"It wasn't a dream was it? I wasn't the only one that saw what happened at the airport was I? Prince Aiden really did pull Paris into that room and fired that gun. He's the reason she fainted isn't he?"

Valerie left her eyes on her fingernails as she filed it. She was barely listening to her friend's chattering, she had her mind on a lot of other things, like what happened at the airport.

"No Bianca, you weren't imagining things, everyone saw it." One of them told the other, slouching on the front door leading to their hotel room while her eyes went with every male or female that walked passed them in the hallway. The journey to Eutherdore was met with a lot of conversations and questions no one seemed to have answers to. Everyone kept asking the same things, it had been hours but the conversation didn't change. Everyone that was present at the airport and had witnessed what had happened kept talking about it and Valerie's friends weren't any different.

"It was obvious the Prince was upset with Paris."

"Isn't it? Woah," the first red head with freckles around her nose said as she rubbed her arms together. "I wonder what she did this time. I've never seen the prince so upset all my life. I have goosebumps just thinking about it Bernice."

The second girl turned to Valerie as she stuck her fingers right in front of her face to take a long look at her nicely trimmed finger nails.

"Valerie, you're not saying anything." She said. "Aren't you curious about what happened back at the airport?"

"Even if I was, what can I do when no one knows what happened?"

"Don't you want to find out?" The first one took a step closer. "Who knows, it could be a weapon you could use in the future."

Valerie froze, her fingers still stuck out in front of her. She thought about what Bianca had said for a while and then lowered her hands from her face. She exhaled and turned to them.

"What do you want me to do? It's not like I can go and ask the Prince why he was so upset. Even his friends don't know, why do you think he would want to tell me?"

Bianca pouted and looked away slightly. Valerie did have a point. Not even Aubrey nor Noa knew what had happened. It looked like whatever it was, Aiden and Anne-Marie were trying to keep it from everyone else.

"I even heard that the prince might not be joining us in Eutherdore anymore." Bernice went on. "He returned to the palace immediately and no one has seen or heard of him since then. The press was dismissed earlier too."

Bianca exhaled.

"It's such a pity. I was really looking forward to our first class trip with the K3. We even got our nails done. Too bad that damn Paris had to ruin everything. She always does, so annoying." She tried to speak above the whirling sound made by wheels pulling closer behind them. It got louder by the second as the girl pulling the huge cart with a bag in it approached them, looking into a paper and then back at the doors one by one and walking past them like she was trying to find a particular room.

Valerie turned to her slowly, she was watching her and soon after, Bianca and Bernice joined too. They watched the chubby girl pull the cart in front of her with the pink pretty bag in it slowly until she suddenly came to a stop when she got to the front of them.

"Valerie." She forced a smile on her chubby cheeks.

"Emily." Valerie faked a smile too and Bianca and Bernice followed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry if I disturbed your little meeting." The girl went on as she tried to keep her eyes everywhere even with her glasses on, taking a quick scan on the room numbers of the doors around her.

"Mnn." Valerie forced an even wider smile on her face. It was hard faking it by the second and the girl could not even notice how her presence was starting to irritate her.

"Does anyone know where I could find Noa and Aubrey's room? I was told they were on the third floor, room three-oh-five, but I guess I was given the wrong room number because three-oh-five is currently occupied by Connor and Gregory."

Bianca slowly turned to Bernice .

"I'm so angry at how dumb and ignorant she is." She whispered to her, pretending to scratch her hair.

"Uhhh," the girl went on, taking a glance into her paper and then another at Valerie who just stood there watching her and trying so hard to have her friendly look on even though it was starting to get so obvious that she was getting sick of it.

Bernice lowered her gaze on the cart, taking a good look at the bags. She slowly raised her head to the girl.

"Why?" Bernice asked her as she quickly turned to her immediately. "Did they ask for a replacement for Paris already? Did Mrs DuBois say Paris wasn't going to be here for the rest of the school trip?"

"Actually," the girl chuckled. "It's the opposite on the contrary."

Valerie raised her brows. She was interested in listening to anything that could at least give a hint on what was going on around them. Emily Bryant, the girl standing in front of them was the class president and so, she was close to a lot of teachers and even the school's principal. If there was one student who would at least have an idea of what was going on, it had to be her.

"We found Paris' things with the rest of the class'." She lowered her gaze on the bag in front of of her. "I guess Aubrey and Noa forgot to send it home since she didn't get on the plane with us. Mrs DuBois called to ask Mrs Vutron if she could send it over but Mrs Vutron asked that it be left in her hotel room under the care of Aubrey and Noa because Paris would be joining us tomorrow morning."

"Huh?!" Bianca raised her voice a bit. "She's coming back?"

Emily raised her brows and pursed her lips.

"Yep."

Bianca scoffed. She couldn't believe her ears. Just when they thought they had gotten rid of her, she just had a way to show back in front of them and to their faces. Valerie cleared her throat and took a few steps towards Emily.

"Emily, darling," she said in the most friendly tone ever. The girl raised her eyes to her immediately. "Did you say that that bag belongs to Paris and you were asked to drop it off at her hotel room? With Noa and Aubrey?"

"I think that's what she said." Bianca said

"Shh." Bernice pushed her a bit.

"Mnn." Emily squinted her brows as she took a suspicious look at Valerie and then Bernice and Bianca. Valerie scoffed silently. Why were they suddenly acting so weird. "Guys, is anything wrong?"

"No, not at all." Bernice stepped forward and stood right beside her. "You know, I just remembered, we were actually on our way to see Aubrey and Noa." She started, gesturing with her hands.

"We were?" Bianca asked.

"Yes." Bernice turned to her and snapped her fingers. "We were going to um, we uh- we wanted to-" what was she going to say now? She had no idea what she wanted to say. She turned to Valerie, hoping she could help her out. "We wanted to-"

"We wanted to ask how Paris was doing and to also get a copy of our activity booklet from Noa. Lost mine at the airport."

"You did?" Emily frowned. It didn't look like she believed them.

"We did?"

Valerie stepped on Bianca's feet immediately, causing her to almost yell in pain but she sucked it in. Why was she talking way too much and trying to ruin everything?

"Ouch." She whispered.

"If it's the activity manual you're looking for, I have some of those in my room-"

"Why don't we take this?" Bernice grabbed the cart's handle immediately. "And give it to them on our way. I'm sure you must be tired from today's journey. You worked so hard getting everyone together and you have a long day tomorrow. You should rest. Paris' room is way down the hallway."

Valerie pushed Bianca slightly. She needed her to do something to help them push through with their plan to get the cart from Emily.

"Oh, that's right!" Bianca hurried to her immediately. It took a lot of time but she finally got the idea. She placed a hand over Emily's shoulders immediately. "That reminds me, there's something really important I need I discuss with you."

"Guys," Emily went on, smiling nervously. "I get that you're trying to help but I think I should do this by myself, Mrs DuBois specifically said-"

"Mrs DuBois," Bianca tightened her grip on her immediately, causing her to jump a bit. She turned to Bianca and Bianca faked a smile. "Doesn't have to know about this does she?"

Emily looked at her for a while and then slowly turned to Valerie who kept smirking. That was scary, really scary. She knew the three people standing in front of her too well to know that they weren't asking. It was suicide to say no to them. What was the big deal anyway? It wasn't like they could steal anything from the bag, it was just a bag.

"You know what?" Emily finally said. "I think you're right. I could use some free time."

"Good." Valerie said as Bernice pulled the cart from her.

"I'd walk you to your room." Bianca offered and started to pull her down the hall way without her doing so much as objecting to it. Valerie turned to Bernice immediately.

"Come on."
She led the way back to the room and opened the door while Bernice pushed the cart inside. Valerie looked around the hallway to make sure no one was watching. There was no one there and Emily and Bianca had already gone a long way. She pushed her head back in and closed the door immediately just as Bernice grabbed the box and threw it on the bed.

"Is it locked?" She asked as Bernice examined the bag. It didn't look like it was.

"I don't think so."

Valerie hurried to the bed immediately and pushed the box to herself. She wanted to do the honors first.

Bernice scoffed as she watched Valerie throw the lid open.

"I can't believe she didn't even bother to lock it."

"It looked like she had a lot of other things to worry about." Valerie started to go through her things carefully, throwing some clothes out of the box. Bernice narrowed her gaze on her.

"What exactly are you looking for?"

"I'm not sure. I don't know what I'm hoping to find but I just need anything that can explain what happened at the airport. I need to have something on her if I want to get the prince back. Now is a good time to actually get on his good side again."

"Valerie," Bianca started as Valerie threw the rest of the clothes out of the box and raised the box up in the air. She started to shake it. "I don't think Paris would bring something like that to Eutherdore. Anyone would want whatever it is we are trying to look for and she knows this. She's everything but stupid."

Valerie threw the box on the bed in frustration and yelled at the top of her lungs. Why? Why was it so hard to destroy her? She scoffed.

"Valerie, you need to calm down-"

She turned to Bernice.

"I don't have that luxury." She told her. "I'm about to be abandoned by my father because he thinks I'm useless. I need to take her place, I need to get myself back by the Prince's side or my father is going to have Kevin replace me. I can't be disposable, not now. I can't have them think I'm useless too. I can't be abandoned by my father and I can't lose to Kevin."

"But there's nothing there."

Valerie turned back to the bag and glared at it.

"You've searched everywhere. I'm sure if there was something, you'd have found it by now." Bianca exhaled and moved to the bed. She started to pick up Anne-Marie's clothes one after the other. "Let's just put these back to how they were before someone actually sees us."

"Wait."

Bernice froze at the sound of Valerie's voice. She turned to her immediately and watched how she was so focused on the bag. Bernice turned back to the bag immediately.

"What's wrong?" She was trying so hard to look for whatever it was Valerie was staring at but Valerie kept walking slowly to the bag.

"This bag," Valerie kept her eyes on the bag. "Bianca once had something like this didn't she?"

Bernice turned back to the bag. She took a long look at it as Valerie slowly turned to her.

"Oh my," she gasped in surprise. "It's Mark Owens." She said. "It was one of his best designs last year and it is very limited. Bernice bragged about it so much and even brought it along to class week last year." Bernice scoffed. "I can't believe Paris has one too."

"You remember Bianca had sneaked in some chocolates behind her mother's back after her mother had kept her on a diet?"

Bernice chuckled. How could she forget.

"She bragged so much about the secret compartment feature on the bag. She was able to fit about twenty bars in it and her mother didn't even notice. I wouldn't have found it if I didn't catch her trying to take some out a few hours after we arrived.

"Where was it?" Valerie didn't take her eyes off the bag. "Where was the secret compartment?"

Bianca raised her gaze to her immediately. She could see how engrossed she was on the bag. She slowly turned back to it and examined it for a second. She tried to remember, to remember where she had seen it. She traced her fingers around the sides of the box.

Zap, zaaaap.

The zapping sound was so loud as she pulled off the almost invincible covering leather on the bag, exposing the tiny zip that hid beneath it.

Valerie scoffed. Why didn't she think of it sooner? That was the perfect hiding spot for anything. No one would have ever guessed. She rushed to the box and reached for the zip immediately. She unzipped the compartment and stuck her hand into it. Bianca took a step back.

"What?" Bianca asked anxiously as she watched her search inside it. "Can you feel anything?"

Valerie shook her head. She pushed her hand further in. She had to dig deeper while Bianca watched nervously. Valerie's eyes opened widely when she felt something, Bianca could see it. She had obviously found something. It only took a second and Valerie pulled her hand out of it with a book in it. Bianca frowned just as Valerie narrowed her gaze on the blue but yet old hard cover with beautiful flowers drawn all over it that looked like they were about to fade.

Valerie hurriedly flipped the book open as fast as she could.

"Dear Diary."

"Eww." Bianca could not stand the sight of it. She had never seen anything so old and substandard in her entire life. It didn't look like it was bought with a lot of money either. It just looked so...regular and cheap. "Is that-"

"A diary." Valerie glared at the book in her hands. She could not believe it. She scoffed at the sight of the writing in front of her.

"I never knew Paris kept one of those."

A huge smile was finding its way on Valerie's face as she flipped over the pages one after the other.

"Wow," she whispered to herself and then raised her head to where Bianca stood.

"Do you think you'd be able to find something?"

Valerie shrugged her shoulders.

"We'd never tell, but I have a good feeling that chaos is about to come way earlier than we hoped it would." She smirked. "Way earlier."