Wings of a Wanted Princess

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

The building of the school appears in front of Alice and Will. Alice fixes her bag on her shoulder. It was her first day back, and she was only doing it so everyone could see she was fine. Despite the fact that she was a fairy princess in hiding, disguised as a human, a war happening in her kingdom because a king wants her, her mother has been taken, and she killed a troll on Earth just last week; yes she was going to go into the school and pretend that everything was just peachy. She should be used to it by now after all.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go back to the house?” Will says with a hand on her shoulder.

Alice shakes her head. “I told Brittney and Scott that I would come this week.”

“So?”

“I do not want them to worry about me.” She looks up at him, “Please do not make me think this is a bad idea.”

Will nods and squeezes her shoulder. “Then I guess I will see you later.”

“You will be here as soon as I get out?”

Will nods.

“If you are going to be out, please do not go to the clearing.”

Will shakes his head and grins. “Do not worry. I am not going anywhere near there.”

Alice nods and walks inside the school. She feels Will’s eyes on her. She gets to the door and turns around. Will was still standing across the street making sure that she made it inside. Alice grins and turns around and goes through the door. She walks down the hall hearing the chatter of the students down the hall. Alice goes to her locker and starts opening it. There was a tap on her shoulder and she turns around to see Scott.

Scott was in his ubiquitous blue hoodie and wearing a pair of jeans. He gave her a wry smile, “How are you doing?”

Alice gives a smile in return and shrugs, “A little better I guess.”

Scott nods slowly.

“Does the feeling ever go away?”

“No.”

Alice looks away.

“But it gets easier in time.” Scott puts an arm around her shoulder when she does not respond. “C’mon let’s go,” He says and leads her to the patio.

There she saw Brittney sitting at a table by herself. When she looks up and spots Alice, she gets up and embraces her. She steps back and gives her a concerned look. She was about to say something, but then looks like she changed her mind and bites down on her lip instead.

Alice gives her a wry smile, “Brittney I’m fine. You can ask if you want to.”

Brittney gives her a sad smile in return, “It’s just when people asked me that back when I found out my dad was cheating on my mom, I hated having to answer that question.”

Alice nods knowing the feeling.

The bell rings and some kids start walking to class.

Brittney and Scott start gathering their things, but Alice just stands there biting her lip. She looks at the ground, she felt sick to her stomach realizing she has to sit in seven different classrooms for eight hours. Suddenly she felt like walking back to her house and curling on the couch with Will. Really, the only reason she came was to see Brittney and Scott.

“I think I’m going to go back to my house,” Alice points behind her with her thumb.

The patio was empty when Brittney puts her back-pack on her shoulder. “Come on we’ll walk you back.”

“But you’ll miss class.”

Brittney shrugs, “My friends are more important.”

Alice was digging through her pockets for her key when Will opens the door. She looks up with crinkled eyebrows. The word unspoken tells Will that she tried, but failed.

Will sighs and puts a hand on her shoulder and let’s her in the house. He looks up at Brittney and Scott, “Thank you for bringing her,” He says and Alice knew he meant it too.

“No problem,” Brittney says with a smile.

“Are you guys going to go back to school?” Alice asks as a part of her wanting them to stay here.

“Do you want us to?” Scott asks.

Alice shakes her head.

Will moves out of the way to let them in. He closes the door behind him, “Do guys want anything?”

Brittney puts her belongings on the couch. “No thanks.” She sits on the couch with a leg folded under her, next to Alice.

Scott shakes his head and sits on the lounge chair.

Will nods and sits on the other side of Alice, but also not so close to her. He was trying not to touch her, and Alice could tell he was tense.

Scott lays back on the chair. “You know I can’t believe I’m witnessing this.”

“What?” Brittney and Alice say in unison.

“Brittney missing school.”

Alice cracks a smile.

Brittney’s jaw hangs open and her eyes had daggers in them.

“What it’s true, you never miss school.”

“No, I missed a few times.”

“You came to school with a fever and the teacher had to call your mom to pick you up, and the school didn’t want to back till you were better.” Scott turns to Alice, “They had to suspend her for week to make sure she didn’t come.”

Alice held both her hands to her mouth as if she were praying. She was trying not to laugh so hard.

“Well, you never go to school.”

“No I do, I’m just not as dedicated as you are.”

The bickering went back and forth between each other. Will and Alice look back and forth between the two. When the bickering stops, Will is the first one to speak. “Do you guys like each other?” His tone of voice was one with curiosity.

Brittney’s face twists. “No way would I ever like him.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Scott says with a sarcastic grin.

Will shakes his head and sighs. “I feel bad for whoever has to be in a room with you two.” He looks at Alice and shrugs. “How do you put up with it?”

Alice giggles, “I find the whole thing funny.” She looks at both of them, “They have some sort of sibling rivalry.”

Brittney smiles with her arms crossed. She looks at Alice and then at Scott. She obviously could not agree more.

Scott nods silently.

Alice turns to Brittney. “Hey, don’t you have a volleyball game in two weeks?”

Brittney nods, “Yeah but you don’t have to go.”

“No it’s okay, I want to go. It’ll make me feel better,” Alice says. And it would make things a little a better. At least it could remind her of a time before things went from bad to worse.