PRINCESS// MICHAEL CLIFFORD

Chapter 5

Have you ever tried to insult someone using your thoughts?

As a Princess I was never allowed to insult people who deserved it, nor to use gestures to tell them to go to hell. So, during these eighteen years of life, I've learned to insult people in my mind with such great meanness and determination that it's as if I insult them out loud.

For example when I was younger I had a very strict etiquette teacher and when she forced me to carry heavy books on my head (to correct my posture and balance) she used to yell at me and hit my hands with a ruler all the time. But since I couldn't talk back I started to insult her in my mind in every known language.

This is exactly what I'm doing right now with Michael. I'm looking at him from the backseat of the jeep trying to come up with the worst insults I can think of.

"Would you stop staring at me?" He suddenly ask turning towards me and looking away from the road for a millisecond.

After our first pleasant meeting with the rebels we left with stocks of food, heading north in order to reach as soon as possible my beloved, paradisiacal island. Surrounded by Caribbean beaches and calm I'll be able to rule without any danger.

"I was not staring at you, I was insulting you in my head" I say crossing my arms. He smiles and I can't help but notice how the reddish sunset light makes his hair looks purple.

"You can insult me out loud, ya know" He says and Ashton smiles as he looks at the map.
"Princesses cannot be vulgar" I settle once again my dress' skirt which keeps being trampled by Luke's big feet. He's wearing headphones, beating the time with his legs and therefore making my dress dirtier and dirtier.

"No one's gonna be shocked if you swear.  Well maybe Ashton is. He never liked bad words" Calum says playing with the soft fabric of my skirt. I pull off his hands from my precious dress making him chuckle.

"I don't care, I'm a future Queen and Queens are not coarse like you" I say raising my head. The three boys look at me before they burst out laughing.
"Stop being a Goody Two-shoes, I know deep inside you there's a downtown girl" Michael says as I roll my eyes puffing.

"Michael it's getting dark" Luke says taking off the headphones and looking around.
"I know, I'm looking for a place to sleep in" Clifford says speeding up and I look at them confused.

"No, we are not stopping to rest. I have to get to the island as soon as possible" I say complaining and I hear Calum whisper "here we go again".

"Michael, did you hear me? " I raise my voice, this time hoping for an answer, but Ashton answer instead.

"We need to rest, sweetheart. We are people, not war machines, so a lil' nap will be good for all of us"
"No, I have pulled you out of jail and you have no right to waste my time sleeping..." I do not have time to finish the sentence that Michael stops the car making me almost fly forward. If it wasn't for Luke who promptly grabs my torso with his arm I would have crashed with the windshield.

The colorful-haired boy unlocks the doors and turns to me staring at me with his grayish eyes.
"Then go. Get out of this car and start walking towards your island, straight ahead. We'll stop and have some rest. If you're not ok with it you can go and risk your own life" He says coldly without breaking our eye contact for a second.

"C'mon Michael don't be so hard on her" Luke says and Michael looks at him badly.
"She treats us as if we were her slaves and you even have the courage to defend her?" Michael asks laughing bitterly and I shake my head trying to curb the desire to insult him.

"Okay, I'll let you rest" I say and Clifford looks at me incredulously.

"You let us? Rebecca you don't have much of a choice" He says before turning.

"I am Princess Rebecca, I am the one who makes decisions here, not you."

We silently continue our journey for another 20 minutes until we get in front of what it seems to be an abandoned house.

"I'll go, wait for me here" Michael says opening the door.
"I want to come with you" I say firmly and I see Luke swallowing.
"Little girl, you do understand you're not the one in charge here, right?" The blue haired boy asks and I stare at him. He doesn't scare me.
"I said I want to go with you" Michael rolls his eyes muttering something before he nods to Luke to let me pass.

As soon as I get out of the car I settle my dress but Michael doesn't even wait for me. He starts walking toward the humble house in the middle of the trail. It's one of the first houses we've met before the proper city, between people's and mine's proprieties. 

"Shut up" He says to me before knocking. A few seconds later a woman looks through the peephole.

"Who are you?" She calls without opening the door.
"We are looking for a place to sleep in, Madame" Michael says with more kindness than I thought he had. 
"Open, I'm the Princess and you have to do what I want" I say and I see Michael slapping his hand on his forehead.

"And I'm the Queen of England" She replies sarcastically.
"Look at me, I'm Rebecca Elizabeth Collins, Princess and future Queen" I say with an haughty tone. The woman slightly opens the door as she looks at me from head to toe with her small dark eyes.

"Oh for God's sake! You really are her. I'm so sorry your Highness for my lack of respect, please don't imprison me" She says humbly bowing at my feet, I look at her amazed and confused for her behavior but before she could do anything else, Michael helps her to her feet.

"No one's gonna hurt you, Madame, but we need an accommodation for the night" the boy says gently clutching the woman's arm while she keeps looking at me in disbelief.

"Yes, I'm going to prepare dinner and beds for you. Oh my God, the princess is here, in my home" She says rushing into the house. Michael nods to the boys who take all the suitcases and weapons before heading indoors.

"What, don't you come in?" Calum asks me holding my suitcase. I try to ward off the image of the desperate woman at my feet. I nod following him.

The house is very humble. There aren't precious paintings or golden statues like in my Palace, but it's not that bad.

I get to the kitchen and I see all the boys already seated at the table while the woman hands them plates full of food. I daintily sit on the empty seat next to Calum and I settle my dress since it got ruined during the car journey.

"Princess here it is your dish" She says handing me a black dish. I look at it and I see something yellow and blobby and a slice of meat, I think.

"It is not to your liking, your Highness?" The woman asks looking worried at me. I can see of the corner of my eye that Michael has just stopped paying attention to his phone to look at me.

"Emh, it is. Just, don't have something like seasonal vegetables, tropical fruit or meat of first choice?" I wonder slightly disgusted by what she gave me. The woman looks at me embarrassed.
"Her stupidity, since the war has begun there aren't seasonal vegetables or tropical fruit anymore" Michael says with his usual rudeness.

"It is not true, back in my castle I used to eat the best fruits and vegetables everyday" I answer.
"Well, welcome outside the Castle" He says focusing back to his phone.

"Can you prepare my bed? Im tired and sick of spending my time with these four disrespectful animals" I say to the woman getting up. She nods and tells me to follow her upstairs.

"She always has to behave like a spoiled brat. As usual" Michael says teasing me. I try to ignore his comment and I lock myself in my new room.