𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐕𝐈𝐀 ☽ Scooter Vanderbildt

chapter one

LATVIA
chapter one
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    As a kid, Dace Liepiņš always had the biggest dream of attending school out of the country. Somewhere nice, where people got along, had fun, and had pride for their school and the place they lived. Where she was from, it was no where close to ever being like that. It was a small country, an even smaller town. Everyone knew each other, and mostly hated each other there. It was a place everyone wanted to leave the second they had a chance to. For years, Dace had been trying so hard to get the chance to leave, and finally, that time has come for her.

   Since she was a freshman in high school, she repeatedly applied for the Foreign Exchange Student program in hope that before high school ended she'd be accepted. She didn't care who she stayed with or what state she even ended up in, as long as she could get out of the place that grew so toxic to her, she'd be okay. And after years of waiting, she finally got that chance to leave and she couldn't have been more excited.

When she found out where she was going, she couldn't be more ecstatic. Minnesota was the hockey state in America. Everyone there practically seemed to breath, eat and sleep hockey. And where she was from, she was the hockey queen. She was so lucky to end up in Minnesota. At some school named Eden Hall, which according to her research, was some fancy prep school all the rich people attended. Now she wasn't close to being rich. She worked three jobs a week just to meet months rent living on her own. Her parents weren't around. She had no idea who they were or even where they were. Latvia was a sort of place where everyone knew each other and if you didn't have a home, you'd stay on any open couch that night. It was surprising to see how many kids here were abandoned but she guessed if you were an outsider, you wouldn't understand.

She had gotten the pleasure to talk to her host family nonstop who easily became like a real family to her, even if it was just by talking over the phone every night for three months straight. A father, a mother, two sons and a sister. First off, there was Tom Riley. He was the father, held a lot of power and apparently was head of the school board and a very important person. People seemed intimidated by him, so he told her, but from experience, he was one big teddy bear. Next there was Harriet Riley, the wife, the mother. She was a mother bear to say the least, very protective of her cubs, but as well, one big teddy bear from what Dace had learned. Next there was Alexys Riley. Dace didn't know her all that well. She was 21, in college, so she wasnt around as much as she liked, but to the young girl, Alexys seemed as sweet as can be and was looking forward to meeting her. She couldn't wait. Then there was Richard Riley, who they all called Rick. He was the same age as Dace, both going into their senior years in high school. Dace knew Rick had been popular, that he was the captain of the varsity hockey team and football team, that he practically ruled the school, but she also knew that if you could get past his intimidating side, a huge softie was revealed. It was no secret that Rick had a soft spot for his new foreign exchange sister, and he was excited for her to finally arrive. Last but not least, there was Konnor Riley. An incoming freshman. He was another one Dace didn't know about, but she knew he was cut from the freshman team when he was found smoking marijuana in the locker room. The whole freshman team was. Therefore, they were all cut and a new team was brought in.

   As Dace stood alone in the large airport with her belongings at her side, she couldn't help but feel lost. The airport back home was a lot smaller than the one she had been currently standing in, and there was a lot of more people. The amount of people she saw there were more than the amount of people she saw at home. She was in complete awe, but at the same time, it made her rather nervous. She took a deep breath before letting her tired eyes land on the picture she held in her hands of the Riley family. The corner of her lips turned upwards the slightest bit. Just seeing them brought her warmth and comfort. She bit her lip and looked back up in hopes to find the seventeen year old boy in the picture who was wandering around with his friend on the other side of the airport, in hopes to find Dace like she had been with him.