See Love Die

Chapter 4

Crisp honeycomb ice-cream soothed her nauseated stomach and she thought back to last night.

The tones of his voice, his hand around her throat, it was all too much to take in.

Beatrix had spotted a few friends from school and had abandoned the two eighteen year old girls.

"So what happened?" asked Cheryl.

Harry rolled her spoon between her finger and thumb and bit her lip before taking a deep breath and saying

"He threatened me, I spoke up for myself for the first time since it happened and punched him when he had his hand around my throat" she looked down at the table, her eyes welling up with tears of anger and shame.

"We need to do something about him Harry" Cheryl's tone wasn't pittying or judgemental, she sounded worried for her best friend.

"What if he does THAT again?" she asked, referring to him taking Harry's innocence with no consent.

This caused her to let a warm, wet drop of sadness roll down her cheek.

"I don't know Chez, I'm scared he will" the fear in her voice prominent.

Cheryl took her hand and brushed her thumb over her knuckles and looked up at her friends grief stricken face.

"You can stay with me" she pleaded.

"If I did that I'd be leaving Bee at risk" Harry replied.

"Why don't I come and stay with you then? No girl could refuse staying in a place like that!"

Harry adored her bestie, she looked at her slim face with high cheek bones and into her pale gold eyes, she was the sweetest girl she'd ever met and was so grateful to have her.

Coming from a humbled background meant no judgement and she was always looking to help the people she loved and cared about.

"Are you sure? I don't know how long it would be for Chez"

"Of course I am, I'll stay with you in that huge ass king-sized bed and just keep some clothes in your wardrobe, it'll be amazing" she jumped up and down in her seat with excitement.

This would be fun, Harry thought to herself, so she agreed and they made plans to drop Bee off and go collect some things from Cheryl's place.

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Bee wanted to stay with her friends, so the girls waited for the assigned guard and driver to show up before leaving for Cheryl's house.

On the drive over they blasted "Yummy" by Justin Beiber through the car stereo and sang at full volume to it, giggling at each other here and there.

Cheryl's house came into view and it's clean white exterior, which consisted mostly of big floor length windows was always breathtaking.

They opened the big wooden double doors to expose the grand marble foyer and staircase, with matching marble banisters and a royal red carpet that covered the middle of the steps.

The ceiling was high and housed a ridiculously big crystal chandelier, that lit up the whole foyer and landing.

"Do you want a soda?" called Cheryl from the kitchen.

Harry took off her shoes and responded "Yes please" before joining her in the open plan room that was all crisp grey with astonishing LEDs in the ceiling.

She took the soda and they made their way up the staircase and to Cheryl's bedroom.

Harry always wondered how she kept it so clean, it was white from wall to wall with all white furniture from the triple wardrobe to the bedding, and this girl wore a lot of fake tan.

So did she, as one of the downfalls of being a vampire was the paleness of their skin.

Harry sat on the bed, as Cheryl fetched her bags and suitcase.

She started placing clothes for school, clothes for parties and casual outings, shoes and accessories and then finished with her makeup and toiletries.

She headed herself on to the double bed after in defeat, and Harry giggled.

"That seemed like hard work"

"I feel like my back is broken" she replied.

"I'll help you with them to the car" Harry suggested to which Cheryl nodded, looking around her bedroom and she knew she was going to miss it.

"Are you sure about this Chez?" Harry asked feeling sad for her friend.

"Hey, of course I am" she replied.

"I'm not going to let that asshole hurt you again, okay?" She looked into Harry's eyes with depth and meaning and Harry let a tear escape her chestnut brown mixed with gold eyes.

They both hugged.

"You're such a great friend Chez, I can't thank you enough" she said.

"It's fine babe, you know I got you" Cheryl smiled, and she did.

They'd both been best friends since they were in diapers, and were always looking out for each other.

Lugging bags and suitcases down the stairs and into the car, the girls spoke about all of the exciting things they were going to do together, and made their way back to the Palace.

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The Palace was much different to Cheryl's modern home, the walls were old mossy brick and had small bay windows that you could barely see into.

The royals needed a lot of privacy.

The doors were similar, just a darker shade of oak, and it had stone pillars holding up an archway above them.

Guards were set in a row along the driveway and covered every exit.

The girls pulled up and were taking the bags out when 2 of the guards offered to help, which they did not refuse.

"To my room please Sebastian" Harry cooed, and the pair made their way to the kitchen for some dinner.

"What do you want to eat?" asked Harry.

"Mm, macaroni cheese with special sauce" she declared and instead of calling the chef, Harry decided it would be more fun to make it themselves.

The chef was in the industrial kitchen no doubt preparing meat and readying for Beatrix's dinner and her drunken mother's wierd midnight demands.

After the pasta had boiled, Harry grated some cheese and added the milk and brought it to boil, simmering it smelled delicious, and she added the deer blood they had bags of in the fridge.

"Do you ever get tempted to drink human blood Harry?" Cheryl's question took her by surprise.

"At the beginning I did, but I kinda like knowing that I won't get lust.

Apparently drinking it, especially from the vein, causes you to lose control"

"Can I tell you a secret?" Cheryl's voice was quiet.

"You can tell me anything" replied Harry, coming closer to keep their conversation as quiet as possible.

"Chase used to, you know, drink from the vein" she gulped.

"He used to get angry everytime we would pass a human, he still does sometimes.

It's like he can smell it without a wound"

"It's some powerful stuff" replied Harry.

"What if one day we move, somewhere civilised, and he can't control himself?" She asked, a tone of worry and hurt passing her lips.

"Chase is a good man Chez, he'd never hurt anybody. Remember that these people volunteer, some at parties to help them get drunk, some have kinks, some just like to help" she soothed her friend and rubbed her arm, before turning back to add the sauce to the drained pasta and dish it up.

They both ate and changed the subject to school and Cheryl's dreaded meeting tomorrow, and after a while Bee came through the big wooden doors, she seemed cross.

"Hey, what's up?" asked Harry, with caution. 16 year old girls and their hormones where not a force to be reckoned with.

"This stupid boy, he kept making fun of my hair and wouldn't stop looking at me, then EVERYBODY was looking over at us, I hate being royal sometimes" she huffed.

"Bee you know it's just jealousy right?" said Harry, "your hair is absolutely gorgeous" and Harry twirled Beatrix's auburn locks between her fingers.

"I actually wish mine was this silky" she added.

"I wish I could pull off the burnt auburn look like you do" added Cheryl.

"But I'm so pale and it stands out" Bee looked down at her now shuffling feet, nervously playing with her fingers.

"You are beautiful" Harry stated, lifting Beatrix's face up via her chin and looking her in the eye.

"Don't let anybody, let alone some jealous guy make you feel any less than that, you are flawless Beatrix. He's just sore to know he'll never date a girl like you"

Beatrix smiled with tears in her eyes and hugged her sister hard.

"I love you" she muffled into her shoulder.

After this she ran to her bedroom no doubt to text her friends and rant further about the boy.

Harry hoped her friends where as supportive.

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It was getting late, Harry and Cheryl had spent hours discussing plans to find King Patrick and mapping out the local villages and then gossiping about school before they both decided to shower and get ready to settle for the night.

As Harry was towel drying her hair, she heard the dreaded voice of Chris from downstairs.

He was mad about something.

"You'll do it when I tell you" he boomed.

"I heard what you said, and I'm in comnand" His voice bouncing off of the hall walls and up to her bedroom.

Cheryl entered the room at this point, from the guest bathroom and had her silk pyjamas on and hair in a messy bun.

"He sounds pissed" she whispered.

Harry nodded, and knew he would be even more so knowing he wasn't staying with her tonight.

They picked a movie on Harry's 70" TV mounted to her wall, and both made the trip for snacks downstairs.

As they approached the kitchen, all mahogany wood and old crystal chandeliers, they saw Christoph slouched over the 6 seated table with paperwork, he had his brows furrowed together and she could feel the negativity radiating from him.

He looked up and cleared his throat.

"Evening ladies" he mouthed grumpily eyeing both girls.

"Evening" they both muttered in sync.

"Sleepover?" He sighed.

"Actually" Harry took a break to gulp, "Cheryl is staying with me for a while"

"Family issues" she added quickly to save her friend.

"Oh" he said, his brows farrowing deeper.

"I'm sharing my room with her, to make her feel more comfortable" she tried to smile lightly to ease the tension.

"I see" he replied, and he gave her a demeaning look, as if to say he would be having words with her about this another time.

He eyed Cheryl, pondering if she knew about their situation.

She gave him stern eyes back, not shaken by his intimidation.

"As you were ladies" he dismissed them like they were staff.

Harry looked at Cheryl and tugged her hand, prompting her to drop whatever she was going to retaliate with.

They grabbed some popcorn, chocolate bars and strawberry pencils before heading back up to bed to pig out and watch the movie.

It was one about a guy that had anger issues but fell in love with a girl after betting his friends that he could get her, and after she found out about the bet she ended up forgiving him.

"I couldn't forgive anyone for having a friend like that, what a b***h" said Cheryl.

Harry giggled in agreement.

"We're lucky we have each other" she said, cuddling into her friend.

She ended up falling to sleep before the movie ended, snuggled up next to Cheryl who kissed her forehead and drifted off slowly afterward.

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The next morning, the girls were up bright and early and getting ready and doing their subtle make-up when there was a knock on the door.

"It's open, called Harry" expecting a member of staff or Beatrix.

To her surprise her mother walked in with breakfast for them both.

"Good morning girls" she beamed, and kissed them both on the head.

She'd always loved Cheryl like her own daughter.

"So I heard you were having some problems at home sweetheart, is everything okay?" She pleaded.

Fuck, Chris and his big mouth.

"Um.. it's nothing really, I just felt like I could do with a break from home really.

I hope you don't mind me staying here for a little while?" She had her Jane doe eyes set on Claudettes face.

"Of course sweet, as long as you like and you let me know if you'd like me to talk to your parents"

Harry's mother was so sweet.

"Oh no I've already spoken to them, but thankyou Claudette" she replied and gave her a big hug.

Her mother exited the room and the girls nibbled on the pancakes trying not to smudge their foundation.

They left the house giggling and Harry was trying to ease her mind about the confrontation between her and the Headmistress this afternoon.

They blared their favourite Ashnikko song and sped off ready for a new day at school.