“Why are you limping?” Cress squealed.
She was already dressed in her school uniform and looked far cuter than I thought possible for someone in plaid. I think it came down to the accessories. She wore a set of black heels and a long dark cardigan she’d belted at the waist. I looked at my uniform, which I’d laid out on the bed the night before. I imagined the drab, formless sweater we were supposed to wear wasn’t going to look as nice on me.
“I twisted my ankle on my run.”
She rushed over. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s really no big deal.”
“Are you sure?” Her brow was pinched with concern, and it touched me to see how much she cared.
“I just have to walk it off.” My words didn’t seem to do anything to ease the worry on her face, and I quickly continued. “There’s not much I can do about it now anyway, so I’m going to hop in the shower.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the nurse?”
“Nope, I’m all good. I better get ready so I’m not late on my first day.” I was already short on time, so I left the room before Cress could continue to worry over me. My ankle was starting to feel a lot better, so I was fairly certain it wasn’t badly damaged. I could imagine nothing worse than spending my first weeks at my new school with my foot in a cast or crutches under my arms.
I had a quick shower before changing into my school clothes. I hadn’t tried them on yet, but they fit me perfectly, almost as if they’d been custom-made to fit my body. The white button-down shirt was tailored to follow my curves, and the tartan skirt sat comfortably around my waist, ending the perfect distance above my knees. The check pattern was mostly navy, but it had subtle hints of red threaded through it, and the tie was made to match. While the sweater wasn’t particularly fashionable, the material was so soft I couldn’t bring myself to take it off.
I wasn’t sure how much time I had so I swiped some mascara across my lashes and quickly ran a brush through my hair. “That will have to do,” I murmured as I looked at myself in the mirror. It was a struggle to tame my hair on the best of days, and today was no exception. It was as wild as ever and distracted from the smart, neat fit of my uniform. I might have looked the part of a Weybridge student, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel it.
“Aww, you look adorbs,” Cress said as I reentered the bedroom. “Not many people can pull off the school sweater. I’m impressed.”
My cheeks warmed as I tried to figure out if she was making fun of me. “You don’t have to lie to me, you know.”
She smiled brightly. “I never lie when it comes to clothes.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I laughed as I picked up my school shoes and went to sit on my bed so I could put them on. I was still struggling not to hobble as I walked and could only lightly press down on my foot. It was going to be a long day walking around school if my ankle kept complaining this way.
“You should really get that checked out,” Cress said. She sounded just like her cousin.
“It’ll be fine. It’s already feeling much better.” Was I in denial? Probably. But admitting I was in pain felt like giving into it, and I refused to let my ankle hold me back today. I quickly changed the subject. “How was the rest of the party last night?”
“It was fun, but I wish you had stayed. Did you find a ride home okay?”
“Yeah, I went back with Lily.”
“Oh yeah, she’s sweet.”
“Do you know her well?”
“Not really,” Cress said. “She mostly hangs out with the other scholarship students.”
“Oh.” Cress didn’t sound like she was judging Lily for being here on a scholarship. Not like Veronica had. But her response made me wonder how the rest of the school viewed Lily, and whether she was only friendly with other scholarship students because she wasn’t welcomed by anyone else.
If that were the case, then it was completely unfair. Lily might not be ridiculously rich like the other kids here, but she still belonged. She had earned her place at Weybridge Academy by being smart. I definitely couldn’t say the same. If anyone at this school was a charity case, it was me. Would I be treated differently if the people here knew I came from nothing?
I wasn’t sure of the answer to my question, and it worried me. I’d lost too many friends recently, and I wasn’t sure I could handle being ostracized again.
A knock came at the door. “I’ll get it.” Cress hurried over to the door and pulled it open to reveal an older woman standing in the corridor.
“Good morning, Cressida,” she said. “Is Isobel here? I hear she had a fall, and I’ve come to take a look at her ankle.”
“Oh, sure. Come right in.” Cress stood back as the woman entered the room.
“Hello, Isobel. I’m the school nurse, Miss Ludwell.” She introduced herself as she came over to me. I was still sitting on the edge of my bed, and she lowered herself to kneel by my foot, setting her bag down at her side.
“Do you mind if I take a look at your ankle?” Miss Ludwell had a very direct tone, and although she was asking for my permission, I didn’t think she was someone who would take no for an answer.
“Oh, uh, sure.”
I leaned forward to watch as the woman lightly touched my ankle in different places, checking it for points of tenderness and assessing my range of motion. “It’s not that bad,” I said. “Cress really didn’t need to call you.”
“It wasn’t me,” Cress murmured.
“Actually, Mr. Hastings came to my office,” Miss Ludwell explained.
“What?” I gasped.
“Noah came to see you?” Cress sounded understandably confused.
The woman nodded. “Yes. I don’t normally visit the dorm rooms, but he was quite insistent.”
“Interesting,” Cress said with a glance in my direction.
My cheeks immediately started to flush. I hadn’t told her Noah had been in the woods with me. I’d already started pretending none of it had happened. Clearly, that wasn’t an option anymore—at least, it wasn’t as far as Cress was concerned.
Noah had surprised me again. He’d clearly gone out of his way to contact the school nurse, which really didn’t fit with the image I had of him in my head. I didn’t know whether to be grateful or annoyed. Who was he to decide whether I needed the nurse or not?
The nurse was nice, and by the time she’d finished with me, I was glad Noah had sent her. She iced my ankle and strapped it up, and she gave me some painkillers to dull the pain.
Just as Miss Ludwell was finishing up, Anna arrived at the door. She was already in uniform, and like Cress, she’d made an effort to add her own style to the outfit. She was wearing a gorgeous set of hoop earrings, and bracelets jangled around her wrist. She’d paired it all with a set of heels too. I didn’t usually wear heels and had no idea how she expected to survive a whole day of school in them.
“You guys ready for breakfast?” Anna asked as she let herself into the room. “I’m starved…” Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of Miss Ludwell packing up her bag.
“Are you sure you won’t consider resting in your room today?” Miss Ludwell asked me. “That would be my advice.”
“No, I’m okay,” I said for what felt like the tenth time. There was no way I was missing my first day of classes.
“Very well. Remember to ice your foot every few hours and try to keep it elevated. If you come by my office this morning, I can give you a crutch so you won’t be putting too much pressure on it.”
“Okay, thanks.” I wasn’t going to admit it to her, but I had no intention of walking around school with a crutch.
The nurse gave me a warm smile before leaving the room. As she shut the door behind her, Anna came rushing over. “What happened to you?”
“I fell over on my run.”
“Run?” Anna raised an eyebrow. “Why were you running?”
She looked so confused I couldn’t help but laugh. “Because I enjoy it.”
“Well, that’s just crazy,” she said. “I’m not sure if we can be friends anymore.” A smile played at her lips though, so I knew she was only joking.
“The run’s not even the most interesting part,” Cress said. “Apparently, Noah was the one who went to the school nurse and sent her up to see Isobel.”
“What?” Anna gasped. “Why?”
“That’s what I want to know.” Cress turned to me, an expectant look in her eyes. “What happened?”
I let out a sigh. “There’s really not that much to tell. I fell over in the woods, and Noah happened to be out running too. He saw I was hurt and helped me get back to the dorm. I think he must have known I wasn’t going to go and get my ankle checked out by the nurse so he sent her over.”
Anna started to laugh. “Wow, school hasn’t even started yet, and already, every girl here is going to want to kill you.”
“Yeah, I have a feeling there will be a few girls out in the woods tomorrow waiting for Noah to run past so they can fall over at his feet,” Cress added. “They’ll be kicking themselves for not thinking of that sooner.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose!” I protested.
“Oh, we know that,” Anna replied. “But there are genuinely girls here who would.”
I shook my head. That’s exactly what Noah had assumed. But who in their right mind would fake an injury as a way to get closer to a guy? It sounded like there were some really manipulative girls at this school.
“I still can’t believe he sent the school nurse over to check on you,” Cress said. “The infirmary is all the way on the other side of school. He must have been really worried if he went out of his way to fetch her.”
I thought it far more likely Noah did it because he knew it would annoy me, but I didn’t tell the girls that. I could hardly admit to Cress that I was wary of her cousin. “I think you guys are reading into this far too much. It’s not a big deal.”
“Maybe not to you,” Cress replied. “But then again, you don’t really know Noah. Any other girl at school would be freaking out.”
That was probably another reason why he went to fetch the nurse. I must not have adequately fed his ego this morning. Maybe he was hoping this extra good deed would make me chase after him in grateful thanks. I could guarantee that would not be happening.
“Perhaps we can just keep this between the three of us then?” I asked. “I really don’t want anyone else thinking there’s more to this than there is, and I’d hate for anyone to go out into the woods to try to fake an injury.”
“Of course,” Cress agreed.
Anna looked disappointed. “But this is such good gossip…”
Cress folded her arms over her chest. “Anna…”
“Okay. Okay. I won’t tell anyone.”
I let out a breath in relief. “Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it.”
They gave me warm smiles in return, and I knew they’d keep their word.
Once the girls had recovered from the shock of hearing what had happened with Noah and me in the woods, we headed to the dining hall for breakfast. It was lucky we left the dorm early because I was still struggling to walk properly, and it took us a while to make it over to the other building. I was glad Cress had suggested I bring my schoolbag with me because I would have struggled to get to the dorm and back before classes started.
Thankfully, I didn’t need to carry much, just the laptop and tablet I’d found in my suitcase when I unpacked. They were both so shiny and new I was nervous to carry them around with me. I’d never owned a tablet before, and my laptop at home was ancient. It was a hand-me-down from one of my mom’s old boyfriends. It was so old it took about ten minutes just to start up. It was a miracle it was still working, and I had to save my schoolwork every few minutes because it was known to shut down without warning.
The dining hall was far emptier this morning than it had been last night, and the echoing sounds of conversation were much quieter. I still got a few curious glances as I walked through the room, but people seemed far less interested than they had been at dinner.
“Half the school is probably hungover,” Cress said as she looked around the room.
“Yeah, I bet they’re all still in bed, waiting for the last possible second to get to class,” Anna agreed.
I wasn’t sure how anyone could choose sleep over a good breakfast. Especially when the food here looked so amazing. The buffet had whole sections dedicated to baked goods, fresh fruits, cereals, and yogurts. There were even chefs standing by to cook fresh eggs, pancakes, and waffles. It was insane.
I was tempted to try a bit of everything but eventually settled on some fruit, cereal, and yogurt. My stomach grumbled with hunger, but I was starting to get nervous about my first day of school, and I didn’t think I could handle much more than a light breakfast.
“You two seem fine this morning,” I said as we sat down at the same table as last night. It had looked as though Cress and Anna were only just getting started when I left the party, and given how late it was when Cress returned, I was surprised she didn’t seem more tired.
“We both tend to dance the booze off,” Cress said with a laugh.
“Or we’re too busy dancing to get more drinks,” Anna added with a smile.
“Or making out with hot boys…” Cress gave Anna a knowing nudge with her elbow.
“You kissed someone last night?” I gasped.
Anna’s cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink. “Maybe.”
“She means definitely,” Cress said with a laugh. “Angus Whitmore was all over her.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Anna’s head fell into her hands.
“Is he that bad?” I asked, confused as to why she was so embarrassed.
“Yes,” Cress replied. “He might be hot, but he’s a pompous ass.”
Anna groaned in agreement before lifting her head out of her hands. “I always swear I’m not going to kiss him when I go to these things, but somehow, we always end up in a corner making out. It’s terrible.”
A laugh slipped out of me at the dismayed expression on her face. “Why do you do it then?”
“Because he’s a really, really good kisser.”
Cress glanced over her shoulder before pointing at a guy on the other side of the room. “That’s him over there.”
I followed the direction she was nodding in. “The guy drinking out of a tea cup?”
Cress snorted out a laugh. “That’s the one.”
I could see why they thought he was hot. His school shirt clung to his muscles, and he had a nice tan. His light hair was perfectly slicked back, probably the result of a painstaking morning routine. He was definitely a good-looking guy but far too put together for my liking. He even sat a little too straight, and I could see why he might be too uptight for Anna.
As I was watching Angus, my attention strayed, and I caught sight of Noah sitting at the table behind him. He’d changed out of his sports clothes, which was probably a good thing. The girls at breakfast would have caused a riot if he was sitting there with his chest and abs out.
Still, he looked far more appealing in his uniform than he probably should. His tie was slightly loose, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows showing off his strong forearms. I didn’t know forearms could be an attractive feature on a guy, but Noah made them look hot. He was sitting with Luther and Kaden but none of the crowd he’d been surrounded by last night. His expression was reserved as he sat and talked quietly with his friends.
“He’s hot, right?” Cress said.
“Very,” I murmured before realizing she was still talking about Angus and obviously not her cousin. I blushed and glanced away. The last thing I needed was for the girls to catch me staring at Noah.
“So, how are you feeling about your first day?” Anna asked. She was desperate to get the conversation away from Angus, and I was happy to oblige. There was nothing worse than having to relive something you were embarrassed about.
“A bit nervous,” I said. “I still have no idea how to work my tablet. I can’t even find my class schedule on it.”
“Oh, that’s easy,” Cress said. “Pass your tablet here, and I’ll show you.”
I fished the tablet out of my bag and handed it to her.
“This is the school app,” she explained, pointing to one of the squares on the screen. “Once you log in with your student details, it gives you everything you need. The school gives you a generic password to begin with, and you can change it straightaway.”
As I watched her fingers fly across the tablet screen, I felt grateful for her help. There was no way I would have figured it out on my own. I wasn’t a complete tech Neanderthal, but I’d also never even had a smartphone of my own.
“So, I’ve changed your password to Cressisthebest, which shouldn’t be too hard to forget,” she said with a wink. “And I’ll just bring up your class schedule…”
“Oh, what’s she got?” Anna asked, scooting closer. “I wonder if we’re in any classes together…” She peered at the screen over Cress’s shoulder, and her face scrunched up like there was a bad smell under her nose.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“You’re taking such boring classes!” Anna said it like I’d done something to personally offend her.
“I am? Let me take a look.”
Cress handed the tablet back to me, and I scanned the screen. She was right. My first day was filled with English, math, and a business management class. I let out a breath of relief when I saw biology and chemistry were on my schedule later in the week. I also appeared to be taking an economics class.
It was obvious Matthew had picked my schedule for me because I had absolutely no interest in any sort of business classes. I was also guessing he’d consulted my mom because biology and chemistry were by far my best subjects.
I’d always had a natural affinity for the sciences, and I often imagined I’d pursue them in some way at college. I’d completely given up on that dream over the summer, but seeing the subjects on my schedule now reignited a little of the excited spark I’d felt so many times before when imagining myself at college. If Mom could handle things back home without me this year, maybe she’d be okay if I was away for college too. Matthew had offered to pay for my studies, after all. That’s if I could bring myself to stomach more of his help.
“We’re not going to have any classes together all year,” Anna complained.
Cress shuffled closer so she too could study my schedule. “Well, we have English and bio together,” she said, smiling at me. “Oh, and all three of us share the same PE class.”
“I guess that’s something,” Anna mumbled, struggling to hide her disappointment.
“Anna takes mostly arts subjects,” Cress explained. “I wasn’t in any of her classes last year either.”
“Yeah, and it sucked. Looks like this year’s going to be just as dull.”
We were interrupted by the sound of chairs scraping across the floor, and I looked up to find two identical boys taking a seat at our table. They were both handsome with dark blond hair and warm brown eyes. They weren’t overly muscular but tall with athletic builds. The fact they were wearing the same school uniform only added to the feeling I was seeing double.
“Anna, are you eating those hash browns?” one of them asked. “Because they just ran out, and you know they’re my favorite.”
They twins might have had all the same features, but their expressions couldn’t have been more different. The guy who’d spoken had a cheeky smile on his face while his brother was rolling his eyes and shaking his head.
“Don’t even think about it, Sawyer,” Anna said, slapping his hand away as he reached for her plate.
He pouted in reply. “Think of it as a gift to welcome me back to school.”
“I wouldn’t share these with you even if it was your birthday,” she replied before taking a big mouthful of her hash brown patty and groaning with delight. “Damn, this is good.”
She was momentarily distracted by her food, and Sawyer’s hand darted out to grab the other hash brown patty off her plate. It was in his mouth before Anna could react, and he mimicked her moan of pleasure. “It is good,” he agreed, grinning as her eyes narrowed at him.
“We haven’t met,” the other boy said. Unlike his brother, his attention was on me rather than the food on Anna’s plate. He offered a hand. “I’m Wes.”
“Isobel.” I smiled and shook his hand in response. His grasp was warm and comforting, and he had kind eyes that smiled back at me.
“This is my brother, Sawyer,” he nodded at his twin, who was still chewing on the hash brown patty.
Sawyer swallowed his food before he gave me a beaming smile. I had a feeling he probably got a lot of girls simply by flashing his teeth. I took the hand he reached out to me, but instead of shaking my hand, he lowered his head to plant a kiss across the back of it. “I’m surprised they let you in the dining hall, gorgeous, because you’re just too damn sweet,” he purred.
I burst out laughing as I removed my hand from his grasp. “Was that really a pickup line?”
Wes thumped his brother over the back of his head while Cress and Anna both groaned at him.
“Seriously, Sawyer?” the girls asked.
“What? Can you blame a guy for trying? The new girl is hot.” Sawyer honestly looked perplexed.
“Ignore my brother,” Wes said to me. “We spent the summer surfing, and I think he got dumped by a few too many waves.”
“Hey,” Sawyer complained.
“Yeah, it’s not the ocean’s fault he’s a pig,” Anna agreed. “He was like this far before your summer in Tahiti.”
Sawyer scowled at her, but she flashed him an angelic smile. “What? You know it’s true.”
He looked like he was going to argue back, but Cress interrupted before he got the chance. “Where have you guys been?” she asked. “You weren’t at Luther’s back-to-school party.”
“We got in really late last night,” Wes said.
“Yeah, Dad needed the jet, so our flight home got delayed,” Sawyer added. “Besides, it’s not like we were in any rush to leave. The waves were killer, and the girls were hot—not that Wesley would know much about that. He was mooning over that girlfriend of his the whole time.” Sawyer rolled his eyes before he continued. “Anyway, Dad’s new hotel is sick. You guys should come next time we go there.”
“And watch you pick up girls all summer?” Cress said. “I think I’ll pass.”
“Your loss.” Sawyer shrugged.
I began to feel uncomfortable as I listened to their conversation. I’d barely ever left the town I grew up in, let alone the country. Sawyer spoke so flippantly about his dad’s new hotel that I got the impression their father didn’t own just the one. He talked so casually about having a jet and invited his friends to Tahiti like it was as simple as going to the mall. It all made me feel very much out of place.
“Well, you guys missed a good party,” Anna said.
“Oh yeah?” Sawyer replied. “Can’t have been that good. I heard you hooked up with Angus again…”
“Ugh,” Anna groaned. “How have you heard that already? I thought you guys only just got here.”
“Ha!” Sawyer let out a triumphant laugh. “I didn’t actually know. I just guessed. You’re getting too predictable.”
Anna groaned again and turned to Cress. “Remind me, why are we friends with the twins again?”
“Because we take you skiing every Christmas,” Sawyer responded.
“I didn’t ask you.” Anna kept her head turned away from him. “Seriously, Cress, why?”
“Because they take us skiing every Christmas,” she said with a laugh.
Anna shook her head. “I’m really beginning to feel like it’s not worth it.”
Sawyer wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close. “We’re also both very lovable. Even if I annoy you a little.”
“A little?”
“Okay, a lot.”
His grin was so adorable that Anna quickly gave in and started to laugh. “You guys are impossible to stay mad at.”
“It’s all a part of the Montfort charm,” Sawyer responded, grinning brightly.
As he let go of Anna, a few girls walked up to the table. They acted like they were there to speak with Anna and Cress, but they just wanted to ogle the twins. I didn’t really blame them because the guys were both really good-looking. While Sawyer was clearly the cheeky, flirtatious one of the pair, Wes was more mysterious and quiet.
The girls introduced themselves to me, but their names went straight in one ear and then right out the other. I was absolutely terrible at remembering names. They were all on the dance team with Cress and chatted excitedly about the dance number they were performing later in the week.
When the bell for class rang, the girls scurried off. At my last school, the signal for classes starting was a dull buzzing noise that sounded over the PA system. At Weybridge, it kind of sounded like a church bell ringing in the distance. Who knew a school bell could sound so classy.
“That’s the warning bell,” Cress said. “We’d better get to class.”
A flurry of nerves churned in my gut as I packed my tablet away. Every aspect of Weybridge Academy had felt foreign to me so far. I wasn’t like the kids I ate breakfast with. I didn’t vacation overseas or drive an expensive car. I was more at home in a shabby café with a broken air conditioner than I was in a ritzy dining hall that served seven types of pancakes. I’d always done well in school, but everything about this place was different from what I knew, and I hoped the lessons didn’t feel as alien to me as the rest of the place. There was only one way I was going to find out, so I sucked in a deep breath and headed for my first class.
