The Nerd Duchess

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

"Girlfriend?!" Victoria practically did all but screamed as she and Charles made their way to the Study Hall for free period. "I am practically anything but your girl friend, your Highness."

"So we are back to your Highness, now is it?" he asked as they walked down a deserted hallway towards the study hall. The bell rang three minutes ago signaling the start of another class.

Charles looked at her before pulling her to the nearest open and empty classroom. Closing the door behind him ensuring them privacy, he strode to the other side of the room.

"I am not even allowed to call you by your name, your Highness. You are royalty. Why didn't you tell me you are royalty, D'Angelo?" she asked the last part softly.

"And you are not?" he challenged. Fire danced in his eyes. The laid back composure he had earlier before in class before the Nathan incident clearly forgotten.

"Yes," she nodded. "I'm not, D'Angelo. You and I both know that."

"Yeah! I know that," he said. "I also know why you hide your identity, Anya. That is alot of dedication."

Victoria's eyes grew as big as saucers as he heard him call her by her name. Nobody calls her that aside from her family and a few exceptions to Elizabeth-sometimes.

Victoria took a deep breath calming her anger down.

"Your reasons are shallow, Anya." He said. "Those reasons don't do justice on what you are doing. You are getting yourself hurt for whatever reason I don't get. Get your head straight, Anya. You don't deserve to be treated the way you do in this school. I can't bear the thought of them stepping on you the way they do, the way you let them."

Victoria stared at him taking the full impact of his words.

"You deserve better, Anya." He said pleading. "Why can't you see that?"

"And why can't you see that money and fame comes with a price, D'Angelo?" she said. "I am ruin. Before you. Before the incident with Nathan. Before the betrayal by him. Heck, even before I went to this school. D'Angelo, I am ruin. I am broken beyond repair. And I don't even know why."

"What do you mean?" he asked confused. "You are the only one who thinks that, Anya?"

"Because you don't know what happened to me. You know me. I get that. But you just scratched the surface, D'Angelo. You don't know me enough to judge me" she said. "So just let it go."

"Then let me in, Anya." He said. "Let me fix you."

"No," she said shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "And please stop calling me Anya. It's Victoria, D'Angelo. And leave my past alone. It's mine not yours. So please leave it alone. I only know you for a couple of days back in summer. I thought I would not see you again so I live my life like nothing happen then you came in again and start tearing my life from the seams. So leave it alone, D'Angelo."

The two stared at each other. Silver eyes clashing with her blue ones. Softening as the stress and agitation left their body.

"Fine," he said. "I'll leave it be. But on one condition."

"And what is that?" Victoria said cocking her head on the side as she looked at him. Her eyes never leaving his.

"I'll leave it alone for now," he said. "But just go with the flow for now. Be my girlfriend."

***

"Seriously," Hayley said as she put down her purse on the table together with a binder. "You didn't tell me that you and that hot duke got together over the summer."

Victoria merely looked at her before she got back to picking at her food. Dinner had just started and she was alone in their table before Hayley and Adam arrived. She was tired.

Charles is only here for a few hours and yet he managed to break down her walls that she had built around herself for many years. Her life is turning upside down and she need to find some ways to stop it from happening.

"Where did you get that information?" Elizabeth asked as she arrived. She sat beside Adam while Hayley is on the other side.

"The whole school is buzzing about it." Hayley said. "I heard it all throughout the school. Besides, our bitchy friends are talking about it to the Bitchy queen when I got here." Gesturing to the popular table where Victoria could see them sending her glares.

"Seriously," Victoria said looking up at the three people who are grinning at her like a cat that got its cream. "He is not my boyfriend."

"Oh really," Adam asked clearly not buying it.

"Yes, he is not," Victoria said. "You guys are exasperating. Seriously. And Adam since when do you gossip?" she said with a smirked on her face. Mischief danced in her eyes as she looked at the blonde boy seated between her two friends.

"Victoria since when did you become bad-ass and extremely sarcastic?" Hayley asked stopping Victoria from further commenting about her boyfriend.

"Since her boyfriend arrived, of course," Elizabeth said smiling like it's the most obvious thing in the entire world.

Victoria groaned. "He is not my boyfriend, never had and never will. Okay. So leave it alone."

"Leave what alone?" a familiar and annoying voice said.

Victoria groaned as her hand snake through her brunette hair. She felt the chair beside her scraped against the floor as someone made a move to occupy it.

"Why can't you just leave me alone, your Highness," she groaned.

"And let you suffer dinner without me?" he said with amusement laced in his voice. "I don't think so, love."

Victoria rolled her eyes.

Hayley squealed. "You guys are so cute."

"Why didn't I see this before?" Elizabeth said as she and Hayley high-fived each other.

"I still can't believe you are here," Victoria said quietly so only he could hear. She faced him. "You never really told me what you are doing here."

"I didn't," he said wistfully. "Didn't I?"

The two started at each other. It was like it was the only two of them in the room. All the sound drowned out. His silver eyes clashed with her pale blue ones. They stared at each other looking at the only windows to their souls. Absorbing at what they are seeing, they seem to have been in a trance.

"Mind if I join you guys?"

Victoria's head snapped up as well as Charles as they looked at Anthony Wilder who was standing. He wore a smile on his face and tray on his books on his hand.

"Charles!"

"Anthony!"

Charles stood up and the two did a man hug.

"You two are friends?" Victoria asked completely surprised and confused.

"Yup!" Charles sat back down with Anthony beside him.

"The best," Anthony butted in.

Moments later, Charles and Anthony's dinner arrived at the table given to them by a blonde girl who keeps batting her lashes at them.

Victoria can't help but glare at the girl before she sauntered off to the waiting trolley.

Slut!

Just as Victoria look back down to her plate, her gaze past Elizabeth who smirked at her. 'Busted,' she mouthed.