The Secret Princess (One Direction Fanfic)

Chapter 25: So, We Meet Again.. (Part 1)

Chapter 25

SOPHIE'S POV:

I didn't know what to do.

The more I tried to lie still and calm myself down, the more restless I became. I hadn't seen these people in person in, what, eight years? Eight years is a very long time. And now after everything that's happened, I'm going to just see them, like that! *Imaginary clicks fingers* I wanted to go stay my room and lock myself in my closet. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea right now.

Whenever I thought about it, my breathing pattern would go all over the place and it felt like I was going to hyperventilate. Deep breaths, deep breaths. The only thing I was worried about was the fact they my mother and father were more unpredictable. Actually, unpredictable is an understatement. I mean, they sent me to Australia at the age of nine, for god’s sake!

I slightly cracked open my bedroom door and peeped out into the hallway. Nothing. Then again, when I looked back at my alarm clock it was only six in the morning. It took all my might to pry open my eyes this morning. I was surprised that I had even fallen asleep. The whole time I was lying in my bed, my mind was going one hundred miles per second. My thinking mode was switched on, and once it's on, it's hard it turn off.

There was no one in the hallway and the house was eerily silent. Not one single movement. But I reminded myself, six in the morning. Slowly, I fully opened the door and took a step out into the hallway. The air was still, but the temperature was a little chilly. I bolted back in my room and grabbed a grey knitted cardigan to cover my 'sleeping rox!' singlet pyjama top.

As I made my way through the small hallway, I glanced up at the walls and saw the photo frames on either of the walls beside me. All the fake family photos were scattered, large and small, to make people believe that we are a family. There was young Louis, jumping on top of Mitch, Jane and I laughing over a tea party and a whole funny messed up family portrait. And even though my real parents told Jane and Mitchell to make sure we have a family photo every year to keep memories of us growing up, these pictures showed a real family.

My mother and father really had to prove to me that they wanted to see me, that they really care, because honestly, I was at breaking point. They were almost next to nothing in my eyes, and I'm pretty sure the feeling was mutual.

I stood in front of the photos with my arms neatly crossed together, just scanning our faces. Those smiles were real smiles. Not the put on ones that I would have to do every day if I was a princess back in England. It made me think, really hard. Did I even want to be a princess? I'm so used to a regular life now, that it seems so much better than that.

I heard a few soft footsteps and at the corner of my eye, someone tall stopped next to me and stared at the photos too. The strong cologne scent filled my nose and I could tell who it was. I shuffled over a bit and leaned my head on Mitchell's shoulder. He was like my own father.

"Promise me, when you see them today, have an open mind?" I heard him softly say above me. We both kept staring at each photo, not much emotion running through me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, staring blankly at a picture of me and Louis posing for a fake fight.

"As in, listen to what they have to say. Don't jump to conclusions and think everything they say through." He explained. That sounded like something Mitchell would say - his words of wisdom. Even though I knew Mitchell was wise, I couldn't help but wonder.

"Did they tell you to say that?" I asked, meaning my parents.

"Nope."

I sighed and felt the delayed emotion finally surfacing. A tear fell from my eye and trailed down my cheek. Why am I crying so much lately? I looked up at the ceiling to try and stop another tear from falling, but it was pointless, the floodgates had opened. The only thing I was worried about was losing them - Mitch, Jane, Niall, Liam, everyone. What if this was the final straw? What if it was the end for Australia for Louis and I?