Thorns and Roses (Book 1)

Chapter 4

Audrey's P.O.V

They finally arrived with the new VKs. They were so young and so adorable. I turned to see Ben and Valerie as they sat on the nearest bench. Something was wrong with him. "Ben;" he looks up at me before putting his head in his hands. Valerie and I share a look as she slowly shakes her head 'no'. "Ben, baby, what's the matter?" I kneel in front of him.

"You know you can tell me anything." He starts to laugh, smiling as he does, "Baby?" Shaking his head, Ben stands and looks away from me, "No, I can't, and the only person who would understand, has always refused to tell me anything about this, he refuses, as if I'll just drop it! And -" He blushes, sighs, and regains his composure; whatever this is; is really bothering him. Ben finally makes contact with me, smiling, "Sorry, honey, you can't help me here. But, thank you, the thought means a lot."

I turn to Valerie and sigh. She knew what I was thinking, and it was kinda creepy. Then again she weirdly seemed to know a lot about almost everyone. "What happened on that Isle?" I ask her, and she sighs, looking at Ben, who was now standing on top of the hill. She looks back at me and sighs. "I promised I wouldn't tell." She says, and I sigh. "Audrey, just let it go. There is a rule we VKs have that you should respect. What happens on the Isle stays on the Isle." She looks away from me, "Best not to pry when a place has no rules, and anything is legal. Gives people a LOT of skeltons." She sighs, and for some reason, I felt like she was talking about herself.

"You're talking about yourself, aren't you?" I ask, and she says nothing as she looks at Ben, who was still standing on a hill. She began walking off, but I stopped her. "You can trust me." Valerie looks at my hand and then back up at me. "That's the problem;" she pulls away, "I can trust you."

I'm confused, "Then let me in, please." Val shakes her head again, "No, but only to protect you. You're helpful, but sometimes too helpful; and sometimes you can't help someone." I sigh, backing away from her, and she walks off. I look at Ben as his eyes meet mine. He seems to let out a small sigh as he walks off as well. "What is going on with those two?"

Ben's P.O.V:

I walk into my dorm and flop down onto my bed as I look at the ceiling. "Seriously, dude," I jump up to see Ryker, child of the Big Bad Wolf. "Do you ever knock?" I ask as she only scoffs. "That requires I use the door, princy boy." Ryker sits across from me, "Now, the name is Ryker, a part-time therapist. Talk to me." I sigh, walking over to the window and looking down at Valerie as she sat in the school garden on the swing.

She seemed so troubled and yet so lost as well. I catch her eye as she smiles up at me, and I smile back. "I almost kissed Valerie. And I was so annoyed when my mom walked in." I tell Ryker as I turn to look at her. "Did you want to?" She asked, and I slowly nodded my head. "Do you love her?" I didn't answer. I couldn't answer. I didn't know how I felt about Valerie. Or maybe I did know. I walked away from the window and over to the basket she gave me. "I don't know." I notice a white card with little crowned hearts with burning roses all over it.

"Seems she likes you. She got you a gift basket." Ryker leans over my shoulder. "It was her way of saying thank you." I say as Ryker raises an eyebrow. "By adding her icon on the card in your hand, okay." Ryker scoffs, shaking her head at me. "And this is why girls don't make the first move..." I sigh, shaking my head and realizing what Ryker just said.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" She smiles widely, "Nothing! Don't worry about your slow brain over it." Did she just call me slow brained? "I'm a prince, watch your tone, or I'll make you." What a threat that was, Ryker was never really afraid of anything. "Learn to fight an axe murderer and we'll talk, luv." I roll my eyes and walk back over to the window and see Valerie talking to Chad.

I don't know why, but I grew kind of angry. Maybe Ryker was right. Maybe I do love Valerie.

Valerie's P.O.V:

I couldn't believe it. That's the second time Ben has hurt Gaston. I mean, I'm not complaining, but it's starting to get a little scary. 'No prince could ever stoop that low. Not unless...no, Valerie don't think that way.' I say to myself as I sigh, looking up at the prince as he looks out of his bedroom window. I smiled a bit as he smiled back at me, and I could feel my heart racing.

I shake it off as a friendly smile and get up to leave. I bump into someone and fall to the ground. "I am so sorry," they help me up as my eyes meet with the son of Cinderella and Prince Charming. He was quite charming. "I am so sorry I wasn't paying attention to anything." He tells me as he puts his phone away. "You're fine. You must be Chad." I smile a bit. "I am;" he smirks, giving me a small wink. "And you are?" He asks, and I sigh.

"Valerie, princess Valerie." He bows as I smile a bit. "Well, pardon me for not realizing when royalty is standing before me." I sigh, shaking my head at his remark as I blush a little. "Oh, is someone blushing?" He smirks, and I roll my eyes. "I guess Charming doesn't fall far from the tree." I say, and he smiles. "I guess it doesn't." We both laugh a bit until it dies down.

"So, I'm guessing you enjoy the Royal life." He says, and I sigh, thinking it through for a bit. "I guess it just becomes too much after a while. Especially after people realize who your parents really are." Chad looks at me with confusion on his face as silence fell between the two of us; but of course, being in Auradon, I can promise you it did not last long.

"Valerie, princess Valerie!" I sigh, sharing a look with Chad. "Are you and Chad dating?" The look on both our faces was gonna send off the wrong message if one of us didn't respond. "What?! No, I just met him." I say as Chad shakes his head. "Shame, you would've made a cute couple." I hide my blush at the press response to my answer. "Valerie, if it isn't too straight forward;" I turn to the lady in a pink blazer, "what was your life like when you were on the Isle? I mean, it is no secret that you were admitted into the hospital."

"Y-yeah I was. How did you know that?" The lady shrugs and smiles a bit as she tells me, "word travels fast in Auradon." Ben told the press about me, Wonderland's princess, being in the hospital. "Yeah;" I grow a bit angry, "I guess it kinda does."