crashed

RIELE’S POINT OF VIEW

“Call me immediately if anything happens,” Mom said for what felt like the hundredth time that morning as she pulled the car over in front of Blackwood Academy.

“I will, Mom,” I laughed softly while unbuckling my seatbelt.From the backseat, Jane suddenly grabbed my arm dramatically.

“And if you see Dylan Winthrop........”

“Oh my God,” I groaned instantly.

“Please marry him for the family’s financial stability,” Jessie finished seriously and I stared at both of them in disbelief.

“You two are actually insane.”They burst into laughter while Mom shook her head tiredly.

“Ignore them,” she muttered before turning toward me again, her expression softening immediately.

“You’re going to do amazing today, honey.”The nervous feeling in my stomach returned instantly.

“Hopefully,” I mumbled.Mom reached over and squeezed my hand gently.

“You earned your place here, Riele. Don’t let anybody make you feel differently.”I nodded slowly before stepping out of the car.Cold Seattle air brushed against my skin immediately.

The second the car drove away, taking Mom, Jane, and Jessie with it, the nervousness hit me harder than before.

I was alone now......Completely alone.

I slowly turned toward the giant black gates standing proudly in front of me.

BLACKWOOD ACADEMY.Even the name sounded intimidating.I inhaled deeply while staring at the massive campus behind the gates before forcing myself to move forward.

Okay....I could do this.Students filled the courtyard, laughing loudly while walking toward different buildings dressed in the expensive-looking uniforms that somehow looked perfect on everyone.

Luxury cars lined the parking lot.Everything looked polished.I was still admiring the cars when I noticed the whispers started.

“That’s her.”

“The scholarship student?”

“She really came?”I frowned slightly while continuing to walk forward.

Why was everybody staring at me?

More whispers followed almost immediately.

“I heard she scored higher than the seniors.”

“She doesn’t even look rich.”

“Obviously.”Heat crawled up my neck instantly.Great.......Absolutely great.

I awkwardly adjusted my grip on my bag before quickly looking around for the principal’s office.Unfortunately…This school looked more like a billionaire college campus than a normal high school.

I had no idea where I was going.

Spotting three girls standing beside a large fountain, I hesitated briefly before forcing myself to walk toward them.

“Excuse me,” I said politely.

“Can you please show me where the principal’s office is?”The girls looked at me.

Then one of them suddenly frowned.

“Wait…” she said slowly while looking me up and down.

“Isn’t she the scholarship student?”The other girls immediately stared at me differently.Like I was something disgusting.

“Ew,” one of them muttered loudly.

My stomach tightened.

“I can’t believe she actually talked to us,” another girl scoffed.

“Blackwood is seriously accepting anybody now.”The girls laughed before walking away from me like I had offended them just by existing.

Embarrassment burned through my chest instantly when I noticed nearby students laughing quietly too.I bit my lip hard while pretending not to care.God.I had only been here for barely five minutes.

Taking a deep breath, I turned away quickly before anybody could see how embarrassed I felt.Maybe asking people for help here was a mistake.I walked aimlessly through the courtyard for a few seconds before noticing a boy sitting alone on a bench beneath a large tree.

Unlike everyone else around him, he wasn’t talking or laughing.He was reading,A pair of glasses rested on his nose while a thick book sat open in his lap.At least he looked normal hopefully.Gathering my remaining courage, I slowly walked over to him.

“Um… excuse me?” I said softly.The boy glanced up at me briefly.

“Do you know where the principal’s office is?”For a second, he just stared at me silently.Then he slowly pointed toward one of the large buildings across the courtyard.

I noticed the slight disgust on his face almost immediately.Like even speaking to me annoyed him.Still…At least he helped.

“Thank you,” I muttered quietly.He didn’t respond.My chest tightened awkwardly before I quickly walked away in the direction he pointed.

Thankfully, after a few minutes, I finally spotted a large door with PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE written boldly across it.

Relief instantly flooded through me......Finally.

I adjusted my blazer nervously before knocking softly on the door.

“Come in.”The deep voice from inside made my stomach twist anxiously.

Slowly, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The office looked huge.Dark wooden shelves lined the walls while expensive paintings and trophies decorated the room beautifully.A man sitting behind the large desk immediately looked up and smiled brightly immediately he saw me.

“Well, look who we have here,” he said warmly.

“Our genius scholarship student.”I blinked in surprise.At least somebody here seemed nice.

“Good morning, sir,” I said politely.

“Morning. Please, sit down.”I nodded quickly before sitting carefully in one of the chairs across from his desk.

“Welcome to Blackwood Academy, Miss…”

“Riele,” I answered softly.

“Right. Riele.” He smiled warmly.

“And congratulations once again for earning the scholarship.”

“Thank you, sir.”At least the principal was nice.That was comforting.

“ here are the remaining things you’ll need.”

He began placing items carefully onto the desk one after another.

“A school map, your textbooks, locker information…”Then he placed a phone box on the table and my eyes widened instantly.

Wait....A phone?

“You also receive an assigned school phone,” he explained casually.

I stared at the box in shock while he opened it.My jaw nearly dropped....Was that the latest iPhone 17?The one that had literally been trending all over social media?Oh my God.

“This is for me?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.The principal chuckled softly.

“Yes, dear.”Rich people schools were actually insane.I carefully took the phone from him, still staring at it in disbelief.

Meanwhile, the principal reached for the telephone on his desk.

“I’ll have somebody escort you to your classroom,” he said while dialing a number.

“There’s a map inside your things, but the campus can be confusing on the first day.”

Honestly?Confusing was an understatement.A few moments later, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” the principal called and the door opened almost immediately, a boy walked inside.He was cute...Really cute.He had dark blond hair,Sharp jawline and a Confident posture.

“Good morning, sir,” he greeted politely.

“Morning, Cole.” The principal smiled.

“This is our new scholarship student, Riele. I’m sure you’ve heard about her.”Something flashed briefly across the boy’s face......Recognition.

“Oh,” he said quietly.

“She’s in your class,” the principal continued.

“So I’d like you to show her around.”Then he looked toward me.

“Riele, this is Cole Bennett. Your class captain.”I smiled politely at him.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Welcome to Blackwood Academy, Riele,” he replied smoothly while stretching out his hand.I shook it with a small smile.

“Nice to meet you too.”

“Great.” The principal nodded approvingly.

“Now run along before you’re both late.”I quickly gathered my things while Cole helped carry some of the textbooks.

“Thank you,” I said gratefully.

“No problem,” he replied easily.We waved goodbye to the principal before stepping outside the office together but the second the door shut behind us…Cole’s smile disappeared instantly.....like completely.

Without warning, he shoved the heavy textbooks back into my arms, making me stumble slightly from the sudden weight and I stared at him in confusion.

“I’m not your slave,” he muttered coldly.

My eyebrows pulled together immediately.

“I… don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t.”And then he started walking away.....Fast.

“Wait!” I called after him while struggling to balance everything in my arms.

“Aren’t you supposed to take me to class?”Cole stopped walking briefly before glancing back at me coldly.

“You better walk faster.”Then he continued walking away without another word.

I scoffed quietly before hurrying after him.

Seriously, what was wrong with these people?

The books in my arms blocked half my vision, making it difficult to even see properly as I rushed after him through the crowded hallway.

“Cole, slow down!”He ignored me completely.I adjusted the heavy books awkwardly while trying not to drop anything

And suddenly crashed hard into someone.

My books slipped from my arms instantly as I lost balance completely.The next thing I knew…... I hit the floor.