Playing Princess

Playing Princess 2.18

I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect when my mother had said ‘bodyguard’. I mean sure, I was sort of used to the men in black in Aldern, them being found everywhere.

I certainly hadn’t expected Greenwood to be entirely run over by them. They stood outside every single door whether it be bathroom, classroom or even a janitor’s closet. They were everywhere and it was beginning to make my head spin.

“You’re kidding me,” I muttered, holding my arms out to let the man scan me with a metal detector. When he came across a beep at my wrist, I raised an eyebrow and pulled my sleeve back to show a silver bracelet Peyton had gotten me last Christmas.

“Clear,” he grunted and let me into the bathroom.

I shot Kyle an exasperated look to which he responded with a wry smile and turned away to wait outside.

I was done in no time at all, almost running into the bodyguard when I’d tried to get out. Kyle couldn’t hold back his laughter and once I was back at his side and cruising down the hall, he tilted his head back and laughed.

“You should have seen your face!” he gasped, grasping my shoulder tightly. “You hate bodyguards, don’t you?”

“I can’t believe Mum did this,” I muttered and frowned.

“It’s not just your mum. She was part of all the other parents concerned for their kids.”

“Yeah but this is overboard,” I groaned, gesturing to the suited men just about everywhere I looked. I noticed some of the guys trying to get a reaction out of them while a couple girls were trying to flirt. I looked away in disgust.

“Can’t help it. Many heirs and heiresses go here you know.”

“No student is crazy enough to bring in a gun. And I’ll bet it was just some crazy dude with a bad aim that night.” I crossed my arms over my chest and headed for the cafeteria. “This is a joke, honestly.”

“I’ll say. It took me fifteen minutes just to get in to the library and another fifteen to get out.” Kyle snorted and reached for a tray then hopped in line.

“You’re not going to help your teachers today?” I asked in surprise, grabbing a plate of mash potatoes and sausages.

“Nah, they don’t have any papers to grade so they’ve given me a break.” He shrugged.

“Who knew someone my age could be such a little genius?” I teased, snagging the last cup of red jelly. I could feel the glare of the person behind me and ushered Kyle along to the nearest empty table.

“Not a genius,” he mumbled bashfully, his ears tinging with red. “Just wanna help is all.”

I gave him a grin and tugged at my skirt before sitting back down. “How long do you think it will be before this whole thing blows over?”

Kyle shrugged and poked at his potato jacket. It seemed potatoes was the theme for today’s lunch menu. “You know how obsessive you rich people get.”

“Me? Obsessive?” I gasped, feigning shock. “I’m offended that you think I’m rich.”

He turned to give me a dirty look, mouth half full of potato filling. “You bought four electric guitars because you felt like it. Four.”

“Yeah, in a whole different country with someone else’s card.” I waved it off and grinned. “Man, I wish you were there with me. Shopping with a bank account like that? Priceless. Literally.”

“Well it sounds like the shopping was the highlight of being a . . . princess.” He lowered his voice and smiled wryly at me.

“No, no the people there . . .” I paused, tapping my chin thoughtfully. “The Aldernians are good people. They really are. And they actually like the royal family. My sister, my dad, even Andrew all support so many charities across the world and many in Aldern itself. I’ve never even seen such a small family take on so many responsibilities. I mean of course they get a lot of help organising but wow, they do everything because they want to help the country, not just because it’s their duty but because they genuinely want to.” I found my lips pulled into a longing smile as my thoughts crawled back to Aldern.