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It was like the whole room conspired against me, every Granny screaming her own orders as I run about the room like a mad man. I hated this job, loathed it actually but it gave good pay to support my apartment expenses so I couldn't quit it, I was devastatingly stuck here.
Grannies are supposed to be sweet, cuddly, gentle, but the grannies at North Hill Retirement House were the opposite of that. Mean, heartless and cold...very cold. They treated me like I was some sort of robot that was capable of doing everything at once and if I delayed for even a second they whined and asked the thankfully sweet manager, Mr Stephenson to fire me. Stephenson loved me, he knew I was trying my level best to please all these old blinkards.
As much as I loved Grannies, its sad to say I despised the ones In North Hill Retirement House.
"Hales! I asked for water! Its BEEN A FUCKING HOUR SINCE I ASKED FOR WATER IM PARCHED YOU OLD HAG!" I groan and drag my feet towards the fridge for the fifth time to grab Mrs. Lilly some water for the fifth time! I hand it to her and watch her put it beside her chair just like she did to the rest of the untouched five bottles she had 'oh so kindly' asked for. I had a great urge to chug all the five bottles into her small chapped lips but I restrained myself.
"Watch it, dont drink too much, your bladder may explode," I raise my fists up to my face and slowly release them with a 'poof!'
She glares at me, her small wrinkly eyes digging holes into me. I sarcastically smile at her waiting for her to curse at me or kick me or attempt anything this psycho of a granny was capable of but to my surprise she doesn't. Her eyes slowly looking past me as they widened all the way up to her non existent hairline. And as if on sync all the grannies in that room squealed so loudly and obnoxiously I could swear I felt the earth tremble beneath me.
I look behind me to see what the fuss was about, and indeed what was scribbled on the whiteboard was truly surprising. I look over with wide eyes to the smiling Stephenson who was leaning next to the whiteboard the blue marker still dangling his hands, "Stephenson, you couldn't even tell your own employee this?" He laughs pushing himself off the wall as he proceeded to walk towards me.
"It was a surprise for all of you, he wants to make his very first appearance after that sketchy disappearance of his- here! Now he is visiting the Grandpa section of the Retirement House but he'll be here soon," I was still in shock, never had I ever thought I would actually meet the Prince of England just like that, so easily and so simple. Especially after that disappearance of his. It was good that he had outgrown whatever was locking him in that palace for more than a year. Everyone else had outgrown his brothers death and it was good he was finally moving on from it. Healthy actually.
"Well why here?" I ask Stephenson who was still smiling like he was about to meet his idol. He shrugs, "He funds this place so maybe thats why, and plus no one really likes him so its good he is appearing here than out there first, the conspiracies about his brothers death are going to be up the roof." It was true, he was never going to move on from it, his disappearance and reappearance is gonna stir even more questions in the media and I somewhat felt bad for the poor prince.
"What do we do when he enters? Bow or something? Umm kiss his hand?" I was suddenly freaking out, what if I did something wrong and he throws me into jail? Rumors already have it that the Prince was a heartless man, he never smiled in public and his eyes were cold as the night, and after the incident and rumors that happened last year everyone had a reason to be afraid of him.
"Just smile at him, you making me scared now Hales!" I watch him slide his sweaty palms against his jeans then swipe away the sweat that was forming between his brows.
I hold his hand, "we can do this," I hope.
"He is here!" Mrs. Lilly shouts, her head still pocking out of the door.
"Well get your head back in then!? The Prince doesn't need to see your large nose first! Nosy Hag!" Stephenson who barely used foul language was clearly agitated, mostly scared like me and because of me, the grannies on the other hand seemed overly excited.
I tightly grasp his sweaty palm when the click of expensive shoes start to get more closer and closer until a bodyguard in a neat black suit and large black sunglasses stands by the door. I swallow the large lump that had formed in my throat, my sweaty palm adjoined with Stephenson's which was also sweating profoundly.
His eyes, even under those sunglasses were cold as they slowly moved from one person to another, observing each and everyone carefully his face void of any emotions. His lips pull into a tight frown before he nods at us and everyone bows their heads as they wait for the arrival of the Prince.
There was no approaching click and the great silence was killing us, I slightly raise my head up only to see black slip-on shoes standing by the doorway as they waited to be welcomed in.
"There he is," I slightly lean towards Stephenson who nods his head but declines to raise his head up.
"The Prince has arrived!" Everyone raises their heads up as they look towards the man leaning by the door.
I frown, he had no approach of a Prince, his outfit which I expected to be a fitting tailored suit was in fact grey sweatpants and a grey t-shirt which was peeking from underneath the unzipped black jumper. He was completely different from his smart looking brother who always used to wear tailored suits and looked like every interaction was an important meeting but there was no doubt that he was the attractive one. He was a sight.
"He doesn't look like a Prince," Stephenson ignores me and starts walking towards the prince with a forced smile that screamed 'help me!' Then he stops midway, looks my way then motions for me to go with him. My eyes widen and I quickly shake my head no looking towards the Prince who's eyes were hidden under big black sunglasses that seemed to be staring right through me.
It would look disrespectful if I didn't go along with my boss who was so persistent of me escorting him, so I slowly walk over towards Stephenson praying he would go without me, but he waits for me patiently with his hand held out for me to take.
"Dont worry, He doesn't bite," me and him both knew that we feared he actually might.
"What if he does Dumbo!?"
"He is the Prince you Gummy Bear!"
"Exactly! Ex-fudging-actly! That means he can just bite us and get away with it!"
"Smile!" And that was the end of our conversation ended by the near presence of the prince.
"Hello, Im Stephenson!" The Prince slightly nods his head, his lips pursed in a tight line. I was too lost being scared of him that I had forgotten that it was my turn to introduce myself. Well, trust Stephenson to remind you in the best way possible. Stephenson pokes my rib with his elbow making me accidentally yelp then quickly cover it with a cough. I look up at the Prince embarrassment tinting my cheeks and I could swear I saw the tiniest hint of a smile, "and who is this?"
I've heard that voice before. It was so familiar but I couldn't quite wrap my fingers around it.
"Do I know you?" My eyes widen and I quickly look down at my shoes when I realize that I just fudging asked the Prince of England if I knew him. I may now proceed to kill myself.
"Maybe," I look up at him, tilting my head slightly as I studied his face. He looked so familiar. And spoke so familiar.....
"Hales introduce yourself," Stephenson whispers through gritted teeth pulling me away from my analysis.
I didn't do that already? "Im-Im Hales, Hales Adams," I place my hand out for him to shake regretting my actions that very moment when he stares down at it contemplating whether he should shake hands with a peasant with sweaty palms. I was about to pull it back down when, to my surprise he firmly takes it. I watch as he gently shakes it then he retrieves his hand, making a small sigh of relief puff out of my lips.
"Welcome to The North Hill Retirement House, The Woman's Side," he walks away with a blubbering Stephenson who saves me from the awkward interaction. I watch as Stephenson introduces him to each and every Granny in the room, each one mastering a sweet smile. Mrs. Lilly, to my disgust, starts acting all shy and sweet and Prince Maximus leans down to kiss her cheek. Such a Fake Blinkard!
After the endless introductions had finally ended, the Prince strides towards the front of room ready to give out one of those long boring speeches. I look for a place to sit and await the long speech but there were none and Stephenson was already glaring at me.
"Hello Everyone, Im Prince Maximus Bartholomew."
"We already know that," I quietly mumble to myself.
"Thank you for having me here."
"Your welcome," I mumble again.
"So we have established an organization tha-" and then a loud yawn cuts off his sentence,
I blink,
Once.
Twice.
Everyone in the room, including the non smiling Prince and his bodyguard were staring at me in disappointment, the Grannies giving me their best judgy faces and Stephenson shaking his head furiously. I quickly look down at my shoes, covering half of my face with my hair as I tried to hide the embarrassment screaming from my face, but even when I do that no one drifts their stare away from me.
I must have disappointed Stephenson too much today. Fear sours through me when the bodyguards footsteps start approaching towards me until he stops to stand in front of me probably to take me away to jail. The zip from my mouth flies off again and I start to incoherently blubber, "Please dont take me to Jail, I swear I didn't Mean to...well maybe I did but I didn't intend for it to be that loud! You see Im not a fan of long speeches. I- I didn't mean to sound disrespectful! I swear I swear!" The bodyguards unsmiling face just stares at me. He was probably trained to look at everyone that way, mastering only one expression on his already scary face.
"Im going to jail aren't I? Can I at least carry my flash poster with me? He motivates me, he'd probably motivate me not to yawn in front of the Prince again," I place my two hands in front of him as I wait for him to place hand cuffs or drag me away to some place were disrespectful people are taught to be respectful, like a rehab maybe.
Then the Prince laughs, it was so quiet anyone barely heard it but I did and so I stared right ahead at him as he shook his head in silent laughter. He raises his head up and looks at me, a smile crossing his face. The prince smiles!
"Hales," I nod my head waiting for him to declare my head.
"Yes sir... I mean Your Majesty," I look down at my shoes again.
"Your not going to jail, okay?" I look up at him with wide eyes and nod my head, a sigh of relief escaping my lips. He slowly walks away from the front and starts walking towards me, my heart pounding faster as he got closer and closer until he was finally standing in front of me.
"We'll get going, Thanks for having us here," he says it out loud as an announcement but his eyes don't move from mine and his rare smile was long gone. I wanted to take those glasses off of him, wanted to throw them in a corner and see what he really looked like without them, but I held back the urge and fisted my hands by my side. No greater urge was worth my head.
The intense eye contact was broken by the whiny Grannies each begging for a goodbye kiss and a hug from the Prince. He nods his head and his tall figure leans down to hug each granny, that is until the commotion made by the Grannies slaps his large glasses right off his face. I hold back the laugh as I go pick them up for him beating the bodyguard to it. He blocks my way and holds out his hand waiting for me to place the glasses in his palm, but I don't. I walk straight past him and towards the Prince, I wanted to give them to him because I was so nosy I actually wanted to see what he looked like with no glasses.
So thats what I did, I stood in front of him and stared at his dipped down head, his eyes refusing to meet mine as they looked down towards the floor, his hand already outstretched as they begged for the sunglasses.
"Hales... may I?" Not until I confirm my suspicion.
"Look at me," I whisper. I was acting too bold for my own good, demanding a Prince to look at me! Who was I to have such audacity? I was begging for my own death.
He slowly raises his head up, surprisingly agreeing to my demand when he could have just easily pushed me aside and went on with life and left me to wonder about his identity. But when the blue of his clashes with the green of mine, the deep swirl in his eyes, the one blue darker than the other, I knew it was him. I open my mouth then close it again. I had a feeling it was him from the beginning but I didn't know it could be real.
I step back, my mind occupied by a jumble of thoughts. I felt betrayed for some reason and I didn't like it. I didn't like being kept in the dark. I didn't like people who didn't trust me, and he didn't thats why he kept me in the dark.
He moves closer.
I move back,
I wanted to run away from him.
Why was I being so dramatic? I didn't know.
I just felt betrayed? Why? He didn't trust me yet he had the audacity to sneak into my apartment through my window, and yet I Hales Adams trusted him! I let him in, showed him my vulnerability.
I felt betrayed, and I didn't like it.
I hand him back his sunglasses, and walk away, I didn't want to run. Hales Adams wasn't one to run from her problems.
Yes she was.
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Hey MAMUCHKASS! Sorry For The Late Updates! I was On a Long ass Trip With My classmates, and The Thing about School Trips, You never can really accomplish anything Can you?
Anyways I know Its Not The best Chapter And as Every author says: I Hope You enjoyed it!
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And dont forget to throw that positive criticism, It always helps me improve
~Shey 💃🏽