The Julies: Diamond Years.

Juliana's POV

I never thought I'd say this, but I actually woke up before my alarm.

I guess nerves beat laziness today.

Our first day at Diamond College.

Juliet was already brushing her hair in front of the mirror, acting like she didn't wake up three times last night to check the time. I knew—because I did the same. Her glasses were fogged from the steam, and she was humming something—probably one of those classical pieces she loves.

Our uniforms were nothing like any school I'd ever seen—navy-blue blazers with the Diamond crest stitched in silver, crisp white shirts, and either dark trousers or skirts. I looked like I was auditioning for some royal military squad. Even the shoes felt expensive.

They gave us two sets: one with trousers, one with a skirt.

I chose trousers. Juliet wore the skirt with this soft, graceful poise. I, on the other hand, just tried not to scuff mine.

We met Julius outside his dorm. He wore the uniform with that effortless swag only he could pull off—collar slightly raised, tie loose, and that "I woke up like this" smirk on his face.

"You look like a CEO's rebellious son," I said.

"And you look like a popstar who got forced into private school," he shot back.

Not wrong. I had my dad's leather jacket over my uniform, holding the blazer like a forgotten prop.

We walked with Matt—Julius' roommate—down the road from the dorms toward the main building. Even though we'd seen the campus before, today it felt different. Real. Students everywhere. Cameras. Designer bags. Bodyguards. Luxury perfume drifting in the air.

This wasn't just a school.

This was an empire.

Full name? Diamond High International Academy.

But for some reason, the 11th and 12th graders call it Diamond College. Maybe "academy" just doesn't sound elite enough. Either way, the name stuck. So here we are—freshmen in Diamond College.

As we stood near the main building, Matt was sketching in a notepad, Julius was talking about trying out for the basketball team, and students were pouring in—hugging, laughing, catching up like this was a reunion gala.

Then came the ripple.

A hush. A shift in the air.

Then whispers:

"They're here…"

"The Monds…"

We turned.

A sleek black car with tinted windows glided in and parked. Two boys stepped out like they owned the pavement.

The first — tall, white, with shoulder-length blonde braids at the front and the rest left free. Raymond. He had this walk—like a prince in a world that already belonged to him.

Beside him, a guy with honey-brown curls, taller than most, hands in pockets, smiling just slightly like he knew secrets. Edmond.

"The girls weren't lying. The Monds really do eat," I muttered.

"Wait—aren't they supposed to be three?" Juliet asked.

Whispers followed like a chorus:

"Where's Desmond?"

"Maybe he's with Laura…"

"No way…"

Another car pulled in—a white one this time. A driver opened the door, and out stepped a girl with perfect blonde waves, glossy lips, and that "Queen Bee" stare that could cut glass. High-heeled boots, short skirt, and zero expression.

"She doesn't walk. She glides," Juliet whispered.

"No," I corrected, "she floats—with fanfare."

Julius raised a brow. "If I had hair like that, I'd float too."

Everyone watched. Phones out. Cameras clicking. Whispers like wind.

They walked right past us.

Edmond flashed us a polite smile. Raymond looked directly at us, then leaned toward Edmond and whispered something that made them both laugh.

We locked eyes with Laura as she passed.

Correction: she locked glares with us.

"Isn't her skirt too short?" Juliet commented.

"Are those even legal?" I added.

"Coming from someone who broke the dress code on the first day," Julius pointed at my jacket.

"I guess she's not the only one," Matt added with a smirk.

Then, more screams.

Another car had arrived. Sleek. Black. Silent.

Out stepped a boy—tall, sharp features, black hair tied loosely back. Black jacket over his uniform instead of the school blazer.

Cold.

Unreadable.

Desmond.

Edmond walked up and greeted him. Desmond gave a nod. No real smile. He didn't need one.

Then it happened.

As they walked past, Desmond's eyes met mine.

No smile. Just a stare.

Judgmental? Curious? I couldn't tell.

But I didn't look away.

He did.

Huh.

Raymond's POV

The usual crowd, the usual whispers.

We stepped out. And as always, the school noticed.

Then I caught sight of a group staring at us.

New kids.

There was a girl—fair-skinned, African-American, long wavy hair worn loose.

"She's new," I said to Edmond.

"Yeah. They are," he replied.

"She looks like a rule breaker," I added, eyeing her black jacket.

Edmond chuckled. "The one with the black jacket? Definitely."

"You interested?" he teased.

"Your fan club is calling," I muttered, pointing at the girls waving at him. He laughed.

Then Laura appeared.

"Hi guys," she purred, looping her arm through mine.

"Where's Desmond?" she asked.

"What am I—his keeper?" I muttered. "Don't you have his number?"

"He's not answering," she frowned.

"Then keep calling," I said flatly.

Edmond shot me a look.

"Don't mind him," he told her. "He's coming."

She smiled and walked away, a stream of girls trailing her like perfume.

"Don't look at me," I told Edmond. "If she wants to see him so badly, she knows his place."

Then—more screams.

I knew who it was.

Desmond.

Desmond's POV

I plugged in my ear pods, stepping out of the car, ready to disappear into the hall—

Until I saw her.

Black jacket. Black shoes. That I make own rules energy.

If she wasn't new, I'd swear she was stalking me.

Edmond joined me.

"You too?" he asked.

"What?"

"She caught your attention."

"She's new," I said. "And definitely a rule breaker."

"Raymond said the same."

"You're both crazy."

I walked off.

Edmond just chuckled behind me.

Juliana's POV

The halls of Diamond were a dream.

Crystal chandeliers. Digital boards. The scent of polished wood and old money.

We found our names on the new student list and got our timetables.

We had General Orientation together that morning.

The moment we walked in, heads turned.

Like the room parted for us.

"Those are the scholarship students."

"From the same school?"

"They even have matching names."

"Do you think they're dating?"

"Which one?"

"All of them?"

Juliet adjusted her glasses like she was tuning out white noise. Julius waved at a group of girls and they giggled.

And me?

I flipped my hair and walked like I owned the place.

The principal, Mrs. Waltham—a tall woman with sharp features and a sharper tone—welcomed us.

"Diamond College isn't just a school," she said. "It's a legacy factory."

No pressure.

After orientation, we stepped into the courtyard.

And then it began.

People came up to say hi.

Ask questions.

Stare.

Poke.

Smile too wide.

Like we were some newly-discovered species.

Then she showed up.

Emily.

The girl from the mall.

Brown hair in a sleek ponytail, that familiar smile plastered on her face.

"You guys are 

 the Julies, right?" she asked.

Juliet blinked. "How'd you know?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Please. You're already trending."

I exchanged a look with Julius and Juliet.

Trending?

"Juliana, Juliet, and Julius, right?" another girl asked—Kim. Poised. Calm.

"How do you know our names?" Julius asked.

She smiled. "Your names follow each other on the new student list. J-U-L-I… it's obvious."

Julius leaned toward us and whispered, "She's intelligent. Just my type."

We rolled our eyes.

Emily leaned closer.

"A piece of advice. Be careful."

"Why?" I asked.

She grinned.

"Because people here don't like people from another world breaking their ranks ." Kim added.

Those girls. I thought as they left, I looked at Juliet. She had a scrutinizing look too.

After the break, we headed to our classes.

I'm in Art, Juliet's in Science, and Julius is in Business.

Yeah, one thing that separates us here is our different classes.

I'm in Art, and I absolutely love it.

Juliet is borderline obsessed with research—she lives for science. Whenever she starts one of her science rambles, Julius and I find ways to disappear like we've got a mission from God.

Julius? He's the most calculative person I've ever met. Always talking about negotiations, investments, and how he's going to be "filthy rich" and own empires. He says Diamond College is perfect for him because it'll show him what real empires look like.

Turns out, we're not the only ones separated. The Monds are in different classes too.

Edmond and Emily are in Art—same as me. Matt's here too.

Desmond and Laura are in Science.

Raymond and Kim are in Business.

Today's more of a meet-and-greet with the teachers and a quick introduction to our courses.

I got to class late—I got lost in the building. Big surprise.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm late."

"It's okay, we just started," he said.

"I'm Lawrence Peterson. Do you mind introducing yourself to the class?"

 "Not at all, Mr. Peterson. I'm Juliana. Juliana Johnson. I'm new. Totally new to Diamond."

"Obviously," one girl muttered, rolling her eyes.

 "Mr. Peters, can we please continue?" another girl added, sounding bored. She looked a lot like the first one.

 "Ms. Johnson, find a seat," Mr. Peterson said.

I spotted Matthew sitting in the second row with an empty seat beside him. He's the only person I recognize here, so I started heading over.

One of the girls from earlier stretched her leg out in my path.

They're coming for me already, I muttered under my breath. I smiled at her anyway.

 "Please, can I pass?" I said sweetly, though I was seriously considering stepping on her ankle.

 "Juliana." Matt called just in time before I let the devil on my shoulder win. I stepped over her leg and kept moving.

At the back of the class, Edmond waved at me with a huge grin on his face. The girls sitting next to him glared at me like I just insulted their entire bloodline. That boy is definitely weird.

As I settled into my seat, a girl behind me leaned in and whispered:

"Those are Rose and Ivy. They're like evil twins. Avoid them."

 "Oh." I muttered, half to her, half to myself.

So that's why they looked alike—they're actually twins. I usually like twins... but these ones? Evil, apparently.

The class was Literature. Very interesting. I love Literature.

Mr. Peterson was brief since it was just an introductory session. After a while, he dismissed us.

 "Mr. Peterson... I like him already," I said to Matt.

 "Yeah, he seems nice," Matt replied.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over me. I looked up.

Not the first day of school already, I thought.

"So... your name is Juliana. Boring," said the one with reddish-brown hair—Rose.

 "Are you from the 1900s? So old-fashioned," added the darker-haired one—Ivy.

 "No way. More like the Roman Empire era. Or maybe Stone Age?" Rose said, and they both burst into laughter.

Others joined in—not because it was funny, but because people love drama.

I quietly started packing my books. I was planning to ignore them. But then—

 "I guess whoever gave her that name is stuck in the past," someone said.

To hell with ignoring. I wasn't raised that way.

I switched my voice and mimicked them:

 "Oh yeah, my name is Juliana. Your names are Rose and Ivy? Are you plants?"

"I guess whoever named you took the phrase family tree a little too seriously."

A chorus of "Whoa" and "Daaamn" rippled through the class.

Their faces twisted—from shock to fury.

I stood and picked up my bag, ready to leave before they could do anything stupid. But Edmond stepped in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, girls. Chill out," he said, raising both hands like a referee.

He whispered something to them and winked. Whatever he said worked—they turned around and walked off, steaming.

 "Julie, yeah? That's one hell of an introduction," Edmond smirked.

 "Juliana to you," I shot back.

"Okay, okay." He raised his hands in surrender. "I'll see you around."

Then he left with a flock of girls trailing behind him.

Some girls came over to chat with me right after, probably impressed that I stood up to the rich-girl bullies. But I wasn't in the mood.

I didn't come here to make friends just because I clapped back at spoiled twins.

I was about to go look for Juliet—she probably had Biology next.

Before I could wander off and get lost again, I pulled out my phone to call her. Honestly, it's way too easy to mess up the directions in this school. What is wrong with me? I should've gotten a school map the moment I arrived.

As I walked, I stared down at my phone—partly to call Juliet, mostly to avoid all the annoying stares. Eyes were everywhere, whispering things I didn't want to hear.

I turned a corner.

And walked straight into someone's chest.

I stumbled back, nearly falling on my butt as my phone flew out of my hand and clattered across the floor.

Gasps echoed from nearby students.

I was still frozen in place, blinking up at whoever I just collided with—tall, broad, and definitely not a wall.

Then I heard it.

"Open your eyes when you're walking," he said, voice low and cold, looking down at me like I was beneath him.

Wait... what?

What is wrong with him?

We both ran into each other, but I'm the one at fault?

My phone is the one lying face down on the floor like a casualty of war.

Oh, hell no.

I stood up, anger rising fast.

I was about to ask him what exactly his problem was—