Chapter 1: Welcome to Crownwood

My heart pounded as I stood in front of Crownwood Academy, the imposing gates a stark reminder that I didn't belong there. Thornwood, Texas, might as well have been a world away from the small town I grew up in. The sprawling campus, with its ivy-covered buildings and meticulously manicured lawns, looked like someone with oil money became obsessed with the Ivy League.

I took a deep breath and adjusted my grip on my suitcase. "You can do this, Cadence," I whispered to myself, stepping through the gates. The reality of being here, surrounded by the sons and daughters of senators and CEOs, felt surreal. The scholarship letter in my pocket was a lifeline, a reminder that I earned my place, even if it didn't feel that way.

Lamar House was a grand building with high ceilings and polished wood floors. My room was on the second floor, and as I reached the door marked 214, my nerves kicked into overdrive. I pushed the door open and was met with the sight of my new roommate.

Emma Sinclair stood in the center of the room, surrounded by an array of designer luggage. Her blonde hair was perfectly styled, and she wore a look of mild annoyance. "Finally," she said, her tone making it clear she had been waiting.

"Hey. I'm Cadence," I began, trying to sound confident.

Emma's eyes scanned me from head to toe, taking in my worn jeans and thrift-store sweater. "Whatever," she said flatly. "Unpack my luggage for me. Put everything in the closet. I like my things organized."

I blinked, taken aback by her command. "Excuse me?"

"You have earbuds in or something?" Emma replied, her tone dismissive. "I need you to unpack my things."

A surge of defiance rose within me. "Um, I think you may have mistaken me for your servant."

Emma's eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer, her gaze icy. "You're on scholarship right? Basically the same thing."

"Look, you're about three seconds from asking me if I know who your father is and royally pissing me off," I shot back, meeting her stare. This is not how I wanted my first day, my first few minutes, to go.

For a moment, we stood in tense silence, the air crackling with animosity. Then Emma let out a short, derisive laugh. "Fine. Do what you want. Just stay out of my way."

The rest of the day passed in a blur. As one of the only new sophomores, I felt out of place among the established social circles. Looking around the quad at the tight-knit groups all catching up from summer, I saw a tall, handsome man with a neatly trimmed beard and a falsely cheerful smile strolling right toward me.

“Ah, Miss Kincaid! Welcome to Crownwood Academy,” he said, extending a hand. “I’m Headmaster Burleson.”

“Thank you, sir,” I replied, shaking his hand.

“I wanted to personally welcome you to our school and ensure that you’re settling in well.”

I looked around at all the friends I wasn't making, feeling a bit uneasy under his scrutinizing gaze, but he didn't seem to notice. “Everything’s fine so far. Just getting used to everything.”

Headmaster Burleson nodded, still smiling. “Excellent. I’d like to meet with you privately within the first week of classes, just to make sure you’re fitting into our unique culture here at Crownwood. Just a little check-in. Nothing to worry yourself about. ”

“Of course,” I said, though his words left me feeling uneasy. Unique culture? What was that about?

“Wonderful. If you need anything, my door is always open,” he said, trotting off down the lawn.

That evening, I sat at my desk, surrounded by textbooks and class schedules. My goal was clear: focus on my studies and try to stay afloat socially. It didn't seem like my roommate would help with either. She lounged on her bed behind me, scrolling through her phone.

My cell rang. Mom. But before I could pick up, Emma asked, “So, what’s your deal?"

“My deal?” I echoed, unsure of what she meant. I looked at my phone screen, watching the call from mom go to voicemail.

“Yeah. Why did your parents dump you here?”

I hesitated. "Dump me here? My mom practically begged me not to move this far away, but it was the only way we could...hold up, why do you care anyway?

Emma let out a low whistle. “Okay. Chill out, chica. We got off on the wrong foot. I admit that was at least 49% my fault. Can we start over?”

I really didn't want to. This girl had a garbage attitude. But she was also the only person my age I had even talked to at Crownwood.

"Yeah, okay. Just don't expect me to shine your boots or whatever."

"And don't be a pain in my ass. I'm already taking three social demerits rooming with the charity case. You coming to The Howl?"

"What's The Howl?" I asked.

"At midnight. It's tradition. All the freshmen line up in the quad for a little inspection. Harmless teen fun, Cade."

Just then, a knock on the door interrupted us. Emma opened it to reveal a tall boy with dark hair and piercing blue eyes. “Emma, there you are,” he said, his gaze flicking to me briefly before returning to her. “Ready for my private tour of the campus?”

He stretched out the word "private" and grinned wildly.

“Yummy. Let's go,” Emma replied, grabbing her coat. She turned to me with a smirk. “Midnight. On the quad. Don't be lame.”

As they left, I felt a pang of loneliness. But I also felt a spark of determination. I would prove myself here, no matter what it took.

I returned to my desk, flipping open a textbook. The pages blurred as my mind raced. I would crush my classes. I'd get into Yale. And I would make sure that Emma Sinclair and everyone else knew that I belonged here.

As I turned the page, a handwritten note fell out. I picked it up, curious. It read, “Welcome to Crownwood. Don't trust the Starbound.”

What the hell? I looked around the empty room, a chill running down my spine. What had I gotten myself into?