take your time | young royals

chapter seventeen

Simon and Felice were currently sitting on the bed in awkward silence. Felice every now and again would nervously fiddle with the buttons of her jacket.

"Are you okay?" Simon finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence which was a relief. "Why did you want to talk to me?"

Felice let out a sigh before locking eyes with him. "You need to do something about Sara. She's becoming a big problem. Her, Annika, August, and Johan are all hanging out together and I'm worried."

Simon could tell she was worried by her expression. He could tell that she really did care about her, even if she didn't show it much.

"I know." He replied, looking at the wall behind her. "She just doesn't listen. She cares too much about popularity and people liking her. She used to never care at all you know."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Really?"

Simon nodded. "Something needs to change. And fast."

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"August." The auburn haired boy scowled at him. "Remember what I said? About the note?"

August repeatedly darted his eyes anywhere and everywhere to avoid his gaze. "Yes, I just don't want to keep following your orders like some sort of dog."

Johan narrowed his eyes and stood up straighter, brushing his blazer. "Well too bad. Suck it up sweetheart otherwise I'll put it all over social media. Then, you'll definitely lose the queen's respect."

Even though they looked like friends, August and Johan were quite the opposite. After Johan blackmailed August with a video that could ruin him forever, he decided to keep him as a person - more like slave - who does everything for him. August was fed up but there was really nothing that he could do about it. He had nobody to talk to.

"Wanna see the video again? Hm? Will that remind you of how badly this may impact you?"

He didn't even let August respond before pulling out his phone and entering his passcode. With a few clicks and swipes, the screen was shoved into August's face as he tried to adjust his eyes to the brand new lighting.

The video was approximately a minute and a half long. First, it showed August sitting at a desk with a piece of paper in front of him and a black pen in his hand. It wasn't long before he started to write. The camera then zoomed up closer, the words starting to become readable.

Faggot. Bitch. Whore.

Until at the very bottom, he wrote: To Wilhelm,

The video then cut to August slipping the piece of paper under the prince's door when him and his bodyguard's were out. Then, the screen went black.

Johan hastily pulled his phone away from August's face and pushed it back into his pocket. "Wilhelm wouldn't be too happy either, would he? Not to mention the fact that you outed him to the entire world out of spite. Quite rude, don't you think?"

He didn't want to do it. In fact, he only did it because Johan had asked him to. A favour, for a friend. He didn't realise he was getting blackmailed.

August squinted his eyes, trying to hide the newly formed tears. "I hate you."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Everyone does. I don't really care. Wanna know why I was kicked out of my old school?"

August shook his head before bringing his knees to his chest and burying his face into the warm fabric of his pants until he could see stars.