Caught Between (If Roses Are Red #1)

Chapter 20

I wonder what had happened in the past since the Queen and Nolan do not seem happen about the new development.

We three ride to school together in one of the limousines. Reporters run after us asking questions as soon as we alight the car. Thank God for guards. I'm so not going to get used to this new life.

Henry place his arm over my shoulders, giving me a warm smile. "I'm so happy I'm closer to you."

"Yeah, me too. I won't have to be bored in that lonely place." I smile at him. Just ahead were our friends scowling. 

"Uh oh. Here comes trouble," Henry murmurs.

"For who?" I whisper back. I gulp when I lock eyes with Vickie.

"Anna Bill and Henry Milner," Vickie greets with a cold look as she regards us. She let her arms fold across her chest. I got married to her crush. She must hate me.

"Hey guys." I fake a smile.

"Don't 'hey' us, how could you? Didn't you think we deserve to know? We're your friends." Kim fumes.

"Not here," Henry murmurs.

"Yeah and what about you? You knew and both of you kept it from us," Brianne asks, with a hurt look.

"People are watching. Let's go somewhere more private." Guilt ate at me. I take Vickie's hand in mine, giving her a pleading look.

She roughly jerks my hand away and says, "Don't bother about it. I don't know about the others but I've got a class to go to." Vicki storms away with Kim trailing after her.

"That wasn't cool l, Anna. You should have told us but you must have had a reason not to, right?" Brianne sighs heavily.

I nod and apologize, "It's been a crazy week."

"You should go to Vicki, she's really upset," She puts her arm in mine, smiling, "By the way, you owe a whole pack of gist. How's the Prince? Speaking of Prince, why were you with the royal entourage, Henry?" She eyes him warily.

He rubs the back of his neck. "Uhm- I uh- "

"Form words, Mister." She snaps her fingers in his face.

"Lemme just tell you. Henry is a Prince. He's Nolan's cousin." I slowly say.

"What?!"

I spend the rest of my day giving autographs and taking pictures with people who wouldn't have lend me a pen a week earlier. I was invited to different social parties I knew I wouldn't attend and had many fake friends. Really fake people who only want to hang out with me so as to get close to 'super hot Prince Nolan'. Talk about cheap. All they want to talk about is Nolan this and Nolan that. Ugh.

I finally have time to myself when it was lunch. I might have kind of bribed Kim with chocolate bars. I bought for two bowls of ice cream and set to look for Vickie. Kim tells me she is in the school garden.

And there she was, scribbling furiously in her sketchbook.

"Hey Vickie," I greet, sitting beside her on the bench. She ignores me and continues scribbling.

"The silent treatment, really Vickie?"

She continues to ignore me. I sigh and open the ice cream bowl. "Guess I'll just sit here eating this two bowls of ice cream by myself. Summer swirl, just the way you like it." I moan as I place the sweet creamy stuff in my mouth. "Hmm, so good. The best ice cream in the world. So delicious."

She turns and glare at me. "Really, Anna? Ice cream?" She gets up, pinching her nose.

"Your favorite ice cream," It came out like a question instead.