The Girls from Downstairs

Twenty-Four: I'm not in love

I glanced to my left and caught Adrian, yet again, smiling at me. It was really starting to freak me out. Why is it that Esmerelda shows up, and suddenly he’s acting all sorts of kind to me? At first I believed him when he said he was only doing this in an attempt to become the prince or whatever excuse he used on me a while ago. That seemed more like typical Adrian.

Not this one walking beside me. He’s fairly sweet and remotely charming, protective over me and funny and actually seems to care. It reminds me a lot of Link and Zelda. Neither of them wanted to admit the liked each other. At first he was only in it to save her, and she only wanted him to save her. But then when he did, they found out he really started to care for her even though they’d rarely spoken before, until eventually they both felt the same way and now they’re pretty happy together. (Then again, in Somnoria pretty much everyone is happy with someone else - even on Villain’s Island)

Not that I’m thinking Adrian and I are going to find Happily Ever After with each other, or anything. Because, you know, he’s more like my older annoying brother that happens to be very attractive...

“What are you staring at?!?” I finally shouted when I caught him smiling again.

“You’re very beautiful in this light,” he answered.

I stopped to stare at him. “Are you feeling okay, Adrian? You’ve been acting awfully strange lately.”

He shrugged. “I’m only acting according to my fate.”

“...okay, I have no time for riddles. We’ve been wandering around this stupid labyrinth for a few hours now; we need to find a way out,” I decided, hands on my hips.

“I think it’s somewhere that way,” he said, pointing behind us.

“I highly doubt that. We just came from there,” I argued.

“Exactly. And we came from the only entrance/exit.”

My eyes rolled. “Okay, so technically you’d have a point if we hadn’t been wandering in circles for the last while!”

“Then what do you suggest, love?” he asked, taking one of my hands in his. I stared at him again, utterly confused. This boy was going to give me cause to go to a mental hospital.

“Why don’t you take that left fork, and I’ll go to the right and we’ll see who makes it out alive?” I suggested. I was sick of playing his games. He’s really starting to convince me to like him again. I know this wasn’t going to last long. The moment I admit I had feelings for him he’s going to pull away, laugh, and tell me it was all just some sort of sick joke he was pulling on me.

“Maybe we should stick together,” he said.

I shook my hand and took my hand back. “No, I think I like this idea much better. See you on the other side!”

It took nearly all my effort to walk away, and not look back. I knew he wasn’t following me, since there were no sounds coming from behind me. I sighed, grateful. It was nice to be by myself for once. That’s what I liked about working in the kitchens; it was quiet, and there was plenty of time to think. Will was there often, but he was a man that liked to work in silence. We talked here and there, sure, but both of our demeanors were more on the quiet side when it came to working.

Oh, how I missed him. He’s been like a father to me this whole time. And the king, of course. We all figured I’d be made a princess of the castle, but it never occurred to me that that meant I wouldn’t be baking or cooking anymore. I really missed that. It had become my solace in this strange life I live.

“What’s that?” I whispered. The cracking noise stopped when I did. I shrugged and continued walking again, the cracking noise only getting louder. I was lost in my thoughts yet again in a matter of moments. This time I was trying to decide if it was proper for a princess to cook in her own castle. Cinderella did it here and there. Usually it was some treat she would whip up for herself really quick or something, but for the most part-