the Met Police, we were able to avoid prison-trouble all these years.
“It’s bad.” Chris sounds chilled. “That girl’s doctor said she can remember if she’s put under similar circumstances or shown potential suspects. My old man and his colleagues are contemplating it. He told them to push through with the case because she’s a lord’s daughter. Fuck, King. What if she remembers us?”
“She won’t.” I grind out. “Keep your mouth shut and come to practice.”
“But —”
“Practice, Chris.”
I hang up before he can say anything else that’ll worsen my already shitty mood.
The anger from this morning rolls over me and all around me, suffocating my breathing.
Seems that the princess refused to listen.
I’ll ruin her before she ruins me.
10
Astrid
You picked the wrong subject, your majesty.
* * *
“Slut.”
“Whore.”
“Entitled bitch.”
My face remains a blank board even with all the insults thrown my way. I think someone even called me a harlot. Who the hell uses that outdated historical term anymore?
Since last week, when Levi cornered me in front of the classroom and broadcasted that I ‘begged’ him for it, the entire school has been out for my blood.
During lunch, I received two offers from guys who assured me they won’t have me beg for it.
That’s why I’m eating in a secluded corner in the school’s garden. I never liked the pretentious air of the cafeteria, anyway. Levi turning the entire school against me is more proof of why I’ll never belong in this circle.
And by a circle, I mean the entire football team who are always following him about like they’re the subjects in his royal court.
There’s this aura about those he keeps close. They’re called the four horsemen by RES and they carry all the destructive energy that Levi needs.
All of them are ruthless in their own way — even the silent ones.
Since my invisible days, I waited for any rebellion against the entitled arseholes.
Didn’t happen so far.
Everyone ends up dropping to one knee like willing peasants.
Even Dan belongs to their circle, so I can’t be the type of bitch who badmouths shitty, entitled athletes in front of him.
I can do it in my mind just fine, though.
Sitting cross-legged on the bench, I take a bite of my hamburger and sketch with my free hand. My shrink and physical therapist told me to take it easy, but I’m not good at listening to orders.
Besides, things have been changing with weird dreams — or nightmares — I’ve been having lately.
I can’t even recall what I saw when I wake up. I just wake up drenched in sweat and feeling claustrophobic.
Dr Edmonds, my shrink, said I might be witnessing flashbacks from the accident.
I came up with a theory.
My inability to sketch properly might have to do with what happened during the accident. Maybe I can remember what happened if I push myself to sketch something — anything — from that night.
Every time, like now, Levi’s infuriating face comes to mind.
I scratch whatever I’ve been sketching and huff around the mouthful of hamburger.
Muse-killing arsehole.
“Hey, bugger. What are you doing over here hiding?”
“Avoiding entitled football players. No offence, bug.” What? I didn’t say I wouldn’t say anything.
“It’s taken, damn you.” He chuckles around the words.
That’s Dan and I. It’s a friendship made in heaven. Or in a pool.
The thing is, when I first moved in with Dad, he had Nicole take me to a party so I’d meet friends.
As if I would ever be interested in Nicole’s friends.
So, anyway, I didn’t want to go, but I’m glad I did.
Of course, Nicole abandoned me as soon as we arrived. Feelings were mutual, thank you very much.
So, I was there, in a secluded area by the pool minding my own business and drinking diluted tequila. And okay, I might have been staring at my Sun-Moon-Star tattoo and crying about my mum.
Then someone comes shouting. “Holy shit. Is that a bug?”
That was Dan and he mistook my star tattoo for a bug. I punched him for saying that about Mum’s last tattoo. He was drunk so he kind of fell into the pool and didn’t surface, and I thought I killed him or something.
So here I was pulling him out, crying and telling him I didn’t want to be a murderer. He opened his eyes laughing.
I talked to him about Mum and he told me about his grandma that he also lost recently.
Since then, we became inseparable. Best beginning of a friendship ever.
That’s why I know that Dan and I are tight even when I make fun of his team.