“To come in as an heir and have a boyfriend who is qualified? Like, it should be illegal. She’s cheating. She’s cheating, and it hasn’t even started,” Alessa said.
“What a spoiled princess,” Peyton said.
And that was it. That was what she couldn’t let go of. The damn princess comment.
She gave Cassie an apologetic look before leaning forward and speaking loud enough to get their attention: “YO.”
Peyton and Alessa both looked up, eyes wide.
“This princess is not dating Josiah anymore. Nor will I be. I also had to take the same tests you did to qualify for this thing. If you’re going to talk about me while I’m sitting right here, at least get your facts right.” She stared them both down though she kind of felt like throwing up in the trash can.
Alessa was smart enough to apologize. “Sorry, we just heard—”
Kennedy cut her off. “I assume you heard what a prick my ex is. Word of advice? Steer clear of him. I know I’m going to.”
Peyton gave her a shrug to suggest whatever. “You still have an advantage as an heir—you can’t deny that.”
Kennedy gave her a nod. “I do. And I have also had to live my life under a magnifying glass.” In her pause she noticed the whole table had pretty much shut up to listen to what she had to say. “I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one here who has slept with their boyfriend before, Peyton. Yet I am the only one being whispered about.”
Peyton smiled at her sweetly. “The timing is poor. Maybe you just should have kept your legs crossed, then. Problem solved.”
Cassie’s gasp at Peyton’s rudeness could be heard in the now almost-quiet room. Kennedy was thinking of three different moves she would like to perform that would result in Peyton becoming a writhing, pain-filled heap of limbs on the floor. But she knew Peyton was probably just trying to rile her up, so she didn’t say a thing more and tried to make her face not show the fire she felt coursing in her veins.
She knew this was going to happen; she had just hoped she would make it through the first breakfast before the mean-girl crap.
“That was uncalled for,” Bindy said from down the table. “It’s only the first day. Can we keep the insults to a minimum?”
Peyton rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Ms. Cheerful. I never insulted anyone.”
Except she definitely had. And they all had heard it. But before the conversation could go on any longer, the girls’ director, Elle, came breezing into the room. Kennedy was thankful for the interruption. She didn’t know if Peyton was just being hateful in general or was trying to fluster her specifically, but damn it, it was working.
“Welcome, ladies!” Elle smiled at them all from the front of the room. “Following breakfast, you will be given your room assignments and then your first Culling test, a physical fitness test.”
A few people groaned, but Kennedy just smiled. A physical fitness test? Hell yeah.
“Afterward, you are to stay in your rooms the remainder of the day until your first test tonight. You will be called to go in waves of ten. Should you decide to leave your room before your appointed time, you might as well count yourself out of the Culling.”
Elle looked around the room as she spoke, making sure they understood. “You will be assigned guards, one day shift and one night shift, after the test tonight. From that point on, you may be in each other’s rooms, but no one is allowed to seek out the boys.
“Congratulations on qualifying, ladies. We are two weeks out from the Candidatorial Ball. At least ten of you will never make it that far. It’s in your best interest to do your best at everything we ask of you. You will be judged on far more than the tests, so carry yourself accordingly.” She stopped to smile. “The Culling starts now. After breakfast I will deliver you to your rooms.”
Kennedy picked at her breakfast, just ready to get things going.
Everyone else was too, apparently, and the rest of breakfast passed without any drama.
Kennedy’s nerves kicked into overdrive while heading up to their rooms. What if she was rooming with Peyton? That would just be her luck. Without a doubt, she would lose her cool.
Please no. Please no.
But when she exited the elevator and looked toward her room, she instead saw Bindy standing there with a bag covered in neon-yellow sunflowers. Of course her roommate had to be Little Miss Sunshine. The thought of rooming with someone who was probably cheerful before morning workouts were over was slightly annoying, but it could be worse—a la Peyton—so she’d take it.
“I’m Kennedy.” She smiled and took Bindy’s hand after they each put their one bag down.
“I know.” Bindy released Kennedy’s hand and tucked her shoulder-length hair behind her ear. “Bindy.” Then she added, “Hey, sorry for that crap down there. They are just jealous, you know.”
“Of me being an heir?”
Bindy smiled. “Yep. You know what they say—if you’d pee in your own yard instead of everyone else’s, maybe your own grass would be greener.”
Kennedy choked on a laugh. “I guess I was not aware they said that.”
Bindy shrugged. “I may have added a little.”
Kennedy bit her lower lip to suppress a grin. Maybe Bindy would be fun to be around after all. “Well, thanks for trying.”
Bindy swiped at the air with her hand. “No problem.”
The girls chatted until they were called for the fitness test, and then Kennedy did what Kennedy did best.
Kicked some serious butt.
***
The girls settled into a new routine the first few days. Workouts were early in the morning at 0500 hours both Sunday and Monday morning; Kennedy assumed it was the new norm and that they went before the boys’ workout because it took the girls longer to get ready for the day. Breakfast was always in the kitchen area, which Bindy affectionately nicknamed “the nook,” though it was far bigger than the name implied. Both Sunday and Monday, they had two classes in the morning, one on Trident and one on the previous Cullings. Lunch was an hour break, and etiquette class took up their afternoons. But after all that, they got to have a little fun with range practice and combat class. Dinner, followed by tests that stretched late into the evening, rounded out the day, though she wasn’t sure if the late-night testing would continue after the first few days.
She didn’t mind the tests though some were stupid. A few were academic and made sure they knew their stuff, but most were personality-oriented questions. Questions that had more than one right answer. Questions that had zero wrong answers. So that was annoying.
After Peyton’s rudeness the first day, things were oddly uneventful. Kennedy still saw the stares and caught whispers here and there when they thought she wasn’t paying attention, but sadly, she just kind of got used to it. Vera and Maggie kept their distance. And so did everyone else, really. Everyone but Bindy.
A girl named Ember was also from Omaha and knew Bindy, so Kennedy spent time with both Omaha girls. Cassie too, of course. Charlotte, a Denver girl who had made it a point to tell Kennedy she felt bad about Peyton’s insult that first morning, was someone else she enjoyed hanging out with. And then Megan from Kansas City always sat with them at meals. They had their own little crew.