No Second Chances

Chapter One

So, recap.

After creepy U.S. Marshal dude revealed himself as Jeremy, the top security at Regal High, I had Jessimine pack me a bag full of my favourite sweaters and jeans. All my life, I was told that Jessimine went to school with my mother and my father. My mother went to prison for some shitty things, and my dad moved to a random country so he wouldn't have to pay child support to my godparents, Jessimine and Michel. Apparently, It was all a lie. My mother was Queen of Nainan, a small but beloved country somewhere in the world that I'd never heard of. My father was also King, and they were both apparently super great people. My mother was on her deathbed, and my father knew that I was alive somewhere. They didn't want me because I was their long-lost daughter, they wanted me because I was part of the bloodline and without the ruling queen, the kingdom would be lost. The only weird thing was that I would rule the kingdom as a queen, and my father would be king. That's weird to a normal person, but apparently not royal people. Now, I was being forced to go to Regal High for the remainder of the year, then I would take the role of Queen of Nainan.

"Is that a land otter?" I squeaked as I backed out the door.

"Huh?!" The vibrant peach head looked up, startled. She put the squirmy creature back in the cage. I took a quick look around the room that I would have to share with her. It was pretty basic, pretty average. Not amazing, but not un-livable. I skeptically walked in, looking for anything resembling a swastika or a demon star symbol. Seeing ferret photos and a furry alarm clock, I figured I was safe, so I picked up the pace through the doorway. "Welcome to my domain. Don't worry about Vincent. He's just my little fur creature," she paused for a moment, "He's a ferret. Not a land otter, but pretty damn close." She nuzzled her nose against the cage, as if Vincent wasn't going claw her eyes out. When he moved toward her face, she jumped back, anime-fast. I almost heard the whoosh of her clothes.

"Um. Does he stink? We can't be friends if he stinks." I said, hoping to sound like I was joking. It came out a bit too serious.

"Nope! My name's Addison." Her perky and upbeat tone almost scared me. My shell was cracking. My face was threatening an emoji-sized smile.

"Eve." I said, my smile breaking free.

Addison cleared off the bed that clearly hadn't been slept in for at least a month. She patted it, motioning for me to dump my forest-green duffel bag, and to sit. "So, how'd you come to know Regal High? Dorms are pretty big, but Mr. Sneeze is kinda gross, especially since he's a chemistry teacher."

I Filled her in.

"Woah." Addison gaped.

"Yep. So how about the dudes here?" She cocked her head as if she were a puppy listening to a bird screeching. "To arm wrestle. I'm kinda a big deal" I said to clarify, a coy smile on my face.

"No prince-to-be would dare arm wrestle here. Want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because the loser would think he is less 'princely'." She mocked. I liked this girl. Her remarks came naturally, without her trying too hard.

I dismissed myself to look around the school. I missed Kenzie. She knew how to make me laugh. How to make me feel comfortable. How to feel less foreign. I strutted into the hallway outside my dorm. My new "home". I covered my hands with my sweater sleeves suddenly wishing I looked more the part. Everyone around me had on black jeans and many kinds of graphic t-shirts, but no sweaters or rips in their clothes, aside from some people trying to look more trendy for Pinterest. I wanted something to do with my hands, something to make me look busy, so I grabbed the knitted sleeve around my wrist and pulled it up farther over my hands, this time covering up my gumball-machine ring that looked like it was 25 cents. It was.