The Prince of Royalty (PREVIOUSLY ROYALTY HAS ITS PERKS; UNDER MAJOR EDITING)

2

The first flight — Boston to Chicago — was a short one, just over two hours. I slept for basically the entirety of it after taking my motion sickness pills, waking up just as the plane was landing. The layover in Chicago was only a few minutes, my next flight boarding almost immediately after my first exited. The second flight, however, seemed to drag on, because I was no longer tired enough to sleep, and the flight was four and a half hours long. By the time I landed in LA, it was nearly seven p.m.

I stepped off of the plane sullenly, pulling out my phone. I wasn't in the mood to call my parents or my sister, so I just made a group chat and texted them all that I had landed. After doing so, I shoved my phone into my pocket and removed my earbuds as well, stuffing them into my backpack's side pocket. After getting my suitcase at baggage claim, I stopped at one of the small benches by the exit doors, setting my bag down and digging out a piece of paper. It contained a neatly written list, created by Suzie, of things I needed to do when I landed. The first thing on the list was to call a taxi or ride share company. The second was to direct the driver to my school's campus. I didn't read on past that, deciding to focus on those two tasks first before overwhelming myself.

I stepped outside, the warm air compelling me to remove my sweatshirt. I pulled the grey hoodie off over my head and shoved it into my backpack. I felt instant relief, sighing out deeply and glancing around. There were tall, green trees everywhere, the sun bright and smiling down at me. It was much more lively than the small town I'd grown up in in Massachusetts. When the taxi arrived, I climbed in and told the middle aged woman where I was headed.

"Royalty University?" She echoed, and I nodded silently, earning a soft smile from her. She said nothing more, just drove her way to the school. When we got there, she helped me get my suitcase from the trunk, despite my protests, and sent me off, only charging me half her usual rate. She was a sweet woman, making me feel that much less flimsy.

After she pulled off, I turned to the large doors of the administrative office, where dark, mahogany wood that resembled Ferrero Rocher greeted my eyes. There was a gold doorknob on each door, and I twisted the one on the left, pushing it in before stepping inside.  

I looked around; the ceiling was high and wide with three chandeliers placed strategically across it. The floor was of mahogany marble, my black sneakers squeaking against it. I ran a hand through my mess of curls, suddenly exhausted. The jet lag was finally hitting me and I was ready to sleep.

"Can I help you, dear?" A small old woman offered behind a desk. She must've been the secretary. Her name tag said Rose, her skin that of hickory, her eyes bright and welcoming. She was dressed in navy blue slacks and a black shirt with a nice, navy blue blazer over top of it that gave her an aura of sophistication.

"Um, yes, please. I'm new here and I just landed. My name is--"

"Jonathan Reid!" She exclaimed, lighting up. I frowned slightly. "Oh, we don't get new students in often." I frowned deeper.

"Should I be scared?" She laughed wholeheartedly, shaking her head.

"Oh no, honey. It's only because the Dean is very selective on who attends because we have so many boys here already." I breathed out, nodding a little.

"Do I have to meet with him?" I asked and Rose shook her head quickly.

"No, no. I've got your class schedule and a map of the school, along with the school handbook. Your textbooks and uniform should've been delivered to your place already." I nodded at her, taking all the papers I needed. After she told me where my building was and what apartment I'd be in, and giving me a set of keys and my student ID card, and making me swear I wouldn't lose them, I made my way out of the school's administrative office and towards the steps Rose told me to go to.