I'll Protect You (Re-Edit #2, 2016)

Breaking News: Park Sparrow is Finally Tied Down

"It's already signed," Vincent informed me. "My mother threatened to take away the deal and never sign over the private forces if your family didn't agree to it within the day."

"No one called me about this," I protested, running my fingers through my hair, yanking strands out of my braid. "This is my life as well!"

"Be honest to yourself, Park," Logan spoke up. When I looked over at him, his half-hearted smile seemed forced. "If it meant keeping your family safe, you would've agreed to anything."

"I think your grandmother knew you well enough to know there wasn't a point in a phone call," Zen added, and nearly everyone gave a short nod of agreement. 

Another short moment passed where no one spoke. All that could be heard was the ticking of Catarina's grandfather clock positioned between two bookshelves. With every tick, dates flew by in my head until the word 'December' was burned into my mind.

I'm going to graduate the academy with a sparkling diamond ring on my finger.

Within a few seconds, the wig was secured upon my head and I was turning away from the group. "If you could all excuse me," I mumbled as I headed out the office. Surprise after surprise. Gods, what next? Archer shows up?"

As if, I thought to myself as I passed by a group of mathlete members up the stairs. By the time I reached my locker hallway, I felt the threat of tears burning the rims of my eyes. Archer's never going to come home. 

"Park?" Logan called out. 

"Just go," I said, waving my hand. "I just want to be alone."

"I can't really let you do that," he countered while I climbed onto the stone archways and let my legs dangle over the side. The autumn breeze brushed against my cheeks, sending a chill down my spine.

"You are the last person I want to see," I said as I sensed him coming closer. My harsh words didn't seem to stop him because suddenly, Logan was sitting on the same banister, his back against the archway with his feet scraping the floors of the hallway. 

"Even after falling off a tree, you still like heights," he mused, looking over the edge with a grimace on his face. 

"I always thought I'd have time to be a little reckless," I admitted out loud, my voice shuddering as I thought of the prospect of being engaged by the time winter rolled around, "but I guess time's run out. No more falling off trees for me."

Logan didn't say anything at first. I spent a few minutes counting the evergreens that lined the border of the academy campus.

"Vincent looks...different," he managed to choke out. "You'll be the envy of a lot of Cimerians."
"Maybe people will stop writing tabloids about my supposed affairs," I snorted. 

"Breaking News: Park Sparrow is Finally Tied Down!" Logan announced, imitating an anchorman's voice. 

"Rumors Reported That Park Sparrow is Cheating on Her Husband with Alec Darkwood, by Selene Marion," I said, gesturing a headline with my hands. 

The two of us erupted into laughter and I felt the pressure lift off my shoulders for a second as we continued making jabs at the articles written about me. A sudden gust of wind caused the metal of the open lockers to groan and Logan started back into his senses, casting a wary look down the hallway before he decided Benjamin the Locker Ghost wasn't there. 

Yet. 

Our euphoria had faded by the time Logan looked back to me. "I think," he began slowly, "you'll need to find a new bodyguard around that time."