Chapter Eighteen

Two days later, Lily and Lucas's relationship is the talk of the school. Some of the talk is good. They complimented them. They think they make a cute couple but others said differently. They think Lucas is using Lily for his own needs but I know Lucas better than that. He truly cares for Lily. And Reid already told him that they're relationship wouldn't last very long but Lucas doesn't care. He's just happy to be with her.

I'm upset that there's a law forbidden Lily from having a true lasting relationship. Even if Lucas wasn't training to be a guardian, he still couldn't be with her after high school because she's a princess. I think it's stupid and I wanted to bring it up with Abe but he heard from someone else before I can say anything.

Abe wasn't mad that Lily is dating Lucas just the opposite. He knows Lucas and he glad that Lily is with him than someone else. Which doesn't make any sense. Abe likes Lucas but yet he made a law preventing guardians and normal people to date the royalties. I made a mental note to bring that up when I talk to him.

Lucas and I practice our song after school and we finally got the lyrics down.

"See I told you this was the easy part." Lucas says, grinning.

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

We go over the song one more time before we leave. I'm putting my bag over my shoulder when Sophie walks into the music room.

"You're done already?" She asks, surprised.

I nod my head. "Yeah. We've been practing for an hour and half. What are you doing in here? I thought you had practice."

"We already rehearsed and I was wondering if you could help me?"

"Well, we were going to get something to eat." I tell her.

It isn't like I didn't want to help her push pass her limit because I do. I'm just hungry and I needed to stay with Lily and Lucas just in case something happens.

"Please, Millie." Sophie begs. "Just thirty minutes."

I glance at Lily before I look at Sophie.

"Okay fine." I place my bag down. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

Lily, Reid and Lucas head out the room and to the dining room. I look at Sophie who is looking at Hayes.

"What song have you been working on?" I ask, bringing her back to reality.

She blushes and she quickly looks away from her brother.

"Sorry. I'm working on Love Me Like You Do"

I nod my head.

"Okay. I just want you to sing and don't think about the verse with note you're having trouble with, alright?"

She nods. "Okay. Um, I get nervous when I look at you. Can I face the wall?"

She never gets nervous when she sings in front of me. I decide to let it go. "Yeah go right ahead."

I lean against the piano as she faces the wall Hayes is casually leaning on with his long arms folded over his chest.

She begins to sing and I ignore the lyrics. They mean nothing. They're just words. Why did Sophie choose this song? I made sure I keep my eyes on the ground but I know he's staring at me.

You're the light, you're the night
You're the color of my blood
You're the cure, you're the pain
You're the only thing I wanna touch
Never knew that it could mean so much, so much

Ignore the lyrics. Ignore the lyrics. I repeat to myself. But as I say it, my heart begins to pound faster. I ball my hands into a fist. He still has control over me. Why? He put me through so much and yet he still makes my heart race. I need to forget about him. I have to forget about him. I tune back into Sophie's singing.

So love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do
Love me like you do, la-la-love me like you do
Touch me like you do, ta-ta-touch me like you do
What are you waiting for?

Sophie is doing good. She took my advice to stop worrying and just sing. But I notice when her voice gets small. She must be getting to the part she's having trouble with.

Yeah, I'll...

She stops and looks down. I move closer to her. "You can do it. Come on. Go for it." I encourage her.

She looks at me with her green eyes. "I can't do it."

"Yes you can." I argue. "Just take a deep breath and let it out."

She does as I say before she continues to sing.

"If it helps, close your eyes." I tell her as she sings the same verse again. I know she's going to stop before she even does it. Not this time. She's singing it. I join her and she glances at me from the corner of her eyes.

Sophie doesn't stop she keeps going but she's on the wrong note. I motion for her to singing a little higher.

I make the mistake of looking in his eyes as I sing. Why did I have to look up?

I'll let you set the pace
'Cause I'm not thinking straight
My head's spinning around I can't see clear no more
What are you waiting for?

I look away from Hayes as his grey eyes darkens.

"You're so close." I tell her. "Sing higher."

"I know but I feel like if I sing higher my voice will crack."

"You don't know if you don't try."

"I did try and my voice broke, remember?." She reminds me.

I wave it away. "That was weeks ago. We're going to try it again."

She nods and I tell her to repeat after me. I start from the second verse and when it's her turn to sing, she touches the high note before her voice squeals.

"You had it!" I say. "What happened?"

Sophie shakes her head as she touches her throat. "I don't know. It felt strange."

"Well it wasn't. I think you're still scared."

"I don't know why though." She says. "I know you told me the only way I can push pass my limits is if I have faith and I keep doubting myself."

"Stop doubting yourself. Look at what you accomplished today. You couldn't even hit the note weeks ago and now you're touching it. You can do it."

She smiles. "Thank you."

I bend down to grab my bag. "You're welcome."

We head to the dining room and I immediately start to fill my plate with everything. I find Lily and, the rest of our group,in the middle of the room and she's laughing. That's a good sign. No one's giving her trouble.

I sit beside and begin to eat as I listen to their conversation.

"That's a terrible nickname."Lily says as she smiles.

Daniella puts her hand over her heart as if she's offended. "I beg your pardon? I think it's an amazing name."

Laura rolls her eyes. "Of course you do. You're the one who made it up."

"What are you talking about? What name did you make up?" I decide to jump in the conversation with a mouth full of spaghetti.

Lily's nose wrinkles in disgust. "Ew, Millie. Don't talk with your mouth filled."

I shrug my shoulders in i-really-don't- give-a-care way.

"I was just telling Lily and Lucas about their couple name cause I totally ship them."

Daniella tells me. "And Lily hates it and Lucas...well he hasn't said anything yet. I think he secretly likes it."

Lucas rolls his blue eyes. "Whatever, Dani. I'm not very fond of it but it could be worse."

"What is it?" I repeat.

"Lucian" They all say. Daniella smiles proudly at the name she made.

"Lucian?" I say, raising my eyebrow.

"Yeah you know Lucas + Lillian = Lucian." Daniella explains.

I nod my head. "Yep, Lucas. You're right it could be worse. Way worse."

My head whips harshly to the right as I hear loud voices. Hayes moves closer to me but I pay him no attention as I watch what the commotion is all about.

To my surprise, it's a guy I think I have in my English class named Steve and Kyle have a full blown argument.

"What did you just call her! " Kyle yells, face red with angry.

"You heard me, Ashton." Steve says. "She's nothing but a no good, dirty, disgusting whore who can't her legs closed." He announces for the whole room can hear.

Kyle clutches his fist by his side but his shaking with rage. In the next second, Steve's face in slam onto the wooden table and his arm is pin against his back.

"Apologize." Kyle says. "Or I'll make sure you have nothing else to say for the rest of you life."

Steve doesn't say anything but sooner than later he mutters something.

"What was that, Johnson?" Kyle questions, twisting Steve arm a little more. "I don't think I heard you."

Before Steve can repeat what he says, Kyle picks him up. "Matter of fact, don't tell me. Tell her how sorry you are."

All eyes widen but mine. I'm not sure what to expect but it wasn't this. I know whoever Steve was talking about would possible slap him or cuss him out but I stand there, not moving as Kyle brings Steve to me.

He stops a few feet in front of me. "Say it." Kyle growls.

"Sorry" Steve spits out.

I stand there, staring at Steve. I shake my head, slowly. I want to say something, anything, but no words would make it pass my lips. Tears spings to my eyes and before anyone can stop me I run out the dining room. I don't stop until I'm halfway to my room.

Tears rolls down my face, uncontrollably, and I don't bother to wipe them away. Why would he say that about me? What did I do to deserve this?

He humiliated me in front of everyone. I know it isn't true but it still hurts. Why would he think that? The only explaination I can give myself is Ava told him something about me as payback for hitting her in dodgeball.

She must really hate me to scoop so low. She's evil and I let her words get to me. Everyone at the school must think low of me now. They'll believe Ava before they will believe me.

I don't notice I stopped walking until Kyle, Lily, and Reid appear beside me.

"Steve's a bastard." Lily says. "Don't believe anything he says"

"I don't but that's not going stop everyone else"

"If they believe him," Kyle begins. "then they're stupid. They apparently don't know the difference between an angel and a devil."

"Where's Hayes?" I ask, noticing my protector is no where in sight. He's normally the one who comes running after me.

"Interrogating Steve." Reid says. "He's tying to figure out who started this rumor."

"I already know who did it." I tell them. "It's Ava."

Lily nods her head. "That makes a lot of sense." She looks at Reid. "Come on let's go save Steve before Hayes kills him, even though he deserves to die."

Kyle grabs my hand and my heart pounds faster.

"I'm sorry that you have to hear that. You're too kind, too perfect for anyone to say those things about you." He drags his thumbs under my eyes, wiping away my tears. "Don't cry. You're too beautiful to cry."

I give him a small smile. "Thank you. Thank you for standing up for me."

"Anytime." Kyle says. "Now let's go before your protector think I'm murdering you."

Before we head back to the dining room, I plant a quick peck on his cheek. He freezes but then he slowly starts to smile.

"If I had known that would be my reward, then I would of signed up to be your guardian."

I laugh. "You have to make it pass my dad and if you think Hayes is scary, you're pee in your pants when you meet him."

"It'll be worth it. I'll do anything if it means I can be with you."

Kyle really does like me. I wonder why Lily dislike him so me. He isn't a bad person. He's actually really sweet.

I squeeze his hand and we walk inside the dining room as Hayes rounds the corner, no doubt searching for me.

He stops when he sees me and his eyes darts my intertwined hand. He narrows his eyes for a second before masking his face. I pull my hand away from Kyle's and pretend to fix my hair so I won't Kyle's feelings.

"Did Steve tell you Ava is the one who started this?" I ask, as I put my hair in a loose ponytail.

Hayes shakes his head. "No. All he would tell me is that it was a stupid joke and he really didn't mean it. But that dumb smirk on his face said otherwise. If Reid hadn't showed up, I would've wiped that smirk off his face."

"Thanks anyway." I tell him and he just nods his head once.

Kyle notices the awkward tension. "Uh, I'll see you later, okay?" He heads into the dining room.

Hayes tilts his head, slightly. A gesture I know too well. He's studying me.

"Are you okay?"

I shrug. "Been better. I just can't believe he would say something like that about me."

"Don't worry about it. You know who you are and what you are." Hayes tells me.

I nod. "I know."

"Good. As long as you know those two things, nothing else matters."

Hayes is right. I don't need to spend my time worrying about unimportant things. I know who I am.

"I don't want to go back in there." I say.

"Understandable." He says. "Come on. I'll take you back to your room."

We head to my dorm and when we reach my door, I face Hayes.

"I know I keep telling you this but thank you."

"Don't ever thank me for something any human being would do." He says."Goodnight, Princess."

For some reason, I miss the way he called me by my nickname. Before he can walk away, I grab him and pull him into a hug. I wrap my arms around his neck and bring him closer. I immediately let go when I realize what I'm doing.

I cough. "Goodnight."

I open my door and all but ran inside my door. Even with the door close, I know his standing there, smiling.

I take a shower and let it wash away all tonight's problems and stress and prepare for the next day.

I climb into my bed and dream of a better tomorrow. Little did I know, tomorrow would be worse.