The Ignored Princess Meets the Tortured Prince

Chapter 9

Kirsten

I had been wearing his jacket around the house all morning. It’s a little embarrassing, but I even fell asleep in it last night. What? It smelt so good. I never realized how good Lucas smelt, and it was just so comfy.

When I got to school I reluctantly pulled it off and held it in my arms, knowing I shouldn’t be seen wearing his jacket. Especially when I was dating Josh. I stood in my normal place in the courtyard with my friends and kept an eye out for Lucas.

I was starting to think that I wasn’t going to be able to see him until lunch when he suddenly popped up by his weirdo friends. I could hardly hold back my smile as I pulled out his jacket and started walking toward him.

“Um, Kirsten,” Ashley said, stopping me in my tracks, “what are you doing?”

“Oh, um,” I flipped my hair, trying to compose myself and think up a lie. “I’m just returning this to that weirdo over there.”

She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “And why do you have it.”

“Well, he had it laying down somewhere and I walked up and he took off, leaving it behind, so I thought I’d return it.”

Ashley rolled her eyes and grabbed my arm, pulling me to the side and lowering her voice. “You are walking a very dangerous line Kirsten Daniels. You are with the hottest, most popular guy in school and you’re about to give it all up for some freak that will leave you in the gutter socially and probably literally.”

She folded her arms again then waited for that to sink in. She was right. What was I doing here? I was messing everything up, that’s what I was doing. I set a snobby look on my face and held the jacket away from me as if it disgusted me just to hold it.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, and if you’ll excuse me, I have something that belongs to a freak and I’d rather get rid of it before I catch something.”

Ashley smiled to me, approving of the change. “That’s the Kirsten I know. See you later.”

She walked back to our friends and I made my way to the weirdos. As I got close, Lucas turned to face me, smiling awkwardly as he looked between me and his jacket. I ignored how cute that smile was and tossed the jacket to him, rather harshly. He looked a bit shocked as he caught it.

“Take your stupid jacket before I catch something.”

He stood there for a minute, watching me, then took my arm and pulled me away from his friends. “What’s your problem?”

“Let me go,” I said as I jerked my arm away. “And I’m not the one that has a problem, freak.”

He stepped back and quickly pulled his jacket on. “What is wrong with you, why are you suddenly acting like this?”

Before he could finish pulling it on, I caught a glimpse of the marks from last night and my heart sank. The thoughts and feelings from last night slowly followed. No, I couldn’t think about that.

“Nothing is wrong with me, something is finally right. You’re just some poor weirdo boy and I’m the most popular girl in school. Plus, I’m dating the most popular guy in school. That’s who I am, who I should be, not this. Just stay away from me you freak.”

I turned on my heels, flipping my hair as I did, and marched across the campus, ignoring the pain in my heart.

Lucas

I stood there and watched her walk away, my jaw dropped. There was no way this girl wasn’t bi-polar. Last night we had actually made a connection, and now this. Worst of all, I knew it was all a lie. I could see it in her eyes. She may not have realized it, but that wasn’t what she wanted, not really. She hated her life, if anyone, I knew how to spot that, and when she was with me was the only time that sweet smile of hers came out and she was actually happy.