Flipping the strap of my bag off one arm, I rifled through until I found the paper with my schedule on it. Alex blinked a few times. “No palm reader?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Yeah, they aren’t really accessible to most of the world. Then again, neither is paper.”
For most of my life I’d used a reusable board that could be wiped clean when I was done with my lessons. I’d had one for each class. If I wrote small enough, I could get a month of lessons on it. It worked because we’d have a quiz at the end of every month, and then we’d wipe the board clean and start again.
A palm reader was like the pre-war smartphones, except instead of a hand-held device, a thin band around Alex's wrist could provide information, such as his schedule, school work, and research as a hologram on his open palm. So freaking cool, but so freaking expensive. Of course, all the students here had one.
"Uhh, history, apparently. What about you?" Despite my plans to steer well clear of the royals—or the crown heirs at any rate—I found myself eager to know more about this gorgeous blond prince.
"Politics," he replied with a rueful grin. Ofcoursehe was taking politics; he was going to be the leader of one of the major world powers. "I'm in fourth year, so we won't have any classes together, unfortunately."
"Oh." My mood fell. For some reason I'd thought that him being my student guide meant we would have some classes together. But now that he’d said that, he definitely didn't look my age. "That's cool. I was planning on steering clear of you anyway." I said it with a teasing grin because even I didn't believe me anymore.
Fucking hell, I was so screwed if I couldn't shake this crush on Alex. Nothing good could come from messing around with him.
"That's okay, Violet," he replied with a smirk. "I enjoy a challenge. Come on, Professor McDermott’s history class is this way."
I bit the inside of my lip to hold back what was sure to be a way too enthusiastic smile as we continued down the hallway. I didn't know this guy... not really. But he was definitely flirting, and damn it all to hell, I loved it.
"Tell me something about yourself, Violet," Alex said, stopping outside a closed door some moments later. "First thing that comes to mind."
"Uh," I said, startled. "What?"
He arched a brow, leaning one strong shoulder against the wall like he was in absolutely no hurry to get to his own class. "Well, all I really know about you is that you're on scholarship, you're from America, and you have no desire to exploit my affections for money or prestige. I want to know more."
I blinked a few times. "Well, that's not all you know."
His other brow raised, and his head tilted slightly in silent question.
"You also know that I dance when I'm drunk." I wrinkled my nose at him, and he laughed. Yeah, I'd caught him watching me and Mattie on the dance floor, and his stare had contained way more than casual interest.
"I know that you dancereally welland suspect you don't need to be drunk to do so."
I gave him a small nod. "Fair point. Is this my class?"
"It is. I know you and Mattie have a thing going... but would you maybe consider having lunch with me? I'd really like to get to know you better, Violet." Alex leaned in slightly as he spoke, so much so that our clothes brushed and my heart rate sped up. Was he going to kiss me? Right here in the hallway outside my class?
"Careful, Cinderella," a cruel voice sneered, making me startle, "getting too close to Alex can have detrimental health impacts."
I shot a death glare at Rafe, but he just casually strolled past us like he didn't even notice my response. He fucking did, though. Why say anything at all other than to get a rise out of me?
Ugh. Prince Rafael was fast becoming my least favorite person on the planet. And that included the matron of my girls’ home. And those bitches who’d mocked my name.
Shaking off the dark cloud of Rafe's threats, I turned my attention back to Alex, only to find him scowling down the hall in the same direction I'd been looking.
"I should go," he said before I could speak. The flirting tone had vanished, his voice tight. "I'll see you at lunch."
Then he was gone, leaving me standing there alone outside the history room without even waiting for a response. He'd just assumed my answer would have beenyesfor lunch, too.
Chapter 8
Throughout my first three classes of the day, I spoke to no one. Not a single person. Not even Alex who was supposed to be my escort for the day.
Even the professors pretended I wasn’t there, and it wasn't for a lack of me trying to get their attention, either. By the time I'd been totally ignored for the fourth time, I gave up. If these arrogant, entitled bastards wanted to be like that, then fuck them. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of continuing to embarrass myself while they snickered into their hands.
Besides, as far as bullying went, getting ignored was low on the scale. I could handle ghosting my way through four years at Arbon Academy to get that shiny degree at the end of it all.
Leaving my lecture on socio-economics—a subject that focused heavily on congratulating the wealthy and downplaying the systemic poverty rife in our world—I'd already become comfortable with being invisible. So much so, that I was totally taken off guard when a girl shoulder-checked me.
