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Ana

I groaned heavily, and tried to get up from the comfy surface underneath me. My back was angled in a weird way as I was half dangling off the large queen sized bed, and it felt like a thousand woodpeckers were hammering on my head. I hit my head multiple times and tried to subdue the pain, but it still hurt like a bitch.

I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping and praying for my head to heal itself and when it didn't work, I let out a frustrated scream. I winced as the sunlight poured out from the slight waving of the curtain, and a scowl instantly formed on my face.

Hangovers. The hardest part of getting drunk, besides from embarrassing yourself.

I probably looked like a dead zombie at the current moment.

"Wake up you fucking bitch, your phone has been buzzing since the past hour. Some one really wants to talk to you" Damien's voice echoed in my head as he came inside the room. "Fuck off." I grumbled.

He silently placed a large boiling cup of coffee in my hands, with slight milk and loads of sugar, just how I like it. I thankfully gulped it all down, not even caring that the hot liquid was burning my throat. I sighed in relief as I felt some of the dizziness slip away at a very slow pace.

I finally opened my eyes to look at my best friend. He too had a large cup of coffee in his hands and was perched up on the sofa in front of me. It's like I was just realizing that I was at his place.

"How are you up before me?" I questioned. His blonde hair were shining in the sunlight as he looked at me. "I didn't drink much." I scowled. That's not like him at all.

I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. I wanted to question him more but my phone started buzzing again. "Pass me my phone" I grumbled in an exhausted voice to him, too tired to go across the room and pick up the phone. He got up and picked up my phone from the vanity dresser and just gaped at the screen.

"Who is it?" I asked him, and his eyes quickly snapped at me. His lips parted open as if he was hesitant to tell me. I looked at him with an expectant look, waiting for him to speak. He sighed. "I don't think you want to look at this drama this early in the morning."

I put my hand in front of me, gesturing him to hand me the phone. The lock screen has many notifications from Liv, one call from Chloe and my mother, and two texts from Nate.

I quickly dialed up Liv, putting it on speaker phone for Damien. My best friend sighed and layed back on the bed beside me.

Liv picked up. "Hey. What's up?" I asked her.

"Don't open your Instagram." Was the first thing she said.

"Please just tell me what's going on." I said, rubbing my forehead, at the slight headache.

"Okay, well the paparazzi spotted Nate last night." Was all she said.

Fuckkkk.

I snapped my head at Damien who just shrugged, I knew exactly who to call right now.

"Liv I'll talk to you later." I said, not waiting for her reply and cut the call.

I quickly dialed his number, my anger level increasing.

"This is why I said no." I snapped at him the second he picked up.

"Good morning." He simply said.

I shuddered in anger, trying so so hard not to burst out, if he keeps doing this I might just break some things.

Damien must have noticed my expression, he instantly said to the phone, "Please don't provoke her right now. She's going to trash my best guest room if you don't stop."

That stupid ugly fucker just sighed on the phone.

"Start talking." I barely made out through my gritted teeth, my fury consuming me.

"Did you actually read the articles? I don't see how you're angry, my image is the one's that going down the drain." He said, still maintaining his composure.

A scowl formed on my face. I opened the news app in my phone.

"His Highness François found partying away his life in the slums of his country."

"Nathaniel François, is he good enough to be the King? Let these pictures be the judge of that."

"To be king spotted getting in the groove with his cousin and the daughter of Duke. The supposed leaders of our country, wasting their lives, what has our future come to?"

Individual pictures of Nate, Damien and I were attached to the article, showing that we were clearly drunk. Thankfully nothing of my little speech for Austin was in those articles.

Thousands of notifications like these flooded in my phone from YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

Damien was beside me, as we both scrolled through my phone.

"What are we going to do?! My mom and Chloe already know, they're going to kill me. " I said to no one.

"I'm working on getting rid of these articles." Nate said through the speaker, I momentarily forgot that we were on call.

"This is why I said no to you. This was not a good idea." I grumbled at Nate, repeating my words.

"Listen —" He started but I cut him off.

"No this is not okay, my career, my friends, my life is at risk. You don't know the paparazzi around here! They'll twist and turn the stories to make us look bad, this isn't the first time this is happening Nate." I said in a single breath.

"Will you calm down? I took them all down." Nate said through the speaker. I momentarily stopped. "That's not what this is about." I sighed, Damien rubbed my back from behind. "Is it- Is it really worth running your image just to know your country a little more?" I asked him softly, surprising all of us.

I think Nate was going to say something but my phone ringed again, showing that my mother was calling.

"Merde" I swore sending a look at Damien whose green eyes showed a hint of nervousness. He obviously knew how overbearing my mother could get.

"Nate I'm going to have to hang up." I told him, and didn't give him the chance to answer.

"You pick it up." I handed Damien the phone. His eyes went went. "Why?!" He blabbered. "Because she actually likes you."

He handed me the phone back, almost dropping it, "Nuh uh, she's scary, I'm not doing it."

"Well someone's gonna have to to!" I looked at him, "Yeah you." he shot back.

I handed him my phone again, "You're doing it."

He passed me the phone again, "Am not!"

Pass

"Are to!"

Pass

"No!"

Pass

"Yes!"

Pass

"No!"

Pass

"Yes!"

Pass

"No!!!"

Pass

"Yes!!!"

Pass

"No!!!!!!"

Pass

"No!!!!!"

Pass

"Yes!!!!!"

I grinned smugly knowing I had tricked him. He just stared me for a second then whined realizing his mistake. "Thank you for your cooperation." I smirked. "I fucking hate you." He grumbled opening my phone. "I love you too bubs." I smiled at him and he sat down beside me, pressing the phone on speaker and calling my mom.

My hands fidgeted in anticipation of what may come.

The phone ringed as I gulped.

"Anastasia Laurent, you're a disgrace to us, this is the hundredth time this has happened, do you have no respect for the family you were born into? How long will this go on for! You are the worst possible daughter anyone could ever have–"

She instantly started but I cut her off.

"You did Mother, remember seventh grade when I got into a skating accident and had two leg fractures and a concussion and you didn't even stay for five minutes because you apparently had to leave on a business trip." I said defiantly.

I also wanted to tell her that I wasn't born into this family, neither was she my real mother, but I decided to omit it.

Damien winced at the memory, probably remembering how I had asked for my parents and he himself had to tell me that they left. He was there with me the whole time I bawled my eyes out like a little baby.

"Don't talk back to me, you are such an ungrateful brat, after everything we have given you, all you want to do is embarrass us and humiliate us." She sneered at me through the phone.

"Fuck you." The words tumbled out my mouth before I could even process what had happened.

My mother's loud gasp was heard through the phone as Damien visibly moved the phone away.

Instead of the outburst that I thought would come, she just remained deadly calm, and I even considered cutting the call.

"Get back home and we'll have a talk." And the line went dead.

I took in a sharp intake of breath and let out a loud sigh. Damien looked at me with a blank face and leaned on my shoulder.

"She's a bitch." He whispered making me let out loud laugh, his own chuckle following.

We stayed like that for about a minute or so, until my phone buzzed again.

"Who is it now?" Damien asked to no one as I glanced at my screen. It was a number. I lazily placed the phone to my ear, answering it.

"Hello."

"Hi, is this Anastasia?" A female voice said.

"Yes, this is she. Who's calling?" I asked politely.

"This is Fleur, I am calling from Waves Beginners Graphic Institute, you applied for a job here, correct?" She asked me politely. I instantly sat up on the bed and Damien threw me a questioning look. He mouthed a 'who is it' to me but I shushed him silently, gesturing him to wait.

"Uh, yeah I did apply." I said. "Well Mr. Maynard would like to meet you, is tomorrow at 11 AM okay?" Fleur asked me. I grinned, "Tomorrow's perfect, I'll be there." I said. "Well I look forward to seeing you." She said to me. "Thank you, bye." I said as the phone cut.

Damien looked at me.

"Chloe found out about Waterford." I said and his eyes widened. "How?!"

"I don't know, maybe they sent a letter at my place and she read it, or maybe...." I stopped.

"Maybe what?" I paused. "Maybe Nate told her." I murmured. Damien looked taken aback, "What! He wouldn't - " He started.

"Look, that doesn't matter, but if my parents find out that I'm planning to leave, they won't give me the money, so I obviously came up with a backup plan." I said cutting him off, knowing he would get defensive. Damien is my best friend but he's also Nate's cousin, and I would never tell him to pick sides.

"I applied for a job as an assistant in an institute that teaches young students graphic designing, they've called me to attend at interview tomorrow. So if this interview goes well, I can work there till my term starts and save up some money, in case Chloe snitches, which I'm positive she will. "

Damien nodded, "Seems fool proof."

"Yeah."

I patted his leg, "Come on. Let's have breakfast! I'm starving." I groaned.

"You're always starving."

"And you're always annoying, but I put up with you anyway don't I?" I sassed. "I am one of a kind, you're lucky to have me."

"Sure I am"

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ik this is short, but people have been asking me for an update sooo......