CHAPTER 7

Click. Clack. Click. Bam. Groan. Click. Clack. Click. Clack. Thud. Grunt.

Click. Clack. Click. Clack. Click. Thud.

"Aww." That one really hurt my bum and my back was starting to hurt badly as well. Apparently it wasn't really healed yet but I couldn't give up now. Tomorrow was going to be the interview and Mrs. Wales was patient enough to teach me after class but then she also had to go. Nessa and Ria had other classes as well but for me, this class of walking with heels would be my class for the whole day. I was alone in the huge room, walking with my ridiculous high heels. My feet ached, I was thirsty and my whole body was exhausted from falling and walking. I don't know why I couldn't get it.

I stood up again and concentrated hard on my aching feet and walked slowly on a straight line. By my fifth step I started wobbling, then bam for the hundredth time. I sat down for a while and sighed caressing my bruised knees and scratched elbows. I bet my face was also dirty, since I also fell on it a few times. Jeez, what a failure I am. I couldn't even walk in high heels.

I should have convinced Mrs. Wales that I really couldn't go in that interview with high heels but she insisted because all princesses must show off what they could do. I told her earlier that I would rather breakdance but the witch shook her head and replied that the chairman would be displeased and a lot of mentors too. And all because of high heels, pathetic right. But I'm even more pathetic I realized.

Maybe I just needed water, then I remembered Nessa added something inside my water bottle. She said it was an energizing drink, probably what I needed. Standing up again, I held on the sides for support since I didn't really want to fall again. When I got to the marble table where the water was, I sighed relieved because I didn't fall. I mentally applauded to myself even though I cheated.

I looked around for my blue water bottle but it was nowhere on the table. Confused, I looked underneath. There was nothing, just the shining tiled floor. Huh? Where did it go? I'm pretty sure water bottles don't have legs.

"Looking for something?" A familiar voice broke my confusion. I glanced by the doorway and glared at the culprit. Gavier was leaning by the wall with my water bottle in his hand, his face looking amused.

I groaned. "Yes and you have it. May I have it back please?"

"Nope," He replied opening the cap of my water bottle. Oh no, what was he going to do?

"Hey! That's mine!" I growled and began to surge forth, running towards him at full force.

The jerk ignored me and began chugging my water. My water! My energizing drink! How dare him!

I quickly snatched my water bottle from him breathlessly. I basically sprinted, and he was so far away across the room. "You jerk, that was especially made for me!" I glared at him as he smirked back.

"No wonder it tasted sweeter." He licked his lips.

I groaned, realizing his mouth had been all over my water bottle. Oh, my poor water bottle, it must have suffered greatly.

"Didn't someone teach you not to touch or use other people's things without permission?" I hugged my bottle to my chest as I crossed my arms over it.

"No one stopped me before." He shrugged.

Spoiled prince, I should have known. "Well Mister, even if you're a prince I'm still not letting you touch and use my things as you please. Do you want a rewind of our pleasant meeting before?"

"Maybe I want a rewind" He smirked then put his hands on my waist gently. "Want to get started?"

"Ugh! Can you just torment me later, I still need to practice." I pushed him away with one arm.

"I don't see the need of practice when you were just running to me earlier."

His words got me thinking. He was right. I just ran to him with high heels across the room without even falling once. How the hell did that happen? How did he know I was practicing walking with high heels? I blushed realizing that he must have been watching me.

"You were watching me?" I asked him incredulously.

"It was quite amusing." He chuckled.

"You really like tormenting me do you?" I groaned.

"Yep," He said and in a snap, he caught my water bottle and before I could even say anything he started drinking it again.

"Ugh you're so annoying!!" I cried as I tried to snatch it away but he took advantage of his height and lifted his head further with my poor bottle.

"Give it back, you jerk!" I started jumping but he held on my waist with one hand. I was practically leaning on him, chest to chest. Before I caught my bottle, he lifted it away with his hand, making it impossible for me to get it.

"Aren't you jumping like a little kangaroo," He said looking very amused. His statement suddenly gave me an idea.

"Nope I think I'm going for a wild monkey instead." And with that I jumped on him, wrapping my legs around his waist. This was totally de javu, it was really a rewind only now, he didn't fall and I was clinging on his chest, not his back. He held me up, wrapping his other arm on my back. I tried ignoring the warning sensations and the nerve endings I felt feeling his hard chest on my own. And oh god, he smelled so good, I could literally drown in it. Wake up Clarissa! I snapped to myself and reminded myself about my goal. A few lunges and I caught my bottle.

"I got it! I got it!" I shouted like a child. I don't know why I felt so accomplished but I really did.

"Yes you did," He chuckled, his other arm snaked around me, still holding me up and carrying me.

I looked at his face, my heart beating wildly at the sight of his gorgeous smiling face. It was stunning really, I didn't know a person could look so beautiful and handsome. He looked so carefree and happy, I wished I could stop time that moment.

But of course perfect moments like this always end.

I yowled when I felt hands squeeze my butt. Oh god, he just squeezed my bum! When did he become a pervert?

I pushed him away from me immediately and fell on the ground. "Did you just squeeze my ass?"

His annoying smirk was back again. "Yep, and they felt pretty nice."

I blushed, I don't know whether I should feel violated or happy that he said that they had felt nice.

"Y-you j-just assaulted an innocent maiden like me!" I pointed a finger at him, my face probably red as tomato. "Y-you pervert!!!" And again my brain wasn't working, probably downgraded to 5 IQ.

"A pervert?" He scratched his chin wondering. "No one has ever called me that before."

I stood up, still pointing a finger at him stupidly. "I can't believe you just squeezed my poor butt, no hands has ever been there before!" I accused him.

He raised an eyebrow on this. "Good, then more of an honor of me being a pervert."

I looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

He took my hand, leading me out of the room as I let him. His touch made shivers down my spine relieving the soreness of my back. "It means I'm continuing my perverted actions even though I have never done it to a girl before."

"What the hell? Why are you suddenly being perverted?" I gasped at him, as his thumb began massaging the back of my hand softly. I wanted to moan from the sensation but I stopped myself.

He leaned sideways until his mouth is next to my ear. "It's your fault. You make me act like a pervert when I'm around you."

I shivered all over, feeling all tingly.

"I want to touch you everywhere, feel your skin on mine, be the first man to explore you." His voice was husky and deep, making me want to sigh.

"H-huh?" I didn't know what to say really since my brains were really not functioning anymore.

He began laughing and then it hit me.

He was messing with me again.

Was I just a toy to him? I couldn't help but feel annoyed and angry. Perhaps it was my feet that hurt, or maybe my hurt back. Or maybe even the queen and Anastasia who humiliated me earlier although I didn't really want to think of that. Or maybe it was all of it together-my exhausted body, Anastasia and her mom, the heels, missing my dad, the interview tomorrow and Gavier.

I stopped, snatching my hand away from him. The truth was, I felt toyed, and it kind of hurt. The truth was I thought Gavier and I could be real friends and not just for public. The truth was deep in my heart I knew I don't really hate him. But there was always the underlying truth of it all. Because the truth was Gavier just saw me as a toy, a sort of amusement which he would play with then throw away when he becomes bored with it. I've seen it with men like him before. Powerful beings who thought they could have what they wanted and dispose of them like trash in the end. And yes, I knew I was being Gavier's sort of amusement but that was it, a toy and its owner, we could never become more than that.

"You should have seen your face. You really believed me didn't you?" He was laughing at my face and it felt like a stab in my heart. "Do you really think, I would ever want to touch you or like a girl like you?" Stop! "You look hilarious, looking all red like tha-" He stopped, realizing I wasn't saying anything. "Clarissa?" Don't say my name like that as if you're worried, as if you really cared! Just stop it!

I felt something hot falling down my cheeks, then I realized it was tears, my tears. I never cried about these things before so why was I now? Must be a blow for me to realize, Gavier and I would never be friends or for him to ever like me even just a little.

"Hey, why are you crying?" He asked, his face concerned. He tried to reach for my face but I slapped it away. I wasn't going to be fooled again by him the second time. For all I know he was probably laughing in his head, thinking how pathetic I am, how I was such a crybaby.

"I'm glad you had your fun. It must really be fun for you to always toy me like that." With that, I turned around before I humiliate myself more.

"Clarissa!"

I didn't stop running, not even when I fell down hard, not even when I felt the stinging pain on my knees where it bled, not even when he was running after me calling my name. Because it was embarrassing to show such weakness of mine, so embarrassing. When I was finally in the solace of my room did I let it all out-the homesickness, the rejection, how people look down on me, how people think lowly of my dad, how I'm physically hurt, how pressuring this academy was, how Gavier's teasing got to me. Maybe, I was just about to get my period.

One thing made me smile a little though.

I only fell once through all that running.