The Pauper Who Won The Palace

Synopsis

I got into this elite academy on a special scholarship this year. My hands shook holding the tuition waiver letter. Everything was covered—tuition, fees, plus a 10,000-dollar annual scholarship. The library's leather armchairs, the gym's imported equipment, and the rooftop garden—they were all mine to enjoy. But the cafeteria was the real shock. My meals were half off, but the food wasn't. The cheese pizza was topped with imported truffles. The salad bar had fresh lobster and jumbo shrimp. Even the grilled cheese sandwiches used artisanal sourdough and cave-aged cheddar. Sitting in the bright classroom, surrounded by rich kids in designer uniforms and luxury watches, I knew what I had to do—fit in. But my scholarship classmate, Keira Marsh, didn't seem to care. She didn't look excited. She looked disgusted. Every glance she shot around the room was pure contempt. During the morning break, Gabriel Sinclair, one of the rich kids, walked over to our desks. He wasn't exactly polite, but he didn't act all high and mighty either. "Can someone grab me some breakfast from the cafeteria?" he asked. I was just about to say yes when a sharp voice suddenly cut through the air. Keira said, "God, you're so annoying. Just because you've got cash to burn, you think you're all that? "If I'd known this place was full of spoiled trust fund babies like you, I would've never come here."