Foreign Affairs: The Rewrite

The real political thriller we wanted...at least, that I did. I loved this story when it was released, but there was a lot of wasted potential with this book. I intend to try and correct that error. Filled with romance, suspense, near death experiences, and political intrigue, welcome to Foreign Affairs as I would have written it...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Choices universe, including anything in or relating to the world of Foreign Affairs. Enjoy!

Chapter One: First Term Jitters

"We are now beginning our descent. If you look out the window to your right, you'll see your first glimpse of the Vancross Institute for International Diplomacy," the pilot's voice said smoothly over the intercom.

I peered out my window at the elite campus below. It looked very fancy and clean cut, perfect for the next generation of world leaders and other future political figures to study politics, diplomacy, and how to avoid a scandal 101. I had to admit, the university was a lot bigger than I'd been expecting.

I propped an elbow on the edge of the window and rested my chin on my fist as I continue to gaze out on where my new home would be for the next two years.

"You doing okay over there?" Winston, my mother's chief of staff, asked. I quickly shook whatever fears and doubts that lingered in my head before I turned to smile reassuringly at him.

"I'm fine. Just...daydreaming about my nonexistent political career again," I lied. Truth was, I didn't have much of a desire to go into politics. Most of my life had revolved around politics, especially after mom was voted into office. I'd dreamed of escaping the public eye. I longed to be free, to do whatever I wanted without feeling the pressure of the microscope I was living under.

Winston cracked a smile back at me, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "As long as you're more alert during your classes. The President isn't sending you across the continent to slack off."

I let out a soft snort.

"Wait, you're telling me this isn't a beach vacation? Turn this plane around."

He rolled his eyes at me, but the smile never left his lips.

"Very funny. But I know you won't waste this opportunity to build relationships with these future international leaders—" he started, before a figure walked down the aisle and strapped in to the seat next to mine. I smiled over at my bodyguard, Agent Demarco, grateful for the interruption.

"Miss Lorelai," he said, "have you been briefed on our arrival yet?"

I nodded. "Agent Diaz talked with me half an hour ago." Demarco gave a quick nod in response before settling into his seat. I risked a glance towards Winston—big mistake. He raised an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to continue the conversation we'd been having moments before and I let out a small sigh.

"Look Winston, I've heard the stump speech before. But if this Master's program is so important to Mom, then why isn't she dropping me off herself?" I asked. A flash of regret flooded his wrinkled features and he briefly looked away.

"She wanted to be here... But you know how it is. A last minute meeting with an ambassador came up, and she couldn't say no."

I scoffed bitterly. "Got it. It's only me she can to say no to," I mumbled. Winston's eyebrows furrowed together, part in sympathy and part in frustration.

"Lorelai...," he said softly. I shook my head as a small twang of guilt bloomed in the pit of my stomach.

"I know, I know. I get it. She's the President, and that comes with a lot of responsibility. It's just...sometimes I wish she'd put me first for a change. I even would've been perfectly happy with some low-level position on her reelection campaign!" I nearly exclaimed. I closed my eyes and sunk further into the cushy seat. "I just want to spend some time with my mom. She's already missed out on so much..."

I really didn't mean to complain, honest. I knew Mom was busy. I knew this was the life I was getting into the day she was elected. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt any less whenever I came in second. Whether it was a conference call or a meeting... I'd always felt left in the dust.

Winston sighed. He paused for a moment as the plane continue to descend towards the university's private runway. "For what it's worth, I think Vancross will be good for you."

I quirked a questioning eyebrow at him. Was he even listening?

"The people of Rutherland want to see you more involved, and I know your mom's hoping you can help gain support for the upcoming Peace Summit," he continued.

Ah, yes. The Peace Summit. It's all my mom's been talking about for the past few years. Now that she was up for reelection, she'd planned to have the Summit in just a few months. Leave it up to your daughter to schmooze the children of the most influential leaders in the world for you.

Another pang of guilt shot through me.

Maybe I was a little bitter, but I did believe this Peace Summit was a good thing. Mom worked a lot my entire life, but I always knew the work she did was really, really good.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have those updated projections you asked for, Mr. Torres," my mother's political analyst stated, drawing me from my thoughts. Winston smiled up at her.

"Excellent! Looks like the press release about Vancross is already working its magic. Your mom's approval rating is trending up!"

I plastered on my best fake smile, the one I'd perfected over the years, as I nodded. I turned to look back out the window as they continued their conversation, my thoughts of the future swallowing me once more.

All this fuss...it didn't seem worth it. I didn't even know if I wanted to go into politics. There were so many other careers out there! I mean, I'm twenty two years old and have never had the chance to even consider something else to do with my life. I'd always been living out someone else's agenda, someone else's plan for me. I would always be living in my mom's shadow.

But regardless of any resentment or confusion, I loved my mom and I loved my country. She was the president Rutherland needed, and I'd do whatever she asked of me to help her win this election.

As the plane came to a stop, Winston quickly stood to collect his briefcase.

"Best not keep them waiting!" he chirped. I swallowed down the lump in my throat as the nerves in my stomach slowly settled.

There's no turning back now.

As our town car pulled up to the front gates of the insititute, the paparazzi immediately began to swarm around us, all of them jockeying to get the best spot. I did my best to hide the disgust from my face. Leave it to the paparazzi to make you feel like some animal in a zoo, there only for their entertainment.

Agent Demarco leaned closer as he whispered, "Miss Lorelai? Are you ready?" I took a deep breath before nodding. I've been dealing with the media since mom first went into politics. This part I could handle... At least, I was pretty sure I could.

Blinding lights flashed in my eyes as I barely managed to climb out of the car. Reporters with cameras accosted me from every angle as they shouted questions over each other. I concentrated on the ground in front of my, desperate not to stumble in front of the bloodthirsty crowd.

"Is that the First Daughter of Rutherland?"

"Quick, get the picture! Get the picture!"

I did my best to block out their shouting as I posed gracefully for a few shots. No matter how many times I'd been in front of the camera, it still felt surreal that the press still cared about who I was after all these years. You'd think they'd get bored of me by now. I'd never so much as sneezed in the wrong direction. Prime time entertainment, right here.

After letting them get in a few shots, I smiled politely goodbye before making my way past the persistent mob. A camera suddenly shoved its way into my face, stopping me in place.

"Mike Williams, Stalker Media," the slimy reporter said with a smile, sending a rather unpleasant chill up my spine. I instantly recognized the name of the tabloid. They were notorious for twisting the most innocent of stories into full blown scandals, even if they had to fudge some of the facts in order to do it. "Care to comment on your mother's campaign against Lewis Wright?"

I swallowed my anger and flashed the most brilliant, innocent smile I could. This guy had no idea what kind of press veteran he was dealing with.

"Honestly, I'd rather talk about how grateful I am for this opportunity! Vancross is an amazing institution, and I'm excited to learn as much as I possibly can while I'm here." Deflecting questions had become a sort of art form, one that I'd like to think I'd gotten pretty good at over the years.

"Spoken like a true politician's daughter," the reporter replied, sounding somewhat snarky "But let's cut to the chase. Will you use your time at Vancross to improve relations with Ardona?"

My heart froze.

"The entire world knows about your two countries' long-standing...issues," he continued. I did my best to stifle a scoff. That was a bit of an understatement. Ardona was still a sore subject in my country ever since the Rutherland Revolution.

As if on que, another town car passed by slowly, thankfully drawing away the paparazzi's attention from me. I immediately noticed the familiar flag adorning the car's hood. Speak of the devil, looks like the First Son of Ardona had officially arrived.

I turned towards my security detail, who were taking full advantage of the commotion to quietly shuffle me through the gates. As we passed through, I risked a quick glance back at the Ardonian town car. My eyes widened as I watched a hand reach out from the slightly rolled down window and raise its middle finger towards the paparazzi.

A furious storm of camera flashes ensued.

"Wow," I mumbled under my breath, "I wish I had the guts to do that." But I'm too busy playing the role of the Perfect First Daughter...

Demarco reached a hand out to guide me forward, breaking me from my thoughts. "Miss Lorelai, we need to keep moving."

We moved towards the main quad on campus where most of my classmates and many of their security details were gathered. While Vancross was for the who's who of institutions for the future generation of political leaders, it wasn't particularly exclusive. It was still a very prestigious university that anyone, especially those wanting to become involved in politics, could attend.

We joined the crowd just as the dean of the school stepped up to address the group of new students. She smiled brightly at us.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Dean Lundqvist, and it's my deepest pleasure to welcome you to the Vancross Insititute for International Diplomacy." A small round of applause sounded from the crowd. "We're excited to have you as part of the Vancross family. Our esteemed alumni have gone on to become world leaders, Chief Prosecutors of the ICC, even Secretaries-General of the UN! And we expect no less of all of you."

No pressure or anything.

"During your time here, you'll take classes to learn essential skills for navigating every conceivable political situation. But we believe the most important lessons will be taught outside the classroom. The friendships you establish now will follow you throughout the rest of your lives...and hopefully can bring the world closer to true peace."

As she paused, the crowd immediately broke out into a roaring applause. "Now, I know some of you are interested in the state of our security renovations during the semester break..."

I looked around at the rest of the students in the crowd, listening half-heartedly as the Dean droned on. I recognized few and had spoken with some at varying political events, but for the most part...

I wasn't the big fish in a small pond anymore.

After orientation ended, I followed the cobblestone path to my dorm with my security team trailing dutifully behind me and I let out a sigh of relief as my transition team dropped me off at the door. I was to expect my new head of security later in the day, so from now until then was my only chance at freedom. As I slowly opened the door to my suite, an involuntary gasp escaped my throat.

"Holy...," I breathed. For a first year dorm room, I hadn't been expecting something so...luxurious.

"Almost makes you feel like royalty, huh?" a voice asked, as if able to read my thoughts. I turned to see a young woman my age emerging from one of the suite's bedrooms, smiling brightly at me. " Of course, I actually am royalty." The woman looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place her.

"Right...and you are...?" I asked slowly. She gasped loudly, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Someone who doesn't read royal family gossip?! How novel!" she exclaimed before extending her hand. "But I'm forgetting my manners. I'm Princess Dionne Mariana Regina Dorada de Rothschild Serrano of the Kingdom of Pavadena."

I raised an eyebrow at her as I softly shook her hand. She shrugged a bit as she continued, "But since we're suitemates, you can just call me Dionne." I chuckled softly in amusement.

"Lorelai Monroe... Which is all the names I've got. It's nice to meet you, Dionne."

I studied her for a moment. I hadn't met that many princesses, but some of the ones I'd met had been more...stuck up and entitled. But as I watched the way Dionne carried herself, she didn't seem to look down on me at all. Instead, I felt as if I were more of an equal.

"So, a real-life princess, huh?" I asked. "That kind of scrutiny must be tough. Even just a few years as First Daughter has been awful, I can't even imagine being born into that level of scrutiny."

She sighed. "You're not wrong,...but the perks are pretty good too!"

"Such as?"

"An entire stable full of ponies when I turned six?" she suggested with a warm smile.

I laughed. "Okay, I take it back. That sounds awesome." My gaze floated to the mountain of a man behind her. I hadn't even noticed him come into the room. For such a big guy, he was awfully quiet. She turned quickly to introduce him.

"Oh, and this walking protein shake ad is my bodyguard, Murphy."

He stared stoically. I smiled back in response.

"Nice to meet you, Murph. My new bodyguard should be here later today. I'm sure you two will have tons to chat about."

"By the way, I went ahead and picked the bigger bedroom, but I left you the one with the west-facing window so you can sleep in," Dionne said, barely glancing at me over her shoulder as she fluttered around the room, putting up different decorations around the suite.

I pursed my lips. While I would have liked to pick my own room, she did seem genuine in her reasoning. I shrugged in response.

"That's fine, but I get the bigger hall closet," I reasoned. "It's only fair, don't you think?" Her eyebrows scrunched together in surprise.

"Fair? You think I operate on 'fair'? I'm a literal princess."

A worried feeling settled in my gut, but I stood my ground. "If you're going to be living with me, yup. From here on out, at least." She narrowed her eyes at me for a brief moment, then her lips curled into a delighted smile.

"It's about time someone had the guts to stand up to me. I accept your closet proposal! We're going to get along wonderfully," she gushed. A wave of relief washed over me. "I think you've earned yourself a campus tour. Follow me! I'll show you the best places to people-watch."

Dionne linked her arm with mine, then proceeded to drag me more towards the door. "Don't wait up for us, Murph!" she called over her shoulder. I watched in amazement as her bodyguard hung back at the suite while she led us back towards the center of campus. How'd she get him to actually listen?!

"Welcome to the main hub of campus. Most people have to walk through here to get anywhere else, so it's the perfect place to scratch your voyeurism itch. Just be wary of rogue frisbees. We almost had an international incident last year when an ambassador's daughter got hit in the head," she explained. I held back a laugh.

"Duly noted." As she continued to pull me along, the busy campus whirled by. "So you went here last year? What year are you?" I asked.

"I'm a first year Master's student, as I suspect you are too. But I went here for my undergrad as well."

I nodded understandingly. "So you've already had four years to get to know campus like the back of your hand."

She nodded at me proudly.

"I'm the gal you wanna know!" I chuckled as she pulled me into another building. "Here's the school library, the perfect place to meet with a study group...or to have a romantic tryst among the stacks." She winked at me, though I detected a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Seems like just the place to pretend we're regular students, not politicians in the making."

She let out a small laugh. "Until you knock one of the hundred of copies of The Art of War off the shelf!" Before I could get my bearings, she was dragging me along once again. "So what made you come to Vancross?" she asked.

I took a deep breath before answering. "Well, in all honesty, it wasn't exactly my choice." Dionne shot me a sympathetic, yet understanding, look.

"I know how that feels, to not really get a say in what you do with your life. This was my parents choice of school for me, too. But luckily, it was already at the top of my list! So it all worked out," she said happily. I kicked a small pebble away with my foot as we walked.

"I at least had a say in where I went for my undergrad, so I shouldn't complain too much," I relented.

She sighed as she pulled me towards the entrance to what looked like an extravagant garden. "Oh the woes of the life of a political figure."

My eyes widened as I took in my surroundings. In every direction stemmed the most beautiful flowers, shrubbery and trees. Birds chirped delicately all around us and a small waterfall poured softly into a nearby stream. I closed my eyes as I breathed in the fresh air.

Yup, this is definitely where I'm gonna be all year.

"This is the Vancross private gardens," she said, bringing me back down from the clouds. "I like to come here when I need to clear my head." My lips twisted up into a soft smile as I gazed across the beautiful gardens.

"I can see why...," I breathed.

"This place can get a little intense," she continued. "But it's nothing a best friend or two can't help you through." A sharp pain stabbed at my heart as my mind flashed back to the last person I'd considered a best friend...

While it would be nice to have Dionne on my side, I hadn't really had another really close friend since Tatum left years ago.

The telltale sound of a shutter sounded in the bushes, cutting through my reverie. I whipped around and spotted a lens peaking out from a nearby hedge.

"Did you get the shot?" a voice whispered.

Dionne's gaze shot daggers in their direction. "Are they serious?!" she whispered harshly to me. I gritted my teeth.

"They must've snuck past the gate."

Her lips curled into a snarl.

"Trust me, we do not want that Willams guy getting his hands on a picture of us. Let's get out of here," she whispered. We both turned to run as she yelled. "Security!"

I risked a glance back and smiled at the site of the two paparazzi struggling to free themselves from the hedge they'd wedged themselves into, but as we rounded a corner, I smacked hard into someone's chest. I let out a yelp as I stumbled backwards. A pair of strong hands quickly caught me before gently helping me steady on my feet.

"It usually takes a little longer for someone to fall for me," the brick wall of a man said sarcastically. I looked up at the handsome stranger. He smirked at me, his eyes sparkling with amusement. I tucked my hair behind my ear awkwardly.

"Thanks for the save," I breathed.

He shot me a charming smile as he said, "My pleasure." He had a soft accent, one that seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place it...

"Blaine!" Dionne exclaimed, a wide smile on her face. He turned his attention to the princess, an equally enthused smile on his own lips. She threw her arms tightly around his nick and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"Hey Di, what've you been up to?" he asked.

She shrugged as they pulled away. "Oh, you know. Launching the royal fleet, trying on tiaras, running from the paparazzi... Just normal princess stuff!"

Blaine's heated gaze flitted back to me. "What's with the fan club? I mean, she's cute, but I thought you stopped encouraging your stalkers," he teased.

Excuse me? I did my best not to roll my eyes and sucked in a deep, calming breath. I could only imagine what my mother would say if she knew I'd gotten into a fight with another student on my first day.

I swallowed my pride and plastered my best campaign smile on my face.

"I'm Lorelai Monroe, First Daughter of Rutherland," I said as warmly as I could, my hand extended. He looked down at my hand, then back up at me, making no move to shake it.

"In my country, we usually greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. I'm digging the superficial politeness, though. So original in a place like this," he replied sarcastically with a smirk dancing on his lips.

I bristled at his comment, but maintained my composure. "Some of us aren't aiming to be the most original person at Vancross. We're aiming to get something out of it." I continued my eye contact with him as I stubbornly let my hand hang in the air between us. We sat in silence for a moment before he finally relented and shook it.

A weird feeling fluttered in my stomach as our hands touched.

"It's nice to meet you...," I started as I looked into his deep brown eyes. A surge of boldness took over me, rendering me unable to stop my next words from flowing out. "I hope we can get to know each other much better."

I watched as his eyebrows shot up in surprise before he relaxed into another playful smirk. A thrill ran through me as I realized I'd actually caught the arrogant man off guard.

"I didn't expect you to be so...forward." His tone was light and playful, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye to boot. I shrugged nonchalantly as I finally dropped his hand.

"Maybe I know what I want."

He bit his lip as his eyes quickly trailed up and down my figure. A flush of heat rose to my cheeks briefly under his gaze.

"That, I can see. The real question is, what are you willing to give up to get it?" he asked.

Dionne shook her head with a smile as she stepped forward to interject. "Lorelai, Blaine is—"

"A first year student too," he finished. I quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Really? I didn't see you at orientation. And why would you assume I'm a first year?" I asked.

He chuckled lowly. "You've got that unmistakable deer-in-the-headlights look about you. I bet you even think you can make a difference in the world."

I scrunched my nose as the frustration began to grow inside of me. Who did this guy think he is?! He'd known me for all of about five seconds and he's already making snap judgements, acting like he already knows everything about me!

"Ooookay!" Dionne said quickly as she stepped between the two of us. "On that note, Lorelai and I should probably head out. The paparazzi's loose on campus and—"

"There they are!" a voice shouted from behind us. A wave of panic crashed through me as we turned to see the reporters from earlier. I snapped my gaze back to the other two.

"We gotta go, now."

Blaine cursed under his breath as he grabbed both of our arms.

"Follow me," he said gruffly. The three of us ran as fast as we could out of the gardens and through the maze of buildings. Despite our best evasion efforts, the photographers were still hot on our trail. Blaine quickly diverted towards a shortcut across the lawn. My eyes landed on a nearby sprinkler head that had just raised out of the ground. As water started to lightly sprinkle out, a lightbulb went off in my head.

I crouched down, keeping my eyes on the corner where we'd just ran from as I waited.

"Lorelai! What are you doing?!" Dionne yelled. She skidded to a halt with Blaine following shortly after. I mumbled to myself under my breath as I continued waiting for my shot...

Just as the photographers cut around the corner, I pushed my thumb over the top of the nozzle. The spray forcefully redirected, straight into their unsuspecting faces. I held back a laugh as they sputtered, immediately moving to dry off their cameras. We took off running again and I looked over as Blaine shot me an impressed smile.

"Nice one!" he called out. My lungs were starting to burn and my legs were starting to ache. As I looked around at Blaine and Dionne, I could tell they were feeling the same.

"We can't keep running forever," Blaine said. "We need to find some cover."

"Oh! Follow me! This way!" Dionne yelled. She'd hardly made it another step before a loud snap rang out. Dionne let out a scream as she crashed to the ground. I quickly rushed over to help as she stood and dusted herself off.

Her face twisted in anger as she said, "One of my heels broke! Remind me to send that tabloid a bill later. These were my favorite shoes!"

"Sorry Di, but we've got more pressing problems...," Blaine trailed off. Dionne sighed as she unstrapped her shoe.

"Go one without me. I can't run like this, I'll just slow you down."

I shook my head firmly. "No way! We are not leaving you behind! We're all in this together and—" She smiled as she put a hand on my shoulder.

"I appreciate the musketeers attitude, but I'll be fine. I'll hunker down in a bush or something. You two are the real story anyway," she interjected. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. Why would we be the 'real story'? As I opened my mouth to ask, I felt Blaine grab my head.

"This is taking too long, come on." He quickly pulled me away towards another group of buildings.

"Good luck!" I shouted back over my shoulder to her, just in time to see the two photographers turn the corner.

I moved to glance sadly back at her, but she was suddenly nowhere to be seen. Like she'd vanished in thin air. "Where did she go?!" I asked as Blaine continued to pull me away. He shrugged, keeping his eyes focused on the path in front of us.

"Who knows," he answered. "But she'll be fine!"

Blaine gripped my hand tighter as he led us towards a shaded alley.

"This way. I see a place we can hide."

As we reached the end of the alley, Blaine pushed me firmly against the far wall and pressed himself close. He wasn't close enough to touch, but was definitely close enough for me to feel the heat radiating off his body.

"What are you doing?" I whispered up at him.

He flashed me a quick smile before whispering back, "Saving you. Now, keep quiet!"

I opened my mouth to protest once more, but he clamped his hand down against my mouth just as the paparazzi rushed past the buildings. I held my breath as I listened to their shouting voices grow quieter. As the sound of their footsteps faded, I gazed up at Blaine. It wasn't until now that I'd realized just how close we really were. His face was mere inches from mine, and his hand still rested tightly on my lips.

He looked deep in my eyes, before his eyes widened as if he'd just realized the same thing. He quickly dropped his hand and took a few steps back. A light pink glazed his cheeks as he ruefully rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry, Rutherland," he said sheepishly. I smoothed out my shirt as I avoided his gaze.

"It's fine, just...don't do that again."

All signs of bashfulness dropped from his face as a smirk danced its way back across his lips. "Oh, come on, admit it. That was the most fun you've had in weeks." I scoffed at him.

"That was the most frantic I've been in weeks. Not exactly the same thing."

He let out another chuckle.

"Far be it from me to tarnish that squeaky clean reputation of yours."

I did my best to ignore him as I peered around the corner of the alley. There didn't seem to be any signs of the photographers, but my nerves were still dancing on the edge.

"Do you think the coast is clear?" I asked Blaine, my eyes still searching the surroundings for any sign of a camera. He shrugged, leaning out to look for himself.

"For now, maybe. But if those guys are anything like the paparazzi back home, it's only a matter of time before they double back," he answered. I fought back a groan as the nervous pit in my stomach grew wider. This was so not the first day I was expecting. As if reading my mind, Blaine continued. "Lucky for you, I know a hiding place where no one will ever find us."

I turned to face him and wordlessly raised a questioning eyebrow.

"It's nearby, secluded, and even has a nice view so you won't have to stare at my face the whole time."

I snorted. "So what...now you want to spend more time with me? I thought I was way too straight-laced for you?" I teased. He shrugged as she shoved his hands into his front jacket pockets.

"I like playing against type. Besides, it beats being chased by rude photographers all afternoon."

The sound of approaching footsteps bounced off the walls. Panic filled both our eyes as we looked at each other. I held my breath as a familiar voice rang out.

"We'll get our scoop, even if we have to search every nook and cranny of this school."

Blaine leaned closer, his voice dropping back down into a whisper. "What do you say, Lorelai? It's now or never..." I squeezed my eyes tightly as I weighed my options. If I tried to escape on my own, I'd likely be caught. I had no clue about where anything was in this school. So if I really wanted to avoid the press...

"Fine," I relented. How nearby is 'nearby'?" He smiled as his gaze lifted upwards.

"Right about you." I looked up to see a second-story window above our heads.

My mouth gaped open as I looked back at him incredulously. "We're going in through the window?! Are you trying to get me killed? Because if so, I have to say, this is the most elaborate assassination attempt I've seen yet."

He shook his head with a smile.

"Nah, I'm much more direct with my targets." My mind raced as I stepped closer to the side of the building. I gulped as I looked up at just how high the second floor is.

"I don't suppose you have a ladder?" I asked hopefully, though I already knew the answer.

He shook his head again as he crouched beneath the window. "Where's the fun in that? Come on." He cupped his hands and looked up at me expectantly. I groaned inwardly before carefully stepping into his grasp. I placed a hand on his shoulder for balance as he lifted me up.

His boost barely reached me high enough to grab the bottom of the window sill.

"Got it!" I exclaimed quietly down to him. I managed to pull myself through the opening and into the empty classroom, then peered back down at him. "I'll go unlock the door."

He shot me a smug smirk.

"Don't bother!" he replied, before shimming up the nearby drain pipe. He climbed with such ease, as if he'd snuck in and out of buildings like this a thousand times. A moment later, he was crawling in through the window beside me.

I crossed my arms as he straightened, the smirk still evident on his face. "Exactly how much practice do you have climbing up drain pipes?" I asked. He chuckled in response.

"What, that isn't a rite of passage in your country?"

I couldn't help the smile from slipping onto my lips as I said, "Not for the presidents' kids." He leaned closer, a fire dancing playfully in his eyes.

"You should start an initiative to change that, then. Now, come on!" Blaine grabbed my hand once more and pulled me through the empty building until we reached a set of stairs that lead up to the roof. He pushed open the door, and my breath hitched at the sight.

"Wow...," I said softly. "You can see all the way out to the lake from here."

Blaine slid easily onto the ledge, his legs hanging over the side. As he looked out at the campus that stretched below us, I took a moment to really take him in.

There was a simple, content smile on his face. Even though he was quite literally sitting on the edge of a very high ledge, there wasn't an ounce of fear or hesitation evident on his features. From what I'd seen so far, Blaine really didn't seem to be afraid of anything...

And I envied that.

I moved closer to him, though my feet remained firmly on the patio floor. "How did you know this was up here?" I asked, my gaze watching the sunlight dance on the waves of Vancross Lake.

"My dad told me about it. He was a student here too, a long time ago. It's about the only worthwhile piece of advice he gave me about this place."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I take it attending Vancross wasn't your first choice?"

He scoffed. "No way. But Mom always knows just how to guilt me, even though I'm not a little kid anymore. So...here I am," he answered, a hollowness to his voice. He sent a mischievous smirk my way before continuing, "Although, things have been looking up in the last half-hour or so..."

I let out a laugh. Another thrill ran through me as I watched the way his eyes grazed down my figure, then back up to meet my own.

"Oh really?" I challenged. "Any particular reason why?" He chuckled as he turned his attention back to the view.

"You have absolutely zero poker face, Lorelai," he teased. A brief silence fell upon us. "So, did your parents force you to come to Vancross too?"

I sighed as I leaned my hip up against the ledge next to him. "'Force' might be a little unfair...but yeah, pretty much. My mom is hoping this Master's program will lead to some big epiphany for me." I couldn't help the bitterness and tinge of resentment from seeping through my tone. "Like it'll suddenly make me want to follow in her footsteps or something."

Blaine looked at me, his expression sympathetic and...understanding.

"Sounds like she's treating you more like a tool than a person."

I looked down at my feet as a heaviness laid on my heart.

"I'd be lying if I said that thought had never crossed my mind...," I started. "It does bother me sometimes. It's like she cares more about her career than me." My mind wanderedback to how life was before she was elected into office. Even though she'd held other prestigious political positions through my whole life, everything changed when she became president.

At least I had Tatum and my dad to lean on when things got lonely. But then...

I shook my head and dispelled that train of thought, bringing myself back to the conversation. "I just wish I could tell her that I sometimes need her to be my mom first, president second."

"So tell her," he said simply. I couldn't help the small, amused chuckle that escaped me.

"You make it sound so easy."

He flashed me a brilliant smile. "It is easy." I scoffed lightly at him.

"For you, maybe. My mom and I haven't had that kind of relationship in...a really long time. And it's not like she doesn't care about me."

"No, she just cares about the perks of the position more."

I pivoted my body to face him head on as a protective anger slowly began to bubble up inside me. "Hey, I never said that."

"You didn't have to. All politicians are the same. They're only out for themselves." All hints of cockiness were gone from his tone. He'd sounded sincere, which only broke my heart even more.

"You don't think your parents care about your people?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I know they care about them...exactly as much as it helps them to stay in power."

I paused for a minute as I contemplated what he'd just said. While I knew there were plenty of politicians like that out there, there were also some really good ones—my mom included. It was a shame he'd never gotten to see that for himself.

"Are you always this cynical?" I asked. "There are good people in the world, you know. In fact, I bet if you tried hard enough, you could even be one of them."

Blaine suddenly quieted and his expression dampened as his voice lowered to barely above a whisper. "I'm not so sure about that..." He turned his position on the ledge to face me.

"You've lived your whole life following the rules, sheltered and repressed," he continued, a sudden fire in his eyes. "Suddenly, you meet someone who says 'screw all that', and deep down, you wish you could do the same instead of being exactly the girl that mommy wants."

I bristled at the harshness in both his tone and his words. My hands balled tightly into fists as I stared daggers at him.

"I'm not just some puppet for my mom."

Blaine's eyes locked with mine for a long moment, which quite frankly, was incredibly irritating. Finally, he flashed me a small, challenging smirk.

"Sure you're not."

A surge of angry adrenaline rushed through me. I'd never been one to back down from a challenge, especially from someone who underestimated me. I grit my teeth in determination as my eyes narrowed at him.

"I'm not! If I were, would I do...," I trailed off, my mind racing for an idea...until my gaze rested on the ledge in front of me. "This?" Without a second thought, I quickly climbed the ledge and stood tall. The wind whistled through my hair as I briefly closed my eyes and stretched my arms out. I smiled as the warm sun beat down on my face.

"See?" I exclaimed. "I can live dangerously!"

I heard Blaine chuckle below me. "The only thing I see is someone who's watched Titanic one too many times."

As I turned to confront him, a loose stone slipped out from under my foot. I gasped as I flailed to catch my balance, my momentum starting to pull me backwards. My eyes widened in horror just as I felt Blaine's strong hand grip tightly at my wrist. He pulled me towards him on the roof and safely tucked me into his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes wide and frenzied with worry. I nodded as I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry.

"Yeah, just...a little shaken."

No wonder I was assigned a protective detail. Mom was right to worry about me on my own! I'm a danger to myself! It was only the first day and I'd already gotten myself almost killed because I couldn't back away from a stupid challenge! The side of Blaine's lips quirked up into a small smile.

"Maybe you should leave the dangerous stuff to the professionals next time."

Suddenly, a shout from below caught both of our attention. We peered over the ledge to see the rogue paparazzi being roughly escorted off campus by security. We watched in amusement as they struggled.

"Get your hands off me! And give me back my camera! That's my personal property!" Mike Williams yelled. The guard scowled at him.

"And you two are trespassing on our property. Your camera will be returned once we've destroyed all pictures and videos you took on the grounds."

As they disappeared from view, our gazes found their way back to each other.

"Looks like the coast is officially clear," Blaine said softly. I nodded as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Guess we should head back before our bodyguards start to worry."

He cracked a smile at me. "Cheer up, Rutherland. We've got all semester to work on your image." I rolled my eyes as I opened my mouth to protest, but he was already halfway across the rooftop.

He offered me a polite, dismissing salute before disappearing down the staircase. I sighed and turned my attention back to the view in front of me for just a second longer.

"One thing's for sure," I muttered to myself. "That boy is trouble."

As soon as I stepped across the threshold into my suite, Dionne jumped up from the couch with a relieved smile on her face.

"There you are! I wasn't expecting to beat you home with a broken heel."

I kicked off my shoes before making my way over towards the couch, immediately collapsing onto the soft material in exhaustion.

"Blaine and I were just hiding out until the coast was clear. I can't believe it took so long for campus security to catch those guys." Wasn't this place supposed to be like Fort Knox or something? Dionne's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

"Hold up, you and Blaine were together this whole time?" she asked.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah... Why?" She shook her head as she slowly sat down on the armchair.

"I'm just surprised, is all. I figured you'd be trying to avoid him all semester."

A cold shiver ran through my body as a dark realization dawned on me. My eyes widened as my gaze locked with hers in alarm. It couldn't have been... Please tell me it couldn't have been...

"No way..," I muttered in disbelief.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Didn't he tell you?! Blaine Hayes is the First Son of Ardona."

Man, this chapter ended up being a lot longer than I was expecting...so I hope you enjoyed it! I thought the book started off pretty strong, so there were really only a few minor adjustments and some dialogue added. But things will start to divert from their story pretty quick.

I also chose the name Lorelai because I personally love that name. If you don't like it...sorry, but tough beans. Pretend it's something else, then. I think it's really classy, it's pretty uncommon, and I could totally see it as the name for some foreign country politician's daughter.

In case anyone needed to know, the name is pronounced LORE-UH-LIE, like Lorelai Gilmore in Gilmore Girls, the most popularly known Lorelai of our time. And no, I did not name my OC after Lorelai Gilmore.

Anyway, I hoped you like it! In true Choices fashion, I'll be posting chapter two along with this one. So happy reading!

Remember to fave and follow!

XOXO

-MusicToMe