A Royal Adventure [Ongoing]

Nine

I shielded my computer screen as the door swung open and Pen stormed in, throwing her bag on her bed. Luckily she didn't notice my shady behaviour and I waited for her to tell me what was going on. 'I hate that woman,' she groaned, flinging herself on her bed after her bag dramatically. She covered her face with her hands.

'Trouble in paradise?'

'That,' she sat up and brushed her hair out of her face, 'stupid – she just doesn't get it.'

I smiled and readied myself for a rant. As the term had gone on, I had got used to them – and despite the nature of them, I started to look forward to them, in a strange way.

Pen had been having differences of opinion with her art teacher, who was trying to steer her away from her fashion based project. Pen was determined to see it out though and thought it was the only way she would get into the art school she was determined to go to. Her various challenges and fixations amused me more than anything else, as exams didn't mean anything to me, and nor did future study. So it provided some gentle entertainment for me more than anyone else.

Pen pulled her bag towards herself and started rifling through. I took the moment to close the window I had open – my country's royal family news – and shut the computer lid, ready to be distracted by Pen.

It wasn't that I was ashamed of my country or where I came from. It was just easier to keep things separate. There was less explaining then – and I liked the fun, cool Alex that I had accidently become thanks to Saunders and Pen, who vouched for me and had dragged me into their circle. I hadn't realised that Pen and Saunders hadn't really known each other well before this term – I only found out when Saunders said we should go somewhere in his car some weekend, and Pen commented that she hadn't had the privilege yet of enjoying his driving.

But it was a nice group to be a part of. I liked it.

I just wished I could tell them everything, but somehow it didn't seem appropriate. I didn't want them to start treating me differently. I liked being the cool, fun Alex that I had become.

Pen was now holding up her sketchbook, asking me to comment on her various sketches. 'It will work,' she told me, 'it will. She's just narrow minded and can't see that this is what I need to do.'

I nodded. I'd learnt that the best thing to do was to agree with her – after all I was used to that sort of policy. Just agree with other people, it's the best thing to do.

Since I had been in England, I had had a few emails from my brother, normally written in a strange mixture of English and my native language, which always made me laugh. His emails tended to be short and to the point, with details of engagements or speeches he had had to give recently. His fiancée, Ana, tended to send longer emails with pictures or articles attached for me. She wrote completely in our language, and it was nice to feel like I really had a piece of home there with me. Despite that, I tended to read these emails when I was alone or late at night. Even though they were in another language, they seemed private and I didn't want to risk anyone else seeing them. The only other person I could talk to in my native tongue was Gustave and he was quite happy to oblige – but it wasn't the same.

Later, when Pen had returned to her drawing, I flashed up the latest image of my brother Ana had sent me. He looked the same as he always had done – tired perhaps but happy. And for a moment, I felt a very long way away indeed.

She had also sent me a picture of my bridesmaid dress, which I zoomed in on, feeling rather detached from it all. I couldn't imagine right now, now that I was sat in my school uniform, in this dorm, ever being a part of this event. It all seemed very arbitrary – but it would happen. The dress itself was long, flowing, with a full skirt that and a waistline that went in and clenched your waist. It had a corseted lace top and said everything about my future sister in law's tastes. I smiled. I wished that I could show it to Penelope because I imagined that it was just her sort of thing.

Instead, I shut the computer down and went to bed, my dreams a mix of art projects and bridesmaid dresses.