Banking On My Bodyguard

chapter 6

A long and tense week passed.

For the most part I spent the time getting settled back into the swing of the school routine. When I wasn't attending classes or studying I spent most of my time in my room. I had gradually made my way through my bags of luggage and my dorm had taken shape.

It also meant that I had to spend less time around a certain dictatorial bodyguard. He thankfully never followed me into the room, and we'd barely acknowledged one another since our blowout fight.

I certainly had nothing to say to him, I was still too annoyed, but I didn't prevent him from following me around to complete his duties. I knew that if I tried to evade him I'd either fail or he'd call my father and inform him that I was resisting his help.

He was building a better friendship with Paul everyday; I was grateful that the more time they spent chatting about guy stuff meant less time we had to interact. I knew he was watching me closely though, I'd built up a sort of sixth sense when he was looking at me, it was almost like a hot prickle running across my back.

I sighed into the mirror as I adjusted my outfit. It was Saturday but my English teacher had arranged a class trip for the day. We were visiting the cottage of Anne Hathaway, she was Shakespeare's wife, and since we were studying A Midsummer Night's Dream, Miss Wells thought it would be a fun experience for us.

I was partly looking forward to it, Naila and Amelia were in my English class so it would be a fun day out for us. I just hoped it wouldn't rain, the cloudy skies didn't look promising.

I pulled on my coat and grabbed the small bag I'd packed for the day before exiting the dorm.

Kingsley was already standing outside waiting for me and I was careful not to glance at him as I locked my door. He didn't speak to me either, used to our little routine of ignoring one another.

When I was finished I peeked at him from the corner of my eye and took in his appearance. He wasn't dressed in uniform today and his all-black style accentuated his muscular frame. I pried my eyes away before he caught me but I couldn't ignore how attractive I thought he looked.

I began to march down the hallway towards the exit and found the bus waiting once I got outside. I clambered onboard as Miss Wells ticked my name off the register and shuffled down the aisle, plopping into the seat next to the girls as Kingsley went to sit with Paul in the row behind us.

"Hey Vee, you excited for this?" Naila spoke up in her usual intoxicating optimism.

"Yeah it'll be fun, plus I heard there's a really pretty garden there. I brought my sketchbook and pencils to draw it." I tapped my bag on my lap.

"I wish I could draw, playing the piano isn't exactly something I can do anywhere." Amelia commented as she scrolled through her phone.

"You're lucky you can do anything creative, I have the heart of an artist that cannot be expressed. Imagine the torture." Naila spoke dramatically and I laughed at her.

"Alright drama queen pipe down, this bus ride is going to be twice as long if you start ranting again about how you're the reincarnated Van Gogh without the painting skills."

"Ahhh but you haven't disproved it yet so therefore I shall claim it to be true until you do." Naila flicked my shoulder.

Amelia laughed at us and I smiled to myself as I plugged headphones into my phone and the bus began to move.

It only took an hour to get to the cottage and by the time we did the sun had come out and blue skies had materialised. I grinned widely as we stepped off the bus and stretched my back.