Anastasia Wentworth, an 18 year old senior at St. George's Boarding Academy, dreads her last year of high school.
When her best friend abruptly decides to switch schools, and her ex moves on, she's convinced this year will be her worst.
And trust...
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The flight from Providence to Genéve was approximately fourteen hours, and I usually slept like a baby most of the way, but this time was different. I couldn't stop thinking about what this year would be like, without Carson or Victoria at my side. I'd always been a fairly confident girl, but for the first time in my life, I was feeling dreadfully unsure. It wasn't like I didn't have any other friends, but definitely none as close as Victoria. I can still remember the day she arrived, a transfer student from France. Her English was flawed in the beginning to say the least, but she walked in with a confident bright smile, ready to learn. I knew immediately by her determination that we would be the best of friends.
I missed her so much.
As I checked my phone, I realized we'd be landing within the next couple of hours, so I quietly rested my head on my satin pillowcase and admired the sky's pink hue as we drifted into the sunset.
Before I knew it, we'd landed in Genéve.
Letting out a tired yawn, I picked up my two large suitcases, and scanned the busy lobby for our school representative who transported all international students from the airport to the academy. After what felt like forever, I finally found her.
"Wilkommen zurück, Anastasia!", Ms. Falk exclaimed, welcoming me back in her native tongue, and giving me a tight squeeze.
"Danke, Ms. Falk", I smiled politely, thanking her as she escorted me and the rest of our group to the bus waiting outside.
The airport was a thirty minute drive to the academy, and I knew the journey like the back of my hand. After passing a variety of quaint family-owned shops and brick houses that looked like they belonged in fairytales, we had arrived at St. George. The exterior impressed me every single time, its stone walls glistening in the late summer sun, and the garden flowers at their peak.
Stumbling off the bus with my tired legs, I made my way through the main hall, greeting a few familiar faces before climbing up the winding stairs and arriving at my assigned room for this year. To my surprise, I wasn't paired with a roommate yet, and assumedly wouldn't be, since Victoria left on such short notice. The room was nice, but not overly extravagant. There was just enough room for two full size beds, a decently sized closet, and a small bathroom which had a beautiful arched window. Letting out a loud sigh, I took a seat, unpacking the majority of my things, my bare legs resting on the cold hardwood floor. Satisfied with my progress, I decided to head to the dining hall for our welcome back feast, praying I didn't run into Carson.
Navigating my way through a crowd of new and overly excited freshmen, I spotted my friend Kennedy waving me over to a spot at the end of a long table near the front of the dining hall. I smiled back, and sat down.
"Hey, girl!" Kennedy exclaimed loudly, giving me a tight side hug, as one of our professors glared at her sternly. She was dressed in a similar outfit to mine, but wore a bubblegum vest over her white blouse rather than the school's blazer. Her bleach blond hair was styled in two braids, with scrunchies matching the same hue of her vest. Like me, she also came from the US, reigning from Malibu, California. In other words, her family was really rich.
