One

One moment, Kyra was on her bed, her eyes rested and deep into the world of sleep and the next moment. She heard her door open with a bang and next, someone excitedly screams:

"Wake up Kyra, Happy birthday to you sweetie!"

She woke up in an instant jolt, startled as hell, only to realize that it wasn't a burglarising thief with a knife in her bedroom but her dear mother, and it was also her birthday today.

Would you think she was lying if she said she forgot that today was my own birthday?

She rubbed my eyes tiredly, "Mum, it's like five am in the morning." She yawned afterwards.

"It's nine am, sweetie." Her mother pointed out and she immediately swung around to the window's direction— the sky was truly bright and clear! She had the audacity to oversleep and she had to be in school in an hour!

Kyra hopped out of bed with a speed that rivaled a ravaging hurricane and raced to her wardrobe to put together a hasty outfit. Not that her had many choices of clothes to choose from—her closet is as boring as it can get; all she had were baggy jeans and tees.

She feel my mother's piercing and may she add, judgemental gaze, raking my being as Kyra rummaged through my wardrobe. She paused, slowly turning around to face her.

And she was right! The woman was staring at her with arched brows, her hands clipped to her waist and Kyra was quite confused on what had stemmed her attitude.

"Young lady, why are you like this?" Her mother questioned and I was marred with confusion.

"What are you talking about, mother?"

Kyra heaved a frustrated sigh, "Today is your birthday sweetie, your twenty–first birthday—one of the most important of all girl birthdays! And this is the attitude you put up, really?"

Her confusion deepened, "I don't understand mother, what attitude?"

"Oh don't act oblivious, Kyra. You're supposed to be excited and giddy on your birthday. Now you're not even showing any concern, you didn't even reply to my happy birthday wish!" Her mother complained and she rolled my eyes, immediately knowing where this was heading to.

Kyra wondered if this was the right time to remind her that she literally had to be at school in less than an hour and she doesn't have enough time on my hands to entertain her scolding?

"I'm sorry mum. Thank you for the happy birthday wish, really. Now I'm really late for school and I have to go shower and dress up as we—"

"No, no, no." She wagged her index finger at me in opposition and Kyra halted her speech. "Today is your birthday and I won't allow you to go to school on this special day in those boring things you call clothes."

Kyra groaned, "But mum! Is that really necessary?"

"Yes it is sweetie. And that's why one of my birthday gift for you is a pretty sunflower dress." Her mother stated and her jaw fell agape. Really? She's dressing her up now? Remind her whether she's twenty–one or six years old?

"Mum, I feel that's a bit unnecessary. My clothes are suitable. I agree, they may be boring but they're not that bad."

Kyra was lying. They were THAT bad, according to present–day fashion laws and rudiments. But she felt comfortable in them and shouldn't that be all that matters?

Her mother glared at her with that judgemental gaze of hers. "You are wearing that dress Kyra and that's final."

Kyra heaved a surrendering sigh. There was no use protesting against it, her mother's mind was as rigid as Hercules's muscles. So she shut her wardrobe and was ready to do as she said.

"Come on, let's go try it out in my bedroom. And then we can discuss your birthday party which your father and I would be throwing for you."

-:-

The one problem Kyra had with her parent's idea of throwing her a birthday party was the fact that she had no friends to celebrate it with, which kinda defeats the whole purpose of throwing the party in the first place.

And no matter how many times she tries to tell them that there's no need throwing a party for a friendless young adult, they just never listen and it gets kind of exhausting for Kyra having to explain to them over and over again.

So she just gave up.

Maybe by the time they throw the party and no one shows up, then they'd get the message loud and clear.

Kyra arrived at school and she'd like to say 'all eyes were on her' but that may be a little cliche and a bit of an exaggeration—but she was stirring up a wave of attention alright.

She had put on the sunflower dress her mother had literally forced her to wear, it had ruffles and gave off picnic vibes but in a cute and subtly sexy way.

Sexy. No one has ever used that adjective to describe Kyra, ever. But the wolf–whistles and winks from the guys and the jealous and surprised glares from the girls said otherwise today.

In the history of Golden Hill College and for the first time ever, Kyra Locke wasn't wearing her baggy nonsense and wore something flattering. Something that made her beautiful.

Unfortunately, not everyone in the world has the brain cells to process that and let their jealousy cloud their sense of human reasoning.

"Where did you get that dress from?" Lily, the blonde rich girl who stood at the top of the pinnacle of college population otherwise referred to as the 'queen bee'. But to Kyra, she found her as an annoying brat who likes to pick on others.

She was here as usual to make fun of Kyra today, with her two blonde minions. However, there was nothing to make fun of today—her dress was beautiful, her make–up done and her hair has never looked better.

"M–my mother gave it to me." Kyra stuttered out.

A scowl took over Lily's face, "This is so ugly. You and your mother have bad taste in fashion—" Lily made to grab Kyra's dress but before she could do that, there was an intervention.

Three handsome interventions.

"Don't you dare put your hands on her Lily." One of them spoke which came as a shocker to all of them. Kyra instantly turned back to meet with these three handsome works of masculine art.

Jake Romano, Jax Romano and Jace Romano.

The three Princes of Golden Hill College!