Coward Prince

Chapter Three

Chapter 3

I'm afraid I didn't wish to look dirty and smell foul while walking down the corridors of our school, so I thought I best go to my locker and change my clothes before our principal saw me looking like a chocolate roll. Hanging out with Rico wasn't so bad, I found. He seemed to at least think normally for some reason. However he remained elegant in many ways. He was lucky that Stephanie got him dressed like a normal person; checkered polo, jeans, and sneakers. I wondered briefly where she got them. When my locker was just a few steps away, I sprinted the short remaining distance, eager to get changed. I grabbed my good ole red sweater, skinny jeans, and red sneakers as well. I rushed to the comfort room to change, leaving Rico to wait outside and told him not to do anything suspicious or silly. I gussied-up, checked my outfit and my long flowing auburn hair in the mirror and got out. Rico stood tall beside me when I got out and I noticed the girls in the hallway looking at him like he was edible. If only they knew how lame he was. I held onto that thought and laughed a little, grinning up at him.

"What?" he asked with an innocent look on his face.

"You may want to act tough because the real you might disappoint them." I giggled.

I thought he finally got what I was telling him. "No, it's okay, I'm used to it and you don't need to tell me to act tough. My father used to tell me that but I don't think I ever got it right." He laughed.

We met Andy and Victoria on our way, they were my best friends in school. Andy was a petite girl with blonde bobcat hair. She was perpetually in a yellow sweatshirt and a miniskirt. She was a bubbly kind of girl. Victoria, on the other hand, typically wore plain black jeans and a black rock shirt. I wouldn't say that she was a tomboy or a punk girl. Maybe she just loved wearing black. Me? I just wanted simple clothes to wear and, preferably, my hair tied up in a ponytail. Andy's look was cute and young while Victoria has a tough look and they say that-

"You're beautiful, girl!" Andy and Victoria said together. Yes, they always said that. I'll admit it, I was flattered but not so flattered that I would buy them each a cheeseburger.

"Hey, girls! Thanks! Um, well, this is Rico. He's a friend of ours. He lives in... uh, somewhere..." I smiled. I was no good at lying.

"Oh. Okay. So this is the guy Sherry is so gaga about." Victoria pointed out. Sherry Dickson was the girl-next-door of our school. She was beautiful with long blonde curls, and a twenty-thousand dollar wardrobe. She had it all! All except a good attitude.

"Well, she has her eyes on the wrong guy this time." I said.

"Why? You two have something together? I'm so very sorry about that - what I said earlier -" Victoria teased characteristically.

"No! Of course we don't. He's not my type." I told her.

"Really? Well, he's my type." Andy said flirtatiously and moved closer to Rico. Sbe started to make those twinkling eyes stare.

"Oh, no you don't." I muttered and pulled Andy's bobcat hair to cut her off. "You don't know what you'd be involving yourself in with this Prince Charming."

"What do you mean? He's tall, dark and handsome and cute and he's muscular and those eyes..." Andy is bubbliness began to irritate me. I gave up on her for the moment. She could be so childish.

"Don't mind her, guys. Let's get to class before the bell rings." Victoria said.

"So, you mean that you go to class all together? You don't have personal teachers to work with your specialties?" Rico asked. Victoria and Andy gave him twin funny looks.

"Oh! He's actually homeschooled since he was in grade school, just so you know." I lied again. I moved closer to Rico and twisted his fingers. "I told you not to do anything stupid or suspicious." I whispered. He raised his hands up and whispered "Sorry."