Shipped Off... to English Boarding School!

2. New Castle

Alex agreed to go. He packed his bags and said goodbye to Liam and his family and was put on a plane to Newcastle. Alex had never even heard of Newcastle before, but it seemed very fitting for him being shipped off to a school that was essentially a castle, and while it didn't look very new at all (in fact it looked very, very old), this was all new to him.

Someone from the school had picked him up from the airport and drove him past lots and lots of nothing until they reached the campus of Callerton. It looked like an elite old college, like Harvard, but in the middle of nowhere, not a high school. Students where arriving, unpacking their large fancy luggage from their large fancy cars. Alex had only brought the one duffle. He would only be here for a few months, and his mother told him it was a uniform school - something Alex had never experienced - so he'd have to buy that here and he didn't need much other clothes. He had pjs, toothbrush, a few books, the key to his house that he had put on a chain around his neck, and not much else.

"You must be Mr. Claremont-Diaz. My name is Mrs. Harrison, and I'm one of the administrators here at Callerton. You can leave your bags and I'll have someone bring them up to your room."

"Oh, er, I just have the one. I'll carry it." She gave him a weird look but simply turned around and started walking towards the largest building. Alex ran up to follow.

"The upper-year students already have their uniforms, so you'll go with the first-years to get fitted at 3pm today in Room 6 of the East wing. You must buy at least three shirts, two trousers, one belt, and one jacket, but you are permitted to buy more of each if you wish." Alex would make due with that. It suddenly hit him that he had no idea how his parents were paying for all this. Sure they were well-off, but not fancy-international-boarding-school-with-uniforms-that-probably-cost-$1000-each rich. His parents were politicians. He wondered if whoever pulled the strings to get him in here also got him a scholarship.

"Here is your schedule; we were able to fit you into all of your APs you were enrolled in at home - English, Calculus B/C, Statistics, Environmental Science, Psychology - except Government. We don't offer US Government here so you'll have to study in your free time so you'll be caught up upon your return to America. You will take European History while you are here instead." Alex didn't appreciate one of his courses being switched out for a completely different class which would mean he would have to do essenually a 7th course this semester without even getting the credit. Maybe he could still enroll in the exam for European History back home so at least it wouldn't be a waste of time, but he already had a lot to do this semester.

Most of his college applications were in early, but he still had a few for his back-up schools to send in. And he had to find time to make friends with the Prince, the real reason Alex was here.

"This is the year 12 Dining Hall: breakfast is served from six to seven, lunch from noon til three, and dinner from six til eight. If you would like food outside of those allotted meal times there is a cafe..." Mrs. Harrison droned on about the rest of the school. She got into it's history and showed him two of the supposed 13 libraries on campus. Finally, she led him to his dorm. "You'll be here in the West Tower. There are no girls permitted in the West tower, nor are you allowed to enter any of the girls dormitories. Curfew is midnight, and you are not permitted to leave campus without permission. Here is your key, you are in room 84. Classes start tomorrow at 7:30am sharp, don't be late."

***

Of course, Alex was late. They hadn't given him damn map of the school and this place was like a maze. It had like a dozen different 'wings' to the main building and there were a few other separate buildings as well. They only gave him 15 minute passing period, so he was also late to his second class. Thankfully, after calc, he was free until after lunch. At least this school actually let you just have a free when you didn't have class instead of forcing him into a 'study hall' period.

He headed back to the dorm, praying that his awful roommate, Timothy, was in class. The boy had asked, "Who the fuck are you?" when Alex first entered their shared room.

He was not impressed by Alex's answer of "you're roommate."

"I mean who are you? Some government official's kid who's mom is your dad's oriental concubine?" Who even speaks like that?

"My mom is going to be the next President of the United States. And my dad is Mexican, if that's what you're getting at."

"Oh, American. I'm Timothy St. Germain." He said as if that was supposed to mean something to Alex. "Just don't make a fucking mess," he said before putting on headphones for the rest of the night.

Gratefully, today Alex found the room empty. Well of Tim at least. His shit was everywhere, covering Alex's bed and chair. Ugh. Fucking hypocrite. He scooped up all of Tim's shit that was on his bed and threw it back on Tim's. As he plopped himself down, the bed bounced, and he pulled out his phone.

"Junnnnneeee!"

"What, Alex... I'm sleeping... it's not even light out"

Alex had forgotten how much earlier it was there, England to Texas had a six hour time difference so it wasn't even 6am there yet. Well too late now; he already woke her. "This place is awwwwful!"

"Oh right, first day!"June started to sound more awake, "Tell me everything! It is a magical hidden palace were they teach you spells, but then you discover that you destiny to to defeat the most evil British person ever and now you're feeling crushed under the weight of that responsibility?"

"Ha ha. Soooooo funny. You're a regular old riot." Alex said, heavy on the sarcasm.

"Oh come on Alex, it can't be that bad. It's not even lunch there, is it?"

"No, not quite yet. But I've been late to every class because it's impossible to get around here and my roommate is a fucking asshole who throws his shit all over my bed."

"Ok, yeah, that sucks. Solution 1: find a map, just ask, Alex, they have to have one for the first year students or something. I don't know what to do about the asshole roommate, but it's only for like 4 months Alex."

"I know, I know. I don't know how I'm gonna survive that long in this uniform though, it's so uncomfortable." The uniform shirt was white and the slacks and jacket were navy. The chest of the school was embroidered onto the left breast pocket. "And they measured me for it and everything. Like literally measured me- some guy wrapped the thing around my waist, my arms, and on and on, while I stood there like a stupid scarecrow."

"Ok ok enough, it sucks. I get it. Have you seen the Prince yet?"

"No."

"I can't believe mom sent you with that mission. It's stupid. Just be nice to him, don't fucking be fake with him Alex, he doesn't desire that."

"He was a prick to me in Rio."

"You met him for like point-two seconds, give him a second chance."

A/N: Next chap will have Henry, promise. Things will start to pick up quick now- this is not a super slow burn (I can't write that and I don't like reading it either).