CHAPTER SEVEN

Tuesday, September 19

Okay, it's official, every single class I have is with Shane Gray. And it seemed that we were seated next to each other all the time as well. Shane is also in Porter Hall; right. Across. From. Me. His dorm room is literally right across from mine. One thing I didn't like about Shane (probably the only thing). One thing that actually made me dislike him and try to avoid him all today; he was a player. I'd seen him kissing three different girls alone. And a fourth had come out of his room doing the walk of shame this morning.

"Hey, Princess." Shane smirked as he slid into the seat next me at lunch. One security guy was outside the dining hall doors, one was just inside the doors and one was sitting directly across from me, glaring at Shane.

"Shane." I acknowledged, pushing my macaroni around the bowl. It wasn't like normal school macaroni that was just a lump of yellow, this was actually not only edible, but good.

"What's with the cold shoulder?" Shane asked and I could hear him smirking even though I wasn't looking at him anymore.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I denied as I shrugged, taking a sip of my lemonade.

"Come on, Princess, I know I make you hot." I blushed and focussed on my macaroni. "See, there's that adorable blush."

"I don't like players, Shane, I have enough drama in my life, I don't need you." I finally blurted out and he didn't even have the decency to look guilty or confronted.

"What?" He actually looked confused and I rolled my eyes.

"I saw you kissing three different girls. And I saw another one leaving your dorm room this morning." I pointed out and this time he at least did look a little ashamed. "I don't like guys who think girls are just objects for their amusement, I find it to be demeaning and repulsive." With that I got up and walked away, leaving a stunned-looking Shane behind me and a couple of hundreds eyes staring after me.

Ten minutes into biology the door opened and Shane came in. Only, this time he didn't have the cocky swagger as he came to sit next to me. He had a split lip that was still slightly bleeding and his left eye was red, I knew it was going to bruise badly. The same thing happened to Jackson all the time when he got in fights; first it would be red just after it happened, then it'd bruise purple, then it'd get darker to almost black, then it would fade greenish and yellow. I gasped softly and he avoided my eye as he sat silently.

"Mister Gray, would you like to explain?" Our biology teaccher, Mr. Caspien, asked, one eyebrow arched.

"No." Shane muttered, opening his book and looking down at it pointedly. I opened my mouth to ask him, but I didn't want to draw attention from everyone else and the glare he shot me made me rethink. Forty very slow minutes later the bell rang and Shane was the first one out of the room.

"Shane!" I ran after him, ignoring the stares, the whispers, the outright pointing. "Shane." I caught up and grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. He turned and glared at me, ripping his arm out of my grasp and I frowned at him. "What happened to you?" I whispered, aching to reach up and touch his face for some reason. I didn't like players, Shane was a player. But, I couldnn't just leave him hurt.

"What do you care?" He muttered, turning to walk away, but I followed him. "Thought you said I was demeaning and repulsive?" He shot my own words back at me.

"That doesn't mean you deserve this." I gestured vaguely at his injuries.

"Just leave me alone, Princess." Shane growled and I winced, the way he said it wasn't teasing like before, it was pure malice. WIth that Shane walked away from me and I was left, gaping after him.

Princess Miley

Shane didn't go back to his dorm room after classes finished. I know because I sat in my room with the door open waiting for him.. In fact, after dinner, he didn't return at all, at least not before lights out at ten o'clock. I bit my lip nervously; something bad was happening, I just knew it. Shane also didn't show up to breakfast and I was about three seconds away from running to the Headmaster when he walked into English. Ten minutes before class even started. And this was the guy who had walked into class a minimum of five minutes later the last two days.

I was right; Shane's eye was already blackening and had swollen into a squint. His lip was a little better, it had already started to scar over. Miss Wintergrass glanced up from marking something and looked even more surprised than when I had been here early yesterday.

"Where were you?" I turned to Shane, closing my English book.. "You didn't come back to your room before lights out, where were you, Shane?"

"With all due respect, your Highness, that's none of your business." Shane spat angrilly, with forced politeness and I frowned.

"I just want to help you, Shane." I whispered before turning back to my book.

"Yeah, well, if you want to help than just..." When I looked at him again he looked like he was struggling to get the words out. I sighed when he didn't say anything else. "Forgive me." I heard him mumbled after a couple of minutes and I opened my mouth to ask. "No matter what happens, just... Please... Forgive me?" His voice was borken and begging and when I looked in his one good eye it was pleading with me.

"I will." The words were out of my mouth before I could register them and then the bell rang. As soon as the bell rang at the end of class Shane was gone again and I wanted to know what he meant. The next two classes Shane arrived right before the bell rang and left before it had even finished ringing. "Jethro." I spoke, he was the guard sitting opposite me now, they'd changed over just before lunch - which is where I was currently.

"Yes, your Highness?" Jethro replied, bowing his head slightly in acknowledgement.

"You know how you did background checks on everyone here?" I only knew that because the King had let it slip on Saturday that they were finishing up before I could even step foot on the grounds on Sunday. "What-what did it say about Shane Gray?" I asked hesitantly and he looked at me curriously.

"Has Mister Gray been bothering you, your Highness?" Jethro questioned and I quickly shook my head.

"No." I denied, frowning a little. "At least... I don't think he has... He's confusing; first he was nice, then someone hurt him and he was mean, then he made me promise to forgive him - for what I don't know - and now I think he's trying to avoid me." The boys in Malibu were never this confusing. Not even Zombie-Slaying Jake Ryan, he was just a jerk who kissed me and left and didn't even bother to call after.

"Might I be candid, your Highness?" Jehtro requested and I rolled my eyes. Why did they always feel the need to ask? What, did they think I'd say no? "If he's this much of a hassel and as confusing as you say, perhaps it's best if you pay no mind if he is in fact avoiding you. Maybe you should be thankfull that he's not bothering you anymore."

"Right." I mumbled, looking down. It sounded logical; if he was so confusing and mind-consuming it was best if I let him avoid me and not pay him any attention, but just because it's logical doesn't mean it's possible. Case in point; I couldn't stop thinking about Shane. His intense hazel eyes, the quirk of his lips as he smirked, his heart-melting smile, the way his hair had that perfectly tousled look. His muscles. He certainly didn't look fourteen or fifteen. "Thanks anyway." I shrugged and continued pushing my lunch around my plate until ten minutes before the bell was going to ring for the afternoon classes. I still didn't know my way around enough to get there before it started, and the earlier I left the less students I'd have to deal with. It seemed to happen in slow motion as I got up.

I turned around, I gasped when I saw Shane standing behind me, his face completely devoid of expression except for his eyes. His eyes were pleading with me, begging me for something I didn't know. And then I felt a cold chill run down spine and all over me, it felt like someone had cracked an egg over my head as I felt the liquuid pour over me. Shane stepped back and his eyes turned cold.

"All hail the slushee Queen." Shane murmured just loud enough for a couple of the neighbouring tables to hear.

First there were gasps, then whispers, then laughing. And all I could do was stand there in shock until I felt someone pulling me roughly away. When I gained awareness again I was in my room and Jethro was shaking me slightly, trying to bring me back to reality.

"Your Highness." Jethro breathed a sigh of relief when my eyes refocussed. "You okay, your Highness? Did he hurt you?" I slowly shook my head. I wasn't injured, I was mortified, horrified, humiliated, betrayed, but I wasn't physically injured. "The boys in question are being aprehended, you should get cleaned up, Princess." I internally winced when he called me that. It wasn't the same voice or tone as Shane, but I couldn't help but think off him. I slowly turned at Jethro's prompt and went into the private bathroom. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one with a private bathroom, but at that moment I didn't think of it as I stripped and slipped into the shower, turning the water on full heat until I couldn't even feel my skin and it was an angry red all over from the scorching water.

Nothing so humiliating had happened to me since The Cracker (Henrietta Lavern) had trussed me up like a salad in junior high. I hadn't cried then, I'd been too angry at Roxy letting that happen just to teach me a lesson. The Cracker had never pretended to be nice to me like Shane, either. I met him on Sunday, I liked him by Monday, I called him repulsive on Tuesday and he humiliated me in front of the entire school on Wednesday (today). I suddenly wished I could go back to a week and a half ago; at least Lord Marcus hadn't humiliated or betrayed me

"Your Highness." I vaguelly became aware of someone knocking on the bathroom door and I switched the water off. I could barely see a foot in front of me with all the steam, but I didn't care. I hissed when the soft towel touched my raw skin as I dried off and reached for my bathrobe. The steam billowed out and I immeditately felt hands grab for me when I open the door. "Your Highness, what happened?" I registered that it was Carlton and he thought I was injured. I shook my head and moved past him.

"What-" I cleared my throat and shook my head to clear it a little. "What's going to happen to Shane?" I forced myself to say his name. I'd only known him four days, I'd barely even talked or interacted with him, it shouldn't hurt to say his name.

"The perpertrators have been aprehended, your Highness, and they will be dealt with in a manner just to their crimes." Jethro said in a reassuring tone and I felt my eyes widen.

"Crimes?" My voice went high at that.

"Princess," Carlton spoke slowly, sharing a look with Jethro and the other suit in the room. "What those boys did could be considered an act of terrorism against the Crown."

Next one is going to be longer, I promise. I had major writers block for most of the week, and it only just broke.
That and I also just joined the populace of the employed. I start on Monday, so I don't know how much time I'll have to write, but I promise I WILL update at LEAST once a week. I swear it on my more than slightly obsessive Miley Cyrus collection. :)

Fear not, my previous Moe/Shiley fans, there is a reason for everything, I promise.

Thank-you, everyone, for your reviews :) Now please give me more ! :P
Seriously, though, you guys are awesome and I love reading what you think about my writing.

XOXO
Miley-Girl