Page 35 of Prince of the Palisades

“That’s a start!” I insist.

“Watch that movie, Your Royal Arrogance, or I’ll tell everyone you can’t open your own locker!” he half-yells with absolutely no conviction in his voice.

A full minute passes before I turn to look outside. My reflection in The Hopper’s main window is absurd. Unforgivable.

Who the hell does Reiss Hayes think he is, making me smile this hard?

7

ROYALS: THEY’RE JUST LIKE US!

OMFG, we can’t get enough of Réverie’s royal duo in LA! Have you seen the photos of fashionista Princess Annika grabbing bubble tea from Boba Lounge in Palisades Village while wearing a Burberry silk shirt and leggings? How about Prince Jadon strolling through a trendy Santa Monica neighborhood with his personal security? While strong rumors insist Jadon’s been “banished to America” for that viral video (click here to read our cover story!), we can only hope that sunny LA is taming this notoriously uncharming royal’s bad boy ways.

@LacesAndPlaces started following @TheReelReiss

@TheReelReiss started following @LacesAndPlaces

It’s not until after liking five of Reiss’s posts in a row that I realize Imightbe coming on a little strong.

My finsta is mainly for finding memes, searching for new recipe videos, and occasionally browsing thirst traps. It’s not for creeping on a film-obsessed, maybe-beautiful, pink-haired boy’s profile. But here I am at 7:22 a.m., debating on whether to unlike at least three of those posts, terrified he’s already seen the notifications.

My @LacesAndPlaces account started off as a way to separate myself from the verified prince of Îles de la Réverie account. I don’t control my official social media. Some palace staffer does. That account is nothing but boring photos and videos of meeting forgettable dignitaries, goodwill trips, and “candids” that were carefully staged. At least this is fully mine.

My grid consists of views and shoes. Snapshots of places I’ve visited paired with a sneaker from my closet. A glowing Eiffel Tower at night with metallic gold Air Jordan 1s. The Ionian Sea’s clear water near Lefkada with pale blue Jordan Melo M13 XII Energy kicks. Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 Reds to match a phone box in London.

No one’s traced @LacesAndPlaces back to me. I only have 102 followers.

One hundred and one. Kofi dropped me like Rose ditched Jack’s frozen corpse inTitanic.

As of 10:11 p.m. last night, I gained a new follower: @TheReelReiss.

My cheeks ache from smiling at my screen. Thankfully, it goes unnoticed. It’s too early to discuss my suspicious online activity.

We’re in the courtyard again. Me and Grace on one bench.Morgan and Nathan on the other. I’m sticking to this routine because, while some of the headlines about me are changing, there still isn’t enough forward motion in the Team Jadon camp. I’mtryingto do better.

“What about a hot zombie?” Grace suggests.

“Nah,” Nathan says. “I’m going as a sexy mummy.”

“No one wants to see that,” Morgan says.

I’m still looking at my phone, but I can hear the sleaze in Nathan’s voice: “Are you saying you don’t want to help cover all my important parts with toilet paper?”

“There are no important parts on you, Nate.”

“Morg, you wound me!”

I lift my eyes just in time to witness Morgan playfully punching Nathan’s bicep. “Sorry,” I say, confused, “what’s this about?”

“Grace’s Halloween bash,” Morgan monotones.

“AnnualHalloween bash,” Grace corrects. Today, she’s swapped SAT cards for a copy ofPride and Prejudice. Somehow, I’ve discovered this group takes their grades very seriously. Even Nathan. “An early birthday gift. My dad throws a party every year.”

“She gives off ultimate Scorpio energy, doesn’t she?” Nathan says to me.

“Um, I guess.”

“You’re coming, right?” Grace requests. It’s an invite, unlike last time.

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