Young Royals Season 3 (Version 3)

32. Nothing Changes

Lunch time...

Simon left Ludvig and Wilhelm as they went to have lunch together, then he headed to the Forest Ridge dining room across the courtyard. He'd managed to put on a brave face for Wilhelm's dad and Linda, but everything felt wrong.

Everything but he and Wilhelm. He felt Wilhelm was the only one he could confide in and that he could really trust. He knew that Wilhelm would never hurt him again and would even risk his relationship with his own family for Simon.

He worried about how their lunch would go. He knew Wilhelm wasn't going to leave things as they were, and if his mother wouldn't listen, he'd try to make his father understand.

Some third year girls stared at Simon as they went by then turned and whispered to each other.

Even though everyone at school had to believe it was August, nothing seemed much different from the day before. Simon wondered if it was because the headmistress hadn't reacted apart from telling everyone they couldn't post anything on social media.

And since the Royal Family wasn't publicly coming out against August either, everyone knew he was guilty but they had to pretend nothing had changed for fear of repercussions.

Simon was exasperated and tired of pretending. He hoped Wilhelm would have some sort of luck with the Duke.

He walked into the dining hall and made his way to the serving table to make a plate for himself. Everyone else was already eating and he looked at his other first year classmates at the end of the table.

He saw several of them glance at him then look away when he made eye contact. As he carried his plate to his seat next to Henry and Walter, he turned and looked down the table toward the third years and saw Vincent's bright blond hair, then Nils next to him and finally, August was sitting on the very end avoiding Simon's eyes.

Simon almost lost his grip on the plate and quickly set it down carefully on the table. He wanted to know how August could show his face here as if everything were normal. What he couldn't believe was that no one seemed to be reacting to it either.

He glared down the table at him then sighed and pulled his chair out to sit down. He stared straight ahead and gritted his teeth trying to avoid looking over at August again. It was enraging him.

"Hej, Simon. You ok?" Henry asked glancing to his left.

Simon glanced up at Henry, but didn't say anything. Henry leaned back and away from Simon, evidently understanding what Simon was thinking. He followed Simon's gaze down the table to August then looked back at Simon and nodded.

"Yeah, I don't know why he's here. He should stay in his room at least." He whispered.

Simon looked at Henry and wished he could say what he really thought: that the only place August should be was in prison.

He glanced around the room and studied the faces of the Forest Ridge boarders but no one else seemed to think that August being there was at all out of the ordinary.

Simon felt disgusted as he looked down at his plate of food. He set his knife and fork down again and pushed his chair back loudly, scraping it across the floor.

Everyone looked up at him and watched as Simon hurried out of the room. He even heard the whispers start before he was out if earshot. He couldn't believe that nothing had changed. No one cared how he felt. They never had.

As much time as they spent together and as much as they seemed to bond with Simon and accept him, August would always be one of them and Simon never would, regardless of what he did.