Page 16 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

I don’t take his offered hand. “I know.”

A crease forms between his brows. “How do you know?”

“I heard your brother call you that while you guys were in the jail cell.” I chew on my bottom lip, considering his offer.

Letting him show me around wouldn’t be too awful, right? Except, it would. I don’t want him to think he could use me as a mistress or knock me up and bail. Not that I think all of them are that way, but I’m not about to risk it. Plus, I have this rule where I avoid guys in general. The last thing I want is to end up like my mother—pregnant at eighteen and dropping out of school.

“Thanks, but I’m good.” Adjusting the handle of one of my bags higher onto my shoulder, I hurry forward down the sidewalk and toward the entrance. Thankfully, he takes the hint and doesn’t follow me.

People continue to gawk as I climb higher, finally reaching the set of double doors. I pull one open, and hell, it’s heavy. Like, what are they expecting to happen here? A tornado to blaze through? We’re so in the wrong kind of area for that.

It swings shut with a loud thud as I step inside, and the noise carries down the spacious hallway and bounces against the domed, cathedral-like ceiling. A handful of people turn to look at me, their eyes sweeping up and down my outfit. I offer them a sugary-sweet smile, and one of the girls blasts with a nasty look, flips her long, auburn hair off her shoulder, and turns her nose into the air.

I’m getting some Mean Girls vibes here, but every school has them. My old school had a Mean Guys group, and they were the worst.

Turning away from the group, I make my way down the hallway until I reach the main office. It’s probably the plainest of entrances, but that doesn’t mean it’s plain. It is a wide, arched brick doorway and above it, engraved in the brick is, “The Main Office of the Royal Academy,” and just above that is a golden crown carved of sparkling metal—the school crest.

Sucking in a breath, I enter through the doorway and step into the room. A handful of tables are close by, with chairs surrounding them. A few are occupied with students doing something on computers. The sounds of clicking keyboards flit through the air, but other than that, the air is silent. It’s kind of unnerving and something I’m not used to since my old school was always filled with shouting, slamming, and other noises that indicated yet another fight.

Everyone appears content, though, and extremely focused?—

“Can I help you?” A voice cuts through my thoughts.

When I glance at the front of the room, where a long counter is, an older woman with dark brown hair and glasses is looking at me with a curious expression.

“Um … Hey.” I hurry up to the counter. “I think I’m supposed to check in here and get a key to my dorm room. I was a late enrollment.”

Again, her curiosity is evident as she glances me over, but she doesn’t sound rude as she turns to the computer and asks, “What’s your name, dear?”

“Maddison Averly.” I set one of my bags down, my shoulder aching from the weight.

“Ah, yes, you’re the scholarship student,” she replies as she clicks the keys. “This is the first year the academy is allowing that, and it’s a much-needed change.” She offers me a smile. “I’m sure you’re going to love it here, and while it might seem intimidating, don’t let some of the more”—she wavers as she reaches for a booklet—“intense students scare you off. There’s some nice ones here, as well.”

I nod, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Thanks for the advice.”

She’s nicer than I expected, and I’m glad. Hopefully, what she said is true. I’d like to think so, but I’m wary, considering everyone has been staring at me since I stepped out of that cab. Although, that Finn guy seemed nice enough. Flirty, but not a total asshat.

“You’re welcome. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” She offers me a smile that makes me believe she doesn’t quite believe that. Then she sets a pamphlet down. “This has a QR code that you can use to access all the information about the school that’s not already online. It also has a map in case you want to go old-school. And you should now be able to access the scan code to your dorm room from your school account.” She adjusts her glasses. “You do have a roommate, but the bedrooms are separated by a sitting area, and you also have your own bathroom attached to the bedroom.”

I blink at her. “How big are these rooms?”

“Pretty big,” she tells me then leans forward and whispers, “I grew up on the northside, too, so fair warning: everything here will seem way bigger and way more extravagant than you’re used to. And you probably won’t ever get used to it, but it can be a good thing. It keeps you level-headed.”

I nod in agreement then collect the pamphlet. “Thanks.”

“Again, you’re welcome.” She smiles. “Your room is in The Crystal Hallway, and you’re in the Purple Crown Room.”

Releasing an uneven breath, I nod, give her a small wave, then turn around and start my journey toward my room. As I walk, I unfold the map, figuring I don’t mind old-school because old-school has been my life, considering the only systems my school had that were considered modern were the security cameras, and half of those didn’t even work.

I like having the map open, anyway, because it gives me a distraction from all the staring and whispering. Thankfully, not many students are flooding the hallways yet, but I can tell when classes start tomorrow, my life could end up being a living hell. Not that I’ll give this up. No, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—I realize that now.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I arrive at the Purple Crown Room—the door has a purple crown emblem on it. Music is filtering from the inside. I think it might be a Taylor Swift song. Not that I’m that familiar with her music, but it’s always playing on the radio.

Tucking the map underneath my arm, I upload the scan code and put it in front of the scanner below the door handle. The door clicks unlocked and, telling myself that I’ve got this, even though I’m unsure if I do, I push the door open. I’m immediately blasted by the loudness of the music, along with a girl singing in the perfect pitch.

I peer around the room, wondering why I can hear but not see her.

Walking over the threshold, I kick the door shut and clutch the handles of my bags as I absorb my new home for the following year. It’s bigger than the house I grew up in, with a roomy living room decorated with velvet sofas, rugs, a few end tables, and a corner fireplace. Just behind all that is a kitchen with all the fixings, including a counter area, sink, cupboard, a stove and microwave, and a table is adjacent to that. The walls are painted the prettiest shade of purple, probably to match the room’s name?—

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