My Selection

Disco Fever

I'm practically dragging Brighton down the hallway. I turn the corner to my room and run into something. Or should I say someBODY? Okay, it was actually two somebodys.
"Pamala. Cordelia." I say, nodding my head in a silent greeting.
Cordelia scoffs, "That is no way to address the future Princess of Illéa."
"I could call you other names if you would like." I mumble, hoping only Brighton hears.
"Ha-ha. Very funny." Cordelia says dryly. "Your Majesty would be fine."
Brighton laughs. "In your dreams, Your Majesty."
"Cordelia has gone on three dates with Prince Rhode." Pamala pipes in.
"Good for her! I bet Prince Rhode was soooo happy on those dates." Brighton mumbles.
Cordelia moves in closer, her heel digging into my foot. "He was happier with me than he would ever be with some Waverly scum like you."
"Ooh burn." I said sarcastically, trying not to wince from the pain.
She digs her heel in even more. This time I wince. "I'm sorry. Does that hurt?" She asks.
"Hey Cas-" I hear Rhode call as he turns the corner, then stops. "Oh. I'm sorry. Was I interrupting something, ladies?" He still hasn't noticed Cordelia's heel digging into my foot.
She slowly releases pressure from my foot, careful not to draw any attention.
"No. Not at all." Pamala says, covering for Cordelia.
"Well then, if you don't mind, I would like to take Lady Caspian for a few minutes." He says.
They all nod. Rhode hooks my arm in his and starts walking away.
"Wait right here." I say, running back (with some pain and struggle with my hurt foot) to where Brighton is with the other disco balls. I drag Brighton to her room and say, "don't let them get to you. They just want to see us go home."
She nods and I turn, walking back to where Rhode stands.
My foot is really starting to hurt, but I don't want to tell Rhode and seem like a 'tattle-tale' as Umben would call it.
He hooks his arm around mine, the 'proper way' for a Prince to walk. I'm 99% sure he hasn't noticed me limping.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" I ask nervously.
He smiles. "Just wanted to finish our conversation."
"Oh. Then continue." I say, managing a small smile through the pain.
We talk for a while, mostly about nothing. We make it to the first floor before the pain becomes unbearable.
"So that's how I met the Prince of-" he continues, but I interrupt him.
"Just a minute." I say, leaning down and taking off my shoe.
"What are you-" he starts, but stops when he sees a giant purple bruise on my foot. "What happened?" He asks.
"Her heels really hurt." I mumble.
"Who's heels?"
I struggle to come up with an explanation. "I...um-Brighton! Yeah. She left her room... But then she... Umm... Told her maids to ask me-ask me to bring down her favorite heels. And I...um... Kinda... Dropped her heel on my foot. Yeah! That's what happened."
He looks at me disbelievingly. "It hurts me to know that you are lying to me."
"No! I'm serious!" I exclaim.
His stare hardens. "I know that falling heels would not cause that big of a bruise. I would recommend you tell me what happened." He snaps out.
"But Rhode-"
"I. Want. To. Know. It's for your personal safety."
I'm taken aback by his sudden sternness. "I- I would not like to tell you. At least not yet."
Rhode takes a deep breath, very frustrated. "We will talk more about this later. For now we must get you to a nurse to make sure everything is alright with your foot."
It seems like he is talking to me like I am a stranger. Like he's never met me before.
"Rhode, I-"
"Let's go, Lady Caspian." He says, linking my arm in his and helping me walk to the infirmary. He hasn't called me 'Lady Caspian' since when we first met.
"Thank you." I say when we arrive.
Rhode replies with, "We'll talk more about this later."
I nod quietly and he walks away.
Later the nurse tells me that I have a broken foot and that I was very brave to walk a while flight of stairs.
"It didn't even hurt that much." I lie. First I lie to Rhode and now this nurse? I have to stop lying before this becomes a habit that I won't be able to fix.