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Chapter 4

Charles’s POV

My head was throbbing and my entire face felt like it was swelling up. Geoffrey had his arm around my waist whilst I held onto his shoulder trying to keep myself standing. I could hear Callie sobbing quietly ahead of us whilst she rushed to her car before pulling open the door so Geoffrey could help me into the back seat.

‘I think we should go to the hospital first, just to check if anything’s broken,’ Callie stammered between sobs. I didn’t even want to speak because it felt like I could hardly breathe from how bad my ribs were hurting.

‘Charles I’m going to have to ring the palace,’ Geoffrey decided as he helped me into the car.

‘No,’ I said as I breathed heavily. ‘Please don’t, mother will send everyone out and I’ll have to go home,’ I panted quickly before clutching onto my ribs because they hurt badly.

‘But Charles she is going to want to know, I’ll ask for Chandler,’ Geoffrey began as he shut the door then rushed round the car and got in himself. I nodded slightly just wanting him to shut up, his panicking voice was only adding to the throbbing pain in my head. 

Chandler, my older brother, would probably be calmer about the situation than the rest of my family anyway; he would just want constant updates on how I am. 

‘Geoffrey can you ring my mom or dad please, just so they know where we are,’ Callie asked as she started up the car whilst passing Geoffrey her bag. Geoffrey obeyed her request.

I turned to look out the window one last time; Jesse was lying on the floor motionless. I guess Geoffrey actually did some damage to him because I know for a fact that I didn't.

‘Hello Daniel, Charles got into a fight, he’s going to hospital now so can either you or Victoria come down to meet us?’ Geoffrey asked as down the phone.

- 

‘Charles does this hurt?’ A nurse asked as she pressed onto my chest.

‘Only a little,’ I mumbled as I felt a slight stinging pain in my chest.

‘You’re going to have to remove your shirt. Excuse me sir but do you mind leaving?’ The nurse asked Geoffrey who was stood beside the door with his hands behind his back.

‘Sorry ma'am but you'll have to ask Charles,’ Geoffrey stated simply as he eyed me; a slight smirk appeared on my face as I nodded at Geoffrey.

‘Geoffrey you are dismissed,’ I murmured as I held my chest again, it hurt badly when I spoke.

‘Sorry about him,’ I apologised after I made sure Geoffrey was out of the room and the door was shut.

I could still see Geoffrey but now he was stood in front of the blinds whilst staring into the room. The nurse walked over to them and shut them quickly.

‘Don’t worry about it, over protective friends?’ the nurse questioned as she wiped the dry blood away from chest.

I nodded with a friendly smile. 'I guess you can say that,' I smiled the best I could.

‘Okay we going to get you sent off for a chest x-ray and I’ll get someone to give you a few stitches in your eyebrow, the cuts on the bridge of your nose should heal by themselves but I’ll give you a band aid for now,’ the nurse explained as she began filling in a sheet of paper. ‘Do you have any guardians with you?’

‘Yes, I have my friends father outside I think, his name is Daniel Granger,’ I told the nurse.

‘Okay I’ll be back shortly,’ the nurse replied as she walked off leaving me alone in the hospital room whilst blood trickled from my eyebrow.

                ‘Hey bud,’ Daniel said with a smile as I walked back into the waiting room. I gave him a reassuring smile as I walked to him slowly; my hand was still lay over my chest seen as it still hurt pretty badly.

‘Everything’s good, we can go home after you’ve filled in the papers at the reception,’ I explained to Daniel as I smiled at Callie and Geoffrey who were both look at me with the same worried expression.  

Daniel nodded understandingly as I sat down beside Geoffrey. ‘Is it bad that I feel bad for Jesse?’ I asked as I stared at the tiled, white floor as though it was the most interesting thing in the hospital although there was a guy sat beside me who looked like he had a missing finger or something and all blood was pouring through the tea towel he held over it.

‘Yes it is bad Charles, the jerk about broke your ribs,’ Callie snarled completely stopping Geoffrey from trying to speak. Either way he would have probably said something along the lines of, “no Charles it isn’t bad that you feel bad, you see you’re a Prince so everything you do is automatically amazing.” I laughed a little at my thoughts; oh I do love Geoffrey and how my brain works.

‘I know that but I feel as though I deserved it, I mean I did practically steal you from him,’ I mumbled as I continued to look to the floor.

I had a feeling Callie rolled her eyes before she started speaking, ‘you didn’t steal me from anyone because I don’t belong to anyone apart from my parents and that's only 'til I'm eighteen,' Callie stated. 'Anyway Jesse dumped me the day you came to town, trust me he’ll be over it by Monday. I think he’s already dated two different girls since we dated and Louisa in next on the list.’ I smirked at the floor before I decided to sit up straight and look towards Geoffrey and Callie.

I could see the guy with no finger waving his bloody hand around without a towel on it and blood was dripping onto the floor. Callie looked like she was about to throw up or something. ‘Let’s go find dad,’ Callie decided as she stood up.

All of us followed her as we walked quickly around the puddle of blood which what constantly getting bigger.

 -

When Monday came around I still felt like complete rubbish; I proceeded to get out of bed and get ready for six hours at school.

After an hour long argument with Victoria she finally agreed that I was capable of going to school.

We arrived at school ten minutes late which sucked because I’d have to think of an excuse of why I was late, thankfully I was in Geoffrey’s and Callie’s first lesson, but I was also in Jesse’s.

‘Don’t worry about Jesse, if he touches you I’ll kill him,’ Geoffrey whispered in my ear as we walked into the classroom. I gave Geoff a quick smile which meant “I’ll be fine now stop worrying, you’re acting like my mother.”

‘And where have you been?’ Ms Lee asked as we walked into the class but she suddenly stopped when she saw the cuts on my face. ‘You've been fighting as well?’ she questioned as she looked at me before turning to Jesse.

‘I don’t know what you’re on about,’ I said with a friendly smile on my face showing I wasn’t being rude, it probably still sound rude.

‘I’m mean Jesse’s faces is covered in cuts and bruises as well,’ Ms Lee said with a concerned look on her face. ‘Anyway take your seats,’ she added completely forgetting about the fact that we were late.

I gave Jesse a quick glance and he happened to be looking directly at me, our eyes connected for literally a second. I quickly gave my head a quick shake before following Callie to our seats whilst watching Geoffrey walk to his seat which was behind Jesse’s. A slight grin appeared on my face when Jesse shifted uncomfortably.

‘Apologise,’ I mouthed to Geoffrey as looked at me before shaking his head.

                ‘How was maths?’ Geoffrey asked instantly as he met us outside of the gym for break. I nodded my head which meant it was okay. ‘Did Jesse give you any trouble; do I need to knock some sense into him again?’ Geoffrey said with a little smirk.

‘Don’t you dare. I feel so guilty,’ I admitted as I covered my hands with my face just as Callie’s friend Alisha walked up to us with a big smile on her face, well until she saw me.

‘Charles what happened to your face?’ she asked as she caressed the stitches with her finger.

‘You haven’t heard yet? The entire school is speaking about it,’ Callie chipped. ‘Charles and Jesse got into a little disagreement.’

‘Is that why Jesse looks so...broken?’ And the guilt hit me harder. I nodded sadly as I stared at the floor again. ‘Charles you have quite a hit on you by the looks of things,’ Alisha pointed out.

‘I didn’t touch him, it was all Geoff,’ I mumbled as I looked back at the girls who were stood in front of me.

‘Which one of you...losers hurt my Jesse?!’ Louisa screamed, her voice sounded as annoying as nails scratching a chalk board. 

Geoffrey stepped out from behind me and then stood in front. He took a large breath as he began to speak, ‘that would have been me.’ I poked Geoffrey in the back and when he turned around I gave him a quick glare before he turned back to Louisa who looked as though she was going to try and bitch slap someone any second.

‘You’re going to regret touching my boo,’ Louisa snarled as she stroked a long, false nail down Geoffrey slightly tanned face.

‘Well I don’t really think Jesse is going to be doing me much damage,’ Geoffrey responded.

‘I didn’t say Jesse was going to do anything, I have brothers you know,’ Louisa stated as though she sounded threatening. Geoffrey waved his hands above his head like he was scared before laughing loudly. ‘Trust me, just back off okay!’ Louise shouted before she stomped off like those girls in the movies, her pink sandals clicked underneath her.

‘Geoffrey please just look out, you’re not undefeatable,’ I mumbled to Geoffrey once Louisa was out of hearing distance. Geoffrey just shrugged as we began following Alisha and Callie to wherever they were going.

                It was a double lesson of chemistry before lunch and I had to sit beside Louisa and Geoffrey.

As soon as I walked through the door it felt like the entire classes eyes just attached to me and Geoffrey. Both of us walked with our heads down over to our seats whilst grinning slightly.

When I sat down beside Louisa she gave me an evil glare. ‘Just remember, I have three older brothers,’ Louisa muttered under her breath just loud enough so I could hear.

‘Just remember I don’t care,’ I replied in a whisper.

Louisa let out one of those weird, annoyed noises before beginning to chew her pink pen; gross.

I could feel someone looking at me from behind me; it felt like their eyes were burning holes in my denim shirt. I quickly whipped my head round to see Jesse sat behind me with an evil smirk on his face. What’s with this school and smirking?

I wanted to apologise to him but I couldn’t bring myself to even smile, or frown, never mind apologise. I turned around to face my desk but then after about a second of thinking how I could apologise I turned back to face him. He was no longer looking in my direction but at the board in front of us which only made it easier for me to see him.

His hazel eyes were emotionless even though one of them were surrounded by a dark shadow and almost swelled shut, still. The only bit of his eye I could see was a blood red colour, as though his entire eye had been bleeding.

His dark brown hair slightly covered that eye though so he looked slightly better. And then he turned to face me again. I quickly snapped my head round and faced the board whilst biting my finger.

‘Are you okay?’ Geoffrey asked me in a whisper as he lent his head closer to mine so his ear was touching my shoulder.

‘Yeah I’m fine,’ I responded in the same whisper. I turned to face Geoffrey who was looking at me with a raised eyebrow and pouted lips.I gave him a reassuring smile then began drawing some stupid diagram which the grey haired woman was drawing like it was an art project with full detail and labelling. ‘Geoffrey do this for me,’ I muttered as I pushed the paper towards Geoffrey who was finished drawing his identical diagram of the teachers.

‘I’m not supposed to be doing this, I promised your mother that I’d treat you like a normal person whilst were in America,’ Geoffrey began to lecture as he looked up and down at me then the paper with some weird scribble of a crappy drawing on.

‘Mother isn’t here though and I’ve done everything else, please Geoff, just this once?’ I almost begged which was weird; me, Prince Charles Edmund Thomas John Arnold begging my butler Geoffrey Jacobs.

Geoffrey finally gave into to my childish strop and took the paper for me then began copying the diagram onto my sheet of paper. And that was when the teacher walked behind us.

‘So you aren’t going to do you work, please wait outside Charles,’ the teacher said in a grumpy voice and I turned to face her slowly.

‘I’m not going outside,’ I mumbled as I went back to facing the opposite way whilst resting my head on my hands.

If I was in the castle I wouldn’t be forced to go places I didn’t want to go so why should I at some school that I don’t even know, today feels like a day I should do something spontaneous and its going to start by being a rebel; as they call it here.

I heard the teacher breathe in a large gulp of air, and then her voice screeched through my ears, ‘I beg your pardon?’

‘Is old age kicking in Miss? I said I wasn’t going to go outside, I’m not going to do something I don’t want to,’ I continued to mumble; acting like this slightly reminded me of Chandler.

‘Would you like a detention Charles Arnold?’ Mrs questioned in her still screechy voice.

‘Yes Miss, I’d love that,’ I laughed sarcastically which gained a few snickers from the class and then I felt Geoffrey’s elbow in my arm.

‘Charles don’t be stupid and just listen, I’ll go with you if you go outside,’ Geoffrey whispered, it obviously wasn’t quiet enough because Mrs still heard.

‘You’ll do nothing of the kind,’ she grunted.

‘He’ll do what I tell him,’ I answered back for Geoffrey. ‘Let’s go,’ I muttered as I began walking off. I heard Geoffrey pick up mine and his rucksacks as he followed me to the door.

Quickly, I turned back to look at Jesse one last time, he was still smirking. I stopped to allow Geoffrey to open the door and then I walked out slowly with my arms cross.

After I heard the door shut I turned to face Geoffrey who didn’t look at all impressed. ‘I’m sorry,’ I mumbled as I looked at him.

‘You should be, if your mother or Victoria find out I don’t think they’ll be impressed but until then what do you want to do?’ Geoffrey asked casually.

‘Let’s go find Callie then we’ll buy frozen yogurt,’ I decided as I smirked a little and then took my white bag from Geoffrey and began walking in search of Callie’s class.

 -

I got Geoffrey to make up some stupid excuse that the principle needed to see Callie so she could get out of lesson and now we were sat inside the frozen yogurt shop.

‘So what did you want that was so desperate I needed to get pulled from lesson?’ Callie finally spoke breaking the silence.

‘Well, princey-boy here decided he wanted to have a fit in chemistry and cause a scene,’ I elbowed Geoffrey lightly in the chest as he made that comment, he just snickered a little.

‘No this teacher was telling me what to do so I decided to moan a little; and then Geoffrey and I wanted yogurt so now we are here,’ I answered stubbornly.

‘Teachers tend to tell people what to do, that’s there job,’ Callie stated.

‘Actually their job is to teach people, hint teacher,’ I muttered sarcastically. Callie rolled her eyes at me before eating some of her cake-batter yogurt.

‘Now are you going to tell me the real reason you freaked out in lesson?’ Callie asked as she licked the spoon which had a little cake batter on it.

'There wasn't a reason and I didn't freak out, the teacher was speaking at me and I didn't like it,' I told Callie casually as I dug another spoonful of frozen yogurt. 'Either way, we're here now so we might as well just enjoy the yogurt.'

Callie frowned at me as she raised her eyebrows with concern. 'Charles, just remember that I'm your friend and if you ever need to talk about anything I am here,' Callie smiled comfortingly, she sounded like she was about to begin one of those parent lectures.

‘Well I don’t need anything,’ I announced as I at some New York cheesecake frozen yogurt.

I continued to spoon the yogurt into my mouth until I got brain freeze. Instantly I cupped my hands over my forehead and then pulled a very unattractive face.

Callie was pointing a finger at me whilst laughing so I kicked her in the shin under the table.

‘Charles are you okay?’ Geoffrey asked stupidly; I’m obviously okay, you know I’m not about dying from brain freeze or anything. ‘You need to put your tongue on the roof of your mouth,’ Geoffrey instructed.

I did as I was told and almost instantly the brain freeze began to ease; smart Geoffrey. I gave Geoffrey a thumbs up before continuing to eat my frozen yogurt, this time I ate it slowly whilst trying to keep the frozen goodness away from the roof of my mouth.

- 

Seen as we couldn’t be bothered to go back to school after we’d been to the yogurt place we decided to walk slowly over the beach, like those romantic couples.

With every sound of someone speaking Geoffrey whipped his head round seen as he was afraid that Victoria or Daniel would be watching us even though they were both at work.

Also, Daniel isn’t going to be home until the weekend because he has gone on a business trip to New York City. Speaking of New York, Chandler is taking me there for my eighteenth birthday.

'Geoffrey no one is going to see us,’ I notified Geoffrey who looked as though he was about to hyperventilate.

‘How do you know Charles? For all you know Victoria could have left work early and she might be taking Charlie for a walk,’ Geoffrey began as he breathed loudly.

‘Anyway what’s the worse she can do? She can’t exactly get me sent to jail or whatever and I doubt that mother will be too bothered,’ I assured Geoffrey as I lay my arm over his shoulder. ‘And if she does catch us I’ll just say I got a headache and I couldn’t cope with seeing Jesse,’ I said with a slight laugh.

‘Speaking about Jesse, what’s going on with him? I mean he actually spoke to me this morning and not about dating me,’ Callie added. I just shrugged. ‘Did you apologise to him or something?’ she asked.

I shook my head as I let my arm fall from Geoff’s shoulder and then began picking pebbles up off the shore. ‘Are you going to apologise to him?’ Callie asked curiously.

‘Yes I am going to apologise to him still; now stop asking me questions!’ I snapped as I threw the pebbles into the sea trying to make them do that skipping thing but I failed badly and they just splashed then vanished into the depths of the water.

‘Calm down,’ Callie complained. ‘It’s like you have a crush on him or something,’ Callie laughed. I just stayed silent then looked at the floor.

‘I’m not gay,’ I spat as I turned to face her. Callie raised her hands above her head and then pulled a “oh I’m sorry, well not really” face. I just rolled my eyes then continued to throw pebbles.

In the corner of my eye I could see Callie and Geoffrey exchange glances before beginning to run to pier and leaving me stood in the sand.

                ‘Excuse me?’ A girl said as she tapped my shoulder. I turned around and a girl I didn’t know stood in front of me. Geoffrey and Callie were still watching me from the pier but I saw Geoffrey start running down from there when he saw the girl and then Callie followed shouting his name.

The girl in front of me was small and skinny with cream skin and mousey brown hair. Her eyes were green and she had a few freckles on her nose and cheeks.

‘Do I know you?’ I asked trying not to sound rude to someone I didn’t know. She shook her head.

‘I’m Rachel,’ the girl introduced with friendly smile. ‘Are you by any chance called Charles?’ the girl asked. I about ran away until I felt Geoffrey’s hand on my shoulder.

‘Yeah why?’ I asked, my voice sounding less friendly.

‘Oh my gosh!’ the girl squealed. ‘No way, no way,’ she said in a little chant. ‘You’re the Prince of Driftwood. I’ve had a crush on you since forever,’ the girl added and then she clapped her hand over her mouth. ‘I didn’t really say that did I?’ she asked in a worried tone. Geoffrey and I nodded our heads slowly.

‘Please don’t call me prince, I’m trying to stay on the down low until I get home,’ I mutter quietly hoping no one else would hear me.

‘Don’t worry I wont say anything. Please can I just have a photo with you and Geoffrey?’ the girl asked with a smile; the fact that she also recognised Geoffrey obviously meant she was a big fan of the Driftwood royal family.

‘Why not,’ I said, this girl actually put me in a better mood. ‘Callie take a photo of us, please,’ I asked as I got the girl to hand her phone to Callie and then Geoffrey and I stood either side of her as we all smiled into the camera. Once Callie finished she gave the phone back to Rachel.

‘Thank you so much for the photo, it looks amazing. I’m going to stick it on my collage when I get home. Thank you again!’ the girl yelled as she began running off down the beach. ‘Bye!’

‘Bye!’ we all yelled to her at matching times. ‘Well she seems nice,’ I responded as we all continued to walk.

---------------

T here. I had to write today because Alex has gone to Spain for a week and asked me to write a chapter so he'll have something different to write when he gets home.

I tried to add something to do with Charles and Jesse but that failed desperately. And that Rachel girl may/may not connect to the story somehow. I'll have to ask Alex when he gets home.

Yeah this is probably a terrible piece of writing because I'm sort of failing with stories at the moment and I have loads of school stuff to deal with :'(

But yeah I hoped you liked the chapter. Please vote, comment and fan. :)

Love T! :D

-Edited!

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