Royal Ever After

chapter twenty-three

My hands can't stop shaking. My restless legs won't quit jittering. I'm a mess of nerves. Worry always rises up to the occasion at the worst of times. That's the thing about anxiety. It hits you when you least expect it, and it hits you hard. I don't know why I'm so scared. I've rehearsed this a billion times in front of the mirror. People are filing through in hordes. The people being my friends and classmates and other faces I don't recognize. I assume the word has spread.

The smell of butter lures me forward. The doors to the auditorium are flung wide open, inviting me in. Inside, velvet seats stack elegantly amongst the midnight floor. From the corner of my eye, I can spot two heads. Upon closer inspection, I distinguish that they're Sander and Nova.

"Ah, you've arrived at precisely the perfect time. Sander was just about to sing, for the first time, the song he spent all winter writing," Nova exclaims, flashing a playful grin at her brother.

"Oh my goodness. I can't sing it in front of you, Nicolas," Sander covers his face with his hands, but not quickly enough for me to see that he's blushing a bright pink.

"Why not?" I ask, amused.

"Because it's about you," he mutters in a low tone, almost like he's embarrassed to admit that.

"Aww, well now I have to hear it."

"Fine, but it's not that good. It's still a work in progress." He starts off slowly; patiently. Then, with every increasing note, his pitch fluctuates between high and low. At the second verse, he pours himself into the lyrics, feeling every note as if it were an emotion. I feel mesmerized, bewitched by his voice alone. His voice that speaks so much with so little words. I'm in a state between heaven and paradise when a way too familiar voice interrupts my trance.

"What is up, squad? Nova, is this seat taken?" Juliano chimes, pointing at the empty seat next to her.

"Yes! By me," Aurora interjects, sprinting down the hall and plopping herself in that same seat.
"Dude, you could have chosen any other spot and you had to go for mine."

"Yup,

"Whatever. The back is where the cool kids sit anyway," he rolls his eyes before walking away. I follow him with my gaze until my eyes land on Lyle, marking the back row as his. He shoots me a thumbs up before I turn back to the others.

"Honestly, girl, I can't believe you're with him. Are your brain cells functioning properly?" Aurora starts up again once my cousin is out of earshot.

"Don't worry, he's not that bad once you get to know him. And plus, he's always super honest and transparent with me."

"So, you're okay with the fact that he ruined your brother's life?" She pushes. My shoulders tense up, and I can sense that this is going to get messy.

"Huh?"

"You're simply going to graze over the part where Juliano took the video that led to the worst scandal to ever sweep up Bayshore?"

"You're kidding, right? That wasn't Juliano. He wouldn't do that."

"Trust me, that's what I thought too. But then Aurora showed me the proof to which I confronted him. Go ask him yourself if you don't believe us," I cut in, backing up Aurora despite my best efforts of letting it go. For as long as I live on this planet, I will feel an inkling of resentment toward Juliano. Despite acknowledging that it was a wholehearted mistake, he still went out and did it. I can forgive, but I can never forget.

"W-What is wrong with him?" A voice squeaks and I suddenly remember that Sander is here too, listening intently to our conversation.

"A lot of things," I groan. "It took me a long, long time to be able to forgive him, but he's human and humans make blunders. I know how shocking this must be for you, and we can all talk about it later. As for now though, we have a movie to watch," I change the subject, pointing to the wide screen where the credits start rolling.