The Penthouse: Rinah Rook

"Prince Marco, please wake up. You'll be going to the boarding school today." The maid cooed, waking me up. "Ok, whatever. Tell mom I'll be down in a few." I groaned, rolling around in my bed.

"Prince Anthony of Kelingale is also waiting downstairs. I sat up in surprise. "Please help me to start running a bath please." I grumbled, slowly getting out of bed. "Ok prince Marco." The maid said, waltzing over to the bathroom. I looked over the my packed luggage's at the side of my room and sighed. I didn't know where the school was located or whether it was in a nearby village somehow. At least I didn't need to wear the uniform on the first day to school.

Once I was ready and put on some trainers, I grabbed a coat and ran down the stairs with my backpack straddled on one shoulder. I ran to the dining room where I'd be eating breakfast before I leave for school.

"Marco, there you are mate." Anthony called behind me. He ran up to me with his backpack his back and a coat around his waist. "You do know the boarding school is in Washington DC, US?" He said. I just looked at him confused. I mean, I'd heard of the US but never pondered on how it was, it was new to me.

"We are travelling there now come on, let's go eat." He sighed, dragging me to the dining room for breakfast. I greeted my mom and Queen Karia before I sat down and started eating. While eating I starting thinking:

'I've never been to the United States, especially Washington DC. Maybe this wasn't a good idea-'

"Marco, hurry up. Your meant to be in school before 8pm. And you'll miss your flight." Mom said.

"WAIT- FLIGHT?!" Anthony shrieked.

"Why yes, the school wants you 2 to arrive in a normal aeroplane, not the private jet, not to attract too many eyes on you 2. There will be a special taxi waiting for you outside the airport." My mom explained, looking down at her food.

"Wait, you guys aren't travelling with us?" I asked, suprised. "Well, yes. You boys are 16 for Christ's sake, you can take care of yourselves. Once you 2 boys arrive you get on the taxi and they'll take you to school." Queen Karia explained. Now I was scared. What if we get mobbed at the airport or kidnapped.

"Mom, are you sure you don't want to go with us?" I asked, trying to make her rethink but she had her mind set already so she nodded.

Once we where done eating, I and Anthony rushed out the dining room to the front door of the castle. Once we where out we saw the chauffeur loading our luggage's into the back of the limo. We had to take the limo to the airport because we had too many luggage's and we had to keep some at the penthouse.

There where so many villagers around the castle gates, waiting to see us out. "Well, this is going to be some get away." Anthony sighed, walking over to the limo. I looked at my mom with a side eye. "Well, I better get going." I sighed. My mom just looked at me with a sad expression. The she pulled me in for a hug and rustles my hair.

"I'll miss you so much Marco. Have a safe flight and be good, ok?" She reminded me, laying a kiss on my forehead. "Yes mom, I'll try." I said, smiling at her. She let go of me, allowing me to walk up to the limo. I looked back and me and Anthony waved back at our mom and uncle who seemed to whisper something in my mom's ear, making her stiffen up. I just glared at him and entered the limo and the chauffeur closed the door behind me and Anthony.

This is going to be a long day...

We rode in silence and then the driver rolled up the window separating us from him. I then looked at Anthony. "I don't trust my uncle with my mom. There's something fishy about him." I tried ringing it into consideration that we turn back but Anthony just sighed and assured me that she'll be fine I just sighed and brought out my phone and earplugs and listened to music as I watched the civilians look at us in the limo. I just sighed and drifted off to sleep.

"Mate, wake up. We are here." Anthony sad, shaking me awake. I grumbled "5 more minutes." He just got annoyed and slapped me awake.

"Ugh! What the bloody hell Anthony?!" I yelped. I just glared at him and grunted, walking out the limo The chauffeur escorted us into the building with out luggage's and the help of some staff at the airport. We got so many stairs but I didn't care and kept walking, covering my face with my phone.

Once the chauffeur finished loading in our big luggage's, he gave us our passports and wished us farewell. He then walked out the airport, leaving us in the middle of the airport with strangers looking at us from left to right.

"These people are creepy as fuck." I grumbled, looking at Anthony "True that. Lets just go .2 He groaned. We ran to the check in place to go to the sitting area with our small luggage's. Once we where settled down I asked Anthony more about the school. But then, a family caught my eye. They looked so....unique.

"Boy, stop yelling and sit your ass down!" The mother yelled at her son. "Anthony, what is that?" I asked, pointing over at the family. "Wait....don't tell me you've never seen black people. Wait, do you even know who black people are?!" Anthony asked, suprised.

"I always thought everyone in the world was white..." I said, more to myself. "Mary, calm your stubborn ass child down. He's embarrassing us in front of this white people." A woman next to them said, also black.

"They look so...different." I sighed out, mesmerized. Anthony then scoffed. "My mother said I should never trust black people. Honestly, I would always never listen to her but I'm still keeping my distance. Who knows why they are black." He explained but I was to busy looking at the family. The youngest child, a girl with short curly hair looked at me and smiled, waving. I waved back and she giggled. She was so cute.

The mother turned to me and gave me a slight smile. They announced our flight and we got up, packing our stuff. It seemed that the black family is also on our flight because they started gathering their things. They seemed to have a big family but not that big. The mother carried her handbag and took hold of the small girl, guiding her to walk. Before they walked of the small girl ran up to me and hugged my legs, handing me a beautiful black and white bracelet and then winked at me. I just smiled and pat her head down, She just giggled and ran back to her mom. her mom nodded at me and walked away to the line of boarders.

"What was that about?" Anthony asked, placing his phone in his bag, zipping it and swinging it over his shoulder. I just shrugged my shoulders, glancing at the bracelet on my wrist. "I really don't know." I said, shrugging. We rolled our small luggage's to the airport assistant.

"Hello my young sirs." Said the woman. She was also black but with a weird accent. "Ma'am, good evening." I greeted her, bowing. "Oh no no no, a young prince shouldn't be bowing to someone like me. Please go ahead, no need for me to see your tickets. "The woman said, smiling brightly. I laughed and thanked her as she allowed us pass.

We sat on our first class row with a lot of eyes on us but we didn't care. Once the flight attendant announced we will be taking off shortly, I rolled my chair back, ready to get comfortable and sleep.

"We will be landing in Washington DC in 15 minutes. Everyone please proceed back to your seats and put on your seatbelts." The flight attendant announced. I was eating the food I got served. 2 sandwiches, a plate of fruit and milk. "What a long flight. How you doing mate?" Anthony asked, mouth full of scrambled eggs. "Bloody hell! Eat with your mouth closed. I'm doing good. How you sleep?" I asked. "Like an angel." He sighed, leaning back into his rolled into a bed chair. I looked over at the movie he was watching and snorted.

"What the hell, Anthony. A gay movie?!" I said, gasping for air. He had an offended look but then rolled his eyes, smiling. "So what, the plot is good though. " He sighed out. I looked at him and realized something. He looked more relaxed and ad a glistening touch to his eyes. "Anthony, you good?" I asked him. He nodded, clearing his throat. Tilting one head to the side, I asked "You hiding something." He answered with a slight no and shrugged it off. I just let it roll off but if he's hiding something, I'll find out.

We walked out the plain and through a narrow walk way that leads into the airport and oh my god. There are wayyyyyy, more blacks here. I stared in awe until we reached the flight attendant who seemed to be checking passports before I pass to get my luggage's stopped me, yes she was also black. "Sir, re you giving me your passport, I don't have the time." She huffed, rolling her eyes. Damn, so fierce.

"Sorry Ma'am." I grumbled. "What the hell, woman. How dare you shout at a soon to be prince?" Harold said firmly. I tried to tell him it was ok but she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "As if me I care. I don't even care if he is messiah, as long as I do my job." She groaned. Anthony look taken back but mumbled some swear worlds before handing her our passports. Once she was done, her whole mood changed, she smiled and said in a sweet voice " Thank you for your service gentlemen. Have a blessed day cuties.". I was confused at first but then smiled and waved. Anthony looked so pissed but nodded. Once we got all our large suitcases outside the door saw saw a stretch limo. Then someone walked out and waved.

"Aunt Rose?!" Anthony screeched. "Hello bun bun." She said, smiling sweetly. Anthony dropped his bag and ran to her, launching himself into her arms. They embraced each other for a long time. I smiled and waved at her. "Oh Marco, look at you. You've grown so much." Aunt Rose said, walking over to me and pinching my cheeks. "Hello Auntie Rose." I said, smiling. "Let me introduce you boys to my husband and daughter. who will be going with you guys to Melingaw boarding school." Aunt Rose said. She helped us take our bags into the back of the limo and once we got inside, we met face to face with a girl around my age.

"Come in boys, shut the door." She said. Once we got in, we also met face to face with a man, a black man. Now I realized it, their daughter had very curly long hair and was kind of mixed white and black. Anthony looked kind of disturbed by it but tried to hide it but his eyes showed it.

"This is my husband, Carlos and my daughter, Rinah." She said, placing a kiss on Carlos's cheek and her daughters forehead. Rinah looked annoyed and tired. She just kept listening to music on her phone while looking out the window. "Rinah, can't you just focus for once in your damn life. Your meeting your cousin for the first time, as well as a well known prince of Germany." Carlos said. Rinah just seemed to not care. "Carlos, just let her be. You know she's not in the mood to talk since the incident." Aunt Rose said, patting Rinah's head. "What happened?" Anthony asked. "Personal." Carlos said, smiling. Anthony grumbled a 'I wasn't talking to you'.

Once the car stopped in front of aa very big mansion like penthouse, Rinah stepped out and walked straight into the penthouse. "Where the hell is she going?" Anthony said, rolling his eyes. "She's also staying with you guys, sorry for late update." Aunt Rose said, stepping out the limo with Carlos.

"What the hell. My Aunt married a black man and had an abomination daughter and now we are sharing a penthouse with her?!" Anthony complained once everyone was out of earshot and the driver offloading our bags into the penthouse. "Oh wow. Anthony don't judge her because of her skin colour. What the hell!" I said, reasoning with him. He just rolled his eyes in disgust as he saw Aunt Rose hug Rinah good bye but she didn't show any emotion. "If she pisses me off even once, she's dead." He grumbled, walking out the limo with his back pack. I sighed and walked out too.

"Be safe. This limo will come tomorrow to take you kids to school." Aunt Rose said as she walked to the limo with Carlos. Once they where out of sight, Rinah went into the building. "How pathetic." Anthony grumbled. We walked into the building. It looked quit modern and classy, also expensive. We walked upstairs and saw a hallway. One room had 'RINAH' written in bold. There where also other things written in bold like 'DON'T COME IN' and 'GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE'.

There was another room that had me and Anthony's name on it. "Imma go get some sleep." Anthony said, walking into his room. I walked down the hall to my room. Once I got in I looked at the wall decorated with different shades of black. I girl at the back of the wall, posing. My mother really thinks of me like this?

I sat on my bed and started chatting with one of my friends from Germany, Harold. That was until I heard a noise from out my room. I dropped my phone before walking out the room. The room was quit big, as big as my room at the castle. I followed the sound. It sounded like crying..... and it came from Rinah's room. Feeling worried, I knocked and the crying seized. "Read the sign, bozo." She said, her voice wobbly. "I know your not ok. Just open up." I said, calmly. I heard footsteps behind the door and the door click open. In front of me was a tear faced Rinah. She stepped aside, allowing me to walk inside and take in her room scenery. Wall to wall has pictures of her and a boy about 3 years younger than her and an elder girl about 2 years older, also mixed black and white. The walls a shade of all purple and she had a guitar at one side of her room. It was as big as mine. There was also a diary opened on her bed with an mp3 player blasting a song that I could never dare play at the kingdom. Once I was in, she shut the door and walked over to her bed, cleaning her teary face.

"So, you gonna just stand there and stare at me?" She asked once she was on her bed. I sat on the silky bean bag. I then noticed the swing bench in the far corner of her room with different variety of flowers on it. Beautiful.

"Who are those on the wall?" I asked, pointing to a picture of Rinah with the same 2 people but during Christmas time as they threw snow balls at each other. I noticed Rinah hole mood changed. I got up to sit next to her on the bed. "It's ok if you don't want to tell me. But I'm here to listen." I said, reassuring her. She hesitated a bit before telling me the whole story:

'Those are my siblings. My sister, well, she died in a car accident last month. And my brother went missing at a friends party last 2 weeks. My parent's stopped his search last week but me and some friends where still searching, until my parents sent me to Melingaw boarding school, thinking it will help me forget them but it won't. I loved my sister but my brother even more and since he disappeared I cried everyday but it hurt more that my parents gave up on the search.'

She explained, her voice faltering. I saw a streak of tear leave her eyes. I hesitated before hugging her. She broke down but then had the courage to say "I heard what your friend, well my cousin, said about me.".

"Don't mind him. He was grown up to be told that black people are bad, but hen he saw you like, mixed and all." I said, wiping her tears. "Being black is a race. I'm mixed race. He should know that because a lot of people here are black, mixed, white, Hispanic etc. He should respect that unless he'll be called racist and no one likes that. " She said, sniffing while resting her head on my shoulder. "Racist? Like someone who races people on horses?" I asked. She looked at me and snorted before bursting out laughing. She hit my chest, trying to calm down her laughter. "Racist means someone who hates another person for their race, skin colour." She finally explained.

I rolled my eyes before I saw her smile. "Your a strange boy." She finally said. I smiled down at her before she patted my hair, hugging me back and jumping off the bed. "Let me fully introduce myself, weird boy. I'm Rinah Rook. I'm 17 and I love music and movies. Ant I'm also Bi." She said as she picked up a flower from the bench. I looked at her confused. "Bi. As in, bisexual?" I asked. I have a bisexual friend once that my mom made me stop being friends with because it was a sin but I never seemed to mind. "Yes. Only my mom knows and she supports." She said, switching on a game on her computer, I suppose.

"Cool. Well I'm Marco Felix Adelberg. I'm 17 and looking for a princess. I don't know why I said that but I am. Ugh, I have to find a princess before I'm 18 unless my mom will marry me off to a princess. Every princess at each ball is white as snow, pretty, blah blah blah." I explained, picking up the diary and flicking through it. She notices and walks over, snatching it and throwing it at the beanbag.

"Tell me more." She said, sitting beside me and I laid my head on her shoulder. We started bonding and I started thinking of her as my twin sister.

Then she had an idea. She walked over to a radio hidden behind her painting of a dog. She then put it on then a song started to play. "Favourite song, Neon guts." She said. It was a rap song. She then pulled me from the bed and forced me to dance around. She then started laughing as I tried dancing. Then came a knock on the door.

"What do you want?" Rinah asked, her voice dropping. "Keep it down, would ya!" He yelled, banging on the door. I walked over to the door and opened it, peaking my head out. 2What are you doing in there with, her." He hissed, glaring at me. "Well, she's not bad, she's fun. So why not." I said, shrugging my shoulders. He just rolled his eyes and walked back to his room.

Once I shut the door, I saw her laying on the swing bench. "He's so annoying." She huffed, rolling the 'o' in 'so'. "He's my best friend. He was just raised wrong. Give him a chance." I said, sitting on the bean bag.

The day passed by and Rinah decided to order pizza for all of us. That was our dinner. The tension was so thick, I could cut it with a knife but finally the day is coming to an end....