Royal Ever After

chapter three

"Sleep well," Cyrus gently closes my door and walks away. I count to twenty in my head and then I jump out of bed. I grab my phone and open the unread text messages from Sander. He's told me the address and says that he'll meet me by the gas station in front of the field. I slip on my sneakers and then crack open the door. Once the coast is clear, I make a run for the exit and land outside. From there, I head to the nearby bus stop. The stop itself is nothing more than a pole stuck into the concrete with a small sign on top. As the bus slowly rolls to a stop in front of me, I shuffle my feet and rush forward to be the first one to board. The door shuts and I can feel the movement of the wheels over the road, following the curves and greeting each slope. When we come to a stop, I step down and I'm greeted by Sander.

"I'm glad you decided to come, good choice," his face lights up as he talks. We march over to the playing field where I am introduced to one of his friends.

"So, this is Rhys. We've been friends for as long as I can remember. We don't see each other as much now that I've changed schools, but that makes moments like these even more precious" he says while wrapping his arm around Rhys.

"And this is Nicolas," he motions to me. "He's the prince and newest member of Bayshore. We bonded instantly so I have no doubt that you'll fit right in with my friends."

"Cool. It's nice to finally meet you, Rhys. Do you guys want some soda?" I ask.

"Likewise, and sure I'll have a sprite," he responds.

"Make that two!" Sander adds enthusiastically.

When I come back with the drinks, the players are already lacing their boots. Right sock over the knee, folded neatly, then shoved down to mid-calf. A girl looks over at us and waves her arms back and forth.

"That's Tessa," Sander explains. She jogs over and I introduce myself to her.

"So, you're the one and only Nicolas. Believe me when I say that all the words that came from Sander's mouth this past week have been about you," she smirks before running off.

His cheeks turn into a rosy pink, but he laughs it off. It's adorable how easily he gets embarrassed.

"I can't wait for her to kill it out there," he says while the game begins. Sure enough, after the kickoff, everyone's attention is focused on her. She weaves her way through attempted tackles and flips passes to feed her teammates' diamond-shaped support lines.

"Go, Tessa!" Sander and Rhys scream in sync.

"Let's go, Tessa!" I join in as well. As the final minutes of the game approach, the ball sits on the tee, begging to be kicked. One foot finds its way in front of the other. We gaze in awe as the rugby ball spins elegantly through the air, somersaulting its way in between the uprights. Everything seems to be in slow motion until the ball lands. I look at Sander, who looks at me. Leaping to our feet, we erupt with jubilation. Tessa did it. She scored the winning touchdown! She sprints directly to us, and we give her the biggest bear hug that we practically tackle her. We all plummet to the ground, laughing with tears of pure joy. Tonight was a night to remember.

I merrily make my way back to my dorm, only to be greeted by no other than Juliano. He's sitting on my bed. There's a tension in his muscles. He swallows up his anger while his eyes spark with disapproval.

"Nicolas," he says my name, enunciating every syllable. This is not good. How did he find out? I crafted a perfect plan, yet I'm still caught.

"You're not supposed to be leaving school grounds without permission. You're also not supposed to be skipping practice without a valid excuse," his voice is monotone so I can't tell just how mad he is.