The Hidden Princess

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I felt the warmth of the sunrays kissing my skin as my eyes fluttered open. The brightness was blinding my eyes. I flung out my hand on my bedside table and felt for my glasses. Once I felt the cool metal of my spectacle frame, I grabbed it and roughly pushed it onto the bridge of my nose. A sigh escaped as I dragged myself out of my bed and hit the showers, getting ready for another long day at school.

Once dressed in an old jersey with faded jeans complete with my worn-out sneakers, I grabbed a granola bar from the kitchen, ruffled my little brother’s hair and made my way out of the house.  After locking the door, I turned around only to have my eyes meeting another familiar pair. It was none other than my lovable neighbor and best friend, Robbie Goodfell. Hmmm… How do I describe him?

Well, I’ve known Robbie ever since I moved here in this little quiet town at Seattle. He was the first ever person to put in effort to be friends with the ‘new girl at school’. His appearance isn’t really outstanding-I’m not saying this to lower his ego, just to let you know. I mean, his body is fit but not so fit until you can see his abs and muscles and all. He has tousled ebony hair-you know those kinds of bed-head look? - And a very striking icy blue colour for his eyes. Robbie is full of humour, always trying to make me feel better and he radiates a kind of warmth that instantly wraps around you-similar to the feeling you get when you hold a cup of hot coffee in your hands during the winter weather.

“Melting at the sight of my face already, Cam?” Robbie said with a smirk.

“Dream on, dude!” I replied, rolling my eyes and marching away ahead of him.

“Awww, come on!” he replied, turning around with his arms open. “It was just a joke! Soooo-rrryyy!” He blinked for a second before realizing I’m already making my way and running to catch up with me. I felt kind of bad and walked a teeny weeny bit slower to let him catch up to me more easily.

Well, I hadn’t needed to do that since his long legs helped him just fine. Once, he was beside me, he fell into pace, put his arm around my shoulder and made me turn and face him. There was an expectant look on his face.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” I said acting sulky. “But you’re still going to have to treat me to Starbucks.” Robbie had a bewildered look on his face.

“Fine,” he replied after a few seconds, finally admitting defeat. Immediately after that, I dropped my façade down, laugh at him while pointing at his shocked face and quickly ran down the block knowing that he’s right behind me.

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I reached school first, panting just as the school bell rang. Phew! Robbie was still far behind. Oh well! He will be the one that’s going to be in trouble. Not me. I chuckled silently as I walked to my locker, gaining a few stares from my sweaty appearance and the fact that I am laughing to myself. I quickly dumped my bag in, took out some stupid books and banged the door shut. And who should I see behind but Robbie smirking smugly.

“But- What?  How?” I stammered as I pathetically waved my arms and pointed all over the place wildly. Robbie just wiggled his eyebrow though and put his arm around my neck to drag me through the classroom doorway. Idiot.

The clock hand seemed to crawl its way around until it was finally showing 3 pm. The final ring of the bell signaling the end of school was finally heard. I jumped out from my seat in Math class-which explains my need to go out ASAP-and pushed my way through the herd of wild, screaming students. But who should I bump into but Quinn Katherine Creighton, the queen of Mayflower High. Ironic isn’t it how her name sounds similar to her status. I bet her ego took it as some sign that she is ‘the one’ destined to be the ruler of this high school-kingdom. Anyway, Quinn turned around with a deadly look on her face only to have a smug smile on her face when she saw who the ‘criminal’ was.

“Oh look! It’s the little legitimate child Camilia running back home to her disgusting mommy!” Quinn sneered. Tears brimmed and threatened to spill onto my pale cheeks. It is true that my mother didn’t marry my biological father when she had me. He had disappeared even before I was born. My mother claimed that she moved from her hometown at Capetown to Vancouver and now in Seattle to try and heal her broken heart. Well, she finally promised to settle down after giving another shot at love and meeting my stepfather, Steve Williams, here in Seattle. I still keep my biological father’s surname though.

“It’s Camille and she is not a legitimate child, you bimbotic moron!” I heard Robbie’s voice as he rushed up to my side to comfort me. I could really the feel the heat of his anger emitted from his body. Quinn looked shocked from the insult and suddenly, right in front of my eyes, Quinn’s nose was somewhat mutating. Her nostrils became bigger; her nose became rounder and more protruding. Then a pair of triangular ears popped from her head. Everybody had their eyes on her and that was when Robbie grabbed my hand ran out of the school campus, around the corner where a Starbucks and McDonald sat beside each other.

“Now, didn’t you say I had to treat you to Starbucks?” Robbie asked me naturally as he started to head towards the café. I stood rooted to the spot confused.

What? How? Robbie--?

Robbie turned and met my confused gaze, quickly looking away the minute he did, his eyes darting around. After a few seconds of silence, Robbie abruptly turned around and made his way right in front of the entrance of the café.

“Okay then. You sure you don’t want that treat of yours? I can always buy two for myself…” he said, not turning back to make eye contact with me. I tilted my head for awhile and thought about the situation that just occurred a few minutes earlier and here he is acting… normal? Huh. Maybe that Quinn-pig scene didn’t happen. Maybe it was just those kind of moments you see in movies where the character just imagines she could do that to the evil people.

“Oh well…” I muttered to myself as I caught up with Robbie.