Nicki's POV

"This is shit." My little brother, Jason, says as he walks into the kitchen on this dreadful Monday morning. And, to be fair, I completely understand him.

It's our first day of school; he's a freshman, and I'm a senior. So you can imagine how happy we both are to start the school year.

"The day hasn't even started." Rosa, our maid/ex—babysitter/ex—nanny says as she moves around the kitchen to pack our lunches. Because if there is one thing I learned from my past three years in public school, it's that the cafeteria food is definitely not safe. And since I always get an earful every time I go out somewhere to eat during our lunch break, I decided to ask Rosa to make us lunch this year.

"Yeah, but it's already shit." Jason complains and sits down across from me at the table. "Pure shit. I've never woken up at fuckin' seven in the morning since...ever."

"Well, our school starts at nine, so you better get your shit together, because I don't want to wait in the queue for my schedule. Also, your private school days are over." I tell him and he rolls his eyes.

I moved to a public school in ninth grade because I got kicked out from the private school I was attending for, as they had put it, 'misbehavior'. Oh, like it's a crime to smoke a cigarette in an all—girl's catholic school bathroom

apparently it was, because I got kicked out and my parents sent me to a public high school

. My brother had to pick between a really bad private school or my public school

because he isn't that smart

, and he chose my school, because he was apparently fed up with all the 'rich snobs'.

"I won't make it through the week Nicole." He whines and starts eating his cereal.

I roll my eyes at him because he just used my full name, and he only does that when he's pissed at me. "Just hurry up, because I have to pick up Jake and Sophia as well, and I want to get a good parking spot."

He sadly nods into his bowl and I stand up from the table to go fill up my coffee flask.

"Morning."

I turn around to see my father come into the kitchen with a briefcase in hand, which he places on the counter. "I've got a meeting in Manchester today, so I'll be home tomorrow. I'll leave some money for the two of you, but I think your mother comes back tonight."

Oh, yeah. My "mother". And I'm not putting quotes because she's my stepmother; I'm putting quotes because she's rarely home due to her profession. She's starred in a lot of movies and is sort of a big deal in England. In fact, such a big deal, that she's flown to Hollywood to an audition for a blockbuster.

I check the watch on my wrist, and my eyes bulge out of my head. "Shit, Jason. Come on already, we're going to be late."

Rosa hands us our lunch packs as I grab my bag, phone, and the keys to my white Range Rover Evoque, before I head for the hallway. I slip into my black Vans as my brother opens the door and says goodbye Rosa over his shoulder.

I have fifteen minutes to get to Jake's and Sophia's houses in Chelsea, before we have to get to school. Which means that I'll have to bend some basic laws to get there in time, but oh well.

"Can you slow down?" Jason asks when I step on the gas as soon as our front gate opens.

"No. We're late already." I say and take a left turn.

Jake's already waiting for me in front of his house with an annoyed look on his face, so I stop a few meters in front of him, just to annoy him.

"You're late bitch." Is how he greets me as he climbs in the back and closes the door.

"Good morning to you too." I say and speed down the road towards Sophia's house. "Where's your brother?"

"Zayn's not feeling it today. He's meeting up with his soon to be girlfriend." Jake tells me and leans over between the two seats in the front. "Jasmine Harrison."

"What? No way. She's so...innocent. There's no way she's got a thing with Zayn."

"Well, she does. You know, bad boy, good girl. That kind of shit." Then he turns to Jason. "Are you excited to start your first day of high school?" he asks my brother, who's not really feeling it as he stares out the window.

"Very." Jason sarcastically answers. "If I don't see any fit birds in my classes today, I'm dropping out."

"Same." Jake laughs and high fives him.

"You're gay." I try to remind him as I stop to pick up Sophia.

"So? I can appreciate the way a girl dresses and does her makeup, can't I?" Jake asks and scoots over to give Sophia some space.

"Hii." She says and kisses me on the cheek. "Thank God you were late today, I had to redo my eyeliner like, two times."

"See?" I ask and look at Jake through the rearview mirror. "Someone is thankful for what I do."

Jake shows me the middle finger and then goes on to judge Sophia's outfit.

"What's wrong with my snapback?" she asks.

"Are you trying to impress a certain someone?" Jake smirks. "Like, say, a certain football player whose name starts with 'K' and ends in 'yle Payne?"

Sophia pouts. "Maybe."

There's a long queue in front of our school because everyone apparently got their driver's license over the summer and now drive to school.

"Fuck this shit, no one is taking my spot." I say and pull out from the queue, only to drive past the line of cars waiting to enter the parking lot and squeeze between the first car and the curb.

A lot of people start honking but I flip them off through the window, before I speed to my parking space. It's not actually my parking space, but I've been parking there ever since I got my license a year ago.

"I don't feel safe with you in the car." Jake tells me as he gets out and closes the door.

"Well, you can walk to school then. Or maybe even take the bus." I say as I grab my Hermès bag from the floor and slam the door.

"Why are you so angry? Has Jasper been lousy in bed lately?" Jake retorts and makes a face.

I roll my eyes. "He's been in Paris with his parents for the past two weeks, so I wouldn't know how he's been in bed lately."

"When is he coming back?" Jason asks, but there's a strain in his voice.

I don't know why, but he's never gotten along with Jasper. He's been my boyfriend for eleven months now

turning a year on October 10th

, but Jason has never liked him for some reason. Whenever I ask what his problem is, he just shrugs and changes the subject. I guess that's just how brothers are with the guy who fucks their sister, right? But if said guy makes their sister happy, the brother should be happy too, shouldn't he?

"If we get Mr. Andrews this year in English as well, I will shit my pants." Jake says as we walk up the stairs, towards the dreadful double doors that feels sort of like the gates of hell. Or like the gates of a maximum security prison. Same shit.

Mr. Andews is our favorite teacher by far. He's the funniest person I know, and he's absolutely ruthless and doesn't take shit from any student. Last year he made a girl cry because she didn't hand in her homework on time.

"Just remember this moment little bro." I say as I place my hand on the door handle. "Because you're never going to walk out of here alive."

"Jesus, is it really that bad?" he asks and I open the door, only to reveal a crowded hallway filled with students talking and laughing.

"See for yourself."

He walks me to my locker, which is conveniently placed next to Jake's and Sophia's. That's actually how we became friends.

"Do you need help with your schedule or to find classes?" I ask him after I place my bag inside and we start walking towards the secretary's office.

"Probably."

The line isn't that long, and we get our schedules in less than five minutes, which is the first good thing that happened today.

"We have English, Psychology, and P.E. together." I say as I look at Sophia's and Jake's classes.

"P.E.? I didn't sign up for any physical education for fuck's sake!" Jake whines. "I'm done with sweating like a ballsack one every two days. I'm going to sue."