Chapter Three

Daphne couldn't believe how fast she was running. By the time she got home, she couldn't believe how frantic she was. As Daphne entered the living room, Mrs Blake was sitting down and about to open her copy of the Bible. Daphne couldn't let that happen.

"Mom!" Daphne said desperately. "I need to talk to you!"

Mrs Blake looked at her sternly.

"Can't you see I'm about to read the good book?" she asked.

"Mom, please!" Daphne pleaded. "This can't wait!"

"What can't wait?" Mrs Blake asked back impatiently.

"Sebastian attacked me!" Daphne replied.

Mrs Blake stood up immediately.

"What do you mean he attacked you?" she asked.

"He kissed me!" Daphne replied.

Mrs Blake sighed in disbelief.

"Daphne, that's hardly an attack," Mrs Blake said. "If anything, it's romantic,"

Daphne began to cry with frustration.

"Mom, you weren't there!" Daphne cried. "He unclipped my hair again, and then he grabbed me, and then he kissed me!"

"Oh, Daphne, that's nothing to cry about," Mrs Blake said with artificial sensitivity. "You're so beautiful. Why wouldn't he want to kiss you?"

Daphne couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Oh, my God!" Daphne said. "Don't you get it! I didn't want him to kiss me!"

"You should give him the chance to apologise," Mrs Blake said.

"What?" Daphne replied in disbelief.

Mrs Blake took a few threatening steps closer to Daphne.

"Listen to me very carefully," Mrs Blake warned. "Sebastian and his family are going to be very important to your father and we don't need you getting in the way of that. So, give him the chance to apologise,"

With nothing else to say, Mrs Blake opened the Bible, and Daphne couldn't believe she was getting no support from her mother.

XXXXX

Every time Daphne arrived at school, she would go to the library until classes started, as very few students would be there. But the following morning was different. Daphne went to the school paper office instead and was relieved to find Velma, the school paper editor, there. Velma was amazed to see Daphne entering the office.

"Hi, Velma," Daphne said. "Are you busy?"

"I'm always busy," Velma replied. "What do you want?"

"I have a story for you," Daphne said.

Velma was surprised to hear that, and she sat behind her desk.

"Take a seat," Velma said.

Daphne sat on the seat opposite her desk.

"What kind of a story?" Velma asked curiously.

"An attack," Daphne said. "I was attacked,"

Velma was shocked for a moment, but then she regained her composure.

"What kind of an attack?" Velma asked.

"It was from the exchange student," Daphne replied. "He kissed me, and I didn't want it,"

"Jinkies!" Velma said, shocked.

"Is that something you can write about?" Daphne asked hopefully.

"It depends," Velma said. "Did he do anything else?"

"I didn't give him the chance to do anything else. I pushed him away, and I ran,"

"Did he chase you?"

"I didn't hear him chasing me,"

"Jinkies!"

Daphne sighed, frustrated.

"You're not going to help me, are you?" Daphne asked.

"I didn't say that," Velma replied reassuringly. "I'm just not sure if I can,"

"What do you mean you're not sure if I can help me?"

"Were there any witnesses?"

Daphne sighed again.

"No, there weren't any witnesses, but it happened in front of the school where there are security cameras," Daphne said, trying to be patient.

"Daphne," Velma said. "Those security cameras haven't worked in months, and I'm writing a story about it for the paper,"

Daphne hated what Velma had told her, and she just wanted to scream.

"Are you really telling me that you can't help me?" Daphne asked, frustrated.

"I'm not saying that at all, but I have a responsibility to write the truth," Velma replied. "So, what I'm telling you is, at this stage, it's your word against his,"

"So, he gets away with it, and I get nothing?" Daphne asked.

"Not if you're able to provide real evidence against him, but that's not the only thing holding me back," Velma said. "Do you know who Sebastian really is?"

Daphne hated where this was going.

"What do you mean do I know who Sebastian really is?" Daphne asked suspiciously.

"Do you know what his family background is?" Velma asked back.

Daphne sighed again.

"Yes, I know he comes from royalty, and I know he doesn't want people to know that," Daphne said.

"Yes, I know that, too, and the Principal talked to me at length about it," Velma said. "So, when it comes to him, we have to be especially careful as the school can't afford an international incident,"

"That's just great!" Daphne said without thinking. "And my mother told me to give Sebastian a chance to apologise!"

Velma had heard rumors about Daphne's mother, and she could understand why Daphne was so frustrated.

"You'll need to get evidence," Velma said. "The only way I can help you is if you can help yourself,"

As their conversation continued, Daphne found it sobering because she learned that getting justice wouldn't always be easy.

XXXXX

Courtesy of his status in royalty, Sebastian could learn where Fred would be at any time of the school day. Before Fred's second last class, Sebastian approached him feeling angry.

"Hello, Fred," Sebastian said. "I saw you hugging Daphne this morning,"

Fred thought that was a bizarre and creepy thing to say.

"Yeah, I did," Fred said. "So what?"

"So, who told you that was appropriate?" Sebastian asked back.

"Appropriate?" Fred asked, confused. "It was just a hug,"

Sebastian took a step closer to Fred.

"Are you aware Daphne and I have something special between us?" Sebastian asked. "It started on the night of her birthday,"

"Daphne didn't mention anything about that," Fred said.

Sebastian's eyes narrowed.

"Don't play games with me," he warned. "Did you see the videos in the assembly?"

"Yes, I saw them," Fred replied, trying to stay calm.

"Then you know what I'm capable of if you decide to cross me," Sebastian replied. "Make sure you remember that because you need to know what's yours and what's mine,"

Without needing to say anything else, Sebastian walked away. As Fred watched him walk away, he couldn't believe what a psycho Sebastian was.

XXXXX

For Daphne, the end of the school day couldn't have arrived fast enough. Velma had given her a small recording device hidden around her waist. As Daphne waited for Sebastian at the front of the school, she was confident she would get the needed evidence. But as he walked towards her a moment later, she was surprised. Sebastian was carrying a dozen roses.

"Hello, Daphne," Sebastian said. "I purchased these this morning, and I've been trying to find you all day to give them to you,"

"Why are you giving me roses?" Daphne asked suspiciously.

"For the way I treated you yesterday," he replied. "It was inexcusable of me to kiss you like that, despite how I feel about you,"

Daphne's head was spinning by these revelations.

"H-H-How do you feel about me?" Daphne asked nervously.

"I could tell from the moment I saw you that you have a lovely soul with beauty to match," Sebastian replied. "I never thought I would meet someone like you in Coolsville,"

Without thinking, Daphne hugged Sebastian and kissed him on his right cheek. Satisfied with how things were going, Sebastian reached behind her head with his right hand and unfastened her hairclip. Daphne gasped a little in surprise as her hair fell.

"You really should stop wearing hairclips and let your hair flow," Sebastian said. "Having your hair tied up will never do you and your beauty justice,"

Daphne leaned back to look at Sebastian to see if his eyes had any deception. Despite how good his remarks about her beauty were, she couldn't see any, but she didn't feel she could completely trust him yet. So, she let go of him and walked away. As Sebastian watched Daphne walk away, he was confident it wouldn't be long until she was his.