The Prince or the Crown

chapter three

I scrolled warily through my online gradebook, noting the sudden influx of dropping numbers. What used to be a clean spread of low to mid 90s was now a mix of low to mid 80s and even a few 70s. Nearing midterm season, this was not the time for me to be losing my grip. 

Click.

I glanced over my shoulder as the door to my dorm room mysteriously unlocked itself. Since Amelie was helping out at Friday night tutoring, the only other person it could possibly have been was-

“Oh, hi, Bella,” Joshua said as he walked in, blinking in surprise.

“Hi,” I said, tilting my computer screen down and turning my chair to face him.

“Sorry, I thought you would be with Amelie.”

“Then… why are you here?” I asked, furrowing my brow. He couldn’t seriously have come here to snoop, had he?

“Ah… I was going to borrow some jewelry,” he said, glancing towards the pearly white jewelry box sitting in my bathroom.

I raised my eyebrows. “That’s the best excuse you could come up with?”

Maybe coming into my dorm room to steal jewelry would be a good enough excuse to break up with him, I thought to myself.

I really didn’t have the time for this.

“Um… My mom needs some,” he said, “All her jewelry was stolen, so, I decided to, you know, just, borrow some of yours.”

“Huh,” I said. “And you didn’t think to text me?”

He shrugged nonchalantly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Phone’s dead. Sorry, I didn’t think it’d be an issue.”

“It wouldn’t, if that were really why you were here,” I quipped, laughing.

He chuckled, trying and failing to hide his nervousness. “You’re being awfully paranoid, Bella.”

“Mmkay,” I said. “Go ahead, take what you need. Tell your mom I say hello.” I lifted my laptop screen and continued to scroll through my grades.

He grinned and rushed into the bathroom, opening the jewelry box and rifling through its contents. Then he paused.

“Uhh…”

“Yes? Is there a problem?”

“You… don’t have any rings in this box. I- my mom needs rings.”

“You’re awfully observant,” I noted. “I keep my rings in a box on my desk. They get tangled in the necklaces and bracelets.”

“Cool, thanks.” Joshua walked over to the desk I was sitting at and opened my ring box, picking out the first one he saw. He started to leave, but then his eyes caught sight of my screen.

“I thought you were making straight As,” he said, narrowing his eyes at the numbers.

I quickly shut my laptop. “I was- I am, I just-” How could I explain that I was falling behind because of him? Ever since last month, he had been so much more persistent about us spending more time together. With my evenings and weekends crowded with his dates, I was losing time that I desperately needed to do my assignments.

“Bella, you don’t have to lie to me. If you’re struggling in school, I’ll completely understand. I love you, and I want you to be completely honest with me.” He leaned against the desk as he stared intensely into my eyes.

My mouth instantly dried up. I felt cold numbness slowly crawling up my body as fear seized my throat. He had never said he loved me before.
Suddenly, everything seemed to click into place. The rings, the dates, me dropping out of college, those three words… was he going to propose?