Chapter 1: The Prince and the Pauper

In which the Prince is a d****e.

Walking home was the worst.

We lived on the poor side of town and the bus stop I had to take happened to be near the car park where the preps and rich kids hang with their flashy cars. The only rich kids that go to our school are bad news. Most only come to a school like ours because the fancy private schools wouldn't accept them. They ran the place, most of their parents donating large sums to keep their little darlings in the teachers' good books. Of course, they got away with all sorts of s**t. Most didn't even bother to keep quiet about it.

As I made the last turn before the stop, I ran into some of the jerks mucking around near a shiny red convertible. I heard them before I saw them; they were hollering at some girl on the side of the road, shouting things I'd rather not repeat. I tucked my hair behind my ear and ducked my head low, hoping to get by unnoticed.

I'm not usually the kind of girl to turn heads in any case. My hair's mid length, a pretty boring brown and I'm a little on the skinny side, but I've got nice eyes and pretty clear skin, minus a few freckles, so I guess you could say I might be cute in that girl-next-door kinda way. One guy I didn't recognise was sitting on the hood of the car. I winced. If I had a car like that, or a car at all, I'd treat it like royalty. These guys probably got a new one for each birthday. A******s.

I looked at the ground and quickened my pace, so focused on getting out of there that I ran smack into one of the guys, almost knocking him over. My eyes were met with a crisp white shirt, school tie neatly arranged. There was only one guy in this lot that dressed neat, and he was the worst of them.

"Piss off McKellan."

I saw the mock hurt in his green eyes.

"Oh but baby, you seemed so eager to get on top of me." He looked me up and down, those eyes narrowing as he smirked. "Don't worry, you're not my type."

I wish I could've said something back, but Brad McKellan was the kind of guy that girls drooled over. Piercing green eyes, toned bod. Superman-worthy chestnut hair that he gelled to perfection every morning. Flawless jawline. He was the head off the delinquents in our school, but that didn't stop him from appearing to the world as a the next freakin messiah. Son of a big-time CEO, top of the school, not to mention Captain even though he was in the grade below. The fan girls that saved his news-clippings probably got a new one each week.

"Brilliant. I'll be off then," I muttered, attempting to untangle myself from him. He pulled me back until we were so close I could feel his breath.

"Don't be so hasty," he murmured into my ear. "There's a rumour running around that you'd do anything for a tenner."

"I'd pay you double that to f**k off." His friends looked up, alarmed. Nobody said a word. Brad was known to have a quick temper and the strength to back it up. There was a rumour that one guy who'd crossed him had ended up missing. I'd had enough of him and his arrogant attitude. I doubted he'd have the balls to do anything about it.

"Fine, baby. Your loss." He slapped my butt as he let me go. Cheeks burning, I walked off as fast as I could, trying to ignore the hollering behind me.

One day that jerk would fall. And I wanted to be around for it.