Steal the Stars [REWRITING]

Annabelle - Why I Hate My Mother

"Seriously, what's wrong with you?" I hissed, as Leo and I made our way through the palace. He seemed distracted, and not in his usual head-in-the-clouds way. That look I knew well, because I usually had it myself. But he was worried-distracted, concern written all over his features.

"Nothing, Annabelle."

"So, it's Nicole," I guessed. A guard walked past us, and I smiled at him. It was probably best if we at least maintained an air of some normality, and Leo looked like someone was dying and he had to get there to hear last words or something.

"Drop it, Annabelle." But his face changed, ever so slightly.

"It is!" I had to practically run to keep up with him. "What's happened, then?"

He came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the hallway, and I nearly tripped over him. "Listen to me, Annabelle," he said, "it's not my story to tell, and I'm not going to tell it. If you want to talk to Nicole later, then that's well and good, you do that. But you can ask her, not me. Right now, please stop asking me about it, because you're not going to get anywhere, and we have something to do right now, so please focus."

"Fine," I muttered, making a mental note to ask Nicole later.

Leo stopped again at one of the servants entrances, pulling open the door and ushering me inside. The plan was to head in on opposite sides of the throne, where there were servant entrances, so that guards could come and go, or waitress or waiters could come and go from either side with ease.

We'd have to open the doors first, so we could see each other, and the doors opening and shutting would be a risk. If they were heard, they would wonder why no one was coming through. Really, we should have been disguised, but that took too long to get the costume, and the spell was too tricky.

We would have to work with what we could do.

The servants' corridors were damp and smelled funny; it was a wonder everyone in the palace wasn't sick. Water dripped from the ceiling, and I could see mold on certain parts of the walls.

"Geez," I muttered, "they really don't care much about the staff, do they?"

Leo looked similarly horrified, as we passed a section where the wall was almost completely mold. "Apparently not. How are they not all sick?"

"Maybe they have a really good doctor here to make up for it."

"I'd hope so." He stopped at one of the doors. "Here's you, I think."

The palace's servant corridor's weren't all connected. The vast majority of them were, but there were several gaps, where servants had to use the main hallways. According to Mr. Research, Leo, this hadn't always been the case, but when the palace had been remodelled, they hadn't lined everything up exactly. Which, to me, was stupid, but they hadn't asked my opinion. They probably should have.

I nodded and made towards the door. "See you in a minute."

"Don't do anything stupid."

"Me? I would never."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Sure. I'll see you in a bit."

...

The hallway was quiet, which meant Leo and I had timed it right. I wished I had a watch, but I'd never seen the point of one, even if I usually ended up needing one. I just had to hope one of the others was with me, or I was near a clock. Unfortunately, there were no clocks in sight. I just had to hope a brisk walk would get me there in time.

Life, apparently, had other plans.

As soon as I rounded the corner, I ran directly into my mother.

To make matters worse, I also said something I was definitely not supposed to say once I realised it was her. Her look could have melted me.