Abdicatin' Royalty

Whatever

I was in the recording studio plucking the strings on my violin while it was resting on my lap. I sighed then turned to my phone for the time 9:57 am. I've been in here for eight hours and sixteen minutes just thinking and coming up with scenarios and explanations for why Vince wouldn't tell me he's engaged. I also came here because I've been wondering why the hell Donovan was awake.

His room is three whole hallways away from here. I heard a crashing noise in the hallway then I found him all teared up against a table with a shattered vase. He just wanted to come sleep next to me because he missed me. Why would he walk in the dark -his ultimate fear- through three hallways without light?

Nonetheless, he was asleep in my room now whereas I was completely restless in my music room. The door opened and in came Hugo. "You should be in class," I groaned tiredly.

He chuckled at me, "I actually have a fitting for the breast cancer awareness polo uniform." I placed the violin back on the stand then rubbed my eye, drained of everything. "Were you here all night?" I nodded with yawn. "Why?"

I flicked my wrist at him and he understood it as 'don't worry about it' gesture. He walked towards me and pulled me by my upper arm. "What?" I finally said.

"You are coming with me to my fitting. Go get dressed. Breakfast is in five, so move!"

Have I sunk so low that I'm taking orders from someone younger than me? I yawned as I pushed open my door to find that Donovan already left and my bed was made. I went to the bathroom, did what I had to then got dressed and made my way to the dining hall.

I wore a a soft pink top that had trumpet sleeves and an off the shoulder neckline. It was partnered with a white pleated skirt and my white Converse high tops. What? I maybe a lady-royal by marriage but I'm a LA girl. In the immortal words of the iconic Tupac: "in LA we wear Chucks...!" He said it, not me. Go Google it if you don't believe me.

Hugo was the far end of the lengthy mahogany table, he was eating energy bars with coffee. There was nobody else in the room apart from me and a handmaid -who was setting a plate of gluten free waffles across Hugo. Syrup and whipped cream dispensers were resting in front of the plate along with a side of bacon and my usual black coffee that I loved over sugaring.

Renée'd kill me if she had to see that.

Hugo and I divided up the bacon and I claimed the two toasty waffles, the lukewarm coffee -that I added five lumps of sugar into- and topped it with whipped cream and strawberry syrup. It felt amazing to talk to him in person and honestly, texting does nobody any good with me anymore.

Marco drove us to the place where Hugo had his fitting -which was some fancy shopping center with chandeliers everywhere. It was damn near empty and the extra security wasn't helping the low key theme Hugo and I went with. We stepped into a sporting goods store and immediately some old woman with a measuring tape draped around her neck pulled Hugo to a stand. She just started measuring like he was some smelly old man who she agreed to dress.

I sat on the couch in front of the mirror that Hugo was facing and the restlessness settled down, allowing tiredness to pull the in. I started dozing off on the couch and the brief moments I got were so welcoming. When it became too noticeable, Marco guided me to the -mandatory- limo. Somewhere along the way he tossed me over his shoulder. That's when I truly passed out.

***

When I opened my eyes, Hugo was next to me and we were moving relatively slowly. "Hope you don't mind, I went straight to a polo meeting from the fitting." I shook my head as I sat up straight and flattened my curls. I knew I wasn't out long; no matter how tired I am, I never sleep longer than two hours in broad daylight. "By the looks of thing," he began while maneuvering to see through the windscreen, "we've reached our last pit stop."