17

We spent a couple hours after supper reading, I'd finished my book an hour ago but I'd fallen asleep, and proceeded to drool all over the table. Sophie had grabbed the smaller of the two books, and had dropped her book, which is why I'm awake now. Bianca put her book down and looked over at the time, and gasped.

"We're really late to kick the boys out of the gym for yoga."

She got up and scrambled to get all of her stuff, and ran out the library doors. Me and Sophie just grabbed our stuff, and walked out, quickly trying to catch up with Bianca. When we got to her, she was already explaining why she was late to a group of about ten other women.

They all told her they could wait for her to go change, and the guys were happy to get about ten more minutes to work out. She rushed out and told us to follow her, so we did, and instead of going upstairs, with them, I went to my room and threw on a pair of yoga pants, and the tank top that matched Jackson's eyes. I looked in the mirror at myself, and this shade really made the blue in my eyes pop out, and just looked good against my skin.

I decided to head down to the gym again, and get there before the other two, when I walked in all of the women looked at me, slightly confused, so I just walked over towards where Jackson and Alton were sparring. Neither of them paid me any attention, but I thought maybe I could learn something from watching them fight each other, like weak spots, or strong spots.

Jackson kicked out one of Alton's legs, taking him down, then they noticed I was watching them, Jackson let Alton up, and turned to me, looking at my tank top, "Cute color, it looks great on you."

Alton laughed at him, "Are you gay? You don't notice the color of a girls shirt, you notice how much it shows off, and in this case it shows a lot." he winked at my and walked away.

Jackson looked after him, "Don't mind him, but the color really does suit you. So let me guess we should leave, they're about to start."

I glanced over my shoulder, but Bianca wasn't back yet, "No, I'm just hiding because everyone kept starring at me."

"Makes sense. I guess."

I crossed my arms over my chest, still feeling self conscious that I was showing a lot, "Yea, so what are we going to be doing tomorrow?"

"We won't be sparring, don't worry." He looked away from me, noticing that I was covering myself, "We don't want to hurt you. Also I suggest you wear a t-shirt tomorrow, and not yoga pants."

I glanced at my pants, today I'd gone with a white pair of yoga pants, they were thicker than all of my other ones so they wouldn't be too see through, "Yea, I can do that. Would a pair of short shorts work?"

He looked back at me, one eyebrow raised, "Are you trying to cheat?"

I sorta giggled at that one, "Yeah, I never thought of that one. But seriously, all I have are yoga pants, jeans, or short shorts."

"Yea, short shorts would work."

Bianca chose right then to walk in and announce that the guys were leaving now, and we were about to start. Jackson looked at me again and smiled, then grabbed his bag, and walked out with Alton slapping him on the back, congratulating him on something. But everyone was laying out mats, and grabbing other supplies, so I followed everything they did.

The next two hours were a living hell for me, we mostly just sat in different positions for a count of breaths, and I was bored out of my mind. As we were getting close to being done, Jackson came back to watch, mostly me, but everyone else when I could see him. As soon as we finished Bianca marched straight back to him and started to whisper something to him, if I were to guess, she was mad.

Jackson leaned back on a weight bench and closed his eyes, and announced, "I'm here to keep an eye on Angela, she is the princess to two kingdoms, you never know if someone might want to hurt her," he opened one eye and looked at Bianca, "Especially when they're next in line for the throne."

Her jaw went slack, and she stammered out, "Bu-but, I-I wouldn't h-hurt her, sh-she's my friend." She took a deep breath, "Even if my brother wasn't before me in line, I still wouldn't hurt her, she is my friend, and I know she would make a better queen then me."

I walked over and stood beside them, "She wouldn't hurt me, and even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be stupid enough to do it in front of all of these people."

He sat up, "Are you ready to go?"

I took a step back, "Apologize."

He over exaggeratedly rolled his eyes and his head, "Fine." He looked at Bianca, "I'm sorry Bianca, that was really uncalled for, I really just needed to come up with a reason so I could stare at her a*s."

I made a gagging face from behind him, and Bianca caught it over his shoulder, and she couldn't stifle the laugh, "Fine, you are forgiven, but please leave, she can walk back to her room by herself."

He shook his head, "Nope I want to walk her back, plus we're going to the same place, so I don't see why I wouldn't walk her to her room."

Bianca looked at me, so I shrugged, I really couldn't care if he wanted to walk me back to my room, she looked him straight in the eyes and leaned in closer to him, to whisper something in his ear, then she leaned back and looked at a confused, yet happy Jackson, and then me, "Bye Angela, have fun."

With that she left me with a boy who probably thought I would put out, he stood up and walked towards the door, and when I didn't follow her turned back towards me and leaned to the left, "Come on, I'm not going to do anything to you, she just said if I wanted to, I should take advantage of you being tired and manipulate you into it, and then I had to tell her everything."

I furrowed my brow, "You're kidding me, right?"

He shook his head, so I just shrugged, but when I got close to him I stopped and looked at him, "I'm not going to manipulate you, I promise I'll just walk you to your room and I'll let you choose if anything happens from there."

He smiled at me, but I just shook my head, "Nothing's going to happen."

I walked out the door right behind him. We walked silently down the hall, and it felt natural to be walking around with him. I'd lost track of time and before I knew it we were at my door, he opened my door for me, and stood back. I walked into my doorway, and stopped, looking down at my feet, I kinda wanted to invite him in, just to talk, but I know if I invited him in he'd think it was something else.

I turned towards him, maybe if I explain that it's just to talk he won't think anything of it, "Jackson..." he had already left and gone into his room.

My shoulders slumped as I walked the rest of the way into my door, gently shutting the door behind me. I walked over to my closet and stripped off the mint green tank top I had on, and looked at it. It was an absolutely beautiful color, maybe I should get more shirts this color.

I set the shirt in my dirty clothes pile, and stripped off my yoga pants, throwing those with the shirt. I walked back into my room, walking over to where I still had my new clothes in bags, I reached into one of them, and grabbed a really big shirt, and turned around throwing it toward my bed. It didn't make it to the bed, and hit the floor, sliding under the bed. I walked over and picked it up, and brought a piece of paper with it, it was the note Bianca had left with the dress she bought for me.

I set the shirt on the bed, then pretty much sat on it, I read the letter a few times, and figured a date with Jackson wouldn't be too bad. I stood up and threw on my oversized shirt, and walked out my door, and started down the hall towards Jackson's room, when I saw a girl at his door, and him shirtless talking to her. He laughed at something she said, and she leaned closer to him, touching him.

I turned around, deciding it would be that bad to go on a date with him. I took off my shirt, and started cursing at myself, this is the exact reason why I don't start thinking I can get along with anyone. I grabbed a fluffy pink towel from the top of my closet, and another pair of panties and walked into my bathroom. I slammed the door as hard as I could behind me.

I spent the next hour in the shower, enjoying the warm embrace of the water flowing over my body. I finally had to get out when I the warm embrace turned to icy fingers that didn't flow over me, but instead sliced at my skin. When I climbed out the room was warm, and I relished in that too, and had to wipe the steam off the mirror, leaving my reflection all blurred.

I grabbed a lotion that someone had put in here from my bag of stuff, and started rubbing it all over my body, as soon as I was sure my entire body was covered in a fine layer of lotion, I finally got into my pajamas. I walked out and went to turn my lights off, when I decided to play princess. I walked over and grabbed the dress, someone had hung up for me, I carried it over to my bed and shed my shirt again, I quickly slipped into the tight fitting dress, and admired myself in the reflection in the window, I walked over and grabbed the shoes too, and slipped those on.

They were a perfect fit, and look great with the dress, and it all looked great on me. I walked over to the window and opened it, and I felt a little like Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, so I decided now would be the perfect time to be silly, since no one would hear me.

I thought back over my high school english class and recalled playing Juliet in the reenactment, "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name: Or if thou wilt not be but sworn my love, I'll no longer be a Capulet."

"Tis but thy name that is my enemy, thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belong to a man. O be some other name. What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any name would smell as sweet; so Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes, without that title, Romeo, doff thy name. And for that name, which is no part of thee, take all myself."

I sat there quietly listening, when someone spoke from a few windows down, "I take thee at thy word, call me but love, and I'll be new baptis'd; hencefore I never will be Romeo."

I leaned further out my window, and saw a cute younger boy sitting two windows down looking up at the stars, I blushed, "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know you were out here."

He looked at me, "No it's fine, you would make an amazing Juliet. You did wonderfully."

I smiled at him, "Why thank you. Oh, I'm sorry where are my manners, I'm Angela."

"Hello Princess, I am Paris."

"Well Paris, it was really nice, I hope I didn't butcher it at all."

He leaned back in, and then came back out, "Oh, not at all, but I do fear that you're Romeo has just left his room and is coming to yours as we speak."

He leaned back in and closed his window, just as someone knocked on my door, "That's a little scary."

I walked over and opened my door to a shirtless Jackson, "Hello Juliet, I think half of the people here heard you."

I blushed again, "Really was i that loud?"

He shook his head and laughed, "No, we all just have really good hearing." He looked away, "Also I hate Romeo and Juliet."