The King Versus Commoner

by Chloe Smith

  She stayed on hands and knees and stared at the ground.

  Ahh…how boring! She said, rolling her eyes. Where those eyes landed gave her an idea and she snickered evilly as she left the shade and eased closer to the gate she sat by.

  ~*~/

  Clinton

  "You're pissed. It shows on your face." Percy said, walking next to Clinton as they made their way back to their room.

  "For the last time Percy, you're imagining things. I have perfectly neutral feelings right now." Clinton looked up at the sky and dug his hands into his pockets.

  It didn't bother him a bit that those pictures were spread around and dirtied by someone's filthy hands. No! Never!

  Nor did it bother him that she came storming into his room, covered in every breakfast item in the cafeteria. Uh-Uh! Nope!

  "You're lying through your teeth." Percy said quietly. Clinton looked at him. Percy wasn't in one of his playful modes right now. He had taken one of the many tootsie pops he had with him, unwrapped it, and stuck it in his mouth.

  "And how do you know that?" He asked him instead of denying.

  "Because you always look up and put your hands in your pocket. You did that when you said you hated Twinkies. And yet your stash is hiding in the back of your bottom left desk drawer." Percy popped the candy in his mouth, but moved it to his check so he could smile cockily as he looked at Clinton and said, "Thought I'd never find out, didn't you?"

  "What the hell were you doing in my stuff!" Clinton exclaimed.

  "I needed a pencil?" His reason was more of a question and his face clearly said that wasn't what he was looking for.

  "What the-" Percy cut him off, his face becoming totally serious.

  "There's Monica." He said.

  When Clinton followed Percy's eyes, He found Monica running, the look on her face read clear panic. Suddenly everything became alert, he looked behind her, but no one was chasing her.

  He was more afraid that he was going to see what happened at the cafeteria happen right now, but it looked like whoever was chasing her was invisible.

  He took a small sigh of relief when it was apparent no one would appear behind her.

  That was until she tripped and crumpled to the ground in a pile of unmoving black clothes. And before he knew it, he had already started walking towards her.

  Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard Percy say he was headed back to the room, but he didn't comprehend with a nod or anything. He was worried Monica was hurt.

  Even now, it ate at him, even though she did get up on all fours, she stayed there, her thick brown hair curtained her face.

  Suddenly, he stopped. Why did it feel like the ground was vibrating? Looking behind him, the cloud over there, by the….

  Oh damn!

  "MONICA!" He ran towards her at his fastest. She was just barely getting off the floor as he tackled her by the waist out of the way just before a stampede of horses that passed by. He felt his left arm twist at an odd angle, but he blocked the discomfort to use his body to shield hers.

  She didn't move.

  Finally, when the sound died down, he sat up, cradling his arm to his chest.

  She had her eyes closed, her face lax.

  Damn it! She must have hit her head hard when she went down with him. He should have protected her head.

  "Oh my gosh! Is she okay?" A girl walked up. He was probably sure he'd seen her around, but he never talked to her, and she was always just part of the crowd, so his eyes just skimmed over her. It was pretty easy with how small she was, even if her eyes were an unusual brownish gold color.

  "I'll just take her to the nurse. He said, ignoring the pain lancing through his arm as he picked up Monica with one had underneath her arms and the other behind her knees.

  The girl protested, but he ignored her as he walked away.

  Chapter 38

  The nurse said it was a slight concussion, and yet, with how long he'd been waiting, it seemed like she had fell from a building or something. The hours ticked away, and if he hadn't glanced at the clock every once in a while, he would have thought it had been days.

  Damn it! He should have covered her head!

  Percy came and went, and the nurse even said she wanted to check him, but he turned both away. He wouldn't budge until she stirred.

  Principal Ashley came in some time later, to take a look at her. He harrumphed and said, "She's done this on purpose, huh?" Clinton almost retorted when he looked back at the lady and clear concern was written on her face.

  He turned back, keeping his eyes on Monica.

  After a few minutes, Principal Ashley spoke. "I had intended to kick her out."

  Clinton didn't think he could be surprised, but that had him standing so fast his chair fell. "What?"

  Principal Ashley smiled a little at Clinton's reaction. "So you feel the same too?"

  Clinton didn't understand, but he didn't hesitate to ask her, "Why were you going to kick her out."

  "You of all people know I do not tolerate chaos."

  "But she didn't-"

  "I am very aware of what you're about to say. I've already had both my daughter and another person persuade me otherwise of what she didn't do. She herself has. She'll stay, and I have a feeling she'll become a leader soon."

  She looked at Clinton with her clear grey eyes. Clinton regarded her with his own unusual eyes. She spoke again.

  "Gaya did not want her to know she spoke on her behalf. I can trust you to keep that between you and I?"

  "Yes."

  "Good." She smiled and turned to leave. "Ah…" She looked back at Clinton. "And please take care of her."

  "I will." Clinton said, not realizing his answer until after he said it. And even then, he meant those two words.

  Chapter 39

  "But why not?" I barely heard that usually cheerful…and sometimes that voice would be whining, but right now, Martin sounded completely serious. "It's not like she's going to think of you different."

  "But still…"

  Gaya. She sounded…afraid. And what were they talking about?

  All of this hit me in the three seconds it took me to come conscious, and as soon as I had enough energy to open my eyes, I wished I was still unconscious. My head was killing me. As if someone had hit me with a steel bat with spikes.

  "Monica!" And Martin's too cheerful voice was back.

  I finally opened my eyes, realizing I had hissed out in pain, which made them aware I was awake.

  "Could you tone that brightness down please?" I clutched my head on both hands after sitting up. "What the heck happened? Why do I feel as if my head's been ran through a blender?"

  Gaya and Martin looked at each other, their concerned faces suddenly changed to a grim, almost…reluctant to say.

  "Well…" Martin started.

  "Martin saved you…" Martin looked at Gaya in surprise. "From the horses."

  Martin looked like he wanted to say something.

  "Horses? And why does Martin look surprised that he saved me?" I asked, cranky as hell from the relentless pain knocking on my head.

  "Yeah…well, I…"He scratched the back of his head, his eyes going everywhere in the room except me. "didn't really want to say it was me…"

  "And someone opened the gate for the horses to be let out." Gaya interjected before I could open my mouth again.

  "Why would someone do that?" I asked.

  "I don't know…"

  "Wait…so how do we know someone let them out purposely?"

  "The lock was gone."

  I had many more questions to ask, but right then, the school nurse came it. "Oh! Finally!" She said, her hand resting over her heart. "Who knew someone could be unconscious for two day over bumping their head while being rescued?"

  'Two days?" The yelling didn't aid in soothing my pounding head and I shrank back against the pillow.

  "Yes ma'am. It's Sunday evening now." The nurse said cheerfully. "Now I'm going to have to ask the young lovely couple to
leave."

  I smiled at the nurse's way with words. I never thought of referring to my two best friends as a couple. That may have had something to do with the way Martin always clung to me…

  When the two left, the nurse introduced herself as "Nurse Jenkins" before asking me tons of questions and poking and prodding me.

  I was able to leave an hour later with the order to get lots of bed rest and don't do too much that will overtax the head.

  Of course my two friends were there and walked with me to my room. On the way there, Gaya popped up, her big ear-to-ear smile flashed. "Monica! You get to stay! Principal Ashley has changed her mind! Isn't that great?"

  For a second, I was surprised. "Why?" I asked.

  Gaya shrugged. "Who knows?" Her eyes darted to Martin for a split second before quickly looking away. When I looked at Martin, I caught the tail-end of a look directed at Gaya.

  They were hiding something. And it seemed to do with how I came to stay at the school.

  And when someone was hiding something, that meant they didn't want someone else to know.

  But you know what? I was going to find out.

  Chapter 40

  "What the hell! You went too far!" The boy ran a hand through his hair.

  She glared at him from her golden-brown eyes. "Too far? You said to test her. I did." But she hadn't agreed to test the commoner. No, it was to get rid of the girl.

  "Yes! Test her! Not kill her!" The guy's breath came out in a harsh sigh. His head swiveled to her, and through the meager light that the 5:30 a.m. sunlight supplied, she could see that he was glaring at her. "I only want to see how strong she is. She’s different, and you know how much I like different things." The smile he gave was sickly mischievous, but she wasn't complaining. Her brother could have whatever hobbies and fetishes he wanted. As long as he didn't interfere with hers.

  That's why she had to pay along with him, acting as though she was "testing" the girl.

  She smiled slyly back. "I know. Sorry brother. If you want my help, you have to do it my way."

  He sighed and looked away for a minute, as though he was contemplating on it, but in the end, she knew he would agree. He always did.

  He looked up, and the first rays of sun caught his eyes. They were a lighter than her own, and a little less golden. "Fine. Just…don't kill anyone. That last move was a little too dangerous. I don't want a killer for a sister."

  She pouted. "Fine."

  In relief, he ran another hand through his light hair. His hair wasn't really that color. He chemically changed it from the beautiful soft brown color it naturally was. She missed that color.

  But now wasn't the time to reminisce on things that had changed in her brother.

  "I'm leaving now." She said, sweeping her magnificent waves of hair behind her. "And don't worry," She said, opening the door. "I won't kill her." But I will make sure she leaves this school. She added silently with one of her shrewd smiles.

  Her brother just nodded and sat in the seat she had just vacated.

  "Martin? What the heck are you doing?" I had just left my room when I found myself being picked up. At the same time, that blond-capped face smiled brightly down at me.

  "What else? Taking you to breakfast. You know, you're actually smaller lighter than I thought you would be."

  "What does that mean? Wait, no! That's not what I want to know, why are you carrying me?"

  "You were just hurt. You think I'm going to let you walk by yourself?"

  I rolled my eyes. If this was the treatment for a bumped head, I wondered what would happen if I had a scratch…"Martin, put me down. I'm not a baby. I'm perfectly fine."

  "No you're not."

  "God, I just bumped my head, for crying out loud." I exclaimed.

  Martin still didn't listen, and I'll be damned. Gaya was helping him, taking my backpack as we walked to the cafeteria, but once we went in there, Martin stopped.

  "What? What is it?" I asked.

  "Um, I think the bells gonna ring soon. We should just head to class." Gaya came to stand in front of me before I could turn around. The look on her face was a wobbly, forced smile. Her eyes said it all. The news was bad.

  "Put me down, put me down!" I said, wriggling in Martin's arms. He let me go, and I pushed past Gaya, and stopped in my tracks.

  My God!

  Our usual hangout spot was completely…sabotaged. The seats were sliced, the yellow foam oozing from slashes On the window that I had liked to look out into the garden, one word was spray-painted in inky, ugly black: LEAVE.

  Of course, more pictures were scattered everywhere. Even some of my personal belongings lay ruined on the table top.

  Great.

  Just exactly what I needed.

  "Oh what a lovely surprise!" I said in an over-brightly chipper voice. The whole cafeteria was quiet, and even though I didn't look, I knew each and every pair of eyes in this building were latched onto me.

  I walked over to the seat. The spray can had been left on the table, and I grabbed it, climbing onto the table. I shook it, spraying on top of the beautifully written word already there.

  My message: I WILL NOT LEAVE.

  When I stepped down, I made sure to let everyone read my words before speaking.

  "I don't know who's doing this, but I'm pretty sure you're the same who nearly had me killed with those horses." Murmurs started going around, but I made sure my voice was still dominant. "I'm telling you now, you will not win. No matter what you do, it's useless. I. Will. Stay here!"

  The cafeteria went into an uproar, but I calmly walked away, Gaya on my left, Martin on my right as we walked to class.

  Many of the people already in there had probably heard of it by now from mass messaging, and I could hear a few videos playing from people who had recorded me. Really, news traveled fast around here.

  I made my way to my seat, with my head held high. Maybe a little too high because I tripped over someone's back pack. But I never fell, even if I couldn't get my footing. One arm wrapped around my waist, keeping me up. I took a breath in relief.

  "Thanks Martin-" Except it wasn't Martin. I looked up into those very familiar odd-copper eyes. My heart clenched hard as I scampered away from him. That was too close for my comfort.

  He didn't say anything, just looked at me seriously, then Martin and Gaya over my shoulder before he turned and walked to his seat.

  My heart was still beating hard from how close we had been as I made my way to my own seat. Martin, somewhere in the background said bye and left to his own homeroom. I waved back, occupied with my thoughts.

  Had he just saved me?

  Why had he saved me?

  I just wanted to know why…

  Chapter 41

  It didn't make sense to me why I kept wondering why Clinton would save me from falling. Maybe it was because we were enemies that I was astounded that he actually reached out and helped me. I expected him to stand back and laugh as I lay sprawled out on the floor.

  Whatever it was, I had no time to think about Clinton, with all the commotion from both my accident and the cafeteria.

  One girl I knew as Amanda came up to me after months of shooting me death glares, came up to me to ask if I was okay. I just looked up at her eyes from where I sat and smiled. They always drastically changed colors so often, you knew she wore contacts. I don't know which color was her real color. Today, they were green. "I'm fine." I told her. She turned and flipped her black hair behind her without another word as she left back to her own desk.

  Even teachers pulled me aside to do what Mrs. Sarah did a few days ago. Not like it helped anything though. Even though the teachers weren't prejudiced to my social status, the majority was us teenagers, and the majority always won out. It was only up to me and only me to keep me in school.

  Lunch came ad I went to my room. I hadn't felt like eating. But when I opened the door, Martin and Gaya were sitting on a blanket in the middle of the room, a feast all around them.

 
; "Dang Martin, when I told you I was going to my room during lunch, I hadn't expected you to come too."

  Martin just smiled his big smile. "Come and sit down and eat with us! I raised an eyebrow, but eventually, I complied. With friends like this, who cared if the whole school hated you?

  I was reminded when I went to Biology, that I had another friend who would be there through the bullying.