Page 14 of Royal Academy

“Lia, if you come home now father wins.”

She swallowed, “I know. I didn’t say that I was leaving, only that I wanted to.”

“Look, just wait it out a few more weeks and I will come and see you as soon as I can get away.”

Lia sniffled, “Promise?”

Benedict rolled his eyes, “Have I ever broken a promise to you, Stinky?”

Lia’s eyes narrowed, “Yes, there was the time you left me at a club with an underwear model. Or that other time when you promised to dance with me at the Royal Coalition and you took Zandria Turner instead.”

Benedict grinned, “I wonder what happened to Zandria, she had great…”

“Ew! I am going now,” Lia closed the laptop and couldn’t contain the smile that pulled at her lips.

Benedict hadn’t always been the most responsible with her, but he loved his sister and Lia knew that he would do anything for her. He had been with his current girlfriend for so long that it hardly seemed fair to dredge up things that he had done in the past.

But then wasn’t that what siblings were for? Helping us to remember things we wished were long forgotten?

Feeling better she glanced at the clock and realized it was later than she thought. Getting to her feet Lia trudged back to her classroom, dreading what Rachel and her friend Craig might have to say.

An hour later, Lia found herself holding her side as Craig regaled them with tale after tale of horrible fashion emergencies from celebrities, foreign dignitaries, and everything in between.

Craig was a boy of medium height and sandy blonde hair. He was handsome in a boy next door sort of way. The boy knew his fashion though and had even made little improvements to his uniform that helped him stand out.

Rachel was twirling a strand of dark hair when she blurted out, “Do you see what I see here, Craig?”

Lia looked behind her expecting something incredible to be just past her shoulder. They were eyeing her like the next MonaLisa and Lia wasn’t sure why.

Craig nodded, “Definitely a diamond in the rough, but it’s rough. May I?”

He picked up Lia’s hand despite the fact that she hadn’t answered him and visibly shuddered when he saw her nails.

“Manicure is a must, and I am assuming pedicure as well. She needs a facial and then a lion tamer for that brow.”

Lia raised her hand, “What’s wrong with my eyebrows?”

Craig smirked, “Well, for starters there should be two.”

Lia frowned at Rachel and Craig as they both dissolved into snickers.

“It’s not that bad,” she insisted.

Rachel waved a hand, “It’s not horrible, Princess Amelia.”

“It’s not good either,” Craig quipped and then stared at Lia intently, “But it could be. You have a rocking body and great facial features.”

Lia gasped and crossed her arms, “That’s not something you should be saying to your teacher!”

Craig rolled his eyes, “Relax, PL, you’re not the flavor of ice cream that I enjoy.”

“What?” Lia looked at Rachel who seemed to be hiding a smile.

“He’s gay,” Rachel added helpfully.

“Oh,” Lia turned back to Craig, “Ice Cream?”

He grinned, “Yeah, if I had the hots for a teacher that new Professor…”

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