Welcome to Westwood

CHAPTER THREE: TRUTH REVEALED

Chapter 3

The next morning, Beck woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon downstairs. She knew her mother always woke up early but Saturdays are usually for sleeping in and cereals for breakfast. She didn’t expect her mother to be whipping up a full meal but assuming it’s because of their guest, she got up anyway to check out what’s happening in the kitchen.

Going downstairs, he was surprised to see Fitz with his mother by the stove. Was he learning how to cook?

"Good morning." Beck announced, making her presence known.

The two turned to her with a smile. "Good morning, darling. Sit down, it's time for breakfast." Maureen said and Fitz went over to the closer chair and pulled it for Beck. It's customary in their world to be true a gentleman so Beck wasn't surprised.

"Are you helping my mom cook?" Beck asked him, giggling.

"Helping? A Prince doesn't. I woke her up to prepare us a morning meal. All mothers do." He insisted.

Right, that's another thing in their world. She almost forgot that he was actually a prince in his world with other people serving him.

"Well, in this world...that's kinda rude." Beck murmured to him and it surprised the gentleman. "You don't just wake someone up to make you breakfast. If you're hungry, make it yourself." She shared and Fitz had a questionable look.

"But I don't know how to use this fire blasting object." He reasoned so Beck stood up and led him back to the stove. "This is how you turn it on." She demonstrated, opening the burner and flickering sound made Fitz jump a bit, the two ladies cackling at his reaction. "So, you put a pan and...put the raw food in. For example…" She started, grabbing a piece of the bacon and laying on the pan as it started sizzling. "See? Now, it's cooking. Then you flip it on the other side to cook it evenly." She explained more as Fitz looked on, fascinated.

"Magnificent. That seems easy." He said, smelling the delicious cooked bacon by the table. "I'll look it up on our friend, Google. But for now, I'm starving." He added. The ladies went to their respective seats as they started eating.

"What's your schedule today, sweetheart? Are you going to the game?" Maureen asked and Beck immediately shook her head, refusing to discuss that.

"I'm meeting up with Gus and Penny so we can figure out this thing with Fitz." Beck insisted, eating her food as she looked up at Fitz. He looked satisfied with the bacon, munching more of it.

"While you're at it, you should...get your application ready for Harvard. If they're accepting you, it's best that you send in your application early." Maureen suggested and Beck just nodded, wanting to move on from that discussion.

"How did you sleep, anyway?" Beck immediately turned the attention to Fitz, hoping to check on how the guy was coping.

"It was alright. I did...spend most of the night figuring out how I could go back. I miss my family, dearly. And I'm quite concerned if...the sorceress got to my wife and parents as well." He said honestly, looking down a bit. "It just happened yesterday but somehow, it felt like ages ago."

Both ladies were quiet, letting the prince take in the situation he's in. Beck has never lost someone close to her in her life but she could only imagine the pain Fitz was going through. He did not just lose his family but he lost his entire world.

"Is it normal for men in this world to cry their eyes out?" He suddenly asked and Beck noticed the tears forming on the side of his eyes.

"It's normal for any person in any world to cry when he's sad." Beck assured him and Fitz appreciated that. He wasn't going to be judged by his sadness. Still, he wanted to keep that courageous spirit in him.

Feeling her phone ring, Beck got up and saw that Penny was calling.

"Hey. I was just about to call you." Beck said, answering the phone as she stepped aside.

"You okay? You weren't responding to any of our texts."

"Yeah. I just...went through a whirlwind last night but...I need your help. Can you meet me at my house in an hour? Bring Gus."

Penny was confused but still, she didn't mind spending Saturday with her friends.

"And...tell Gus to bring extra clothes. Preferably...one he wouldn't mind getting back." She added so Penny just agreed with it. Whatever her best friend was planning, it sounded really interesting to her.

An hour later, the two friends arrived. "I'm feel like we're gonna do something like...burn your clothes." Penny guessed and Gus gave her a look. "I did not come here to burn anything." Gus insisted before the door finally opened for them.

"Good, you're here." Beck said, letting them inside where a stranger was sitting on the couch, going through something on the laptop.

"I thought it was just us three…" Penny asked so Beck had to quickly explain herself.

"When I said I needed your help, I was talking about him. Guys...this is Fitz. The Prince from the story I was reading." She finally introduced to them and both jaws dropped on the floor at the revelation. "It's a lot to explain to cut it short, he died in the story but woke up here in town. He found me because...I'm the main character from the book he was reading in his world."

Fitz stood up and extended a hand to the two new faces he just met. "August and Penelope, it's a pleasure to finally meet you two." He said.

Gus and Penny just shook his hand, still trying to understand what this is. "So, you're saying he's real?" Penny asked and Beck nodded.

"Real as can be. He's just from another world. But now that he was transported here, he needs our help to bring him back home." Beck explained more.

"I'd really appreciate all the help I can get. With all your brains combined, I am certain I'll be back in no time." Fitz added but Beck had to remind him of something. "Fitz. What did I say? You can't say things that...could disrupt our perceptions."

"Oh, it's common knowledge, Becky. Penelope was the real winner of one science fair. She just gave the crown to Ms. Elizabeth Lancaster because her mother was dying." Fitz shared and it surprised the two friends. The guy really knows about them.

"First of all, it was a trophy. Not a crown." Penny told him. "And second...how can we be sure that Beck didn't just tell you about that? Tell us something Beck doesn't know."

Fitz smiled, feeling challenged by the woman with questions. "Alright, Penelope Schwartz. You didn't tell anyone about this but…" He paused, leaning closer to whisper the secret directly to her ear. "And you, August have…" He faded once more, leaning closer to the guy's ears.

Both Penny and Gus were do stunned, surprised that the guy knows something about them they haven't told anyone.

"Uhm…" Penny started and the reaction on her face was making Beck laugh.

"Should we...should we get started?" Gus asked to which Penny nodded to agree. "Yes, definitely. What do we need to do?" She asked and Beck was really impressed. Whatever it is that he told the two of them, it must be true.

"Okay. First...we need to get him into proper clothes. My parents and I agreed that he needs to blend in. No one can know about Fitz and where he's from. Gus? You have the clothes?" She asked and the guy nodded, handing them some of his old clothes.

Fitz opened up the shirt, looking at it as he nodded. The pants looked nice too, at least better than what he's wearing now.

"We can get more at the mall later. There's a town wide sale today." Gus suggested, sitting beside Fitz as he had some questions in his mind.

"Okay, so Beck said you died. How...how are you still alive?" He asked as the ladies sat down to start the discussion.

"You guys haven't read the story?" Fitz asked and they shook their heads. "It all started decades ago, even before I was born. A sorceress vowed to rule the Kingdom and use her power to cover the land with darkness and despair. It has always been her goal, to take my parents' place but then...I was born. I grew up and got married, right on time when my father wished to hand me the throne. On the night of my wedding, we all woke up to an attack. The sorceress got to me and killed, possibly attacking my parents and my wife." He shared, feeling emotional about reliving this moment out loud. Just then, Fitz realized something. "Hold on. Becky, you know the story. Did my family make it out alive?"

Beck suddenly realizes this information has not been made known to him and she hates that she forgot to tell Fitz about it. "Your...your parents were badly injured but...it didn't say if they were alive. Your wife wasn't mentioned either." She said, biting her lip as she felt bad for just telling him this now. "But hey...if your parents died then they should be here too, right? That must mean they're still alive." She suggested, wishing that would give Fitz some sort of hope.

Nodding, Fitz tried to hold on to that. He grew up with so much hope and now, he needs it more than ever to survive and hopefully go back to his world.

"Have you tried reaching out to the author? You said you were planning to get in touch with that, right?" Gus asked Beck and she nodded, showing them the comments they posted for the author.

To the author of this story, I wish to get in touch with you personally to discuss something important about your novel. Kindly send me an email at rebecca.harris@g*******m. This is urgent.

Hopefully, that would be enough to convince the author to send her a message.

"For now, that's our only plan. Wait for a response." Beck told them and they nodded, figuring that's all they could do for now.

"Okay. But...while you're here, you should try to enjoy Westwood, right?" Penny suggested.

"Yeah, think of it as a vacation." Gus suggested and Fitz gave him a confused look. "A vacation?" He asked before getting the laptop and searching it online like Beck had taught him. Reading through the description, Fitz smiled. "I've never had that before. It sounds…calming." He added and the rest of them laughed.

The group decided to go to the mall as planned to get Fitz some clothes. He's gonna need a proper attire for his time at Westwood. Going through several outfit changes, they even got Fitz a new haircut and clean shaven face.

"You're gonna be lying if you tell me he's not cute." Penny whispered to her best friend, noticing how she was staring at the guy.

Beck had to quickly look away, refusing to show obvious immediate attraction to her favorite character come to life. "He's...he's alright. I mean, he's a prince. What else would you expect?" She asked, giggling awkwardly before giving Fitz a thumbs up when he asked if he looked okay from afar.

"Come on. There's only one way to end a good day." Gus suggested, glad to have a guy in their friend group.

"Freddie's!" The girls said excitedly as they walked out of the mall.

"Who's Freddie?" Fitz asked confusingly and they all just laughed, leading their new friend back to the car. They all ended their hang out at their favorite diner, of course. Beck was actually excited for Fitz to try this because it was the first thing he got curious about when he got to town. They all sat down as they were approached by their usual server. Hearing Penny mention cheeseburger, Beck smiled as she saw Fitz' face lit up.

"Are you ready for your first bite of a cheeseburger?" Beck asked teasingly and Fitz nodded with the biggest grin, looking like a little kid who was about to get his first chocolate cake.

The lady served them four cheeseburgers with fries on the side and shakes of their own.

"Wow. It's...it's huge. I don't think I'll be able to finish this." Fitz said, feeling like an alien with the food served to him. "Where's fork and knife, please?" He asked and Penny laughed at him.

"We use our hands. Like this…" She said, demonstrating a big bite of her burger. Smiling awkwardly, Fitz is definitely not used to eating like that.

"My mother would punish me for having such messy manners." He confessed, letting out a breath as he shook his head. "But I guess...it's customary here. I'll just have to get used to it." He said, picking up the burger with his bare hands and taking a big bite of the burger. The three of them were looking at him, waiting for a reaction from the foreign guy. Chewing properly, it took him a bit before he swallowed the food, looking at each of them.

"I think...I just died again. Because this is heavenly!" He said so happily, taking another bite of his burger and the three of them cheered for Fitz.

"Have some fries, too. It's just potatoes soaked in delicious grease." Beck suggested with a giggle, letting the man explore the food in front of him. Fitz has had it with the questions, just doing as he was told since he was having such a great time.

After a while, Gus had to suggest something. It had been on his mind all day and he wondered if the girls thought about it too. "Hey. While you're here in town, playing the part, why don't you go to our school?"

Fitz looked up, munching on his fries. "Like a visit to your education tower?" He asked and Gus shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah. And maybe...get an education there too. Since... you're gonna be here for quite some time, the best way you'll fit in is if you go to school, learn about what we learn." He suggested more and the girls gave him a look.

"Like algebra and calculus?" Fitz asked which surprised the three of them.

"Wait. You know math?" Beck asked and Fitz nodded with a grin. "Definitely. Mathematics is universal. And when they said it's universal, they weren't kidding. It's basically the same in all the worlds in the universe."

"Then you wouldn't have a hard time fitting in." Gus assumed, turning to Beck. "Your mom's the school principal. She can get him in, right?"

"Yeah, Becks. It's the perfect plan. He'll fit right in and...he can just take classes we're in so we can keep watch." Penny chimed in, trying to convince their friend.

Beck was unsure. If they’d have Fitz keep it down low, being in a place full of gossip and questions is not the best option. She looked at Fitz and he seemed unsure about it. She was about to speak up when a group of varsity jacket wearing men came in the diner. Looking up, she immediately knew who it was.

“Oh, god, no.” She uttered quietly, trying to look down to avoid attention but it was too late.

Tom was quick to go to their table and call out the girl she was expecting to see at the benches during the game earlier.

"Becks. I didn't see you at the game today." He spoke up as the girl slowly looked up, hating that Tom saw her that fast.

The three were quiet as Beck sighed, not wanting to be rude to her ex-boyfriend. "I...I had a busy day. Sorry." She said, keeping it honest.

"Well, we won. So...maybe you can come to our table and celebrate with us." He suggested and Gus had to cough, breaking the awkward silence in their table. Beck obviously needed some help.

"Sorry, Tom. We're kinda...celebrating something of our own here so…" Penny spoke but it immediately caught Fitz' attention.

"He's Tom?" He asked, getting Tom's attention as well. This guy looked unfamiliar so who the hell does he think he is to speak up?

"Yeah, and who are you?" Tom asked, looking all tough to show his masculinity.

Fitz laughed, getting up to face him and look him directly in the eyes. "Thomas…" Fitz scoffed.

Beck panicked, realizing what's happening. He knows who Tom is and what happened to him in Beck's life. "Oh no. Oh no." Beck murmured to herself before hearing fist fly across someone's face. Looking up, he saw that Fitz punched Tom and the team captain fell on the ground.

"Fitz! Stop!" Beck warned, getting up and checking on her ex-boyfriend who was looking angrier than ever. "What the hell is your problem, man? I don't even know you!" Tom said, about to get up and punch the stranger back but Beck stopped them. "No! Stop it, Tom. Both of you. This is not a place for your attitude." She told the both of them and she wanted to get mad at Fitz but she also knew that he might know something about Tom that made him react that way.

"Let's just go." Beck asked her friends and they agreed, leading Fitz back out to the car so they could leave.

"Yeah, that's right. Run away, you little p***y!" Tom shouted, watching as the group left.

The drive home was so quiet that all they could hear was the sound of the car moving. No one dared say a word and Beck appreciated that they kept it that way. Once they were at the Harris' house, Beck thanked the two of them and got out. Fitz wanted to follow her but he was trapped in the dilemma.

"How do you open this again?" He asked and Penny chuckled, enjoying the light humor after that quiet drive.

"Pull that, get out and close it back again."

Fitz smiled and nodded at her. "Thank you." He said before tapping Gus' shoulder. "Thank you for the clothes again." He added before getting out of the car.

"Becky!" He called, trying to catch her but she just kept walking. "Becky, wait!" He called out once more and she finally turned to him. Jogging till they were facing each other, Fitz could tell she was upset and disappointed.

"Are you mad at me?" He asked.

"I'm mad at what you did." She clarified. "You shouldn't have punched Tom. You were supposed to be laying low and you just exposed yourself to him."

"That...that was not my intention, Rebecca. I just reacted to how I felt at that moment." He explained but Beck needed answers.

"And what did you feel? You barely knew the guy. I know you've read about us and our stories but no one was supposed to know you know about us!" She turned her heel and opened the front door, stumping her way up to her bedroom. Fitz followed inside, feeling guilty about what he did but if Beck knew his reasons, she would've understood him.

"Hey, guys." Fitz said as he stepped inside, seeing the parents on the couch looking at him.

"What happened? Are you guys fighting?" Maureen asked and Fitz shrugged his shoulders, carrying the bags that his new friends got him.

The two stayed in their bedrooms, trying to contemplate what happened at the diner. Fitz didn't mean to upset her but he has his reason. In the other room, Beck was more than upset. She was worried why Fitz did that. It obviously means he knows something but if she found out about it, would it disrupt the reality she knows of?

Reality doesn't have a specific description to her right now. Everything she's ever believed in has changed ever since Fitz came to her life and she couldn't tell if she liked it or not. But if this involved Tom, then she feels like she deserves to know it. Getting up from her bed, Beck was about to go to Fitz'room but the second she opened her door, there he was, about to knock.

"Did I wake you?" He asked, those puppy eyes looking all forgivable.

Shaking her head, Beck let out a breath. "I was...going to check on you."

"I'm alright. I'm more worried about you." He revealed as Beck looked down, biting her lip.

"I'm sorry." They both said at the same time, cracking a smile on both of their lips.

Beck shook her head. "You first."

"I apologize for punching your former flame in the face. I did not realize humans on this ear have a stronger jaw than those from Truston." He admitted, making Beck giggle. "You are a strong woman, Rebecca. And I know that. You could've fought for yourself but I wasn't doing that to defend your honour. You could do that on your own. I just reacted...the way I would've when I read how he broke your heart." He explained and Beck gave him a questionable look.

"If you read my story, you would know that we broke up mutually. It was a mutual decision." Beck assured him, in case he read it wrong.

Fitz bit his lip, clearly knowing something she doesn't as he looked down.

"What? What is it?" Beck asked, needing some clarification.

"Becky, I...I can't. I can't talk about it. It would affect your perception—"

"No, no. You can tell me. I want to know." She assured him.

Fitz let out a deep breath, knowing this would break her heart even more. And he couldn't do that to his favorite person in town. But then again, if he kept it to himself, she would get hurt even more eventually.

"I asked for Google's help when you weren't looking for the word booty call." He started, exhaling once more before continuing. "And Thomas...had a booty call the night he asked for a break up." He finally revealed and Beck felt her jaw drop and her eyes immediately watered. She sensed it but she refused to follow her instinct, trying to see the good in the guy she loved.

Clearly, she should've followed what her gut told her. As a tear fell, Fitz quickly caught it, wiping it away from her face. "In our Kingdom, a woman who cries deserves more justice than a warrior who died for the land. Because she'd still be alive yet her heart and soul is damaged."

Looking up at her, Beck pressed her lips together and shook his head, wiping her tears away. "And in this world, we are not forever damaged. We fall but we bounce back up. I'll be fine." She assured him.

Fitz nodded, believing her words to be true. Remembering something, he figured he'd bring it up now. "About that... educational offer August and Penelope were talking about, I'd like to take it."

Surprised, Beck gave him a look. "Are you serious? Is it because you wanna see Tom and punch him again?" She asked teasingly and Fitz smiled, shaking his head.

"Not really. He's not worth the fists." He said, chuckling lightly. "I want to learn more about this world and not just live in it. I want to understand life the way you guys would through education. And...I wanna be closer to you. Just in case he decides to bother you again." He added, prioritizing that reason in his head.

Smiling, Beck nodded at him, figuring this would help him blend in town. Still, she wanted to assure that this wouldn't be a trouble-looking decision. "Okay. I'll talk to my mom in the morning. But you have to promise, Fitz. You have to stop drawing attention like that. People might get suspicious and...that's not gonna help us find your way back to your Kingdom." Beck reminded him.

Fitz nodded, putting his palm over his chest by the heart. Beck recognized this as she read it from the stories. They usually put their palms over their hearts to assure the other about living by the promise, until the last beat of their hearts. Beck smiled, putting a palm over her heart as well to acknowledge his assurance.

"Good night, Fitz." She said and the Prince smiled, giving her a quick wave. "Sweetest of dreams, Becky." He responded as always as he went back to his room. Closing the door, Beck was glad to hear the truth but that didn't mean it was easy to hear. Going back to bed, she just needed to cry a bit more to let out all the pain she felt upon hearing the real reason for her break up with Tom.

Kingdom of Truston

Days have passed and word of mouth has crowned the princess as the 'broken widow'. She just lost her prince the night of their wedding and the only parents she looks up to are badly injured. The Kingdom is without a ruler but according to the law, they have no choice but to put the land to the hands of the remaining royalty present.

"Princess Katherine. The people are ready when you are." The head knight informed her as he peeked through her door. Brushing her hair more, she got up and covered her face with the black veil, ready to face the people of Truston.

Standing by her balcony, she spoke up, her voice still cracking a little from all the tears she cried. The crowd went silent once they saw the princess, ready to listen to what she's about to say.

"To my fellow people of Truston, it has a been a long and... devastating time for our Kingdom. After losing my dearly beloved Prince, our King and Queen are now in the brink of death. Only time will tell if they will make it or not. But we are hopeful and this message is to give all of you the same hope that we have. I, Princess Katherine, will stand in place of our Royal Highness to rule and lead the Kingdom of Truston until the King and Queen are ready to take back their throne. As the only living heir of the throne, I vow to bring the kingdom of Truston back to its feet and take revenge by finding the sorceress and end darkness once and for all!"

The crowd cheers, finding hope in the light by the balcony, even if she was covered in her mourning veil. The Kingdom mourns but in a land full of hope, they have no choice but to move forward with their lives with a new ruler leading them.

Stepping away from the balcony, The Princess removed her veil, smiling devilishly at the success of her life long plan to rule the Kingdom.