Chapter 13 - Levana
Staring at the imagein the hallway mirror, I turned one side, then the other. While it wasn’t the most flattering outfit, the plaid bottle green skirt sitting just below my knees, matching green blazer, crisp white button-down shirt with a collar and black knee-high socks were a definite step up from the previous staid uniform. I figured it was the pleated skirt, soft and comfortable that made the difference.
“How come Eliana gets to wear that and I’m in a uniform again?” I dragged my feet into the kitchen, pointing to my sister’s jeans and shirt clad body before dropping into a seat next to her at the breakfast nook. At our last school in Boston, we hadn’t worn school uniforms which suited me perfectly. I got to hide the imperfections I didn’t like. Even though I’d gotten used to wearing one in England, I’d assumed my sister and I on our return to the US, would be returning to the same school. Unfortunately, dad had moved to San Francisco since we left. As a renowned architect, he’d secured a considerable contract for the design and construction of several shopping centres, the first starting here.
He turned away from the stovetop and flipped a pancake onto the plate in front of me. “Because your academic record in England got you a spot at the Winthrop Royal Academy here. It’s a reputable school that graduates Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard potentials every year.” He went back to pouring batter into the pan.
Oh boohoo,I internally moaned then said out loud, “they’re not affiliated to the Winthrop Castle in England, are they?” I asked, drizzling chocolate syrup over my pancake.
Eliana made a face showing me her displeasure. Sticking out my tongue at her, I touched a spot of chocolate to her nose. Instead of getting angry, she tried to lick it off with her tongue screwing up her eyes in the process. Her failed attempted had us both giggling.
“Have you been to the Winthrop Castle?” Dad asked over his shoulder and I quickly wiped the spot off her nose with a napkin.
Stuffing my mouth with a piece of pancake, I mumbled a muffled, “yes.”
“Did you meet anyone?”
“Not really.” I shrugged, concentrating on cutting the remainder of my pancake into equal-shaped triangles. Then I remembered my prince Winthrop and laughed. “Actually, there was one person I met. Don’t know who he was but he had the most gorgeous green eyes...” I trailed off at my father’s sudden pivot, his brow burrowed in a deep frown.
“Did he say anything to you.” There was a weird urgency to his tone.
I blushed recalling the conversation with the man. “Nothing important except for one thing that I found strange.” I lifted my hand to bring another piece of pancake to my mouth when my father grasped my hand to stop me.
“What did he say, Levana?”
My curiosity piqued. “When he first saw my face, he called me Snow like grandma used to then he acted like it was a mistake.”
I could’ve sworn my father’s face paled but then Eliana shouted, “dad, you’re burning down the house.” Her exaggeration making me laugh.
“Crap,” cursing, dad turned away to attend his now burned flapjack which he hurled into the sink, pan and all.
My sister and I exchanged puzzled looks before she shrugged and jumped off the high seat—an unusual first since her usual manner was to gracefully rise like a freaking princess.
Standing, I took a huge sip of my orange juice while my father faffed about. He looked flustered for some reason. “I’m ready to go, dad.”
Nodding, he jerked his thumb at the door leading to the garage. “You want to start the car while I see your sister off?”
“Sure.”
Eliana was lucky to have gotten into a school that was plus minus fifteen minutes from home and there were two scheduled school busses she could use. As for me, Winthrop Royal was in the opposite direction to Eliana’s school and a good forty-five-minute ride, traffic dependent.
Grabbing the bunch of keys hanging from the rack near the door, I let myself into the garage, opened the roller door and started the car. As it idled, I slid into the passenger seat, buckled up and checked my phone for messages from Grace. Given the time difference between our two continents, I figured she was still in class.
“You want to drive?” Dad arrived and slid behind the wheel after depositing his suit jacket and laptop bag in the back seat.
