The Soot Princess [Hiatus]

39- School

Eevon

One month and many humiliations later, school was finally about to start. I have been punished three time for the royal's wrong doings and six of my own, slips of the tongue, disobedience, punctuality, and so on and so forth. The punishments are just chores, so they really aren't that bad. I've learned my way around the palace some, which is a huge help. Though, no one will tell me where the kitchen is! I have to call a maid or butler and wait for my food to arrive in a splendid fashion, instead of just walking down (or at least I assume it's down) and making myself a PB and J sandwich or something.

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Beep! Beep! Beep! Be- I pushed the snooze button on my alarm clock. I've never had to use it. I wake up before it normally. I glanced at the clock, it was only five am. They messed with my clock again! I tried to fall back asleep.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Only ten minutes had passed, I slapped my hand on the clock but it wouldn't stop beeping. I got up and yanked the cord from its socket to cut the power supply. It stopped all functions. I fell back asleep irritated.

This time I woke up of my own freewill, on time (or at least close, considering I don't know what time it is). I slipped on my replacement uniform, yes it still had a way too short skirt, unfortunately, along with my ever present boxing wraps.

I exited my room with my backpack and walked through the maze of halls to the dining room. On the table was a full spread buffet. Out of all the delicacies, I chose a piece of toast, slathered in strawberry jam and squeezed a slice of lemon over it as a finishing touch before shoving half of it in my mouth on my way out of the room. I glanced at a clock in the hall.

I've only got thirty minutes to get to school.

I started running down the halls and out the back entrance. I dashed down the sidewalk as if a fiend was after me and there might as well be one if I'm not on time today of all days.

As I reach the school I hear a warning bell ring as I walk along the outside of the fence. Five minutes left, I'll never make it before the tardy bell if I take the front entrance. I paced three steps back and took a running leap over the chain linked fence. My skirt flipped, snagged and ripped leaving a gaping hole in the already revealing skirt. I flipped my backpack to the front of me as I ran to yank my uniform jacket out. As I ran, I tied it around my waist. I crossed the lawn, my luck was not what I had been hoping for. The sprinkler system chose that one moment, when I was in the middle of the field, to turn on and drench me. I gave my run another kick of energy and mustered a sprint to reach the building. I walked into school dripping wet with my skirt torn and out of breath on the first day. What a way to start off the year!

"It could always be worse," a nasty thought penetrated my mind.

The halls were still pretty full for the warning bell to have rang. Maybe it wasn't the bell I heard.

"Who got caught by the sprinklers?" I heard someone ask.

A girl was leaning against a row of lockers with her arms crossed over her chest. Her uniform was wrinkled as mine was soaking wet. What a scene we probably made.

"Here," she threw a pair of pants and shirt at me from her bag. "I was gonna give them to my cousin, but I think you need them a bit more. It's the boys' uniform."

"Thanks..."

"Kate." She extended her hand and we shook.

"Eevon."

"Ah! Are you one if the new students? We don't admit many once you are pasted elementary. There must have been some sort of exception, and I heard that four royals will be joining us this year! Isn't that so exciting?"

"Yeah. Just splendid and if you excuse me, I'm going to change so I'm not late."

"See ya' around, Eve!" she yelled after me.

I ducked into a bathroom. The crowd was thinning out some. I stole a stall and did a quick change.

I stepped out and looked at myself in the mirror. The pants were a bit loose, so I cinched in the belt. The shirt was a little baggy along with the jacket. Nothing fit quite right, but it was way better than what I had been wearing. I stuffed my wet clothes in my bag, just as the tardy bell rang.

"Just another thing to put on my list of a bad morning." I hurried up a flight of stairs and sprinted to find my homeroom teacher about to close the door. I slam my wrapped hands against the door to keep it from closing.

"Oh, you must be the other new student."

"Yeah, sorry I'm late."

"Take a seat miss and make sure this is a one time thing." He let's me inside the classroom. "Please have a seat next to Jacob. Jacob raise your hand!"

I see the guy who had led me around campus, when I had first been introduced to royalty.

"It's been a while princess," he greets me.

"Enough with the teasing, I'm having a bad enough morning as is." My seat was towards the back, but not the last row. I saw the prince in the second row from the front.

"My name is Mr. Brunswick, I will be taking role."

"Everyone knows who you are!" a girl cat-calls him.

"And I'm sure everyone knows of you Miss Katherine Riddle, but we have two new students in this class today."

"The late girl in inappropriate attire and the puppy boy?"

Puppy boy? And she's the one who gave me the boys uniform!

"Precisely! Now let me call role. When your name is called raise your hand and say here..."

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