Leaving
2440 Words
Maestro’s face darkened at the sight of Anthony. Angel and Blond, on the other hand, shared a smirk.
Anthony opened his laptop and waited for The Queen to begin.
“Didn’t you say you had something to do today? Why have you come?” Maestro asked.
Anthony fought hard not to answer with the first words that leaped into his head. Ignore him for her sake, Anthony told himself, staring at the laptop.
Maestro laughed. “The cat ate your tongue now, huh?”
Anthony rolled his eyes and breathed out. He looked up, aiming his gaze at The Queen, but Maestro’s arrogant smile got in the way.
I’m gonna wipe that smile off your stupid face, he thought, squinting at Maestro. He switched his eyes toward The Queen and said, “I missed you.”
When Anthony saw the fury in Her Majesty’s protectors’ faces, he knew he was going to regret what he had said. “Gosh! At ease, soldiers. I’m joking.” He snickered falsely.
His laughter was lost among the teeth clicking, and the angry chair movements as The Queen’s bodyguards rose from their seats.
“Look at you. It was only a joke. You people need to relax,” he said, still pretending to laugh.
“You’ve crossed the line,” Maestro roared.
Taken aback when he heard how loud Maestro’s voice was, Anthony felt he had seriously crossed a line this time. He was also surprised why nobody in the library had asked them to keep their voices down, or even complained with a glare.
He waited for The Queen to stop the fight as usual. She should have already done it by now, but she remained still. She seemed to be punishing him with her gaze, as if she was saying I warned you and you didn’t listen.
“Okay, no jokes,” Anthony said as he realized he was on his own this time. He put on a silly smile on his face and pinned his eyes to the laptop.
“Have you all finished playing your games?” The Queen asked, her voice deep.
Her followers dropped their stares. Silence was the only reply she received.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” The Queen said as Maestro, Blond and Angel retreated to their seats.
“Now, we shall start.” She glanced at Anthony. “You should write this down.”
Anthony bobbed his head. “I’m ready when you are.”
“In this paper, we are going to cover the most important aspects of any civilization. These are: religions and gods, rulers and how they ruled politically, economically, and socially, and the two things rulers cared about, wars and science,” she stated.
“I thought rulers cared about power,” Anthony said.
“Which is gained through wars and science.” She scowled at him. “Have you forgotten rule number four?”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry!” He put his hands in the air. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I thought you were finished.”
Her long fingers combed through her hair as she blew out a long breath. “If you can afford wars, you get a chance to weaken everybody else, and thus, gain power. If you keep scientific knowledge to yourself, you acquire the ultimate power. Pharaohs knew that fact and applied it very well to their reign.”
Anthony nodded, agreeing with every word she said. As she illustrated comprehensive facts and information about the Eighteenth Dynasty, he typed her words like a stenographer.
“Okay, that would be all I have to say. The rest is up to you. Angel and Blond will be at your assistance every step of the way. Don’t hesitate to ask them about anything that is related to the research,” she said.
“Thank you,” he said. “You’ll leave… again?”
“Who said anything about leaving?”
“I just figured. You kinda wrapped it up.”
“Always impatient. Always jumping into false conclusions.” She shook her head in disappointment. “Angel, Blond, would you start please?”
“Yes, Majesty,” they replied at the same time. They went over to Anthony and opened their secret books.
Meanwhile, The Queen was side talking with Maestro. They whispered so quietly Anthony couldn’t hear what they were saying.
He watched them, wishing he had been in Maestro’s shoes at this particular moment instead of being surrounded by two of The Queen’s bodyguards, whose job was to make sure he wouldn’t go anywhere near her.
“Anthony, would you please focus?” Blond demanded.
Anthony inclined his head toward Blond. “Yeah.”
As he resumed typing, his gaze wandered over The Queen’s face again. She was having an argument with Maestro. It had turned loud very quickly.
“I’m sick of your games,” she said.
Maestro buried his gaze at his feet, a vein twitching in his neck.
“I’m going to think about this. I’ll let you know my final decision. Now, I believe you have something to do,” she said.
Maestro nodded his sweaty head. He left the table without looking at anyone or saying anything.
Bye-bye douchebag. Anthony snickered at the thought while Blond and Angel continued explaining the hieroglyphs in front of him as if nothing had happened.
Ignoring them, Anthony shifted in his seat, searching for the reason behind the heated conversation in The Queen’s eyes. She was silent, rubbing her cartouche, looking very deep in thought.
As he saw her somber expression for the first time ever, his heart did something worrisome in his chest. It was like her pain led straight to his soul. What did that creep do to upset you, Majesty? If it weren’t for you, I’d squish him like a bug, I swear. His forehead creased. I can’t just stand arm-folded watching her like that. I have to do something.
“Someone isn’t in a good mood today,” he said, his face tight with unease.
The Queen rolled her eyes. “Only because I saw you.”
Anthony stared at her, self-conscious. He glowered and bit his lip.
“My Gosh! Look at you. It was only a joke. You need to relax,” she said.
“So that’s what it’s all about.” He clucked his tongue. “I apologize again, but it doesn’t deserve all that fuss.” He gazed at her. “Nothing deserves your anger or—”
“Oh, cut the drama.” She shook her head. “All of you, come sit near me.”
Angel and Blond grabbed everything on the table, including Anthony’s laptop, to put in front of their new seats.
“Angel, sit beside Blond,” The Queen ordered.
Angel quit moving. Her eyes froze on Her Majesty. “But, Majesty—” she said.
“What?” The Queen yelled.
“Nothing, Majesty,” Angel replied in fear and did as she was told. She hid behind the laptop screen.
As grateful and glad as Anthony was, suspicions and anxiety accompanied him to the chair next to The Queen. He propped his cheek on his hand, glancing at her. “Hi,” he said.
She gave him what he called the phantom smile. It was a slight movement of her tightened lips to one side of her face followed by a sarcastic chuckle. It never lasted more than a second.
“I have this question that really needs an answer right now,” he said.
She wrinkled her forehead.
“What exactly are they… going to do with my laptop?”
Her eyes crinkled at the corners.
He sighed in relief and allowed himself to be absorbed in the sweetness of her smile.
“They are doing all the work for you,” she said.
“Really? So they’re not bugging it with some virus that would wipe my hard drive, or searching to see if I secretly download porn or something?”
“Do you?”
“Uhh… No.”
“Then you shouldn’t be worried.” She smirked.
He grinned. “When I look at you, all my worries seem to vaporize. I forget my troubles, my duties, and what I’m supposed to do… or not supposed to do.”
“Clearly.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m really sorry for what I said yesterday. I know I screwed up.”
“Oh, and what you did today was your way of making amends?”
His lips twisted to the side in regret. “What I said earlier wasn’t just to provoke him.” He darted a glance at her escorts. His mouth tightened.
She stared at him for a second, and then she gestured at Blond.
Blond probed Anthony’s face, his expression menacing. “We’ll be close. Don’t even think of doing anything idiotic.” He carried the laptop and led Angel to another table.
Anthony trailed his eyes over them until they subsided into their chairs four tables away.
“You may speak freely now,” The Queen said.
He leaned toward her. “I really meant what I said.” He wet his lips. “I missed you.”
“Anthony, please.”
“I’m still asking for that chance, you know.”
“That ship has sailed. I already gave you a chance and you ruined everything. You have got to let it go.”
He looked at her almost defiantly. “No, I can’t let it go. I won’t let it go as long as I’m alive. So why don’t you save us both some time and let me be your friend?”
She drowned in her thoughts for a while then she gazed at him. “Why do you even like me, Anthony?”
His chest heaved with emotion. “I wish I knew.”
She rubbed a thumb against the edge of the table.
“You know what I’ve done today?” He puckered. “I’ve hurt my friend in a way that she might never forgive me, in a feeble attempt to get you out of my head. I’ve abandoned my best friend when he really needed me just to come see you now,” he said. “I wish I knew why I liked you. All I know is that I can’t un-like you.”
“Why would you do such terrible things to be in my miserable company? You have seen nothing but humiliation with me. That is just irrational.”
“Yeah, you got that right. You … make me irrational”
She tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. “Why don’t you just cut to the chase and tell me directly what you want from me?” She stared at him, her eyes curious. “Are you on a dare or something?”
He scowled at her in disbelief. He rolled his eyes, wringing his hands.
“Did a frat put you up to this?”
His jaw dropped, his fingers turning claw-like. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Then what is it?” she said under her breath, her face stern. “What’s in it for you? What could you possibly think you can take from me?”
“What makes you think that I wanna take anything from you?”
She giggled. “Come on.” She tilted her head a little to the side.
“Would you please stop it? I know what you’re trying to do here, but it’s not gonna work. I’m sure you know I’m not playing some sort of game to get something from you.”
She moved her eyes closer to his face for a few moments before she retracted in shock. “You’re telling the truth.”
“Of course, I’m telling the truth. You know I am. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have let me in. You wouldn’t have trusted me with your books.” He swallowed. “This act you try to put on, being mean, arrogant, and indifferent, maybe will keep other people away, but it won’t work on me.”
“I really hoped it would.”
“Why?”
“Because my company is dangerous, Anthony.” She clenched her teeth. “You are a smart person. You should be running away from me, not asking to get closer.”
“What could be so dangerous? If you mean your crazy bodyguard, I can tell you I’m not scared of him.”
“Well, you should be.”
Anthony snorted. “Would you stop worrying about me? I can take care of myself.”
She sighed and raised her gaze to the ceiling. “Fine.”
“Thank you.” His lips stretched.
She waved at Blond and Angel to return. They reached her in no time.
“Is everything okay, Majesty?” Blond asked, staring balefully at Anthony.
Anthony scrunched his brows and shook his head.
“Yes, Blond. Thank you,” she said.
“Hey, the party is still on Saturday. Would you please come? It’s gonna be fun.” Anthony pleaded with her. “Listen, I promise I will do everything I can to make it the best party you’ll ever attend, and if you, for any reason, don’t feel like staying, you can leave at any time. I won’t even try to stop you or pressure you to stay or anything. I promise.”
“You know what, Anthony? I’ll think about it.”
Adrenaline rushed through his veins. He was about to open his mouth and thank her for considering his offer when she threw a bombshell at him.
“Since it’s probably going to be our last week here,” she said.
- Writer
