The Bookworm Meets the Prince Read online

  Good thing I was able to sneak in a few naps during classes when the teacher wasn’t looking. I could say I was good at this, sleeping in class while no one was noticing. It was a secret power.

  At lunch time, I grabbed a cup of coffee to make me last a little longer. I chose to be alone, so I could catch a few z’s. Rissa knew the drill, though; she would wake me up five minutes before the bell rings.

  But things didn’t always go my way. Ryan had to be there to ruin things.

  “So, I didn’t know you knew Andrew?” he asked, putting his tray on the table and sitting in front of me.

  “What’s it to you?” I snapped. I didn’t have to answer him, and my lack of sleep made me cranky.

  “I don’t think you should hang out with him. He’s not who you think he is. If you don’t want more drama in your life, stay away from him. I get the fact that you don’t really like me, and yes, I did come out as a cocky bastard who gets everything he wants. I still do, but I’m willing to change. Please give me a shot, a fair shot against Andrew,” he said with sincerity in every word.

  I sat there staring at Ryan, who was just sitting there looking at me. Should I give him a chance? I was not really looking for anything at the moment, but I could not stand to see the pain in his eyes. He was suffering from the inside.

  “Friendship… that’s all I can offer anyone right now. I’m not looking for anything. We can start again, but on the right foot—as friends. I’m not your girlfriend, and you’re not my boyfriend, and you don’t dictate who I can hang out with.”

  He looked like he was contemplating my conditions. He then nodded his head.

  “I have one thing to point out, though: I will still be here. If you only want to be my friend for now, so be it. But please, let me show you the real me. Give me that chance,” he said

  It was my turn to nod my head and resume eating since I was no longer sleepy. When the bell rang, he asked if he could walk me to class, which I reluctantly agreed to. Friends could do this for each other, right? The rest of the day was uneventful after that. Ryan’s change was a nice one. I was not as irritable around him.

  When I got to the library, Mel and Drew were nowhere to be found, so I just continued what I did yesterday. While working, I thought about what happened today between Ryan and me.

  Being friends with Ryan? That was an interesting turn of event I had never thought of.

  Chapter 7

  Realization

  Days just flew by, and it was now weekend. I was so excited to hang out with Jam without repercussions the next day; I had been sleeping in class way more than I should. Well, it was totally worth it because I got to bond with my cousin.

  Rissa was meeting us in the mall since she had to finish something first. So Jam and I decided to just go ahead and look around. Window shopping was Jam’s favorite hobby. She’d always say that it kept her style updated. She also wouldn’t shut up about the outfit I was wearing, which only consisted of a T-shirt, jeans, and sandals. She loved my bag, though, and said I shouldn’t worry if it goes missing for a few months because she’d be treating it to an all-expense stay in France with her. I just laughed at it.

  We passed by the local bookstore, which was basically calling me. I couldn’t resist and asked Jam if we could go in even for a short while. She laughed and said yes.

  “You know, I should stop calling you a bookworm. You’re more of a bibliophile or bibliomaniac. It’s like your whole life revolves around books,” Jam said while looking at the synopsis of a book.

  The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I loved collecting as much as I loved reading books, so it made total sense, but I just rolled my eyes at her.

  “Yeah, I guess. But for the time being, I have to be a window shopper for books. Dad has cut down my book allowance, and he knows I won’t be giving up my food just to buy one. This just sucks, though; I just don’t get it. When we were younger, they were the ones telling me that one has to appreciate reading, but now, they’re taking it back,” I ranted. Yes, I did get around their words by borrowing at the library, but buying a book was harder to keep from them.

  My parents taught me since I was young how to handle my finances properly. They told me it was all about budgeting my finances so I could get everything I needed. So I had separate allowances for food, books, clothes, and other things. On top of that, I had to save ten percent from my allowance every month to a bank account I couldn’t touch until I’d reach college.

  Jam laughed, shook her head, and rolled her eyes. She always thought I was a bit ridiculous about my finances. She would always tell me I should just spend it the way I saw fit. Let me point out that she was the type of person who would spend her money on the same day she got it. I was not sure how she survived, but she was happy, so who was I to judge?

  “Right, we wouldn’t want to rearrange the whole financial set up. On a different note, what time is Rissy getting here? I haven’t seen her in a few months. I shall kill her for spending more time with that boyfriend of hers than me. She sees him every day, and I’m here for only a few days,” Jam said, a little disappointed.

  Rissa and Jam were also friends. They’d usually hang out because of me. But now, it was like a ritual; they had to see each other when Jam would visit. They might not be as close as Jam and me, or Rissa and me, but they were not far from it.

  “So, homies, who missed me?” Rissa said just in time before Jam could pick up her phone and shout at her for being late.

  “I was supposed to say me, but I’m too irritated with you to say so,” Jam said even if she was already smiling and hugging Rissa.

  “Whatever! You know you did; no one was as crazy as me in France. At least I think none, but with all those artistic friends of yours, I may be overruled,” Rissa said.

  Jam had some weird friends, but I would like to think of them as artistic. They might not dress or act the same way as we did, but they sure had some talent that would leave you speechless. They were the type to talk about artsy stuff you couldn’t understand if you are not one of them. Rissa called them weird because the last time we talked to them, we were somewhat left out of the conversation, and she hated that feeling.

  “Geez, I haven’t seen you in less than a minute, and you’re already bashing my friends? Thanks a lot, Rissy. So how are things with your boyfriend?” Jam asked while picking a new book.

  Rissa just blushed the way she’d always do when asked about Chad. I mean they had been dating for close to three years. You would think they should have gotten tired of each other, but nope, they just became stronger. They were even planning on going to the same university when we’d graduate. Who knows? They might be planning a wedding soon, though I hoped they would not since I was not ready to let Rissa go yet.

  “We’re fine. Nothing new to report. You should ask Lizzie over here about her love life. It has changed from nonexistent to extremely active,” Rissa reported.

  I glared and thought of throwing the book I was holding at her. The only thing that stopped me was the guard standing ten feet away from us.

  “Well, she has mentioned a few things. Though at that moment, I’m thinking she downplayed it so I wouldn’t ask too many questions,” Jam commented.

  I really didn’t blame her for not being interested initially. There wasn’t really much detail to it. Drew and I spent time during Chad’s party. I did not mention those times we were spending together at the library, the family heirloom he gave me, and our diner escapade. Then, there was Ryan, the player who constantly bugged me and suddenly turned into someone I could tolerate. Well, sometimes, he’d go back to being a pain in the neck, but he seemed to be tolerable for now. I was glad I didn’t expound further on the topic.

  But Jam and Rissa being themselves, they demanded I tell them the entire story. So I told Jam the entire situation when we got to the food court. Rissa was putting her two cents on the story while we ate. Jam nodded her head and told me her thoughts about the two guys who were presen
t in my life.

  “You know what? I think I’m definitely staying over for the Christmas break. I mean, it is a few weeks away, and Mom is busy with her new restaurant. Dad also has to look over some paintings in New York for his collection. I will be free to join you on the break. I really want to meet these guys. Plus, once I go back, I will have the latest gossip about this missing crown prince. I’m so excited!” Jam said as she finished her taco.

  When she mentioned the crown prince again, I merely rolled my eyes. It seemed unlikely for him to go unnoticed this long. Rissa, on the other hand, had a totally different reaction. She seemed to stiffen a bit but regained her usual composure after five seconds. Yes, I counted. Don’t judge.

  “What do you mean by crown prince, Jam?” Rissa asked casually while twirling her pasta.

  “The one from Sarconia. There are rumors he’s staying here. I mean, people have seen his car, the black Lamborghini, around the neighborhood. Well, now that I mentioned it, I guess the proper word is ‘stayed’ because I got a message from my friend saying the car already left. I just want to know what happens next,” Jam said.

  While she was saying this, Rissa looked a bit fidgety. By this time, I knew she was hiding something from me. I knew her every move, and she’d never fidget unless she was really nervous about something.

  “But I can’t seem to take my eyes off that chocolate sundae. I’ll be back,” Jam said and proceeded to buy the chocolate sundae she just needed to have.

  When Jam left, I couldn’t help myself and asked Risa what was on her mind.

  “Ok, what’s up? You’re fidgeting, and you never do that unless you’re hiding something. So, spill,” I said—well, somehow demanded.

  She looked me in the eyes which showed she was debating about something. Her green eyes, usually filled with humor and amusement, was now filled with some unspoken emotion I never saw from her before. It must be painful for her to hide something from us.

  “Well, it’s about the Crown Prince,” Rissa started, “he’s really—”

  “This chocolate sundae is really the bomb. I have to say they don’t make it like this in France,” Jam said when she got back.

  At the same time, Rissa’s phone rang, and she looked at it.

  “Yeah, I have to go. I’ll see you later, Jam, or perhaps when you go back. Chad just texted, and I need to meet him. So, yeah. See yah,” Rissa hurriedly said, almost sprinting out of the food court.

  “She’s acting weird. I don’t know what’s going on, but she is. I am going to find out,” I said while staring at her quickly disappearing figure.

  “Good luck with that then. You know how Rissa is. She could keep a secret. If she thinks she should tell you, she would, but if not, she wouldn’t.”

  When we were driving home, I couldn’t help but feel like someone was following us again. It was the same black SUV. Unfortunately, it wasn’t near enough for me to see the plate number. Just when I thought I was going to see more details of the SUV, it again turned towards a different direction. Maybe I was just being paranoid about this.

  When I parked the car, I excused myself and read through the internet. Rissa mentioned that crown prince again. I guess it was time to actually look into what all the fuss was all about. I clicked the first website made for him and started reading.

  “His Royal Highness Phillipe William Andrew Martin, oldest son of His Majesty King George and Her Majesty Queen Diana, is the Crown Prince of Sarconia. He is the first in the line of succession in Sarconia, fiftieth in Switzerland, and eighty-first in the United Kingdom. He is also one of the great-great-grandsons of the late Queen Victoria.

  It has been noted that after the prince’s twenty-second birthday, King George announced his supposed betrothal to Lady Catherine...”

  Alright, I knew these things from Jam. Where are the other things about this guy? I skimmed through different websites and found out a few random things about the crown prince. They were mostly trivial matters like his color preference (blue), his favorite watch (two-tone, blue-faced Rolex watch), and such.

  Then after a while, I came across one picture; the only picture you could find about this prince. It was supposedly a picture of the crown prince during one of his car races. Apparently, he was an avid fan of racing, and his coveted car was always with him. Unfortunately, he was facing away from the camera, only showing his backside. His arm was leaning against a black Lamborghini. It was the same car I saw Drew driving the first time I saw him. But there was more about this car; it was a Lamborghini Reventon. It was listed as one of the rarest cars in the world, and the crown prince was a proud owner. There were only twenty of these cars made. Out of all the things I had found out, it was the backside of the crown prince that got my attention. It looked so familiar. The more I looked at it, the more I tried to search my brain for answers.

  “Oh, my goodness!” I almost screamed when I realized. It couldn’t be, but here it was in front of me.

  The rare car, the misunderstanding with his parents, his cautious nature when he got in his car the first time I met him, the expensive firsthand edition of Pride and Prejudice, Rissa’s reluctance, and Ryan saying he wasn’t the person he seemed to be… It was all dawning on me. My crush, my own Mr. Darcy, seemed to be too perfect because he was the crown prince!

  His Royal Highness Phillipe William Andrew Martin, Crown Prince of Sarconia, was also known as Andrew or Drew, my friend and crush.

  Was this the universe’s way of a sick joke? I wanted my own Mr. Darcy, not a freaking crown prince.

  “You figured it out, I see,” a familiar voice said from my bedroom door.

  As I turned around and saw his face, I knew I was in deeper shit than I initially thought. I thought a player who was after me was bad. Well in my clichéd universe, it was only the tip of the iceberg.

  Chapter 8

  Secrets from Three Years Ago

  I couldn’t breathe, talk, or move. The revelation was too huge for me. It’s not every day you find out you’re friends with someone considered somebody in another country—a freaking crown prince at that. Granted, I had never heard of him, but who was I to mingle with royalty? Really, I was just a commoner in their eyes.

  At this point, I had so many questions I had no answers to. How does Ryan, Mel, and Chad fit into the picture?

  But as I looked into Chad’s eyes, I knew that Rissa couldn’t keep it any longer. It seemed like she had known things for a while now. How long had she been keeping this from me? She needed Chad’s permission to tell me everything I needed to know. I assumed he was here to shed some light to some of my questions or to warn me not to talk about this huge secret. Chad was his cousin after all. Wait, does that mean that Chad was also a royal? What about Ryan and Mel? They said their parents were working for Drew’s family and that they grew up with him. To think they also kept this from me. Was I the last one to know about this huge secret?

  Chad made his way inside my room. He suddenly looked at the top of my dresser filled with pictures. There were three that stood out: Rissa and me on the beach when we were fifteen, Jam and me during my visit to France last year, and our family picture. He just stood there like he was remembering something, but I couldn’t take the silence anymore. I needed to know why exactly he was here.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked with a low voice.

  He looked at me for five seconds and stared at the pictures again. Obviously, he was giving the picture with his girlfriend on it more attention.

  “Well, you’re in my house and in my room; I’m guessing there’s a reason for this?” I said, this time with a firmer voice.

  “We both know why I’m here. You have some questions, and I’m the only one who can answer them without any bias. Ryan would make my cousin the bad guy because he would want you to trust him. You know his intentions, and Andrew is the one involved here. I’m guessing you have an inkling about his intentions as well,” he said this without looking at me, just the pictures.

  �
�I remember this picture of you and Rissa. It was the day I realized I had my first crush. You guys were fifteen, and I just turned sixteen. I wanted to approach you and possibly introduce myself, but I had my hesitations. I was the new kid, after all. Even if I had been staying here for thirteen months at that point, I was still the new kid. Rissa was very pretty, but you had more things going for you. You have these eyes that captures people. It has a pull that would make anyone want to know you more. It’s like you wouldn’t want to look away. It is so expressive, anyone can practically read you just by looking at them,” he said, still looking at the picture.

  I was shocked. I didn’t even remember most of that day. Rissa and I were just messing around like usual. But looking at him staring at those pictures, I could tell he remembered everything that happened that day. And what was up with my eyes?

  “Would it be weird if I tell you that you were my first crush? But don’t think of anything of it. Before I had the time to react, my cousin saw you and said he would come back here and introduce himself to you. You were just too young then. After all, he was already nineteen, and you were only fifteen. He was not staying here long; he was only here to visit us over the weekend and make sure we were adjusting well.

  “I knew he wasn’t kidding about coming back, so I took my hint and moved on. It wasn’t until I joined the football team in sophomore year that I really saw Rissa. She was everything I was looking for, and soon, I took the courage to ask her out.” He smiled at that; he really did love Rissa. He had that certain glow he only had when he talked about her.

  “This still doesn’t answer anything. I mean, I’m flattered, but it still doesn’t explain why you’re here,” I said.

  This time, he took his sweet time answering, like he was really planning his words. One way or the other, this was still a confusing issue. He drew out a sigh and continued talking.