The Princes of Ravenwood novel Chapter 1

A new rank for my father means a new city and school for me. I hate all this moving. When I was little, I didn't mind as much.

But when I got into junior high, I started to hate it. I barely got to make friends before we'd move again. And don't get me started on trying to date.

Even if we stayed in one place for a couple of years, my dad scared every boy away with just a glare. And now I must spend my senior year in a new school. Worse yet, we moved three months into my senior year.

After I graduate, I no longer have to move—the only silver lining whenever the Air Force tells me. I'll be in college and finally free.

One thing that is always the same no matter where we are stationed, my dad always sends me to a private school.

Which means I always have to wear a uniform.

Ravenwood was going to be no exception. For the first time since primary school, I'll be in a coed school.

I don't know how often I told off some guy who saw me walking home from the bus stop and made some creepy comment.

I wonder if dad ever realized making me go to these schools with uniforms just play into the average boy's fantasy of Asian girls in a school uniform. They need to learn the difference between reality and delusions.

I sighed, looking at my reflection. This school's uniform was red, black, and white color palette. My red plaid skirt touched my knees, a matching plaid tie popped against the crisp white dress shirt under the black jacket with white edging and a shield with the letters RW stitched into the lapel.

"You can do this, Riko. This will be the last school uniform you need to wear,” I tried to psych myself up as I adjusted the braid in my long black hair.

With that, I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed for the bus stop near our house. Dad is already on the base, not having waited to say goodbye or to offer to drive me. I'm used to it.

And he can't just be late to work to take me on my first day at a new school. The bus ride was at least uneventful. Yes, many people watched me and whispered since I was new. But I ignored them.

As much as I like to say I can ignore everything, there are some things that no one can forget. I’d just gotten my schedule from the main office and looked at it and the map, trying to figure out where I needed to go as I left.

I should have been paying more attention as it suddenly felt like I ran into a brick wall. I was startled as I found myself falling to the unforgiving floor.

“Watch where you’re going, loser,” a snooty-looking blonde girl spat, glaring down at me. She’s a dime a dozen, interchangeable with every other arrogant bitch I’ve crossed paths with at every school I've attended. But she’s not what I ran into. No, she's not the brick wall that knocked me on my ass.

I opted to ignore her. Instead, my eyes found a pair of icy blue eyes watching me under an arch blonde brow. While the brick wall was wearing the same uniform as every other guy in this school, they looked tailor-made.

No way an off-the-rack uniform would fit that well. The black slacks molded to what I was sure were muscular legs, the dress shirt and jacket had to be custom to accommodate his broad shoulders and chest.

I’ve been to plenty of schools and seen my share of good-looking guys, hell my father is in the air force, and I have seen my share of handsome older men too. But not a one compared to the Adonis standing above me.

The living barbie girl, which it’s possible was more plastic, clinging to his arm. “Come on, Darius… don’t bother with the trash,” she whined, tugging on his arm.

Darius?

His icy blue eyes drifted to the barbie, and there was a sharpness to them. Annoyance? His gaze returned to me and briefly to the worn tan backpack I’d used sewn on patches to hide holes.