Queen of Asgard (NaNoWriMo2018, Completed!)

21: Bad Press

"Suzume!" Melinda's booming voice jolted me, my hand slipping as I applied my eyeliner. I sighed heavily and glared at the thin black line that was now all down the left side of my face. Of course, the one day I try and make myself look nice and this has to happen.

"Hang on!" I called as I licked the tip of my finger and rubbed at the makeup. Once it was faded enough, I walked out of the bathroom and opened the door. Melinda was there as I'd expected, bouncing up and down in the doorway, red curls like fire around her head. To my surprise, Elise was there as well, her brows drawn into a severe expression that was quite unlike her.

"Girl you are not gonna believe this!" Melinda said, stomping across the threshold in her ankle-cut fringe boots. She brandished a magazine at me, the shiny pictures on the front moving which disoriented me for a moment before I recognized my own face on the cover.

My almond shaped eyes were wide with surprise, long hair flying and Thor's handsome face frozen in mingled shock and fury as he pulled me towards him and we vanished from the city sidewalk. The headline read: Thor's Mystery Girl.

I groaned and sank down on the nearby chair. "This is exactly what Thor was afraid of."

"What happened?" Melinda asked, sitting cross-legged on the floor while Elise claimed the other chair. "Photographers ambushed you guys?"

I nodded. "Those bastards," she growled, giving me more Harley Quinn flashbacks. "No respect for privacy."

"Completely," Elise agreed, crossing her arms. Her orange dress and chunky gold jewelry was shockingly colorful compared to her scowl. "I read the article and they weren't pulling any punches." The sympathetic look she gave me was indicative enough but I couldn't help myself.

"What did they say?"

Elise bit her full lower lip but obliged. "Speculated about who you were, maybe a member of the working class on Asgard. Kind of implied that Thor might just be sleeping with you because of it. Also called you plain."

"Which is bullshit," Melinda said frankly, glaring at the magazine clutched in her hands. "You're beautiful!"

I smiled wryly at the compliment. "Thanks."

"Are you okay?" Elise asked, placing her warm hand on my shoulder. "Do you need anything?"

"No," I said my mind still on Thor. The reporters (who barely deserved the name) and what they said about me wasn't bothersome. I was more concerned about Thor. The man had sought women from Midgard just to have some attempt at a private life for a while and that was now blown out of the water. "I'm alright. How did you guys get a hold of this?"

"Amanda likes to keep up with press here," Melinda said, "she got this delivered in the mail and came right to me. She thought you might take it better from us."

"Where's she at?" I asked, wondering if she might be spreading it around the manor already. The moment the thought entered, a pang of guilt shot through me. I'd known her for over a month now and while Amanda was many things, she wasn't a gossip.

"She's researching," Melinda answered. "Trying to figure out what else might have been printed about you. She was still at it when we left and I'm honestly impressed. I've never seen anyone type that fast-ever."

My guilt increased sharply. "I'll have to thank her when I see her at breakfast." I looked back and forth between the two women, a mix of confusion and gratefulness mixing inside my stomach like baking soda and vinegar and I couldn't stop the reaction. "Why'd you guys tell me this?" I blurted as blood rushed to my face. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I appreciate it, but we are competing against each other in a few days. Why would you do me a favor?"