Chapter 5.

*****

I slammed my fist into the punching bag before I gave it a few kicks and jabs. The rather large room was filled with regular gym equipment; treadmills, weights, that kind of stuff.

"Do you always hit things with your eyes closed?" I heard Edward's voice from across the room to my left.

"Yes." It was easier to concentrate that way. I had my eyes blindfolded right now as I hit the bag more.

I heard his steps, even though he was quiet, as he came towards me. In between my kicks, I heard him throw his shoes aside behind me and smirked to myself.

I turned around in time to block a kick he had just shot out at me. I shoved it back; he seemed to handle it well, not falling before he came at me with a punch which I easily dodged.

"Come on, Prince Edward, you've got to be better than this." I said tauntingly.

I heard him chuckle before he attacked me with more aggressive kicks and actually ended up kicking me in my side before he shoved me so I almost fell back but I managed to stay on my feet before I retaliated kicking out at him a few times, about two of them hit him. His blocking wasn't bad. I blocked a kick in the midst of my attack before grabbing his ankle and pulling him forward just so that I could punch him in his chest gently. I didn't want to hurt a prince. I heard him fall back but he bounced right back up, I received a few punches I had expected before another noise disturbed me and I ended up receiving a soft blow to my stomach from his left hand before I kicked out against his knee causing him to fall. I jumped back and turned around blocking a punch before shoving the person back. I moved further back giving myself space. I could hear two people breathing.

"Edgar." I knew it was him, he smelt like Armani cologne. I had picked that up when met him, it was quite distinct.

"Nice." I laughed at how excited he sounded.

I was right back into fighting mode as a kick came from behind me; I dodged it having heard it coming before I went low and gave him a kick to the back of his knee, I heard him tumble to the floor with a grunt as I stopped a knee to the side of my head from Edgar and shoved him back causing him to fall as well. I liked that he was rougher than Edward, I felt like Edward was afraid of actually fighting me, probably because he thought that maybe he could hurt me and he didn't want to take that chance.

I launched out at Edgar before he could stand and delivered a slightly harder blow to his abdomen than I would to Edward before I got kicked in my side, I grabbed the foot as I fell off Edgar and twisted it. I froze hearing a cry.

"Shit –" I pulled my blindfold off as Edward fell clutching his ankle, his face pulled painfully.

"Oh, nice." I frowned at Edgar before I crawled over to a now laughing Edward as he gently began rotating his foot.

"That was fun." He said.

"I bet it is, getting your asses kicked by a little girl in a blindfold." I looked to the door as I got up and gave Maximilian a frown.

I smiled and motioned for him to come at me.

"Sorry, Sweetheart, I am already dressed." He was. He already wore the uniform that took away all individuality...

"Excuses, little brother." I looked beside him as Adrian's arm circled his brother's shoulders. "Breakfast is ready." He said.

"Oh –" Edgar shoved past his brother and I and ran from the gym after Maximilian was already gone. I laughed.

"Savages." Edward shook his head getting to his feet, "I will have my rematch, Jessica. And then some lessons." He called as he walked out, not bothering to put his shoes back on. I laughed.

I sat down on the mat and began pulling my own shoes on. I looked up as polished back shoes stopped before me and my eyes met Adrian's green ones.

"Good morning." He smiled down at me and held out his hand. I took it and let him pull me to my feet.

"Good – good morning." I frowned at myself for my stutter as I pulled my hand from his. He smiled.

"Max gets better once you realise he does not get better." I let out a laugh.

"I'll remember that." I said grabbing my water bottle and towel.

"You are not getting breakfast?" he asked raising his brows.

"Have to get cleaned up first. I doubt breakfast would be very pleasant like this – or next to it." I replied as I motioned to myself. He chuckled nodding and I smiled before making my way out of the gym.

A few minutes later, I sat at the table eating my breakfast. Funnily, I had still found the brothers and the table, they were eating waffles, and they had quite a civilised manner of eating compared to a lot of the agents back at the training grounds. But, we were always in a hurry.

I was eating oats with fruit in it, the same thing every other agent here had in the morning because waffles killed stamina... or that's what our nutritionists always said.

"Where do you keep your gun?" I looked up from my breakfast and realised Maximilian's question was aimed at me. Up until now I had been silent while the brothers all spoke amongst themselves. The King and Queen were already out somewhere.

"What?" I asked.

"Your gun. Where is it? They search us before we get into school, does that mean you are guarding me without a weapon?" he asked.

"She can get a weapon anywhere in your school, Max." Adrian replied.

"Oh... yeah... those guards are all your homies." Maximilian said.

"Friends." Adrian corrected his language. Maximilian frowned at him.

"Neither, I have no idea who any of the guards at school are; they clearly use a different agency." I shrugged, "But I know where to get weapons, don't worry about that." I said.

"How long have you been a guard?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" I asked.

"Yes –" he began.

"Time for school." Adrian checked his watch just as Arthur walked in and repeated Adrian's words.

"Everyday..." Maximilian rolled his eyes getting up.

I ate the last spoon of my oats before I gulped what was left of my orange juice down.

"Have fun." Edward smiled.

"See you later." Adrian smiled. I nodded a reply to him as I thanked Edward and told him to have a nice day.

-----

I was seated at a lunch table with Maximilian and all his friends, and he had A LOT of friends. There was a buzz around the cafeteria but specifically at this table, I assumed everyone here was very well known by everyone else since most of the people at the table had stopped by a few tables before they got to this one and were currently being stared at by some of the other guys and girls in the cafeteria. They were either oblivious or used to the staring as they paid no attention to it, I assumed the later.

I was trying to keep my eyes on my lunch as there were at least three pairs of people sitting on each other making out; that sort of included the person I was supposed to be watching and his... girlfriend? I don't know, I guess? His friends said it was temporary but he looked like it wasn't, I was confused. Point is: it was not something I wanted to be looking at as I tried to eat.

There was also Andrew, one of Maximilian's teammates, who was seated next to me – uncomfortably close at that – and insisted on asking me random questions about where I was from, which school I previously went to. I was thinking up all these answers on the spot, I should give myself a pat on the back for that.

"Guys, guess what?" Jaime asked interrupting everyone's conversations with the excitement that filled his question as he jumped over the seat we were in and landed between Andrew and I, I can't say I wasn't happy to see him.

"You overdosed on energy drinks again?" Gabriel raised his eyebrows.

"You finally realised how to tie your shoe laces?" Maximilian asked.

"Shut up," Jaime rolled his eyes at them as everyone else chuckled, "No, my parents handed me these." He lifted keys from his pocket.

"Keys to your house?" Maximilian asked slowly.

"Yeah, I'm lost..." A girl I recognised from our maths class, Irina, I think her name was, spoke.

"These are keys to a house. The house." Jaime smiled widely as everyone still stared at him completely confused, after a while of silence he rolled his eyes, "Okay, slow people. They gave me the beach house for the weekend." He said.

I looked around surprised as everyone erupted in cheers.

I looked at Maximilian for some type of explanation, Candice having moved from his lap now; she was on the other side of the table taking to some of her friends.

"Oh, Jess," he patted my head, "Jaime's beach house is the best place for a party and we have it all weekend!" he explained.

Party? No...

"What is it with this thing?" he frowned at me.

"Hey –" I protested as he suddenly grabbed my hair and pulled my hair band off it letting my hair fall over my shoulder.

"Dispose of this." He handed it to Gabriel.

"I shall, your majesty." Gabriel walked away as Maximilian chuckled.

I was about to go after him but Maximilian's arm draped around my shoulders holding me in place and I shot a glare at him.

"Loosen up, Killer; you are supposed to be blending in." He mumbled into my ear as he played with the hair hanging over my shoulder.

"I am blending in." I whispered back.

"Dressing like everyone else does not mean you are blending in. These," he motioned around the table, "Are our friends, act like it and stop looking weird." He said.

"Friends..." I mumbled. Would Google help explain what he meant by acting like they were my friends?

He turned to me shocked.

"Wait, you have never had friends? At all?" he asked me.

"What?" Jaime leaned over from my other side.

Maximilian let out an inaudible curse at having spoken loud enough for Jaime to hear.

I've never needed friends; I worked with people for a few months and moved onto the next. I didn't even have time to see my family, less make friends. Besides, friends were baggage in our line of work, people that could be used against you, killed to hurt you, so you make no friends and have no weaknesses.

"I was talking about at our gathering, there is this thing we do where we gather with other royalty for no reason every year. She has never spoken to anyone there." Maximilian covered quickly.

"Oh," Jaime chuckled turning back to his conversation with Andrew.

"Alright, first thing, keep your eyes off your food and speak to people. Like you are doing now." He reached for my food but I grabbed his wrist and gave him a look that told him he would get hurt if he touched my lunch. He rolled his eyes. "So, you are going to look around and speak to someone that has not spoken to you before." He said.

"No, why?" I asked.

"Because I said so." He said looking at me like I was stupid as he shoved me out of my seat. I glared at him.

I let out a sigh running my eyes over the room of people, I could feel Maximilian staring at my back, so I turned to see him smirking and realised Candice was giving me a slight glare as he watched me. O...kay... he's my 'cousin' in her eyes, so why is she glaring at me?

"Hi." I said to the first person that walked by me before I had even seen his face.

"Hey," he smiled down at me, "Jessica, right?" he asked. I nodded unsure of what to say next. He was quite tall. He had dark brown eyes and his smile seemed really contagious.

He raised his brows giving a chuckle that showed a perfect set of white teeth as his brown eyes studied my own.

Ask him something.

Like what?!

This was so hard, I would much rather be firing a gun at someone right now... Why did I get this stupid mission?

"Um – I'm Jessica. What's your na –" I was saying.

"No, wrong person. Let's move to the next." Maximilian's arm fell onto my shoulder like it had moments ago.

"Oh, so she is your cousin? Those aren't just rumours?" The guys spoke stopping Maximilian.

"Yeah, she is my cousin. Not that that is any of your business." Maximilian replied.

"Well, I clearly see where the looks in your family were hidden... Nice to meet you, Jessica... I'm Brandon." He took my hand, to kiss it, I guess, but Maximilian swatted his hand away.

"Do not touch her." He said before he turned me to walk a different way.

"What was that about?" I glanced behind me to see Brandon still staring at us with a smile on his face. He waved at me and I turned around awkwardly.

"You ever watch those high school movies? You know, those movies with the really hot, popular, perfect guy and then the asshole who always comes in second to this guy and tries everything he can to make the hot, popular, perfect guy seem bad?" he asked.

"What?" I looked at him confused.

"Does not matter, point is, he is an asshole." He said, "And no family of mine will be speaking to that dickhead."

I raised my eyebrows at his language. Okay?

*****