Facade

Chapter 11

    Mother had an errand to run and she had left an hour ago, so I was running to town, hoping to find Alex. With my heart light and a smile on my face, I hoped we would be able to explore.

    I should be embarrassed and scared to see Alex, but after my day with Alexander I was too happy to worry about anything else. Too blissful because he was so perfect and I was in love. He was all I ever wanted and I was anticipating the next ball, hoping we'd share more beautiful moments together.

    My mood was incredible, so once I reached the centre of the town and spotted Alex, I went straight to him. Forgetting about the way he had looked at me when I was with Philip, I tapped him on his back gently, willing Alex to face me since he was staring at the fountain. When he saw me, his eyes hardened and I gulped, realizing that maybe what happened was a big deal.

    "You're dating Philip?" Alex asked, right off the bat.

    "I... I..."

    I didn't know what to say. Honestly, I had hoped what happened wouldn't be brought up, and now that it was, my incredible mood was ruined. At the thought of Philip and the secret I shouldn't tell Alex, I looked down, not knowing what to do.

    "I can't believe it," Alex said, sounding genuinely angry. "You're dating him of all people? I expected better from you."

    My head flew up, surprised by his words. "What do you mean?"

    "Philip is the most selfish, arrogant, and cruel person I know." He shook his head, looking disappointed. "Of all people, why him?"

    I couldn't help but blurt out my next words, wanting Alex to keep his good impression of me. "I don't have a choice."

    Alex's eyes locked on mine and I stared back, blushing in the process. I hadn't meant to tell him. It was an accident, but surprisingly I felt relieved. As someone who didn't have any friends my age, it was nice to be able to open up to someone.

    "What do you mean?" Alex asked, his eyes softening.

    "Can we go somewhere and talk?" I asked. "There's a lot I need to let out."

    He nodded, his eyes sad. It was like he understood already, even though I hadn't spilled a word to him yet. That was something I always liked about Alex.

    "Okay, let's go to a park," he said, turning around.

    In silence, we walked to a park. As we did, I thought about how I would tell him about the situation I was in.

*****

    Alex and I were sitting on swings side-by-side. We weren't swinging however, instead we stared straight ahead at the small, empty park in front of us. It was evening and the sun was setting, which meant most kids were at home, getting ready for bed. I was happy for that because I wanted to be alone with Alex to tell him everything.

    "So, you have to date Prince Philip?" Alex asked. "I'm guessing because of your mother?"

    "You guessed right." I gave Alex a small smile. "She's forcing me to date him."

    "Why?"

    "I don't know," I said, looking up at the dark sky. "She wants me to get married to him and I have no idea why."