30.

30.

I tried not to squirm as the queen’s scrutinizing eyes followed my every movement, on the breakfast table. Everyone else was comfortably seated around me, eating in silence. Not.
I would be damned if I ever thought that my friends could be silent even for once in their lives.
The heaviness of the pin drop silence lasted only for seven minutes before a blaring ringtone, sent us all jumping in our seats.
I know what you did last summer…
Tell me where you’ve been…
I didn’t need three guesses to know it was Liam’s cellphone. His face lit up instantly, as he fished out his phone.
The queen cleared her throat. “I expect each of you to follow the rules and mannerisms of palace, during your stay here. Keep that abomination aside while we are at the breakfast table.”
“Abnormal?” Soph frowned, “who you calling abnormal?”
Will inhaled. “Abomination. She said abomination.”
“Sorry, but, that’s my mommy,” Liam replied, “I gotta take this one.”
We all watched with widened eyes as Liam got up and received the call, strolling off to somewhere.
“What!?”
Now, this one was Caleb roaring over his phone.
“The hell I Will pay! Your pizza was cold and stale by the time I got it…no, no! I don’t care that he was lost; I was lost too…oh, please! I worked as hard as your delivery guy to get that pizza…if anything you guys should be paying me…don’t you have the policy that if the pizza is delivered late, it becomes free…nah uh, forget about it, I am not paying you even a dime…oh, yeah, go ahead, do whatever you want, I am not afraid…”
“Yes, Caleb, tell them about your consumer rights!” Soph joined in.
“Hahaha!” Caleb chuckled over the phone, “It doesn’t work that way, buddy. You got it wrong. I Will be the one suing you. For a million dollars, by the way. Watch me win this battle over the stale pizza. Bye!”
I was wrong to believe that Noah would be affected even a bit. If anything, he was amused beyond measures. So much so, that he choked on his food and launched into a coughing fit.
I patted his back, handing him a glass of water.
“I am sorry for their behavior,” I whispered to Noah.
Noah let out a snort at this, then, covered it in the guise of cough when the queen looked our way.
“Don’t be sorry,” Noah whispered back, “It’s just the way they are. I am glad they you all are not like the other people who try to kiss up to the queen, to impress her.”
I was about to reply, when the incessant vibration of my phone ceased my attention.
Oh damn! Not now!
I looked up in horror to see all my friends had their attentions focused on their phones, under the table.
Yes_you_suck
YO, THIS BREAKFAST IS SO BORING!
I_pooped
I KNOW, RIGHT?! I AM AFRAID TO BREATHE.
HER EYES ARE CONSTANTLY WATCHING ME LIKE A HAWK.
Will_the_devil
WHO IS ‘HER’?
ALSO, WHY ARE YOU ALL SNEAKING YOUR PHONES UNDER THE TABLE?
I_pooped
WILLY, YOU TALKING LIKE YOU ARE NOT.
Will_the_devil
I JUST CAME HERE TO WARN YOU ALL.
DON’T TEST THE PATIENCE OF THE QUEEN.
IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SHE SNAPS.
I_pooped
OOF, WHY DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ANYTHING?
LOOK AT NOAH, HE IS SO CHILL.
Will_the_devil
THAT’S BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT TO BE MEAN TO YOU ALL.
The_real_prince_charming
HAHAHAHA, YOU ARE FUNNY, LI’L BRO.
GUYS, YOU DON’T MY OR ANYONE’S PERMISSION.
DO YOUR THING.
OR AS MILLENIALS PUT IT, ‘YOU DO YOU’
Okay, and Caleb, I see what you did to my username. You got it, no PDA ;)
Cereal_killer
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU
I_pooped
:0
DID YOU SEE THAT, WILLY?
NOAH IS EDUCATED IN THE WAYS OF THE WORLD!
HOW COME YOU ARE SO LACKING?
Will_the_devil
-_-
Quinn_beach
THAT’S BECAUSE, WILLY SPENT MORE TIME WITH OUR DEAR MOTHER, WHILE NOAH WOULD LITERALLY USE ANY EXCUSE TO GET AWAY FROM THIS PLACE.
Cereal_killer
OH, HEY THERE, MY IDOL.
WHAT? LMAO.
Cereal_killer
ANY GIRL WHO CAN SLAP A ROYAL IN FRONT OF A GATHERING, IS AUTOMATICALLY MY IDOL.
The_real_prince_charming
OH, THERE’S NOT JUST CHARLES, HAVE YOU GUYS HEARD ABOUT WHAT QUINN DID TO THE GUY WHO…WAIT, WHAT WAS HIS NAME?
Not_annabelle
GUYS, I THINK YOU SHOULD STOP…
Cereal_killer
HEY THERE, ANNABELLE.
Not_annabelle
-_-
ANNABETH.
Cereal_killer
I KNOW, BUT, WHERE’S THE FUN IN THAT?
Not_annabelle
YOU THINK ANNABELLE IS FUNNY?
Cereal_killer
OF COURSE. OMG, HAHAHAHA, DON’T EVEN REMIND ME.
I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE OF LAUGHTER, THE DAY I WATCHED THAT MOVIE.
I_pooped
BUT, I-
Yes_you_suck
IT WAS A HORROR MOVIE!
CALEB, ARE YOU SURE, EVERYTHING UP THERE IN YOUR HEAD IS OKAY?
Not_annabelle
ALSO, WE WILL BE IN BIG TROUBLE IF MOTHER SEES US. I SUGGEST YOU GUYS STOP RIGHT NOW.
Noah’s_wifey
YES, EXACTLY. STOP. THE QUEEN IS STARING AT YOU CALEB.
Not_annabelle
OF COURSE, SHE IS. HE IS BITING HIS KNUCKLES, SHAKING WIT LAUGHTER.
Cereal_killer
I…I…DAMN! I CAN’T DO THIS, LMAO.
ANNABELLE REMINDED ME OF ANNABELLE.
Not_annabelle
…
I_pooped
WAIT, WE GOTCHA.
TRANSLATION: ANNABETH REMINDED HIM OF THE MOVIE ANNABELLE.
Not_annabelle
OKAY, GOT IT.
OMG, STOP LAUGHING, YOU ARE DISTURBING THE TABLE.
The_real_prince_charming
OOF, GUYS, DON’T MIND ANNA. CONTINUE.
Noah’s wifey
NOAH-
YOU DON’T REALIZE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
I_love_my_mommy
GUYS.
I_pooped
HERE COMES OUR FANBOY.
I_love_my_mommy
WHY IS THE QUEEN LOOKING AT ME LIKE I SNATCHED HER CHAIN?
Will_the_devil
BECAUSE YOU DEFIED HER, WALKED AWAY, THEN, WALKED BACK IN, LIKE IT WAS NO BIG DEAL.
I_love_my_mommy
…
Not_annabelle
OMG, ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?!
THE CEREAL KILLER IS WATCHING SOME YOUTUBE VIDEO, UNDER THE TABLE.
Cereal_killer
RELAX, IT’S NOT PORN. I KEEP THINGS PG.
Will_the_devil
PORN? WHAT’S THAT?
I_pooped
WILLY, I- I CAN’T WITH YOU.
Not_annabelle
CEREAL KILLER, YOU NEED TO STOP.
IF YOU THINK, YOU ARE BEING SNEAKY, THEN, YOU ARE WRONG.
Quinn_beach
OH, HUSH, ANNA, WE JUST GOT TO THE BEST PART.
Yes_you_suck
WOW! THEY ARE BOTH UNDER THE TABLE, SHARING THE EARPHONES.
CAN I JOIN? WHAT’S THE VIDEO ABOUT?
Cereal_killer
IT’S A CLIP OF CHARLIE, LITERALLY TRIPPING OVER A KNIFE AT HIS RESIDENCE.
The_real_prince_charming
DAMN!
I STAN THE UPLOADER.
I_pooped
WILLY, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT YOU. HAVE YOU LIVED UNDER A ROCK YOUR ENTIRE LIFE?
Will_the_devil
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
I_pooped
DO YOU ATLEAST KNOW WHERE YOU CAME FROM?
Cereal_killer
STOPPPP. YOU ARE NOT HAVING THIS CONVERSATION HERE, SOPH.
I_pooped
OH, PLEASE, I WILL DO WHATEVER I NEED TO, IN OREDER TO EDUCATE WILLY.
Cereal_killer
WE ARE HAVING BREAKFAST, FOR GOD’S SAKE!
Noah’s wifey
THIS CONVERSATION DOESN’T MAKE SENSE ANYMORE.
I_pooped
SO, WILLY…TELL ME. DID YOUR MOM EVER GIVE YOU THE TALK?
Quinn_beach
OMG, HAHAHAHA, CHARLIE TRIPPED OVER A FORK TOO.
Cereal_killer
OH MAN, THIS IS TOO FUNNY.
Will_the_devil
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THE TALK?
I_pooped
…
The_real_prince_charming
EVERYONE!!!
YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN.
YOU ARE BEING TOO LOUD.
Noah’s_wifey
DAMN, NOAH, DID YOU JUST-
I_love_my_mommy
YES! HE QUOTED TAYLOR. KWEEN!
Yes_you_suck
YES, NOAH, YOU ARE SUCH A KWEEN!
Will_the_devil
NO, NO, NOAH IS A PRINCE. GOING TO BE A KING SOON. NOT ‘KWEEN.’ ALSO, YOU GUYS SPELLED QUEEN WRONG.
I_pooped
OMG, WILLY, STOP EMBARRASING YOURSELF AND YOUR TEACHER.
Will_the_devil
…
Quinn_beach
BACK OFF EVERYONE.
GUYS, I AM THE ONLY ‘QUINN’ HERE.
Noah’s_wifey
AND…HERE WE GO AGAIN…
“Can you just not, step on my gown?”
I choked on air, when I heard that line and that voice.
All of us turned around to stare, wide mouthed at…dun dun dun…Alice. My only regret was that she unconsciously quoted my favorite artist.
She was glancing irritably at someone, obscured from our views. When she realized that all eyes were on her, she immediately changed her expression and gave us a sickly sweet smile.
She walked over to us and curtsied before the queen. “Your grace,” She took the queen’s hand and kissed the back of it.
My exact thoughts at that moment were: this is what Alice does, and there I was, asking for a selfie and an autograph…
“I would pick selfie any day over getting myself assaulted with sloppy kisses from someone I don’t care about”
I turned to look at Noah, beaming at me. Okay, so he had read my mind…how?
“Mate bond, Chloe, mate bond,” he leaned down and whispered in my ear with a small smirk.
This guy…
I straightened up when I saw Alice giving me the stink eye. Then, she came over to me and took my hands.
“Ugh, please don’t plant a sloppy kiss there,” Noah muttered beside me.
I retracted my hands away as soon as I heard that. Alice frowned, but, let it go.
“So, Chloe, I have a present for you.”
“Um…” came out of your mouth.
“Last night wasn’t enough for you and Charles?” Noah hissed from beside me, making Alice freeze. “Don’t you for a second think that I am going to let that go. I am just waiting for the right moment.”
After a long pause, Alice sneered. “Noah, no matter what you say or decide, I am still engaged to you, in the eyes of the world and in the eyes of the queen.”
“I am going to-”
Noah was cut off when by the queen. “Please maintain silence while eating.”
Oops, she had no idea that my friends were back at it under the table.
“Of course, your highness,” Alice let out a fake laugh. “I just wanted to give Chloe her present first.”
With that she clapped her hands, and someone appeared from behind the curtains, making me drop my spoon. Noah dropped the whole glass of orange juice, he was holding.
The someone who had appeared, just so happened to be our worst nightmares…aka the biggest crybaby in the world, in other words, Zain.
A/N: Listen to Taylor Swift’s You Need To Calm Down, if you haven’t already! This song is so positive and I am not gonna lie, it literally calms me down. And, yes, Taylor is a queen. Period.
Also, lol, Caleb is me. My friends think I am not right in the head because I laugh while watching horror movies. What about you? Do you like horrors?
And, also, without further ado, I present to you the amazing covers sent to me by an equally amazing friend-