Call me Alexander. That's what the Prince had said. And yet, was that really his name? Or had he made it up on the spot?
I nibbled on my toast with a frown. Did this mean that the Prin - Alexander trusted me now? I shuddered. It was so strange. Maybe it was better if I didn't call him . . . that name.
"Are you ready for school?"
Dad walked into the kitchen with a coat on one arm. Despite the fact of what I had gone through yesterday, I wasn't afraid to walk out the front door. The Prince had assured me that nothing was going to happen to me. Strangely enough, I believed him. Besides, my parents would suspect something was wrong if I kept missing school. There was only so many times I could keep lying to them.
Plus, the Prin- er, he was here as my cat. My mom had taken 'Arthur' with her in the living room. For what, I could only guess.
Swallowing, I nodded. "Yeah. Let me get my stuff."
I quickly ate the rest of my breakfast. In the living room, I found my mom grooming 'Arthur'. She had a small brush in one hand and the other held the kitten. I could swear he was purring as my mom brushed his coat.
"I'm leaving," I announced.
My mom didn't even turn around. She just waved at me. I shot a glare at the Prince. Did his parents not give him enough love? Why was he stealing mine? Realizing how ridiculous that sounded, I grabbed my backpack from the couch.
"I'm going to school now," I continued.
"Bye sweety," mom said. She didn't move.
"I see how it is," I grumbled. "Fine, Dad's always been my favorite."
I turned on my heel and headed towards the door. As we walked out, I glanced at Dad.
"I don't think we should keep a pet," I told him.
Dad frowned. "You're the one who begged us to get you one."
Of course the Prince would implant that sort of memory.
"It was a mistake," I replied. "Let's take him back."
Dad stayed silent. Perhaps his mind couldn't come up with an answer. Then again, I didn't know how exactly fake memories or whatever worked. I wasn't an expert.
"I'll think about it," he finally said.
That was good enough for me. Despite the fact that I agreed to work with . . . the Prince, I didn't want him hanging around my house too much. He could be there where I couldn't see him. Like a ghost.
At school, there was a slight overcast when we arrived. We waited at the entrance waiting to get to the curb. The sky rumbled.
"Take my umbrella," Dad said, "it's on the back seat."
"What about you?"
"I park in the garage," he replied.
"Alright."
I twisted around and found his large umbrella on the floor. As I pulled it out, I tried not to stab anyone with it.
"Rin," Dad suddenly said. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "With all that's been happening, now that all this is done, don't forget to take time for yourself."
I frowned but didn't say anything.
"I know it's been a lot to handle. Your mom and I know this. So, if you ever need to talk to someone or even miss school, tell us. We can help."
My throat tightened. "Yeah," I croaked out. "I know. Thanks. Really."
"Alright, here we are kiddo. See you tonight."
"Bye Dad."
A sprinkle or two fell on my head. I tucked the umbrella underneath my arm and hurried inside. My backpack thumped against me with every step. Inside, a crowd of students were amassed in the hallway. I had to push my way through them to get to my locker.
A familiar sound echoed through the hallway. How had the Prince manage to get here before I did? Hmm, yeah, that was a dumb question. I stole a glance at the crowd. As a head moved out of the way, I caught sight of the Prince. He was leaning against one of the lockers and all of his fans surrounded him.
I shook my head, annoyed. Why did he have to surround himself with all those people? It was dangerous. Any one of them could stab him or something. It's not like I cared. I just needed to keep my bodyguard alive until this was all over. Well, he could do whatever he wanted.
Somehow, I managed to get to my locker. When I opened it, something fell out. Sighing, I picked up the envelope. What did the haters have to say this time? Almost intrigued, I opened it.
The paper was thin. Some of the ink bled into the back. Frowning, I unfolded the letter. It read:
'Liz, it seems you have forgotten about me. I've tolerated enough. Remember you are mine.
Always yours,
M.'
My heart lurched. Pressure built behind my eyes. I crushed the paper in my hands and stuffed it in my locked. Feeling faint, I slammed my locker shut and headed upstairs.
The study room was empty when I arrived. I closed the door behind me and locked it. This couldn't be happening. How? Shaking, I dropped my umbrella and tore my backpack off of me.
I couldn't breathe. There wasn't enough air. I paced around the room trying to remember how to breathe. How was this possible? They told me he would never -
"They promised they wouldn't," I whispered. "How? How?"
"Rin?"
Gasping, I turned around. The Prince stood by the doorway. There was a frown on his face. Unconsciously, I took a step back.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave all your friends?" I croaked out.
I cleared my throat. The words sounded strange to my ears. The Prince didn't move.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
My heart lurched. "Nothings wrong," I told him. "It was so crowded in the hall."
He didn't look convinced. "Are you going to tell me what that note was about?"
I forced a laugh. "Same thing as always," I said. "Your fans leave all sorts of notes."
"Then tell me who wrote it."
"It doesn't matter. If it's not one, it's someone else. Just drop it."
"Rin," he began.
"Look, just stop," I snapped. "You need to focus on figuring out who's out to frame you. Once that is done, everything will go back to normal."
I turned away from him. This was just a joke. Yeah, it was. Someone must have made the whole thing up. There was nothing to worry about.
"Have it your way."
----
A/N:
Thanks everyone for your patience and support. A special shout out to @SamruddhiKatdare. As a gift, I present you this chapter today.
Another shout out to @khushbakht1865 and to answer your question, no.
The next chapter will be posted on Sunday. Until then,
Mama_Kas