FIRE & ICE, james beaufort

i. welcome to maxton hall

ONE

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"you and i have history, don't you remember?"

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NIA SALAZAR had one goal and one goal only: graduate Maxton Hall and attend Stanford in the fall. Sure, she still had a long year ahead of her, but she was determined to make it unscathed and hang out in the background. It wasn't because she didn't like to socialize, not at all. In fact, she loved being part of the crowd.

Just not part of the crowd of Maxton Hall. She preferred solitude over the shallow chatter of high school cliques any day.

Nia could still remember the day she was introduced to the hierarchy of Maxton Hall. She had just turned fifteen and was entering her first year of which she has been so excited for. However, before you knew it, that excitement soon came to die and was replaced with irritation and frustration.

Why?

Two words; James Beaufort.

Even before meeting him, Nia had heard all about James Beaufort. He was the rising lacrosse star athlete, the heartthrob of the school, and every girl's dream guy. So when she did have the unfortunate experience of meeting him, she could see how the shoe had fit him so well.

He was nothing more than an arrogant piece of work, who thought he owned the place. And he practically much did, but that wasn't the point. The point was that he played the role bestowed upon him so well. Perhaps a little too well.

Then again, it made perfect sense given that he was a Beaufort after all.

And the Beauforts were just it. Untouchable. Incomparable. And cutthroat.

And because of that, Nia disliked them. Disliked him. No, scratch that, she loathed him. She loathed him quite a lot actually. And she knew that was not going to change. Not then, and not now.

Nia adjusted her backpack strap as she stepped off the bus, squinting against the morning sun. Maxton Hall, with its imposing stoned-facade, loomed ahead. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for another year in this superficial world.

As she navigated the crowded halls, Nia glanced around her surroundings. A blur of endless bodies dressed in magenta cardigans and blue blazers was all she could see. She looked around for any familiar faces and smiled when she caught sight of the two girls hurdling her way.

Lin Wang pounced on Nia and pulled her into a tight bear hug. "Nia!" greeted the girl, jumping up and down, her braids bouncing along with her. "I missed you!"

Nia laughed at her friend's rather enthusiastic reaction and hugged her back. "Hey, Lin, I missed you too," She smiled at the other girl behind them. "Hi Rubes."

"Hey."

Nia glanced down at Ruby's shoes and noticed the mud splattered across her white high knee socks. "What happened there?"

Ruby Bell rolled her eyes. "The Beauforts' car. But it's whatever, you can't even notice it."

"You can to."

Nia nudged Lin as the three girls continued on down the corridor. "It's barely noticeable."

As they walked toward their first class, Nia wondered about how the trio came to be. Ruby and Nia were neighbors, so they pretty much knew each other since a young age. They hadn't really been friends growing up but when they both were admitted to Maxton Hall, it just made sense to hangout.

Soon the mere acquaintances became close friends through their mutual dislike for James Beaufort and their academic ambitions. Sometimes it was more like an academic rivalry. After all, what was a true friendship without a wee bit of competition.

As for Lin Wang, she joined them when all her friends dropped her when her family had gone bankrupt and her parents divorced over a year ago. She was a great addition to their duo.

"Did you get a chance to speak to Sutton?" Nia asked.

Ruby nodded. "I actually caught him on the bus this morning."

"And?" "Did you turn it in?" Lin and Nia questioned at the same time.

"Just gave it to him." Ruby gave a small smile.

"I wish I'd asked Mr. Sutton for a recommendation too." Lin sighed. "He's the coolest."

"Mrs. Campbell is at least as good. Wasn't she top of the year at Oxford?"

Lin scoffed. "Yeah, in 1890."

"What about you? Any luck with Ms. Duval for Stanford?" Ruby asked, turning to Nia who had fallen quiet.

Nia bit her lip and shook her head. "She hasn't responded back to my email. I'm going to ask her in person, later."

"I still don't get why you had to choose the school farthest away from us," Lin huffed. "I thought Oxford was our target." She motioned between all three girls to add emphasis.

And Oxford had been Nia's first choice once upon a time. But after what had happened, it was no longer an option. She hadn't mind it that much. She looked forward to a fresh start, far away from Maxton Hall.

And Stanford was definitely far. It practically was on the other side of the world. California to be precise. It also was her father's alma mater, and he was not letting her choose anything but Stanford.

"So you're sure on Stanford?"

As she was about to reply, Nia's attention was drawn to a commotion up ahead. A group of girls clustered around a tall, handsome figure, laughing at something he said. James Beaufort. Nia rolled her eyes. Of course, he was at the center of attention, as always. With his tousled blond hair, charming smirk, and blue eyes, he couldn't help but cause such a scene.

As she passed by, James's gaze flicked toward Nia's direction. They locked gazes for a split second but just as quickly, he had looked away.

Nia clenched her fist and turned to Lin, offering her a small smile. "Yeah, I'm sure."