Chapter Eight: Her Newly Acquired Friends
Three hours later and I was beyond tired. I had never felt so drained in my life. Travis had us working non-stop, I was pretty sure I had done every cleaning job known to the world. Learnt things that I had never thought existed. Like, who knew people used feathers to get rid of dust? Having a job is hard work. Just thinking that I had another day like this tomorrow was making me want to collapse on the floor and fall asleep!
I waited outside the shopping promenade, the security guards were here too, waiting until everyone was out so they could lock it up for the night. Not long after, Milo came strolling out.
“How much they give you?” He asked me.
I pulled my first wage from my jeans pocket and showed him proudly. “Fifteen pounds.”
“Yeah, I got the same. Worked my ass off and all I get in return is peanuts. And people wonder why I don't waste my time with a job.” He turned his stern gaze on me, they were hollow with hopelessness. “I hope you know that working here isn't going to cover how much we need. It'll take us over a week.”
I shrugged, too tired to think that far ahead. “Maybe they'll pay us more next time.”
Milo pulled a face at me, disregarding my optimism immediately.
“Yeah, when pigs fly.” He muttered then snatched the money from my hands. “I'll look after this and keep it safe, shall I?”
“I don't think so.” I snapped and took it back off him, including his share of the money. “You must think me an idiot if you think I'm going to trust you with the money.”
“Fine.” Milo sneered, holding his hands up in surrender. “You better keep it safe, cause I'm not going through with your stupid idea for nothing.”
A moment of silence fell as I stuffed the money securely into the bottom of my jeans pocket again.
Then Milo asked, “How you getting home?”
I didn't have a chance to answer him, because his dog Kily came charging down the street, barking and panting. He came to a halt at Milo's feet, and I couldn't help but notice that there was a note tied around the collar. Milo untied the piece of paper and as he read it, I bent down to give Kily a stroke.
“I've gotta go.” Was all he said before Milo ran off back down the street where the dog came from, he whistled a second later and Kily left to chase after him.
I stood back up with a sigh, staring after him in confusion. It was starting to get dark, the lamp lights were warming up and there were less people on the streets.
“I have no idea where I am.” I muttered to myself eventually.
“Sounds like you need a lift home.” I heard someone say behind me, making me jump a little. I spun around and relaxed when I found Travis. He was rustled about in his jacket pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “I have a car not far from here.”
“That's very kind of you.” I smiled and fell into step beside him as we wandered down the street. There was a settled silence between the both of us, it was calm. Unlike the awkward silences with Milo which were tense, neither of us felt the need to fill the air with pointless chatter.
Only when we had both got into his car, did Travis speak. “Where do you want dropping off?”
I buckled my belt and melted into the comfy passenger seat, I could probably fall asleep this instant.
“The Langely Estate, please. If it's not too far for you.” I answered.
“Langely Estate?” Travis mused, scratching at his head as he thought. “You mean that big mansion outside of town?”
“Yes, that's the one.”
“Huh,” he breathed as he turned the keys in the ignition and pulled away from the curb onto the road. He was quiet for a few seconds, then he dared a brief glance at me. I wondered what he was looking at me like that for.
“So, you live in that mansion?” He asked me.
“Only for a week. I'm on holiday, you see. Visiting my grandfather.” I recited, hoping he couldn't detect the lies in my voice.
Travis laughed.
“What's so funny?” I ventured to ask.
“I didn't know people got themselves a job when on holiday. What, you run out of spending money or something?”
“I never had any spending money in the first place.”
“I suppose you don't need any, living in a place like that. So why waste your time cleaning floors?”
I didn't want to go too deep, so I just flashed him a grin. “Why not?”
“You surprise me, Rogue. You're not what I expected when I first saw you.”
I gazed out of the window and watched with heavy eyes as buildings merged into trees and hedge rows. Not long from now and I'll be warm and cuddled in bed, I couldn't wait.
“And you're not what I expected when I first saw you.” I confided truthfully and Travis nodded his head in agreement.
“Touché. I can see why Milo likes you.”
My face fell a little. “He doesn't like me. He's forced to put up with me until our arrangement's finished.”
“No, no, no.” Travis mumbled, shifting his gaze constantly from the road back to me and then at the road. “Trust me, I know Milo. He would never get a job for someone unless he got something out of it.”
Yeah, he is getting something out of working with me- money. That's what I felt like saying but decided against it.
“Just keep an eye on him.” He suddenly warned me, his tone deepening somewhat. I looked at him intensely, wondering what exactly he meant by that. “He's a nice guy and all, and he'd never hurt you but he has no thought to the law or trust. I'd hate to find out that he's dragged a lovely lady like you down in the dirt with him.”
“Thanks. I can take care of myself.”
“I'm sure you can. Oh, and here we are.” Travis pulled the car up beside the gate and ducked his head so he could get a good look at the mansion from this distance. He whistled and pursed his lips in approval.
“So this is how the other half live, ey?”
I followed his gaze and a weird sense of disappointment overtook me. Outsiders look on at our lives in envy of the big mansions and riches. It was overrated if you ask me.
“Strip away all the material things in your life and then count your riches, that's what I say.” I whispered, and I was sure Travis heard me, but before he could ask I gave him one last smile.
“Thank you for the lift, my good sir.”
“Don't mention it. No seriously, don't mention it. I go all red and blotchy with thank you's and it's not a pretty sight.”
I let out a breathy laugh before exiting the car.
“Hey Rogue?” Travis called out, I leaned back in.
“Yes?”
“Keep surprising people.”
“I'm sure I will.”
“Good. I'll see you tomorrow then, don't be late.”
“Goodnight, Travis.”
I shut the door and watched at he turned the car around and drove off into the darkness. When I spun on my heels to go and press the buzzer, Ramirez was stood on the other side of the gates, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.
I took a deep breath in and held it as the gates were opened for me and I went through.
“Who was that?” He asked me immediately, staring after Travis's car.
“A friend. His name's Travis and he's really nice.” I told him, but Ramirez wasn't listening to me, instead he was muttering under his breath. “Are you memorising his license plate number?”
He didn't answer me directly, and simply flashed me a grin of white teeth. “You're in trouble.”
I stuck my bottom lip out at him. “I'm sorry for running out on you earlier. I hope you didn't worry about me too much.”
“Oh, I didn't mean you're in trouble with me. Your grandfather's been storming about the place with worry.”
I felt anxious all of a sudden and peered over his shoulder to the house, almost not wanting to return. Most of all, Ramirez's smile had me on edge, it was like he was enjoying it all. Oh well, might as well get it over with.
Before we walked towards the house I sent Peter a wave as we passed the guard's post and wished him a good night. All the while, Ramirez never stopping smiling. Tthe closer we got to the house, the more the nerves settled in.
It was a strange feeling, it wasn't like I had never received a scolding before. Quite the contrary, back at the castle I was always getting myself into some kind of trouble and mischief, but this was Archie. One of the only people in the world who's opinion I cared about. I felt absolutely horrible and guilty for how he must have felt when he was told that I'd run away.
Perhaps the same feelings my parents felt when they found out that I had fled the castle. I quickly banished the thought. The only sadness the king and queen would feel for me, is loosing their last chance to marry into another wealthy family for their own gain.
Ramirez held the door open for me and ushered me inside. When he closed them he shouted, “Mr Langely, sir. There's someone here to see you.”
A moment later, Archie emerged from the drawing room to our left. He was so relieved to see me alive he dashed across the foyer and hugged me tight. “Oh, young miss, I'm so glad you're all right. You had me going in circles, do you know that?”
When he pulled me away from him and held me at arms length to get a good look at my face for any damage, and nodded my head. “I do now. I'm sorry, Archie. I didn't mean to cause you any stress.”
“Come and warm yourself by the fire.” He said to me, an arm still wrapped around my shoulders. He looked back over his shoulder at Ramirez following us and asked, “Would you mind asking Mrs Moore to fix Rogue a cup of cocoa?”
“Yes, sir.” Ramirez replied before leaving us.
Archie led me into the drawing room and shut the door so no one could overhear what he was about to say. I didn't realise how tired I was with the day's events until I sat down on that sofa and soaked in the heat of the open-fire.
Taking my jacket off I sighed in contentment, but I could see Archie hovering to my right, staring at me and poking for an explanation. He used his magic powers and I was weak to ignore them.
“I'm sorry, Archie, honest. I really am sorry. I didn't think about how it would make you feel. I shouldn't have run away from Ramirez without telling him anything.” I had been so wrapped up the world and it's many possibilities and the chance to get the alexandrite necklace back that I hadn't thought of anything else. I was close to tears.
Achie sat beside me. He had cooled down, his voice now soothing and gentle. “You are Princess Aramina. You're not this Rogue character whom you're desperately chasing. I just want to remind you that you can't go running off, if people find out who you really are and Ramirez isn't there to protect you...well, very bad things can happen.”
“No one is going to find out who I really am. I'm careful, honest.”
“Sometimes even the most careful of people get found out, it's only a matter of time. If anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself. Your parents, the King and Queen as well as the entire nation of people, would never forgive me. You may not see it yet, but you are very important, Aramina.”
“Don't call me that.” I snapped suddenly. “I don't care who everyone wants me to be. I want to be who I choose to be. And for a week, just one week, I want to be Rogue. A girl with no fancy title, who lives a normal life. Is that too much to ask for?”
Archie pulled away from me, shocked at my outburst. I sighed, the guilt returning. “I'm sorry, Archie, I didn't mean to shout at you.”
“It's okay,” he let out a long sigh too. “You're a teenager, you're meant to shout and get angry. Sometimes I think I forget that, and so do your parents.”
I touched Archie's hand reassuringly and at the same time there were two knocks on the door. In came Ramirez holding a tray with a mug of hot chocolate a small plate of biscuits to dunk. He set it on the table, I left it to cool.
“Why is it that you ran away from Ramirez. Where did you go? I'm told there was a boy involved, did he persuade you to run away?” Archie finally asked the question I had been dreading, and it was even worse with Ramirez stood behind him watching my every move.
“There was a boy,” I answered carefully, deciding to pick up the mug of cocoa not to drink, but just something to occupy myself with while I thought it through. “We started talking and I asked him to show me around town.”
Archie wasn't buying it, and his eyes became scrutinising. “That still doesn't answer my question about why you couldn't have Ramirez with you. He could have followed at a distance. Besides, what if this boy wants to...be more than friends with you.”
Now it was starting to get awkward. I could see my cheeks burning and even Ramirez began fidgeting and probably wishing he'd left the room so he didn't have to hear any of this.
“Archie, it's nothing like that! He's just a friend.” I defended myself, my voice all high-pitched and squeaky. If only they knew Milo, then they'd know for sure that it was completely the opposite. He was counting down the days until we never saw each other again.
“If I may add something, sir?” Ramirez thankfully pitched in as I tried to hide behind my mug and wished the fire would make me melt into a puddle of water.
“Go on.” Archie allowed.
“I was a teenager once, and you, sir, although it may have been a long time ago was a teenager also.”
“Hard truth, but true nonetheless.”
“Surely you can remember what it was like. We never wanted our parents, or in Rogue's case a bodyguard, knowing what we got up to, nevermind being around with us. I remember waiting for the moment I could get away from my parents and just having fun with friends. Perhaps we should give Rogue her own phone? That way we can keep in touch from a distance and she can call if she ever needs help. We both win then.”
Archie grumbled, how could he argue with that? I smiled with gratitude at Ramirez and he winked in return before Archie looked back to me. “Very well. I want hourly check-ins from you from now on.”
“Yes!” I squealed, putting the mug down and wrapping my arms around Archie. “Thank you, Archie. You're the best.”
“Don't thank me. Ramirez was the one who saved you.”
I shot up off the sofa and threw myself at Ramirez, he hugged me back with a laugh. “Thank you so much!"
“Now that all this excitements out of the way, I think I'll get myself to bed. Goodnight, to you Rogue.” He gave me a kiss on the forehead. “Don't forget to call your parents."
“I won't. Goodnight, Archie.”
I parked my backside back on the sofa and snuggled down, sipping the lovely hot drink and just staring sleepily into the flickering fire. Today was by far the best day of my life.