Chapter 83: Secret Life


    Time went by whether we want it to or not and now is the sweet sixteenth year of my life. Although life


    wasn’t really sweet, I believed that I was getting better at dealing with the bullying or I was getting


    luckier at avoiding it. Being teased and cursed at wasmon anytime and everywhere. Finding that


    my belongs had been destroyed didn’te as a surprise. I had second spares for almost everything. I


    took up self-defense sses to deal with physical confrontations from some crazy gang of girls.


    Usually, the best course was to run and hide. I had many favorite hiding spots in the school where I


    could run and hide. The study guides kepting and I managed to consistently stay at the top ten of


    ss. I haven’t found out who sent them though.


    One fateful day, without knowing it, my life was about to change. That day I was out shopping for books


    to supplement the study guides that I had received from my locker. After purchasing the books that I


    wanted, I headed to a small park which was quite secluded. Not many peoplee here since the park


    was small, so it was quiet and suitable for reading. More importantly, I would never run into anyone


    from school here.


    I went there often to study alone and to think about things. That day, my peaceful study session was


    interrupted by a group of people. What are they doing? Is this a photoshoot? Is a celebrity or model


    here or something?


    When I nced up from my textbook, my eyes met his. Zak? Why is he here? Is he…modelling?


    Oh no, I hope he didn’t see me. Did he? I should leave before he sees me. I quickly gathered up my


    things and ran out of the park.


    …


    Natalia? That was definitely Natalia…


    What was she doing in a ce like this and all alone?


    “Zak! Over here…we’ve finished setting up the lighting and the camera is ready now,” the director


    called me over.


    Well, if she saw me Lucien and my mother will find out about this as well. They were bound to find out


    sooner orter, so I guess it doesn’t really matter. I always knew that I wouldn’t be able to have a


    career in modelling or the arts or any career of my own choice for that matter.


    …


    It’s been roughly a week now since I saw Zak working as a model. I figured that he must have been


    keeping it a secret from everyone, especially his mother. I couldn’t imagine the strict Madame


    Francesca supporting her son in anything unrted to leading the family business.


    “Natalia! You bitch! Stop running…,” one of my pursuers shouted as they ran after me in the hallway.


    If I get caught, I’ll get hit so why would anyone in their right mind stop running?


    If I can just turn this blind corner here…


    “Ahhhh!!!” I cried out in surprise as someone took a hold of my right wrist and yanked me through a


    door. There was a door here? I struggled as a strong arm wrapped around my waist while a hand was


    ced over my mouth to muffle my cries. The door mmed shut behind me as I was pulled further


    into the room.


    The next thing I knew, my body had fallen on top of something warm…or someone. Finally, the arms


    holding me rxed and I could move again. I immediately flipped around to face my capture, ready to


    fight.


    The room was dimly lit but the magnificent golden eyes and the wavy light blond hair I saw before me


    was clear as day. Zak…why are you here? Why would he pull me in here? He’s never spoken to me


    before at school.


    “Umm…Zak…?” I began to speak hesitantly because he didn’t say anything. I heard the sound of a


    chair moving and then Zak’s sigh as he sat down.


    “You stupid girls are so loud. How can you possibly call yourselvesdies? All the noise was disturbing


    my nap…” Zakined with apparent disgust in his voice.


    “Where are we? Where is this? Why am I here?” I was so nervous I started asking him so many


    questions all at once.


    “This is my secret base. You’re here because I want you to be. Turn on the lights, it’s over there,” Zak


    replied before pointing at the light switch on the wall.


    I didn’t know what Zak’s secret base is supposed to look like or why he even had one in the first ce.


    However, from Zak’s princely appearance and character, I imagined a room so luxurious and pristinely


    sparkling befitting of his title of Prince. What I saw when the lights turned on shocked me to the core.


    This is The Prince’s secret base?!?!


    I’m not sure how to describe this sight but if you’ve seen in movies the scene where the guy was


    dumped by his wife and then had to start living alone in a small apartment room. Then after months of


    not cleaning or taking out the trash and drinking to heal his broken heart, yeah, Zak’s secret base looks


    exactly like that. Let’s not start on the smell…


    The moment the lights turned on I was greeted with the sight of an unbelievably messy room. There


    were cigarette packages and buds everywhere. Empty beer cans and liquor bottles everywhere.


    Magazines, books, game consoles and games everywhere. An unmade two-story bunkbed was located


    next to a wall. There was a TV, a sofa, a desk and two chairs. The floor had trash everywhere, it was


    amazing how he could walk in here without the lights on. So…this was Prince Zak.


    Ok…wait, wait, wait!!! So, the sparkling perfect Prince that we all know…smokes, drinks, is probably


    addicted to VDO games, and has a secret room that resembles a dungeon in the middle of school


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    where he spends his day…doing what? Drinking? Eating? ying? Sleeping?


    “Have you gotten over your shock, Natalia?” Zak asked as heughed at me a little. He gestured to the


    chair opposite him for me to take a seat. Walking over without tripping over all this mess on the floor


    was like navigating andmine.


    “Umm…Hi, Zak,” I said shyly unable to look him in the eyes. Zak in his perfect uniform suit was a stark


    contrast to the overall setting of this room and I didn’t know what to say.


    “Let me get straight to the point. That day, you saw me modelling right?” Zak asked calmly as he


    leaned closer to me across the table.


    I nodded my response.


    “I see. So, why didn’t you tell Lucien or my mother. What is it that you want?” Zak interrogated me. His


    voice was calm but serious.


    “I…just thought that you wanted to keep it a secret from them…so…I didn’t tell anyone. I…didn’t want


    you to be punished…,” I answered with a shaky voice. I didn’t know why but I found Zak very


    intimidating. Being close to him is making my heart beat so fast.


    “Why did you decide to help me?” Zak asked as he cocked his head to the side out of curiosity, his


    golden eyes narrowing slightly.


    “I don’t know myself…maybe…because I used to wish that someone…would help me?” I said as I


    looked into Zak’s eyes for the first time. I’m not sure what emotions I saw in his eyes, but he was


    clearly conflicted.


    Silence filled the room and I felt very ufortable, so I quietly got up and headed towards the door.


    “Umm…Zak, thank you for helping me…earlier. Bye,” I whispered quickly opening and then closing the


    door behind me.


    That night I couldn’t catch a wink of sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking of Zak…


    --To be continued...