How About Seven? ✔

6. Baron Von Scheissenhausen

They gripped her by the collar of her shirt, lifting her up and throwing her against the wall. She hit it with a crash and slumped to the ground, curled up in pain.

"You helped him, didn't you?" the man roared. "He was a traitor and you - his whore! Tell me! Who else did he betray us to?"

She coughed, spitting out blood. She kept shaking her head, repeating the same thing over and over.

"He's not a traitor. He would never betray us! Thomas would never betray us! He would never! You've got it wrong! You - "

Another vicious kick in the ribs and she gasped, feeling something crack inside. A grimy black and white photograph was shoved into her face. 

"Look," the man hissed. "See the face of your boyfriend, the betrayer."

She could see it, a young boy about fourteen, hands in his pocket, a wary look on his face. It was taken at a cafe, and he was sitting at the same table with another man. The other man had on gloves.

She shook her head. "Doesn't mean it was him. It could have been Damian - "

"Shut up!" A backhand slap. Heavy breathing as the man glared down at her. "Though it doesn't matter really."

He leaned in close and let loose a hiss. "Because your darling boyfriend - is dead."

*

So. Second day of school. Right-o.

So far so good. Nothing wrong. I think. 

In class I sat down next to Leila and discreetly as I could, asked, "Is my period here?"

And as casually as she could, Leila ran an eye over my derriere. "No," she whispered. "Why?"

"Okay," I said, still whispering. "Then am I having a wardrobe malfunction?"

She giggled, and yet again oh-so-casually ran her eyes over me. "No. Why?"

I placed the books I had scrambled out to buy yesterday on my table. "Because I've had people looking at me and whispering about me, plus a couple of girls even came up to ask if I could be their friend. Oh and two boys asked if they could sit with me at lunch today.  One even offered to buy me lunch.Two boys. That I have no idea who they are."

"Ah. So it has begun."

"What has begun?"

Leila hushed her voice low, and her eyes held mine intently. She started making exaggerated movements. "Imagine! A prince, a high noble, with blue blood running in his veins. The dream of every maiden in that land! A prince so perfect no words could do him honor! A prince rumored to wed with another kingdom's princess. Two souls, beautiful beyond compare, to join in holy matrimony. A match truly made in heaven!"

She paused, and her voice turned low and her eyes narrowed. "But then, the prince makes an outrageous decision! He abandons the princess! He abandons the fairest maiden in the land! For what? Nay, the question is, for who? And the answer is. . ." Here she gasped, loud and dramatic. "For a maiden of lowly birth, a serf! He would abandon the company of the royalty, to be with her. This girl of common blood!"

She ended her tale, gesturing with flourish. I raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying I'm of common blood?"

"In the eyes of Brandy, yes. Kaylan's action to sit with you is huge. First, he's always sat with Brandy for lunch. Ever since word got out he likes her he's been sitting with her every day during lunch. And now he ditches her! Not for any other popular girl, but for you! This new girl that no one has ever heard about! Obviously you've become the hot stuff of the school. Girls want to get close to you to find out how to get their own Kaylan, and boys want to get close to you so they'd become close to Kaylan, which means they'll become popular."