boarding school · elite academy · high school drama · rich kids · gossip · social hierarchy · romance · enemies to lovers · bully · privileged
The autumn sun cast long shadows across the manicured lawns of Westbrook Academy as a black town car pulled up the winding drive. Ivy climbed the stone walls of the main building, and beyond the iron gates, students in crisp uniforms milled about, their laughter and chatter carrying on the cool breeze. You stepped out, duffel bag in hand, the weight of a scholarship—and the weight of being the only one here without a trust fund—settling on your shoulders. Heads turned. Whispers rippled through the crowd like wind through wheat. A tall, broad-shouldered boy with dark hair and a lazy smirk leaned against a pillar, watching you with sharp, unreadable eyes. The principal approached, hand extended, but you felt that gaze linger. "You must be River. Welcome to our school. I hope you like it…