To Be a Princess

→chapter three

"Let me get this straight," she cleared her throat. "This Cassie girl thinks you're this other girl called Charlotte, and apparently she hates Charlotte or something, but you're not Charlotte, you're Ophelia, but Cassie doesn't fully believe you so she's been really suspicious of you but then when you thought you might be able to win her trust and be friends you accidentally trip over and spill hot chocolate on her, so she hates you and you're not sure what to do?"

"Well, that's basically it," Ophelia replied nervously, sniffling quietly.

"What a bitch."

"I wouldn't call her that, she must be going through something, maybe she's been having a bad day?" she tried to find a reasonable explanation but was left clueless.

"Ophelia."

"You can call me Opi."

"Opi, you're probably a great person, but I have to tell you, everyone has a bad day sometimes and that's not an excuse to act like that. I'd stay away from her after this. She's clearly not a good person."

"But-"

"No buts, now stop those tears, it's not the end of the world so you shouldn't waste it on people who aren't worth it," she said firmly. 

"I guess,"  she sighed. "I just don't get why she hates me. Maybe I do look like this Charlotte person but what could she have done to make Cassie hate her that much?"

"Maybe she was an ex who ended up being dumping her for another person," May snorted jokingly.

"May!"

"Okay fine, not an ex. Maybe she spilled hot chocolate on her," she then said, looking at Ophelia with a blank face. Both of them erupted in such a fit of laughter that a student walking by them gave them a funny look.

"You're probably the only person today who's been normal around me."

"I mean, what else would I be? You're the complete opposite of what that Cassie girl seems to think you are. I wouldn't even mind hanging out more often," she smiled.

"Really?"

"No, I despise you and want to send you to the pits of hot chocolate hell. Yes, really! Don't be so anxious, you need to live life a lot more freely."

"Huh?"

"Oh come on, you seem like a person who worries and stresses a lot. Try to be more chill, or your hair will turn all grey. Turn that frown upside down," she grinned cheesily.

Ophelia couldn't help but laugh again. Talking with May was just so easy, nothing like any friends she'd had before. Not that she'd had many friends before in her small town.

"You're right, sorry," she said, smiling.

"That's the spirit, now what do you say, should we blow of the rest of the day and do something fun?" she asked eagerly.

"I wish I could, but I still need to unpack and get used to the school by finding my way around, by the time I'm done it'll be curfew."

"Well, that's fine, I'd be happy to do something another day. Maybe we can hot chocolate together," she laughed as she began to walk away.

Ophelia watched her until she turned around the corner. Thinking about what May had told her, she realised she was right. There was no point dwelling on Cassie. If she didn't want to be friends, that was that. She could make other friends. Or at least, she hoped she could.

Remembering that she needed to unpack, she stood up and began to walk in the direction she hoped her dorm, though she couldn't remember it clearly yet.

Turning at a hallway, she heard a voice shout something, but she didn't have time to process what they were saying before a football slammed into her face. She fell backwards, landing on her hands. The ball rolled forward as two boys rushed towards her.

"Are you okay?"

"Caspian, you kicked a ball in her face, do you think she's okay?" the black-haired one replied sarcastically.

"Well how am I supposed to know?"

"The girl literally fell on the ground after a ball hit her face and you're not sure if she's okay?"

"It's not my fault Eros! You're the one who passed the ball back to me really hard," he complained.

"Caspian, need I remind you for the third time that you kicked a ball into this girl's face, and she's lying on the ground," he replied, pointing at Ophelia.

"Oh," he said finally, looking at her. "Um, are you okay?"

"Never been better," she joked, her left hand covering her nose, which had received most of the impact.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to do it, I just didn't see you coming." He reached out his hand, and she grabbed it, letting him help her get up.

"It's fine, I don't think it's broken."

"That's a relief," he sighed.

"Anyway, why were you playing football in the corridors, isn't that not allowed?" she asked.

The one with black hair grinned at his brother.

"I was challenging my brother Caspian to show him that I'm the better twin, which I obviously am."

"In your dreams, Eros."

"So you're Eros and you're Caspian, and you're twins? You look nothing alike." she asked in confusion, pointing at both of them.

"Yeah, we get that a lot" Caspian replied.

"Have you not heard of us before?" Eros asked, slightly amused.

"Err... should I know you?"

"Well, I mean, we are-" he didn't finish his sentence before Caspian covered his mouth.

"Shut up," he whispered.

"Dude, what was that for?"

"Nothing, let's just go, it's nearly curfew anyway," Caspian replied, annoyed.

"But we didn't even catch her name," Eros complained.

"I'm Ophelia, but I should probably get going too, see you guys around!" she smiled, walking away.

Eros turned back to look at Caspian.

"Cas, what was that all about? She was the first really cute girl we've met who doesn't know who we are."

"Exactly! She's the first person our age that we've met that doesn't already know who we are. If you had told her, she'd start acting fake around us and try to get close to us just because our Dad has money," he replied angrily, obviously upset.

"Is this about Milly? Because if it is, not every teenage girl that walks this planet is obsessed with you and me for money, get over yourself Caspian. One bad person doesn't define every other person you meet."

"Shut up."

Eros sighed, before changing the subject. Bringing up the topic with his brother never solved anything. Caspian just shut him out.

"Well at least you didn't deny that she was cute," he smirked.

"Wh-"

"Kidding!" He laughed, lightening the mood.

Caspian joined in with his laughter.

"I'm sorry I snapped, I just..."

"It's fine, I get it. You just gotta learn to trust other people."

"I'm trying."

"C'mon, let's get to our room before we get in trouble."

"Alright."