The Royal Games

Chapter 23

"Never have I ever watched an episode of Gilmore girls." Laura offers.

Lexi and I both take a drink - I must admit I'm a sucker for that show. Absolutely love it. Lexi and I have actually watched a few episodes together here on several occasions. No better way to spend free time am I right?

Out of the corner of my eye I see Dylan taking a sip and struggle not to spit my own out. "Dylan?!" I gasp finally manage to gasp almost choking. "Spill!"

"Lexi made me." He huffs sending daggers at Lexi. I can't help the laugh that erupts.

"Whipped!" Laura winks, voicing the very word running through my head.

"Rosie? Isn't it your then now anyway?" He urges trying to move on.

"Yeah yeah whatever. Umm never have I ever ditched a date."

Lexi takes a sip of her drink. "What?" She raises her eyebrow. "His profile said he was 20 and his profile picture make him look the Greek God Adonis himself; but the guy who showed up was like 45 and was short and bald. He wouldn't stop talking about his cats and kept trying to feed me. So I went to the bathroom and crept out the window." She shrugs innocently, the corner of her mouth raised.

"No! Lexi!" I laugh. "I can't believe it! No way."

"Hey! I gave him a chance... I didn't run away straight away." She defends, raising her hands in mock surrender. In all fairness to her, no chance I'd have done that. I'd have run off straight away.

The rest of the night is spent alternating between never have I ever and shots. By midnight, I'm unsteady on my feet but Atleast I'm on cloud 9. As the clock strikes midnight, I'm about to call it quits when I see Stefan approaching me. Ignoring the niggling feeling I should just leave now - call it common sense? - I stand and wait until he's stood right in-front of me.

"Rose." He greets. "You look... breathtaking." He breathes.

Folding my arms across my chest I narrow my eyes at him. "I'm surprised you noticed." I bite out, my drunken self deciding to give the bitchy, jealous Rosaline a night out. Great. Here we go...

"Can we talk? ... in private. There's something I want to say."

"Fine." I sigh in surrender, unfolding my arms and following him out of the ballroom into the corridor. I know I shouldn't but I'm drunk and I don't care.

"Rose I-" he pauses, raising a hand to run his fingers through his hair. That's when I see it. My eyes zone in on his knuckles, they're a little red and slightly bruised. It's faded but still noticeable... Then it clicks.

"You punched Dylan." I accuse him harshly, my tone flat and cutting off whatever sentence he was just trying to compose for me.

"What?" He follows my eyes to his hand. His eyes widen slightly as he brings his hand back down and moves it so his knuckles are out of view. "Let me explain Rosa, please. I-"

Before I can register what I'm doing, my hand snakes out and I deliver a forceful slap upon Stefan's left cheek. With that, I spin on my heel and march back to the ballroom to find Lexi before heading to bed... well and now to grab a couple more drinks on my way.

➰➰➰

"Byeeeeeee." I sing giving her a hug. We're stood outside her room as I offered to drop her off first. I honestly don't know who is drunker right now but I feel good and I'm not about to complain.

"Niiiight boo." She sings back, giving me a squeeze before stumbling backwards into her room and landing rather unceremoniously on her bed. Smiling, I close her door and stumble back to my own room.