Throne of Glass High School AU

Chapter 2

I, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, heir and now owner to the largest privately owned lands in the entire world, am exhausted and sleeping past my alarm clock. Ten times. In fact,  I am so late that my cousin Aedion dragged me out of bed quite literally and threw the school uniform at me. I growled at him and he said,

"Put it on. You're late."

I was late, but only because I was so exhausted, but only because I spent all night reading until I was tired, which happened to be at 3 am. And it is only the second day of school. I groaned, and put on my uniform. Stumbling down the stairs to the kitchen, I smelled something. Food, I thought, and my stomach rumbled. The kitchen was full of cupcakes. And when I say full, I mean every single counter and available flat area other than the floor was covered in platters and plates and set-ups and trays and pans of cupcakes. All different flavors, chocolate and red velvet and vanilla and carrot and birthday cake and funfetti and mint and all different frosting and bowls of frosting and more batter, some flavors I didn't recognize. I went tot sit on a stool when I realized there was a tray if cupcakes on it. 

I took a cupcake, pushed the tray onto the table, plopped down, and said, "Cupcakes for breakfast? Yum," only to have the cupcake ripped out of my hands by a grump looking Lysandra. "Hello Lysandra," I said, and snatched the cupcake back, taking a big bite, "What's with the cupcakes? Did a bakery throw up in our kitchen?"

"No," she snapped, and I raised my eyebrows. "Sorry," she amended, "But the cupcakes aren't good enough."

"For what?" I asked, my mouth full of chocolate.

"The taste-testing!"

"For?"

"Homecoming of course!"

"Isn't that like a month from now?"

"23 days!"

"Same thing. But why do we care?"

"Because the schedules were changed."

"Still makes no sense to me."

"The boys are coming sooner."

"Ah, the cute ones?"

"Yes, the cute ones! They'll be here by Homecoming! They will be here in 10 days!"

"I thought they were coming second semester."

"They were, now they're not."

"You're making cupcakes for them?"

"No, for the community. And yes, for them. Maybe one of them is rich and we'll fall in love and pay off my debts and live happily together." She didn't mean it like she wanted to use him for his money, but rather fall in love is her main goal here. But also paying off her debts. If they come hand in hand, oh well.

"You know, I-"

"No. No money from you."

"But-"

"No. None. Never."

"So you can use my kitchen but not my money?"

"Your kitchen is nicer than Clarisse's. And more private."

"So I get to eat some of these, yes?"

"If you tell me what's wrong with them."

"I like them."

"You like anything chocolate that's not helpful."

"Rude." At that she raised her eyebrows. "But true," I conceded.

"Just try another flavor," she begged.

I picked up red velvet.

"That's just chocolate with red food coloring!"