"Whew," Jenson blew out a long breath as he slowed down to an almost stop and we stared up at the looming gateway in front of us, "are you sure this is right?"

"Kings Bridge Academy," I read out the huge bronze sign attached to the brick wall on the right of the dramatic wrought iron gate, "this is it."

"Jesus," Jenson, the guy I'd only met yesterday through a friend, whistled under his breath, "what are you, some distant cousin to the queen?"

"Do I look like some distant cousin to the queen?" I raised my eyebrows suggestively as Jenson's eyes scanned up my bare legs to my cut off jean shorts then to my simple black tank top and my bare face grubby from two days on the road, framed by my greasy brown hair. I didn't belong in a place like this in the slightest.

"No," Jenson gulped as I nodded curtly,

"I thought so douchebag, now drive before I die of old age," I rolled my eyes as Jenson dragged his gaze from me back to the open gate in front of us that announced the way to my new life. The guy who I barely knew pressed his foot on the accelerator and forced me into the world I had no desire to be in.

Kings Bridge Academy was in California but unlike a lot of the things in Cali it wasn't from new money, no Kings Bridge housed the sons of land and vineyard owners, bankers and lawyers who'd made their money centuries ago and had passed their trade down to their long line of sons. This was a place for the upper class elites, the aristocracy with double barrelled surnames and four summer homes to pick from. All the boys here had probably had a nanny who raised them and had never heard the word no in their life. At least that's what I presumed.

Life, and my mom, had taught me to always come prepared, to anything. And that had worked for me so far though usually it applied to gambling, but I could still use my skills now. I'd looked up all there was to know about Kings Bridge, where the person who had helped conceive me worked.

It was founded in 1827 by some duke of something-or-other from England who wanted a classic British education for his children and since then all the richest old money millionaires in the area had been sending their heirs there. When I looked through the alumni on the website there were more name drops than in a music video. The CEO of this or managing director of that, who'd all sent their sons there to follow in their footsteps. It looked too stuck up for words. Of course I didn't say that to Jenson though.

Instead I leant back in his open top car and allowed my hair to fly back as he hit the accelerator hard and we zoomed into the immaculate grounds. The gravel beneath us let out a resounding groan as we whipped towards the majestic building that was soon to be my new home.

The pictures on the website didn't to this sprawling Victorian mansion justice, it was built from a light grey stone and stretched out in a horse shoe shape. All around the school spread hundreds of acres of well preened grass as far as the eye could see. 360 acres to be exact. Up the gravel driveway ran neatly cut trees trimmed into little circles like something out of Edward Scissorhands. Ivy grew up the four storey walls of the building clinging to the huge bay windows and black tiled roof like a prize to show off how long the building had been there.

"Holy crap," Jenson had the look of awe that I imagined he could see on my face too, "tell me why you're here again?"

"Your job is to drive not ask questions," I rolled my eyes but my heart wasn't in the insult.

I was here because my mum had died two weeks ago and I had to go and live with the dad who until two weeks ago I hadn't seen in fifteen years.

Wow, my life was a true train wreck.

"Do you have your petticoats packed?" Jenson joked but I wasn't in the mood, I was dreading seeing my dad again.

When he arrived the day after my moms death two weeks ago seeing him had been the most uncomfortable experience. He'd only stayed for three days and left right after the funeral saying he had to get back to work. The whole time we'd been together we'd barely shared more than a few sentences. He was my father but he wasn't my dad, he didn't know the first thing about me or my life.

As we got closer to the school that was down a drive that never ended I could see a crowd of people gathering and I almost rolled my eyes it was so obvious. Of course Kings Bridge had to be an all boys school and at the first sign of a girl they'd all come running. A pit of dread grew in my stomach.

Come on Cara, this wasn't even on the list of the most scary things you've done. You've played high stakes games of poker against billionaires where you could lose everything and you're more scared now. I wasn't even scared of the imposing Kings Bridge Academy or the snooty boys though, I was scared of having to live with my father. Of having to spend day after awkward day with him.

God I needed to pull myself together. Come on Cara what would mom do?

She would take one of two options, she would either go for the inconspicuous innocent little girl please-take-pity-on-me. Or she would go all out guns blazing you-mess-with-me-and-I-end-you. I used to go with the quiet innocent one because it was more enjoyable to watch people's faces as they realised how they'd completely underestimated you. But recently inconspicuous just wasn't my style and I didn't want to get walked over by all the stuck up sons of millionaires so I decided to go with option 2.

I was going to hit them so hard with my southern sass they'd turn up in next week with no idea how they got there.

Bring it boys.

I tilted my chin up, tossed my hair back and plastered on my best fuck-with-me-and-worry-for-your-life smile just like I'd seen mom do a thousand times before she entered a room of top notch gamblers. I'm sure I looked exactly like she did with our identical high cheekbones, tanned skin, hazel eyes and chestnut brown hair. People often remarked that we looked like twins or sisters, a fact we happily exploited to our advantage.

My smile faltered for a second, God I missed her. No, Cara you can't think about her, you have to be confident, cool and sassy. All thoughts of her had to be gone if I was going to pull this off.

"Here you are Your Highness," Jenson skidded the car to a sharp halt in front of the imposing building that now hovered over us with boys hanging out of every window, their faces pressed up against the glass.

My father, who wasn't my dad, was waiting outside the front door that was a huge towering archway with ugly gargoyles sticking out ominously either side. Dad had his arms crossed and a stern look on his face mixed with agitation after my dramatic arrival.

Here goes nothing.

I widened my grin as I kicked open the car door and extended my long bare leg out the door. I may only be 5'4 but my legs make up about 80% of my body, something I take complete advantage of.

The corners of my mouth twitched into a smirk as I several of the mouths mouths drop open at my dramatic arrival. I kicked my door shut behind me with satisfaction and sashayed with all the confidence I possessed to the trunk of the car where Jenson was already unpacking my bulging hold all and one rack sack out of the boot. Those two bags contained all my possessions in the world, mom and I moved around a lot, from hotel to hotel so I'd learnt to restrict my things to what I could fit in one hold all and a rack sack. Mom said I had a skill for throwing out all the crap and just keeping the essentials.

"Thanks," I was genuinely thankful to Jenson, he'd distracted me and kept me sane throughout what could have been the worst car journey if my life. Instead I'd actually had a good time with him, "I mean it, seriously."

"No problem, princess, have fun at your palace," Jenson teased sticking his tongue in his cheek as he waited for my retort.

"Shut up," I snapped aware that probably the entire student body was watching our exchange, now was my time to make an impression.

"Make me," Jenson almost asked for it, he couldn't have set it up more perfectly. I grinned mischievously before releasing the bags he'd just given me onto the gravel, grabbing the back of his neck and yanking him towards me. I lay back onto the closed truck of the car as Jenson pressed his lips and body onto mine at once.

I kissed him hard and passionately before pulling away suddenly. I slipped out from under him with a satisfied smirk on my lips. There, no one was going to try and take advantage of me now. All around I saw boys in immaculate country club clothes with their mouths hanging open, gawking at the scene.

I spun back around to tease Jenson with a final flirty grin, "have a nice life, it was good meeting you."

"You too," Jenson stumbled barely able to stutter the words out as he propped himself up on the trunk of his car his cheeks scarlet and chest rising and falling in rapid pants.

Point to Cara.

"Cara," I rolled my eyes as I turned around to face my father, "what do you think you're doing?"

"What do you care?" I asked blandly like we were talking about the weather, "it's not like you ever have before." I strutted past him carelessly and kept my emotionless, confident face on even though inside I was breaking. I hated myself for doing this to him but I was so angry at him at the same time.

So angry.

I stormed up the four steps into the building that was to be my new home, at least until I turned 18. I let out a long sigh.

Why did mom have to get killed?