The Crown

VI

"Just leave me alone" I said, rolling my eyes to the heavens. Uncle Devan looked into my eyes with a worried expression. "Trust me Peggy, it will be dangerous for you to go there" that was the last straw that broke the camel's back. "Why can't I live like a normal teenager! What could possibly be dangerous about going out on my own!" I screamed at him. "Nothing kiddo, nothing. It's just that I don't trust Tasha"

"Please stop the lies. It's not Tasha that you don't trust. It's me"

"That's not true"

"Oh yes it is! We're just going to the park"

He gave me a deadpan look.

"Do you really believe that Tasha was taking you to the park?"

"How would I know? Hmm? I'm not with her. Besides if she was taking me somewhere else where I wasn't supposed to be, I could easily tell her 'no'"

"You stop right there missy. You wouldn't be able to. That's the problem with you teenagers, you think you can resist peer pressure when deep down you know you can't"

"Maybe I would know if you weren't so uptight and you actually let me make mistakes so I could learn from them"

"You are going to be Queen one day. Any mistakes you make now can severely affect you"

"How do you know that?! As far as I'm concerned, my mother abdicated. Do you know what that means Devan? It means she gave up the throne for -"

"I know what it means. I also know that you're going to thank me one day for not letting you go with her"

"She's my friend. You can't control who I want to go out with. You're not my dad!" I screamed. I saw the look of pain cross his face when I said those words and I would've apologized but I was just soo angry with him. "You're right. But I have a duty to protect you. I am just doing my job" he replied. I just looked straight ahead. "We're here" I muttered, unbuckling my seatbelt. I didn't even spare him a look when I got down. "I love you Peggy. You don't have to say anything back"

"I wasn't going to" And with that, I slammed the car door shut and walked angrily to the library. How dare he? He didn't have the right to tell me who and who not I went out with. Tasha, my best friend, and I were just going to the park on our own and somehow Uncle Devan thought it was a bad idea to go with her alone. I seriously couldn't understand why.

Maybe it's because Tasha invited two other boys I didn't know. But then again, if Tasha knew them, then I was safe. Even if they looked too old to even be in high school. Then I realize that he dropped me off at the library instead. I groaned as I picked up my phone to call him. "Yeah kiddo, I just realized that as well. I'm pulling over" he said as soon as he picked the call. I was so furious with him still. He picked me up and we were on our way home. "Look, I know you probably hate me right now but you have to understand that you can't trust anyone. Not even your friends. Just... I love you and only want to protect you. I wish you would understand" he said.

And before I realized, the truck came towards us in full speed. The car summersaulted ...

And then I woke up.

I gasped for air, my heart racing. I look around frantically for uncle Devan before realizing that it was just a dream. I took in deep, shaky breaths of air, trying desperately to calm myself. "Just a dream" I repeated. I stared at my hands, processing the nightmare and then the tears ran down my cheeks when I realized that it wasn't a nightmare, it was a memory. A memory of the car crash which took the only father figure in my life. And it was my fault. If I had just not try to escape, maybe he would be alive. The tears fell more violently as I hugged my pillow. After a good 10 minutes of incessant crying, I looked out the window and noticed that it had been broken. Hmm... I looked away.

Wait, WHAT?!

I inched towards my nightstand for my phone when I felt something cold under my foot. And no, it wasn't the floor. I pulled the duvet away to see what my foot just touched...

And if I was shocked then, my heart had stopped now. I practically ran out of my bed, grabbing my phone. That, definitely wasn't mine.I stood at the door, scrolling through my contacts for that one name. I clicked on it and called him immediately. I had never been more relieved to see someone pick up the phone than today. "Jacques, thank goodness" I pant.

"What? Peggy, it's six am! Why on earth did you call?"

I went straight to the point for the first time in my life.

"Jacques my bedroom window's shattered and... and there's a gun on my bed" I whisper.

The line went dead almost immediately.

Sorry for the short update. I just wanted to get the show on the road right away.