Sophie Ackerman has to attend boarding school while impersonating her twin sister, but things get complicated when she bumps into her former best friend.
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Sophie Ackerman is...
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"I know you. You and the mask you are always wearing. It often slips off when you think no one is seeing, but I always see you, Johanna."
Sophie stopped dead in her tracks as if someone cast a spell that petrified her. Of course, someone had to interrupt the last semblance of peace she had, exposing the very secret she wanted to keep while Sophie was going to retreat herself into the dorm's study room. She wanted to open her mouth, at least to say something that would not confirm Prince Raphael's pre-conceived knowledge about who she is, but her tongue was tied. Even if Johanna was not even her real name, Sophie learned to accept that it was the pseudonym she should hide in.
"Oh, it is you, Your Highness," Sophie finally found her voice. Sophie was the quiet type who rarely voiced her inner thoughts, but she always quickly dishes out witty comebacks if anyone ever indulged her into sarcasm battle. "What is the occasion, a prince talking to a peasant like me?" Sophie sarcastically asked.
Looking devilishly handsome (and very intimidating) as always, Prince Raphael's mouth contorted into a smile. The kind of smile that other girls in the Kingston Academy most definitely found charming, but the kind that alerted Sophie to run immediately.
The Riverton House dorm's common room intensified, as Sophie could feel the tension prickled on her skin. Composing her suddenly wild nerves was a skill she had acquired early in life to evade herself from sticky situations. But then again, having a sibling with thrill-seeking tendencies required a certain soft skill one should have to survive.
"Are you going to say something, Johanna? Is that even your real name?"
"Your Highness-"
"I told you for a thousand times over not to call me with honorifics," Prince Raphael said casually as he sat himself down on one of the couches in the common room. Despite his laidback tone, Sophie sensed that it was a subtle order. She snorted despite the sticky situation she found herself in. Of course, Prince Raphael Hernandez (discarding his bazillion of middle names) would issue an order despite not being in his domain. But then again, the whole school was his domain.
"Johanna Patterson doesn't exist until several weeks ago," Prince Raphael said softly as his smoldering stare pierced through all Sophie's defense. "Don't ask me why I know about it-"
"-How can you conclude that my name is not Johanna, while clearly, I am Johanna?" Sophie deliberately interrupted; it was a deliberate move to piss off Prince Raphael. She was adept at reading people's intentions and inner workings, especially the kinds like Raphael Hernandez. He was such a typical entitled rich boy, whose mouth was tucked with a silver spoon that felt entitled to everything and anything, including Sophie's business. But then again, Prince Raphael was the poster boy for privileged boys alongside his three best friends.
"I have my ways."
Sophie raised an eyebrow in challenge, an act to indicate that she demanded an answer. At first, Prince Raphael may be the one who interrogated her, but this time it was she who demanded an answer. Being the sister who always cleaned up everyone's messes, it was important to have the ability to turn tables around.
"So, your title and your so-called ways are an excuse to pry your way into my business?" Sophie retorted, wishing that Prince Raphael was deterred. "You're not even the leader of the pack since that role is relegated to Alex?"
Saying Ace's name made Sophie's tongue felt bitter, but she brushed off the feelings. Now the only objective Sophie had was to avoid Raphael's interrogation. She resorted to pressing his berserk button to get him off her case. It always worked, pushing people's buttons to keep them at arms' length. And it worked even better if she wanted to distract them from asking her questions she didn't want to answer.
Apparently, it worked, much to both Sophie's relief and horror. She saw a glimpse of simmering anger underneath all the charm and sweet-talks he put on as a mask. As Sophie found her stepping away towards the door that will take her out of the common room, she saw Prince Raphael's eyes blazed with anger. But somehow, it was all gone within seconds. Obviously, Prince Raphael was even better than anyone in the school. He spent all his life as a Spanish royalty member to fool others into his bidding with the mask he wore. And only now Sophie saw the glimpse of the real person beneath the mask he wore so expertly.
"Trying to make me angry won't get you off my case, Johanna," Prince Raphael swiftly replied, his usual smirk curved his mouth, the same mouth that had also kissed her sister's. Sophie wanted to punch his so-called beautiful face, but her better judgment stopped her from doing so.
It was Prince Raphael's doing in the first place that caused Sophie to be stuck in this hellish boarding school, reliving her high school career all over again when she desperately tried to leave it. The irony did not escape Sophie's intellectual mind, how Prince Raphael questioned her existence when it was his doings (well and Vivian's) that landed Sophie in Kingston Academy.
"Just because you are the ruling 'King,'" Sophie said, using her two fingers to make an air quote as she said the word, King, "with your fellow privileged friends, the privilege does not extend to other people's business. Please notice that not everyone wanted to be on your radar. Maybe some people wanted to live their high school lives in peace. And you know what, fuck you, Raphael."
She would not dare to say it on his face if there was any other spectator aside from them both. Before Raphael had the chance to get up from his seat and probably corner her against the wall (Sophie clearly read too much teen fiction online), she turned her back to open the door and bolted.
The Riverton's dorm hallway was empty, with most of the students were out of the school to stay at home for the weekend. Not even Sophie's roommates, Natalya and Erika, stayed in school at the end of the week. The sound of Sophie
"If you're actually Johanna, you won't be running away. Denying is just confirming."
Of course, he had to come after her. It almost escaped Sophie's sharp memory that Prince Raphael was one of the most prominent track team members, despite not being the captain. "If you want answers, ask away." But that did not mean Sophie would provide him with answers.
She could feel Prince Raphael started to smile. How much Sophie wanted to wipe the smile from his pretty face. "Okay, here goes nothing. Why do you look like the girl who was with me at the beginning of the summer? You're not exactly alike, but enough to be related to each other. And why you always seem to avert your gaze whenever Ace is around?"
Raphael was looking at her expectantly, waiting for an answer. But Sophie only permitted him to voice his questions, so she knew what was running inside his mind. That did not mean she would give him answers. Sometimes power comes from discretion.
Sophie raised her head, shifting her gaze from the carpeted floor of Riverton's dorm hallway, and immediately ran. Maybe she could not run as fast as Raphael, who was quite literally Usain Bolt in the making. However, Sophie chanted inwardly, hoping that Prince Raphael Hernandez would leave her alone and not bother her with his questions.
If anyone ever knew about her true identity or even her past connection with Alexander Voltaire, Sophie would be in deeper shit than her sister Vivian found her last summer.
