𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒

10. 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂

𝕵ust as Rilynn expected, the next day has been . . . uncomfortable.

After being publicly dumped in front of the entire school, which is the worst way to break up, Rilynn became the talk of the school. Every second of the day, Rilynn swore she could feel eyes burning at the back of her head, most likely staring at her with pity or, worse--disapproval. She supposes it's all in her head, making her feel like everyone's staring at her, but while walking down the halls, Rilynn could hear the whispers like they were shouting.

Rilynn was starting to regret going to classes by herself, dismissing both Razelle and Doug after they requested to accompany her so she didn't have to go through it alone; however, it was starting to become clear to Rilynn that she should've at least walked with Doug. The princess didn't want Chad, nor the other students, to see that she was affected by the whole scandal, but Rilynn was a liar. She hates this so much. Rilynn was tired of all the looks.

"I'm sorry about you and Chad, Riley," one person had said while Rilynn was walking about.

"He was wrong for doing that to you," another said. "Audrey is horrible for doing that behind your back."

The entire time, Rilynn flashed a smile to everyone to show that the events didn't hurt her, but the princess was never a good liar. She's certain everyone could see that she was hurting, horribly embarrassed by the two people she considered friends. Rilynn pulled out her phone and decided to send Doug a quick text, casually asking Doug where he was. Rilynn didn't want to make it evident that she was struggling amid the crowd, but the princess realized she needed someone.

"Rilynn!" Lonnie called from afar. Rilynn looked up and flashed the girl a smile, but it widened in mere relief when she spotted Doug walking beside her.

"Hey," Rilynn greeted in relief, approaching the two almost urgently. "I just texted you, looking for you." But then the princess noticed the looks on their faces. Uh-oh. "What's wrong? Why are you guys looking at me like that?"

Doug swiped the frown from his face and replaced it with a reassuring smile. "Nothing's wrong, Riley," he says, though it doesn't seem to ease Rilynn's confusion. "We were just looking for you. How've you been since . . . you know?"

Rilynn smiles with sadness in her eyes, her smile barely enough. "Fine," she says, primarily for her benefit. Rilynn knew she wasn't okay, especially not after everyone seemed to have their opinions regarding her breakup with Chad. "I'm doing fine. You guys don't have to worry about me."

Doug rounded to Rilynn's side while Lonnie took the other, guarding the princess like her guardian angels, protecting her from any comments from their classmates. Doug pulled Rilynn to his side, rubbing her arms, soothing the princess from any stress she might've been feeling. Doug had lost track of Rilynn when they had to part due to having opposite classes, so he'd been searching for the girl by the time it was lunchtime.

"You're my best friend, Riley," Doug said. "I'm always going to worry about you. I don't know if you know this, but you're pretty clumsy."

This gained a giggle from Rilynn, lifting her mood just a smidge. Doug was proud to make the princess smile. He never liked seeing her frown, which is rare for the bright princess. Rilynn is always sunny and happy, too bubbly and pure for her own good. Doug cherished this about Rilynn; though he's lean and thin, he'd do anything to protect the princess. They're best friends; they always take care of each other.

"I could say the same thing about you, Doug," Rilynn grinned.

Surrounded by her friends was a good feeling that Rilynn couldn't describe; knowing she had people she could lean on for support was a comforting feeling, and Rilynn is grateful for the people she met since living in Auradon Prep. Doug and Rilynn had been best friends since the beginning--they were practically inseparable. They were two clumsy teens, full of love and kindness, plus they both loved reading.