. Pettijohn’s classroom to see it for myself.

With an absurd amount of smugness filling me for foiling his dastardly plans, I pull the covers over my body and allow my eyelids to feather closed. In no time at all, I’m drifting off. For the next couple of hours, I float in and out of sleep. Barely do I register Mom laying her hand across my forehead before whispering that Austin will be accompanying them to the office. The soup has been made and is simmering on the stove, ready whenever I want it. I mumble out a response before burying myself beneath the blankets again and getting dragged back under. By the time I resurface, I’m completely rested. I grab my phone from the nightstand and blink at the time.

Is it really nine o’clock?

With a stretch, I throw off the covers and hop out of bed before gravitating to the window that overlooks the yard. The sky is a deep cornflower blue, and there’s not a cloud in sight. The sun is shining and it’s gorgeous out. Certainly not a day that should be spent in the classroom. Especially Hawthorne Prep.

My gaze is drawn to the sparkling water below.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

The pool company had recently been out to get all the mechanicals up and running. The dark blue tiles have been scrubbed clean, water has been added, and chemicals have been balanced. It’s been years since the pool was operational.