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io anywhere near you”

I shifted my books to my other arm I’d been loaded doith so many textbooks today that I couldn’t fit the fro lunch—to make it to my locker

“So, what? Those four assholes are soh schoolers like everyone else”

“Wrong,” Leah groaned “Totally and co The Princes are the elite of the school They basically run this place—even the teachers are scared of theet ahatever they want because they’re from the four richest families in town” She paused, then added, “Well, except for yours You didn’t tellHildebrands”

I ignored that coht awe that entered her eyes as she looked at me They were my family by blood, but it barely counted as far as I was concerned And it obviously hadn’t earned me the same respect the Princes commanded

“This is an actual thing? Everybody just does what they say, because they have money and power?”

“Yes,” Leah pressed “And it’s serious The Princes are at the top of the food chain They’re literally sharks There are other factions under the”

I groaned How the hell did I even get mixed up with them? I didn’t think I’d stepped on anyone’s toes or done anything wrong

Then I remembered Mason’s words Idaho trash Sorandparentsit out on me for some reason

What was the point? If I was so far below them, what did it matter?

“How co toto kill your social status too?”

She shook her head “To be honest, I don’t have that far to fall I’h on the totem pole to be unimportant to them I doubt any of them even know I’m alive, honestly I just barely made it into this school, and I’m definitely not royalty” Atis set up like a tier The ones with the most money and social status control those below them, and they control the ones below them, and on and on and on I’m so far down the system, the Princes won’t care”

“But you’re not trash”

She shot me a rueful look “No Just trash adjacent”

I scrubbed a hand over htheaded by now, and I wasn’t sure if it was low blood sugar or the insane story Leah had just told uys have so much sway in this place? They couldn’t be much older than I was, sixteen or seventeen atscared from them?