Page 32 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

I’m an expert at feeling like this, so I manage to get through my other class for the day. But then I return to my dorm with a plan on grabbing my snacks, locking myself in the room, and cranking up the most depressing music I can find. So, basically, just going all emo. When I enter the dorm, however, Wren and Lily are lounging on the sofa, chatting about classes and tryouts for something.

“Hey, girl,” Lily greets me as I walk in and bump the door shut. “I heard a rumor about you today.”

“I heard it, too,” Wren states with her attention glued to her phone. “It was juicy gossip, too, and if I didn’t know you, I’d probably blog about it.”

“You blog?” I ask as I drop my bag, and it hits the floor with a heavy thud.

“She does. And she has a whole gossip column called ‘The Crown News.’” Lily has her knees tucked under her as she faces me. “Some magazine companies have even tried to get her to sell out, but my girl is all about being indie.”

“I don’t want any restrictions on what I write.” She starts texting on her phone. “Plus, just for the record, the only reason I got offered any jobs is because my mother is one of the editors at Glittering and Royal Magazine, so it’s really not that impressive.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, babe,” Lily says as she puts her hair into a high ponytail. “You’re an amazing writer and collector of all gossip here.”

Wren shrugs, her fingers moving across the screen. “Am I?”

Lily frowns at her friend, but Wren is too distracted by her phone to notice.

I slump down in a chair. “What was the gossip you heard about me?”

Wren pushes a few more buttons. “That you and River were seen vibing in class today.”

Lily stretches her legs out. “I heard it was in the hallway.”

They both then look at me.

“We weren’t vibing,” I clarify. “We just talked.”

“During class?” Wren asks.

“No, before and after. And then in the hallway for like two minutes.” I sigh as I lean back in the chair and rest my head back, staring up at the ceiling. “I know he’s betrothed and everything. We were just talking, so I don’t get why everyone’s making a big deal of it.”

“Because River rarely talks to anyone.” Wren is the one to answer. “So, seeing him talking to you is like seeing a unicorn.”

“Unicorns aren’t real,” Lily tells Wren.

“I used to believe that, but if River’s talking to Maddy, then who knows, maybe they are,” Wren replies. “Besides, I said like, not that it is.”

“You say potato. I say potatoe.” Lily smirks at Wren as she narrows her eyes.

Wren sighs as she puts her phone away. “Speaking of unicorns, did you see that Penelope was here today?”

Lily nods. “Oh yeah, I couldn’t miss that.”

“Who’s Penelope?” I intervene, feeling so out of the loop my mind is spinning.

Lily rotates to face me, her face bursting with excitement. “She’s Penelope Morelis. You know, the famous actress.”

My eyes widen. “What? She goes to this school?”

“She does now. She enrolled as a junior. It’s crazy, right?” Wren says, and I nod, my mind spinning at this wild world I’m currently a blip in. Wren rises then and pockets her phone. “You want to drive to the city and get dinner before we hit up the party?” she asks Lily.

Lily stands up, nodding. “Yes, I’m starving,”

“What party?” I ask.

“It’s the start of the school year party. The royal fraternity and sorority throw one every year,” Lily explains as her gaze scans the floor. “At least, that’s what Finn and River have told me. They also told me I shouldn’t go.” She rolls her eyes. “Sometimes, having two big brothers is beyond annoying.”

I stretch my legs out and rotate my ankle, the muscles a bit tight. “You have three, though.”

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