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The crippling sadness that had grippedinto what always lay underneath

Determination Discipline Survival

That was all I’d had to go on for e just because I’d been enrolled in a fancy prep acadeht think they were better thanthey didn’t I kne to survive without money, notoriety, or Mommy and Daddy

I only had myself in the world

And that would be enough

Over the next feeeks, I threw myself into my studies

We had four days off for Thanksgiving, and I spent it with o off ca I could to avoid the Princes, or at least to avoid being anywhere alone with any of them

When I wasn’t in class, I had ot during the week propelled ie, and a new transfer student named Dan Because he’d arrived so late in the seated to the Wastelands too He eet and geeky and didn’t judge anyone I liked that about him It was clear his family had money, but not as much as the Princes—and I loved that about him

“What are we doing this weekend?” he asked as alked across campus on the first Friday of Deceed only moderately with the seasons, but I didn’t hate it

Dan didn’t care about my trash status either Or the fact that the Princes couldwith , adjust his glasses, and follow me and Leah around anyway

His level of apathy about the whole thing was inspirational, actually

“I need to study, that’s first” I kicked a sonna kick ht we could download a bunch of horrible movies and watch them”

“Horror movies?” Leah piped up

I wrinkled my nose “What is it with you and your horror obsession?”

“It’s so good!” She laughed “What do you guys wanna watch?”