"chicks before dicks"
The four girls were in Madison and Felice's room, talking about anything and everything, taking pictures, listening to music and posting on their social networks.
Isobelle was happy to have accepted Felice's invitation, spending time with her friends was what she needed to forget about all the bad things that had happened lately.
Her brother had gone to Simon's house for dinner, he had offered her to go with him but the last thing she wanted was to suffocate her brother with her presence.
"This is the lifeline..." Madison said as she held her phone lamp close to Sara's hand. "It's short, which means that you have a hard time expressing your feelings. And it's hard for you to get into relationships because of it." She concluded.
"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" Felice asked her.
"No." The girl answered simply.
"But have you ever been in love?"
And Sara just shook her head.
"Never?" This time Isobelle spoke.
""Do horses count?" Sara asked innocently, making the three girls laugh.
But Felice's mood changed when her phone vibrated indicating that someone had sent her a text.
"Ugh." She groaned annoyed. "August wants me to come over." She explained, showing her phone to the girls.
Isobelle's expression changed at the mention of the boy, but she tried to hide it.
"I'll tell him I can't because you are here."
Sara and Isobelle shared a confused look.
"Don't you wanna date August anymore." Sara asked.
"I don't know. It's just not... it just wasn't what I thought it would be like." The girl explained. "There's something that just feels a bit off."
Suddenly Sara seemed to be affected by the whole conversation too.
"Hey Felice." She spoke. "Uh, there's something I initially wasn't even gonna tell you about because it's was just so insignificant really... but now it would feel wrong not to tell you." Isobelle was confused by her friend's words. "August he... kissed me in the stable."
And Isobelle's jaw dropped to the floor.
She felt so disgusted by the boy she once considered family. After what he tried to do to her, he had the nerve to kiss her friend knowing he was in a relationship with Felice.
"But it meant nothing..." Sara continued, and her words seem sincere. "I just thought you should know." She finished.
"Ugh, he's such a fucking idiot." Felice groaned.
Sara looked rather surprised by her friend's reaction. She was expecting her to be mad.
"But aren't you in love with him?"
"Well, if I was in love, I probably would have been upset, but..."
The two friends held hands while Madison complained about the boy.
"What a fucking douchebag god!"
Isobelle was relieved her friend had finally realized what kind of person August was, so she decided to keep what had happened in the bathroom to herself.
"I know. Come on." Felice said as she took her phone out again.
Madison and Isobelle chuckled at the sight of their two friends taking pictures doing silly faces.
When they finally decided what picture to post Felice added a text saying: Boy bye! When your ex tries to kiss your bff! And she tagged August in it.
Isobelle smirked to herself, imagining how annoyed the boy would be when he checked his phone.
"Well, you know what they say, chicks before dicks." Isobelle said.
"Amen to that." Madison agreed and they all bursted out laughing again.
And Isobelle realized that no mather how bad things in her life were, she would have her friends by her side to support her.
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The next day Isobelle was studying at one of the tables with Fredric at her side when Wilhelm came out of the music room with an annoyed and worried expression on his face.
So Isobelle stopped him to talk. He ended up explaining to her what had happened at that "initiation" in which they had used drugs.
Frederic just listened attentively but without giving his opinion, since on several occasions August had offered him to join that "group" but he had always refused the offer since he had not the slightest interest in such things.
Wilhelm explained how they had caught Alexander with the drugs and now they had to help him or he would accuse everyone who had been part of the meeting and that the majority had voted to accuse Simon.
Isobelle knew that this would bring no good to anyone, and that the one who least deserved the punishment was Simon so seeing how worried his brother was she offered to attend the meeting with him and help him, of course not before hitting him lightly on the head for getting himself into that much trouble.
"What is she doing here?" Was the first thing that came out of August's mouth when he saw Isobelle.
"I'm here to try and fix what you idiots couldn't, and without blaming someone innocent." She spat at him before turning around to keep walking with Wilhelm.
Her brother had already told her about August's financial problems and how after Christmas he wasn't allowed to come back to school.
"I'm glad you all could make it to impromptu meeting." August welcomed everyone.
"What's the status of Alexander?" Vincent asked.
"Alexander's meeting is on Monday." He answered. "Our task is to give him a good alibi and back Alexander's story." He explained to them. "We are gonna say that Simon tried to sell to us first and then he got frustrated when none of us wanted to buy anything."
Isobelle rolled her eyes at his suggestion.
"And the Simon is done. He'll get thrown out."
August nodded.
"Exactly. And Alexander stays."
Wilhelm finally decided to speak up.
"I say we blame Alexander." He said and everyone went silent. "We'll say that he tried to sell us drugs, but that we refused. At that point it won't matter what he says. We are eight against one. And he's the one they caught with the drugs."
"Finally a smart suggestion." Isobelle mumbled.
"Why not Simon?" August asked tilting his head trying to intimidate the prince. He knew that Wilhelm didn't want to blame Simon because he had feelings for him, he had caught them in the prince's bedroom that morning, and had filmed them without them acknowledging it.
"Because this is easier." He answered.
"Plus Alexander is a douche, he doesn't deserve you guys lying for him." Isobelle added.
"Quiet princess, I'm doing enough by not kicking you out of this meeting, if you keep talking I may have to reconsider." August told her, making her scoff at him.
Wilhelm then continued talking again to catch August's attention.
"Alexander will be fine." He said. "He'll end up at some school in Switzerland."
"The thing is though..." He got closer to Wilhelm, making Isobelle tighten her grip on his hand. "That you don't call the shots around here." He said with superiority. "How long have you been a member? A week?"
And then Wilhelm finally snapped.
"And how much longer will you be a member?" He asked.
August let out a nervous laugh
"What?"
"You can't pay you tuition fees." He told him, and everything went silent once again. Isobelle gave her brother an approving look and he stood up. "No matter what happens, you won't be here after Christmas."
The black haired boy tried to keep his calm.
"That a matter of my assets being tied up."
"No." Wilhelm said, and his sister stood up besides him.
"The matter is, dear cousin, that you don't want sell Årnäs. Because if you do..." she pointed her index finger at him. "You can't stay in this club."
The rest of the boys started mouthing things behind them.
"We swore an oath to protect the royal family. And I say..." Wilhelm made a small pause. "Let Alexander take the fall." He spoke firmly and with his head up.
"Any objections boys?" Isobelle asked, not taking her eyes of her now, humiliated cousin.
She was never in favor of bringing people down by using the financial problems against them, but in this case, he deserved it, and she had to admit it, she was enjoying seeing him like that, powerless.
"Well?" Wilhelm raised his voice a little this time.
"No?" He asked. "Good. We'll do that instead." And with that, he left the room.
Isobelle stayed for a bit, walking closer to August so she could whisper something to him.
"That, my dear cousin, is called karma, and it can be a real bitch. So I suggest you stay away from me and my friends, if you don't want to end up in a worse position than the one already are in." She smiled innocently at him before catching up with her brother
When she finally reached his side, Wilhelm wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"That was pretty badass." She told him.
"Well you were pretty scary too, you know?" He joked.
"What can I say? We are a dynamic duo."
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