Forgotten Royalty (Escaping The Throne)

by Tiffany Wood

  “Thanks,” I whisper as I open my locker. There, staring back at me is an envelope with my name written in Calligraphy on the front.

  “I wonder who this could be from.” Shaun grabs it from my hand as fast as he can. “Ooh, I bet it’s a love letter.” He laughs.

  “Give it back Shaun. Please, I’m really not in the mood right now.”

  He starts to hand it over. “Only if I can read it with you.”

  Why does he have to play games with me? “How about I tell Anita that you have a secret crush on her?”

  He hands it over with a hurt look on his face. “You wouldn’t really tell her, would you?”

  I couldn’t answer that one until later. I opened the envelope and looked inside. It was a student schedule, but it wasn’t mine. The name on it was Damian Lykaios. Why would somebody give me their schedule?

  Then I noticed that he had all of the same classes as me. I show Shaun and he just looks at it dumbfounded.

  “That is some seriously weird stuff.” Shaun shakes his head, “Do you know him?”

  I can’t help thinking I do. “Let’s just go to class.”

  Chapter Five

  We walked into homeroom and I didn’t see anyone out of the ordinary. I see the teacher looking at me oddly as I go to my regular seat. Shaun was the only one who sat beside me in home room; no one else had the guts. In fact, no one sat beside me in any of my classes except Shaun, Anita, and Lyla. And none of them were in the same class as me at the same time. I always had at least one open seat beside me. I wonder why I never noticed that before. “Class, we have a new student. Damian, would you introduce yourself and tell us something of interest.” I looked to the door just in time to see the boy from last night walk in. He begins to speak, but I am lost in his eyes.

  Shaun leans towards me, “Where did they find him at?”

  Snap out of it Sara, “Who knows? Can we just get on with morning announcements?”Mrs. Snyder looks my direction and points. I almost think she heard me until I realize she has pointed Damian back to the empty seat beside me. Could this day get any worse?

  *****

  Throughout the next few classes I sat back and watched Damian introduce himself over and over again. He didn’t seem to mind telling the class who he was, so why did he have a problem telling me yesterday?

  In study hall before lunch, I always sat with Lyla. She would keep my mind off of him. We were allowed to move our desks around so I wouldn’t even have to be next to him.

  “Did you see that new guy Damian?”

  Not her too! “Yeah, I hear he’s really rude and keeps to himself.” Maybe that would end the conversation.

  “Really, I heard that he’s really nice and he’s already offered to tutor any of us who need help in Trigonometry.” Why did he have to be so perfect to everyone but me?

  “Oh well. You know I don’t have that this semester so I won’t need his services. Did Shaun tell you about the crow in the auditorium yesterday?”

  She shook her head.

  “Yeah, it swooped down and grabbed my hair. It yanked a good chunk out. Fortunately, I had just finished my scene so I don’t have to relive that again. It disturbed Mr. Hitero enough for him to postpone everyone else’s auditions though.” That should change the subject.

  “Did you say there are auditions today?” No, he is not talking to me. Just ignore him and he’ll go away.

  “Yeah, she did. They’re auditioning for the fall play.”

  I could throttle her. “It’s nothing special. You wouldn’t be interested.” Please don’t be interested.

  “When are the auditions?”

  NO! I shout mentally. Act nice Sara. “During lunch, are you coming by?”

  “Yeah, I think I will.”

  AAAAHHHH! I could pull out my hair. I really need to try to stay cool. “I guess I’ll see you there.” I say through clenched teeth. Lyla looks at me funny as Damian walks back to his desk. “What? He gives me the heebie-jeebies.”

  As if on cue, Shaun comes running in right before the bell. “Sara, come on. Let’s get down to the auditorium before everyone else. We’ll have the best seats.”

  “Did you grab my lunch from my locker?” Of course he did.

  Shaun was the president of the Drama club, so he got to leave class five minutes early for lunch so he could get his lunch and set up. “Yeah, let’s go. I already cleared it with the teach.”

  Shaun always seemed to be three steps ahead. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of class before I could even wave to Lyla.

  We ran down the hall and into the auditorium. He already had a table set up for us where we would be able to see the stage without anyone getting in the way.

  “Alright, Shaun, what’s the rush? You never drag me down here before the bell.”

  He smiled great big and looked around, “Okay, no one’s here. Mr. Hitero said I could spill but only if we were alone.”

  The suspense was killing me, “What?”

  He turned around, “You, well, you kinda….got the part!”

  We both jumped up and down. “Are you serious? I knew that he liked it, but I figured he would at least hear the others audition before deciding.” I actually got the lead role.

  “He is still hearing the others so he can pick the understudy. He knows no one will work as hard as you.”

  OMG! I can’t believe it. “Did he pick any of the other parts yet?” Just as I finished the sentence, the lights came on and everyone started coming in.

  “No, and that’s all I have to say on the matter.”He smiled great big and took his seat.

  I walk to mine and go to pull it out when, “Allow me,” there was Damian pulling my chair out for me. Was he trying to make up for being so rude yesterday? I am not going to forgive him that easily. I sit down as if I were a courtier and he were a servant, never meeting his gaze. He took the chair on the other side of me.

  “Thanks for inviting me to audition Shaun.” Damian whispers across me.

  He didn’t. Oh I was gonna get him for that. “Oh, Shaun invited you. Wasn’t that nice? Shaun, why didn’t you tell me that you invited Damian?” I was trying not to sound to upset. In fact, I sounded rather intrigued. “I didn’t know you had made friends with him. And Damian, why did you need me to tell you when they were?”

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you that we met in the parking lot this morning. Actually, it was right before you got here.”

  “So what did you two talk about this morning?”

  They were about to answer when Mr. Hitero called for the first person on the list. This would have to wait. I tried passing notes to Shaun while the girls auditioned, but he wouldn’t answer my questions. The girls finished rather quickly. It was the guys turn.

  “First up for the leading male role is, Damian Lykaios. Come on up here.” Mr. Hitero said.

  “Oh, this should be good,” I whisper to Shaun.

  “No, watch, he’s read the script already.”

  What? There is no way that he has the entire script down. He couldn’t have got it before this morning. I know I didn’t tell anyone at the library about it.

  “I’d like to rehearse scene 8 with the crow. And I don’t have a partner lined up to help me with it.”

  He wouldn’t. “Hey, that’s the scene that Sara did yesterday so well. Why don’t you rehearse it with him? It’s good practice.”

  If I said no, I would be the one who seemed rude. “I guess I could. Give me a minute.” I can’t believe Shaun did this to me. I was so going to tell Anita that he has a crush on her.

  As I join Damian onstage, I feel like I’m being watched. I look over the auditorium as I had yesterday, but there is no one there. It must be because I am so irritated. I sit on the swing and start to pout to get that just crying look, “Steve, I just want to be alone. I have to process all of this. Why didn’t you just tell me?”

  Damian looks at me with pleading eyes, “Isabella, please! I didn’t think you would understand. I tried so many time
s to tell you.”

  He takes my hands and I pull them away for real. His touch was like a shock. I get up and start running across the stage. “Izzy, come back, please! Let me explain.”

  I hear him running after me, just like Shaun had the day before. Suddenly, I’m afraid. I turn to scan the rafters, expecting to be attacked again at any second. OOF! I hit the floor with Damian landing on top of me. I look up into his eyes and neither of us moves.

  “Bravo! Bravo! That was wonderful, although I think we can do without the tackle next rehearsal.” Mr. Hitero is speaking, but I still can’t move.

  Damian sits up off of me and takes my hand. I don’t pull it away this time. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to run you over.” He helps me up and I just stare, “Sara?”

  Breathe! “What? Oh, yeah. I’m alright. I guess I was just a little dazed for a sec there.” What was I doing? I couldn’t stand Damian ten minutes ago, and now he has me ogling over him like a lost puppy. I pull my hand away a little slower this time so I don’t seem rude. I straighten the front of my outfit and turn away. “Was that enough, Mr. Hitero?” I knew it was but I needed to recover from that scene before anyone noticed what happened.

  “Yes, Sara. That was more than enough for today. You may sit down.”

  Good, I didn’t think I could stand next to him much longer. I walked as fast as possible back to my seat, but Damian had jumped down off the stage and already had my chair pulled out. “Thanks.”

  He pushed my chair in after I was seated and we sat there quietly the rest of the period.

  Chapter Six

  As soon as the bell rang, I was out the auditorium doors. I ran down to my locker to put my lunch bag away and I had decided that I was just going to skip the rest of the day. I had Biology next and we were doing blood typing so I’m sure I could get out of class by saying I felt sick. I sat down in my seat and prepared my act. The scene was already set for us to do our labs. The bell rang and I took a deep breath with my eyes closed. Visualize the part, be the part. I open my eyes and there stands Damian.

  “Geez! Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

  He smiles, “How would you like me to sneak up on you?” He stares at me for a moment. “Sorry, I was just trying to be funny. Don’t get mad.” He gives me this sad puppy dog face.“I’m not mad. Just sit down, please.” I couldn’t concentrate on acting while he was standing in front of me.

  The teacher gave us our instructions and we began. I opened an alcohol swab and wiped my finger. This was going to be easy. Prick. “Ouch! What was that for?” I hadn’t poked myself, Damian had instead.

  “Oh my God Sara, I’m so sorry. I think she needs to go to the nurse, I got her good.” He wasn’t kidding; my finger was bleeding like he had cut it instead of just poking it.

  “I’m fine,” I begin to sway in my seat, “ugh, okay. Maybe I do need the nurse. I don’t feel so hot.”

  Damian wrapped a napkin around my finger. “I’m gonna walk her down there, she looks a little faint.”

  What? He takes my hand and we start to walk down the hall.

  “What was that all about?” I ask.

  He looks at me stunned. “I thought you might want to get out of school early.”

  I could scream, “So you stabbed my finger? That is not exactly how I had planned it. Wait, how did you know I was gonna skip?”

  He thought for a minute, “You just looked a little upset after drama club so I thought maybe I could help fix it. It was my fault, wasn’t it?” He hit that dead on the nail. Well if I’m gonna skip; at least it’s not my fault.

  I spent ten minutes letting my face pale as we walked to the nurse’s office. She ‘knew’ that I couldn’t stand the sight of blood. I had feigned sickness from it enough. She took one look at me as we entered the office and started writing slips. “Mr.?”

  “Lykaios, mam. Damian Lykaios” He answered swiftly.

  “Yes, Mr. Lykaios, would you be able to take Ms. Payano home. She knows she’s supposed to get an excuse from me on the days she has these types of projects, but she always seems to forget.” The nurse goes on a silent rant.

  “Of course mam.” Damian smiles sweetly at her.

  We walked out of the nurse’s office together. She had given us both notes to go home. I went to my locker and put away my books. I closed the door and he was still there.

  “What? Do you want some kind of thanks or something?” I turned to leave him, but he grabbed my arm.

  “No, you don’t have to thank me. I just wondered if you wanted to hang out at the library or something.”

  Is he trying to ask me out? “No, I have to go home. My aunt grounded me yesterday. So, I can’t be out when I’m getting sent home from school.” I tried to walk away again, but he still had my arm.

  “Well, can I give you a ride home? We could practice the play or work on our homework together.”

  Why won’t he just give up? “Maybe another time, I really shouldn’t push my aunt right now. Aah! That hurts, Damian! Let go!” His hand had tightened on my arm.

  He lets go of me fast. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I mean, are you okay?”

  I look away, “I’ll be fine.”I turn back to him.

  “I gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Damian suddenly turns to walk away.

  Wait, shouldn’t I be the one leaving. “Damian?”

  He doesn’t stop. I walk to the pay phone to call Thai, but I decide to walk. I leave the school and start down the block. I’m only two blocks from my apartment when it starts pouring down. Could this day get any worse?

  I run under an awning. I couldn’t try to run home in this, so I would just have to wait here. I watched the cars go by as I sat in the rain. If it didn’t let up soon, I would be just as wet as I would’ve been if I had run home in this. A red car was coming up the street. Was that Damian again? Maybe I could wave him down. No, he’s probably still upset about hurting me. The car pulls up to the curb. I watch as he rolls down his window.

  “Sara, get in!” Now he’s ordering me around.

  “No, I’m waiting for my ride.” I hoped he would buy my bluff.

  “Sara, you didn’t call anyone. You don’t have a cell phone and even if you own one, your aunt would have taken it away if she grounded you. Now get in, you’re getting soaked.” He never gives up.

  “No, it’ll let up. I’m actually just taking a breather. I think I’m going to start walking again now.” I start out from under the awning and he rolls his window up. Maybe he’ll leave me alone. I just have to go a block to get to the next awning. I just get to the corner when I see the same SUV that has tried to hit Thai’s cab the last two days. They pull over and a man gets out. It’s the same man from the library yesterday. I freeze. He starts toward me. He is about to take a hold of my arm when Damian steps between us with an umbrella over him and I. He doesn’t look at the other guy.

  “Sara, there you are. I told you to wait down the street for me. Come on, the car’s running.”

  I had to think fast. Go with Damian, or try to run from this man. “Uh, okay. Sorry, I thought you said to wait on the next block.”

  We turn and start back to the car. Damian doesn’t take his eyes off of the car, but I know he is listening for the man to come after us. I drop my bag and trip. Damian catches me before I hit the ground but I have to turn to get my bag. As I grab it, I realize the guy is right behind us.

  “Sara,” Damian says in a ‘you’re in trouble young lady’ voice, “Run!” I don’t wait for him to say anything else. I sprint for his car and hear him yelling, “Get in and lock the doors!”

  I don’t ask questions. I just get the doors locked in time for the man to hit the door and try to open it. He raises a fist to hit the window, but Damian grabs his arm and throws him away from the car. I turn to unlock the door so he can get in.

  “Leave them locked!”

  I watch in horror. The man comes at Damian throwing punches and kicking. I see him take something out of his pocket
. It’s a knife.

  “Damian! Watch out!” I shout as he turns toward him.

  Damian knocks the knife away but it grazed his arm. He’s bleeding and he looks like he is gonna have a seizure. The man looks at him and thinks better of his self. He runs back down the street and Damian falls to the ground when he is out of sight. I unlock the door and run to him.

  “Are you okay? You’re bleeding. We need to get you to a doctor. That looks really bad.”

  He shakes his head. “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch. Let’s get you home and out of the rain. He rips his shirt and ties a piece around his arm where he’s bleeding. We walk back to the car and he drives me home.

  Chapter Seven

  Damian pulls into the apartment parking ramp. We get out and take the elevator to my floor. Neither of us talks on the way up. When the elevator stops, I walk to my door and I unlock it. I start to go in, but he just stands there.

  “At least come in and clean yourself up. Maybe I can find you some sweats you could borrow and I could dry your clothes.”

  He looks up at me, “I can’t. I have to go. I mean, what if your aunt comes home?” He starts to walk away but he trips.

  “Damian. You’re in no condition to go anywhere. I think my aunt would understand that I invited you in because you’re bleeding all over the hall.”

  He smirks, “It’s not that bad. Maybe I will come in for just a minute though. Where’s your bathroom?”I show him to the bathroom and insist that he lean on me on the way there. I leave him to get cleaned up and rush to the closet. I know that Aunt Lynn kept a box of Dad’s old sweats in there so I could put them on whenever I missed him. I grabbed a pair of pants and a sweat shirt, carried them back to the bathroom, and knocked on the door.

  “Can I come in?” He opened the door and my mouth dropped. He had his shirt off and if he wasn’t bleeding I think I would have stared at him for hours. “You need stitches! I thought you said it wasn’t that bad.” I made him sit down on the toilet seat and grabbed the medical kit from under the sink. Aunt Lynn had bandaged me up enough times that I knew the routine. I swabbed his arm with Betadine, dried it off, and started putting steri-strips on it. When I finished my makeshift stitches, I wrapped his arm with gauze. “There, if you won’t go to the hospital, at least I can keep it from getting infected. Do you know that guy?” I dabbed his lip where it was broke open with a damp wash rag.