Chapter 5 Messing With The Wrong People Sienna was sure Eden had been holed up in some podunk town all these years. 'How else could the Wrights have hunted for her so long and come up empty?' she thought. To Sienna, Julie was the real star-the pampered princess the Wright family had spent nine years shaping into their perfect heiress. Eden? Just a scrappy drifter who couldn't hold a candle to her. 'Plus,' Sienna smirked to herself, 'the Wrights have their golden boy. Eden's not getting a dime of the family fortune!' 'Sure, she still has the Wright name slapped on her, but she is probably treated like one of those hush-hush kids big families hide in the shadows. 'Talk about a fall from grace!' "Smart move would be to keep your head down, or-" Sienna started, wagging a finger. Eden just flashed a sly grin. Then, quick as lightning, she nailed Sienna in the shin with a sharp kick. "Ow!" Sienna's scream bounced off the walls as she hit the floor, grabbing her leg. Eden, with a smirk that was all sass and no heart, strolled into the classroom like she ran the show. Sienna, meanwhile, was a total wreck, sprawled out and limping. "You're so done, Eden!" Sienna wailed, her face red as a tomato. Eden didn't even look back, strutting through the room as kids split. Nina, who'd been ready to step up and block Eden, froze solid. The memory of Eden twisting her wrist earlier, leaving her stuck, flashed through her head. She shrank back, shoulders slumped, and took a quick step away. "Sienna, let's get to the nurse's office," Nina mumbled. "Hurry up! That punk hits like a freaking linebacker," Sienna growled, hobbling as Nina propped her up. Under the classroom's sneaky stares, they shuffled off to the nurse, looking like they'd just got smoked in a street fight. The room lit up with whispers. "No way, that's Eden Wright? She's really back?" one kid gasped, eyes bugging out. "Dude, she's a straight-up savage. One kick and-pow!-Sienna and Nina were toast. I'm low-key thinking about signing up for boxing now," another chuckled. "But, like, Sienna's kinda got a point. Eden's in a tough spot, right? The Wrights aren't strapped for cash, but her timing's garbage," someone piped up. "For real. If they'd found her right after she went missing, it'd be a different story. Word is she was their little princess back then-mom and dad were crazy in love, spoiled her rotten. "But now? Mom's gone, there's a stepmom, a little brother, and a sister. Ten years out there, she probably didn't learn squat. Bet she's barely scraping by in that family." "Man, I'm already seeing a reality show in my head-evil stepmom, shady dad, real versus fake heiress drama." The chatter was quiet, but Eden's ears, sharpened from years of Ravenhold training, picked up every word like they were yelling in her face. Her senses had been trained to catch the tiniest sounds, and this gossip session was no different. The buzz got cut short when the sharp click-clack of heels on tile rang out. A middle-aged woman in a loud floral blouse and red-framed glasses marched in. "Alright, zip it. I'm Ms. Cooper, your homeroom teacher," she said, scanning the room like a hawk. "You all know what's up. "Before classes start, we've got Physical Conditioning Week. And don't think it's gonna be a cakewalk. "Bigwigs from up top are coming to poke around, and the school's got real-deal military folks running this show. It's gonna be rough, so don't slack off and then cry when you're stuck doing extra laps. You're warned." Ruth Cooper kept it short, not spilling much more, and told everyone to grab their Physical Conditioning Week uniforms, change, and haul it to the field. Eden snagged her gear and threw it on fast. The uniform was stiff and scratchy, just like the ones at Ravenhold. 'Wonder what Theonia's version of this is like,' she thought. 'Probably not much better.' She hit the field early, only to find it empty except for a few drill instructors. 'Did I show up at the wrong spot?' she wondered, eyeing the bare field. The instructors glanced her way, clearly thrown that someone was there so quick. They probably figured this year's freshmen had their stuff together-until the rest of the class dragged in, uniforms all jacked up, belts barely tied, looking like they'd just stumbled out of bed. The instructors weren't impressed. One, a grizzled dude with a buzzcut, bellowed, "What is this, a field trip? Move your butts!" The freshmen jumped, scurrying into lines like spooked cats. Eden checked her watch. One minute to go before the official start, and the instructors were already at the field entrance, blocking stragglers. Kids who'd taken their sweet time, spent too long on their makeup, or tried to "pimp out" their uniforms were stuck outside. Peter Ward, the head instructor grabbed a megaphone and ripped into them. "This is Physical Conditioning Week, not some pep rally where you can roll in late! "Where's your sense of time? You think you're hitting the mall, half-dressed and dragging your feet?" The kids outside grumbled. "This uniform's a total pain," one muttered. "Took me forever just to get the belt right." Peter snorted. "Everyone got the same gear, didn't they? But that girl over there-" he pointed at Eden, "-she was here fifteen minutes early, looking sharp as a tack. What's your excuse?" Eden froze, feeling a dozen eyes swing her way. She caught Peter's sly grin and thought, 'Awesome, way to paint a target on my back.' Her lips twitched. Sure enough, the whispers kicked up. "Who's that girl? Never seen her before." "She's kinda hot. That vibe? You don't forget it." "Pretty or not, why'd she have to show up so early? Now we're getting roasted." "Chill, it's not her fault. Head instructor's just throwing his weight around to keep us in line." Ignoring the chatter, the head instructor barked, "Listen up! Those of you here on time, you'll train as planned. The rest of you, stuck outside-Mr. Mendoza!" "Here!" A tall, lanky instructor, tanned to a crisp, stepped forward. "Take them to the track. One mile, now!" "Yes, sir!" Groans rolled through the crowd. "One mile? Are you serious?" "These guys are nuts. Two klicks right out the gate? They're trying to kill us." "I can barely handle a half-mile, let alone this. I'm gonna pass out cold." Eden blinked. 'One mile? That's it? This is their big punishment?' She wasn't convinced but figured she'd keep her eyes peeled and see how it all shook out. Title: A Boyfriend on Loan, A Real Love on Way Author: CrushReels Genre: Romance, Modern Status: ongoing In "A Boyfriend on Loan, A Real Love on Way" by CrushReels, Felix Lloyd finds himself in a predicament as he seeks to pacify his family's marriage expectations by renting a girlfriend for the holiday season. 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