Chapter 11.

*****

"What the hell is this?!" A newspaper slammed in front of Maximilian's face as we sat at the kitchen counter on Saturday morning. "You cannot even stay out of trouble for the few hours that you were at a party filled with bloody teenagers?!" the King yelled.

"Father –" Maximilian began.

"It wasn't him." I cut him off. Everyone looked at me. 'Everyone' being all four brothers, their father, Gabriel, Jaime, Shayne and the cook, Nathan. "Uh, the guy wouldn't leave me alone and I didn't want to make a scene. He only punched him once and Gabriel kicked him, but not that hard." I said.

"Once? Look at this." We all turned to the newspaper; it was on the front page.

Bellow the headline 'Prince and friends gang up on innocent boy.' Was a picture of Brandon's bloody, bashed up face with a few stitches bellow his eye.

"What the fuck? We did not do this!" Maximilian said outraged.

"Language." The king said.

"He lied, how...?" Gabriel drifted. "Innocent?" he gave a dry laugh of disbelief.

"Wait, everyone calm down. This was at that party, right? You have at least twenty people that actually saw what happened." Adrian spoke before he took a bite of the one of the cookies Nathan had baked earlier.

"Right... We just have to make them say it and get it published in a bigger newspaper." Shayne said.

"That should be easy, get to it, I want this cleared up within the next hour." The King said walking out.

I watched as the four friends took out their phones and began typing away rapidly for about five minutes before they all put their phones away and smiled looking up.

"Done. I want pizza." Maximilian said. Nathan snorted.

"I have to go somewhere, I'm not making pizza and it's Samuel's day off." He said as he walked out and we laughed.

"I want pizza." Gabriel agreed, everyone agreed before they looked at me.

"What?" I asked.

"What do you want to eat, Jessica?" Adrian chuckled.

"Eat? Um..." I drifted.

"Wait... Do you even know what pizza is?" Edward asked slowly. Everyone stared at me and their faces turned shocked by my confused silence.

"Um... no..." I whispered. They gasped.

"Holy crap... Where the hell are you from?" Jaime asked shocked.

"Obviously not earth." Gabriel answered before I could. They laughed.

"Fuck, let's order some pizza, this is a crime!" Edgar yelled.

Maximilian, Shayne, Edward and Edgar began arguing about which pizzas to buy so I just looked up as Adrian grabbed my wrist gently and pulled me out of the kitchen. Gabriel and Jaime joined us in the TV room. There was basically just one massive screen against the wall with a bunch of seats.

Adrian sat down in the back and pulled me into the seat beside him. Gabriel sat in front of us with his feet up on the chair in front of him. We watched as Jaime ran his eyes over the stands of movies.

I was in track pants, socks and another one of Maximilian's shirts. I would probably have to go shopping for some normal clothing later. My hair was tied into its usual pony tail. The brothers were wearing pretty much what I was wearing while Gabriel, Jaime and Shayne wore clothing that would look presentable outside as well since they came over earlier this morning. Adrian was the odd one out in a pair of dark blue trousers, a white buttoned up long sleeved shirt and some black shoes. I felt like I looked bad next to him because he looked so dressed up.

Jaime finally chose a movie as the others pilled in with boxes in their hands. They handed Adrian and I a box and everyone sat at a lower level than us.

"Want a slushy, Jess?" Gabriel looked at me, "Never mind, you probably don't know what it is." I glared at Gabriel as everyone laughed. I got handed blue ice in a cup and Adrian chuckled taking a green one from Gabriel.

A few minutes later we were all seated as the movie began. I wasn't focused on that, the pizza was fricking amazing. As was the slushie. I heard a chuckle as I finished my second slice and looked to see Adrian staring at me amused.

"What?" I mumbled.

"Nothing..." He patted my head and put his arm around my shoulders. I tensed a little before I relaxed.

His arm was somewhat comforting. He smelt nice. My heart was beating at an unhealthy rate again because he was next to me. I decided to focus on eating rather than him because I had a feeling I would choke or stop breathing and die.

An hour later I was drowsy. I assumed it was the food. I ate too much... The movie was interesting though so I was trying to stay awake but it wasn't happening.

-----

"Jess... Jessica... wake up." I felt someone gently shaking my shoulder. The voice was slightly amused and soft.

"You aren't helping; you're just rocking her to sleep." Another male voice said.

"Wake up!" I jumped at the scream and was pulled against someone as laughter burst out around me. I clutched onto whoever had been shaking my shoulder with my head leaned against their arm as my heart beat at the wakeup call.

"Damn it, Thandi." Adrian sounded annoyed. I realised he was the one holding me and his hand was currently stroking my hair while his arm was around my waist. I pushed away from him giving him an apologetic smile for how I jumped onto him. He chuckled.

"Come, we're having a girls' day." Thandi smiled at me. I saw her friend, Jade, not too far behind her smiling widely at me.

"Girls' day?" I mumbled confused as I pulled my hand over my ponytail trying to make it look more presentable than I was sure it was.

"Yes." Thandi glanced at the guys a little disgusted.

"Obviously you need time away from these guys." Jade motioned to the clothes I was wearing.

"Uh, she looks fine." Gabriel said.

"Shut up, you know nothing. I mean, look at what you're wearing." I laughed. They usually argued like that during lunch or whenever they had a class together.

Gabriel snorted about to answer her but Thandi covered his mouth.

"Luckily, though, I went through your closet last night so I brought you come clothes to wear to the mall. Let's go." She said.

"Yes, leave." I shot a glare at Edgar.

I looked at Maximilian and he smiled. "We are not going anywhere today so it is either you join us all day and talk about soccer and chicks or you can go with them and talk about... makeup, George Clooney and whatever else you people are into."

"George – ew." Jade frowned at him.

"She gets my point." Maximilian shot her a glare. Nope, actually I didn't.

Thandi frowned at him. "Fine, let's go." I spoke up before another argument could start.

"Yes, after you change." Jade said.

"Clothes are on your bed." Thandi said as she fell into the seat beside Shayne.

I sighed getting up and walking out of the room. I turned as someone followed me out of the room. I smiled as Adrian caught up with me.

"I will make sure he does not leave the house without you." He said to me.

I thanked him before looking at my thumb as I clicked the lock button on my phone on and off. Just him being next to me had me in a crazy amount of nerves. The butterflies in my stomach were threatening an explosion. I bit my lip. I couldn't start liking him. This was a mission. Don't get close to anyone.

You've already made friends; it's too late for that.

I knew that because I was afraid of losing any of them, from Maximilian, to Jaime and Thandi. What the hell was I doing? This was not how I was trained to do things. And Adrian? There wasn't a possibility of that seeing as he was going to be king and I was an agent... and he was engaged...

"Earth to Jessica." I looked up confused and blushed as Adrian laughed.

"Um – w –what?" I stuttered.

"I was asking if you were doing anything tonight... There is a gadget shop I have keys to; I think you would like it." He said.

"Gadget shop? You have keys? How? Where is it? What do they sell?" I asked enthusiastically.

He laughed. "Calm down, you will see what they have if you come with me. I have keys because it is owned by a friend of mine. So, will you come? You cannot tell anyone though." He said.

"Yes – why not?" I asked.

"Because I said so, and what I say goes because I am going to be king." He smirked and walked off. I stared at him confused until he disappeared into his room.

I walked to my own and changed into the outfit I had found on the bed; luckily Thandi and I were the same size.

I turned to the mirror and looked at the grey off-the shoulder sweater I was wearing over ripped skinnies and a pair of black boots. I reached up and pulled my hair out of ponytail letting it fall over my shoulder in distorted curls. I quickly brushed it resulting in it curling together and shrugged. It's presentable enough.

I ran downstairs, but not before glancing at Adrian's door and letting out a sigh that annoyed me because I was being stupid. This would probably be a good distraction from him.

When I got downstairs, Thandi again forced me into a make-up session to hide the fading bruises and the cut on my face.

-----

The shopping I absolutely hated, but being around Thandi and Jade was an incredible amount of fun. We had gone to almost every store we spotted and joked about most of the outfits we saw, tough we did find some really good looking clothing, well; they thought it looked good, I was getting there...

"Oh my gosh! Look at this. Gabriel would totally love you in this." Thandi grabbed a red dress from the shelf and showed it to Jade.

"Gabriel? What?" Jade snorted.

"You two aren't fooling anyone." Thandi said before she smirked, "We know you like him; we know you want to kiss him –"

"Oh my gosh, stop. Gabriel is the most annoying idiot on the planet. I absolutely hate him. God, he makes me want to stick matches into my pupils." I grimaced, "Exactly!" Jade said at my reaction.

"Please," Thandi rolled her eyes before they both looked at me and I stepped back feeling like they were about to attack me.

"So, Jessica," I narrowed my eyes at how sweetly Jade spoke, "Who do you think is cute?" she asked.

"No one." I mumbled feeling my face heat as Adrian's face popped into my mind. God, what's wrong with me?

"Liar! What's his name? I bet we can get him to ask you out."

Ha. Yeah.

"I don't like anyone." I said.

"Jaime?" I grimaced; I loved him already but the thought of being more than friends put me off, "Carter?" I rolled my eyes as they began going through a list of the guys from each of my classes.

"Stop," I laughed. They had been asking from the store all the way to the food stall. "No one." I said.

"We know there's someone, is it –" Jade was saying.

"Girls! Fancy seeing you here." We all turned to look at Brandon and a few of his friends. He had a light bruise just under his eye, but that was it. That picture was so fake...

"Nope, wrong one. Definitely not him. Is it Masson?" I laughed as Jade continued, ignoring Brandon's presence.

"What about me?" Masson stood behind Brandon eating a pretzel.

"Nothing. Go ahead, we're still deciding." Thandi said.

"Nah, I think we'll stay here and talk to you." Masson said.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think you get it. We don't want you here." Jade said to them with a blatantly fake friendly smile.

They laughed. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you get it, this is a mall. No one gives a shit what you want, Sweetheart." A guy, Wyatt, replied.

Thandi opened her mouth but my phone cut her off. I pulled it out and smiled as I answered it.

"Tony!" I said happily.

"Hey, little one, how are you?" I could hear his smile. My smile fell and I frowned annoyed.

"Stop that." He chuckled, "I'm great... I miss you." I said walking away from the group as I motioned that I would be right back to my friends.

"Don't worry, I've made sure that I can make it to your test next month." He said.

"Really?" I asked already excited.

"Yes, I promise I will be there. So will Gerard and Liliana. Why is it so noisy there?" he asked. I decided to tell him the truth adding that it was important to blend in wherever I went with Maximilian, I let out the part that Maximilian wasn't even here meaning I was not doing my job. "It's about time you did something human." He said.

"Tony! You're not that much better!" I frowned.

"Ah, but no one is as bad as you are." We laughed, he was right. "You sound happy..." he said. I smiled. "Finally loosening up, are we, Ari?" he added.

"No... A little... I had pizza." He laughed.

"Amazing." He chuckled. I heard someone call an Ethan and knew it was his mission name, "I have to go. I'll call you next week, see you at the test. I love you." He said.

"I love you too." I hung up.

I jumped as someone suddenly grabbed my waist before I turned around glared at Brandon. "Sorry –" He chuckled, "I will remember not to do that... But Jessica... I'm sorry about last night... I had way too much to drink..." he drifted. "I'm really sorry... And – and that story in the papers, that was them blowing it out of proportion; I don't even know how they got a picture of my face. It doesn't matter though, I'm just... I'm sorry." he repeated.

I looked at him, he looked sincere. I smiled. "It's okay."

He smiled. "I'll pay for anything you and your friends want to eat." He said.

"Then you're forgiven." I said making him laugh.

*****