News and Bugs

***

I stared at Marissa shocked and confused and excited.

"Who is it?" I asked excitedly.

"It's the Crown Prince, Nicholas," she said shyly.

"I am having lunch with the Crown Prince, next week," she added as her cheeks turned rosy pink.

My heart dropped at the words, Crown Prince. No. This cannot happen. The Crown Prince never fell in love. He never did. He did die at the hands of my future husband but there was never any mention of him falling in love or even getting married. Let me think back. The Crown Prince dies 2 years after I get married to Orisis and Orisis is discovered by the knight in front of the Prince's body. He then flees leaving me behind which leads to me being imprisoned and tortured to tell them where he is and then he gets caught six months later and we both get executed for treason. What the hell! He is going to run away and leave me to get tortured and eventually killed. I worked hard to change who Latrice Richardson was!

I scratched my head violently as I tried to figure out how this happened. How did that bastard fated to die get a hold of my sweet innocent best friend? I can't let my best friend go through a heartbreak.

"Latie? Are you okay?" She asked holding my arms.

I didn't even realise that she was in front of me.

"I'm sorry, my head just started itching," I said making an excuse.

Rissa's hand left my arms and before I could blink, she was standing away from me. I turned to Mariam and she was also far from me.

Huh? What's wrong?

"Is something wrong?" I asked confused.

"You said that your hair was itching and your fever was extremely high," Mariam said as though that answered my question.

"And?" I asked still confused.

"Miss Latrice, those are signs of hair bugs," She answered.

"Excuse me? I have what?" I asked again.

I thought I heard her say that an extremely high fever is a sign of hair bugs.

"Latie, you might have hair bugs in your hair," Rissa said with a slightly awkward smile.

My eyes bulge out and I shriek as I bend over to the side shaking my head.

"Don't shake your head!" Rissa screamed.

"They going to be everywhere!" She added screaming more.

"Everywhere?" I asked shocked.

"Yes," she said half disgusted and half scared.

A tree strangling me is something I'll take over anything. I don't do bugs. Bugs are disgusting! I never liked them not in my first life nor this one.

Everything around me started spinning and looked blurry.

"Miss Latrice, keep your eyes open, I'm going to go get you something for the hair bugs, Miss Marissa, please get her to the bathroom and have her head soaked in warm water," I hear Mariam say before the door closes.

"Latie," Rissa said snapping her fingers at arm's length distance from me.

"Follow me," she said walking backwards to the bathroom with me walking in front of her.

It was like she was teaching a zombie to walk a straight line but the zombie couldn't walk straight.

She looked blurry in front of me. Her brownish-gold hair made it seem as though I was walking through a field of ready-to-harvest wheat.

My body shuddered at the thought of bugs in my hair. I looked up and saw Rissa snapping her fingers.

"You can make it Latie, you almost there," she said cheering me on nervously.

I closed my eyes and opened them. I was about to shake my head when Rissa screamed,

"Don't!"

"Two more steps, Latie," she encouraged me.

I finally made it to the empty bathtub and I suddenly vomited beside the tub.

"Are you okay?" Rissa asked, concerned.

I gave her a dumbs up and she sighed.

"Latie, I'm sorry but even though I love you dearly I can't stand bugs so forgive me and just hold in for a while even if it's hot," she said before pouring warm water on my head.

It was perfect. The water was the perfect temperature. It burned just a tiny bit but it was perfect. It felt like I was getting my hair done in a salon and they were rinsing my hair. I felt a cold liquid being poured on my head before my hands started scratching my head. I moaned in delight as the hands scratched my head thoroughly.

"Look at her, enjoying this," said Rissa.

"It's so nice," I said moaning in pleasure.

"Miss Marissa, can you please pour more water over here," Mariam asked Rissa.

The perfectly warm water falling on my hair made me so sleepy. I couldn't hear what Rissa and Mariam said to me.

***

I open my eyes to find Rissa hugging me. She was asleep. I watched her as I caressed her hair. Her hair was silky and smooth. You would think she spends hours on her hair but she doesn't compare to my curly blackish blue hair needs me to comb it out thoroughly or else I will have unnecessary knots in my hair.

"You awake," Rissa said as she got up and stretched.

"It's been an hour since I woke up," I said joking.

She laughed shaking her head.

"Let's go eat," she says after a while.

"Let's go, by the way, did you do something to the thermometer?" I ask her.

"No, why?" She asked confused.

"The thermometer showed that I have a crazy high fever but I feel just fine," I said shocked.

"Woah, are you sure you are fine?" She asked as she placed her hand on my forehead.

"It doesn't seem like you have a fever," She said shocked.

"Imagine how shocked I was, Mrs Silvers almost even caught me," I said feeling offended by the fact that the thermometer showed that I had a high fever.

"Maybe a ghost helped you," she said.

"A ghost? Aren't they usually cold?" I asked.

"How would I know? Have I seen a ghost? Has a ghost helped me out before?" She asked in a playful tone.

"Ooh, I'm so scared," I said sarcastically before bursting into laughter.

We laughed as we walked to the cafeteria, before entering we stopped laughing as I was still 'sick' and I had to play the part.

I leaned against Rissa as she held me and took me to our usual sitting spot. Headmistress Silvers had her eyes on us. Rissa went to get our food and came back with chicken soup and bread for me while she had fried chicken and fries with a big slice of pizza on her tray.

"Rissa, is this what we have reached?" I asked softly and dramatically.

"Headmistress Silvers ordered the chef to prepare soup for you," she said.

'Is she trying to kill me by starving me?'

I poured as I stared at Rissa eating the fried chicken.

"You drooling, Latie," said a voice.

I turned to see Theon sitting down. Theon is our male best friend and the only boy we tolerate.

"Theon, she's trying to starve me," I whispered, pouting.

"I would give you my cheese ball bread sticks but she's watching you like a hawk," he said.

I sighed as I took a sip of my chicken soup.

"At least it tastes like chicken," I said sighing as I pouted.

They laughed softly as they shook their heads.

"By the way, why are you meeting the Crown Prince next week?" Theon asked, looking at Rissa.

"How did you know?" I asked him shocked.

"I'm not a smooth talker for nothing," he said proudly.

We stared at him disgusted as we cringed.

"Don't spew such nonsense in front of me again," "Don't spew such nonsense in front of me again,"

Rissa and I said at the same time. We stared at each other before giggling.

"Great minds think alike,"

"Great minds think alike,"

We giggled again and Theon pouted.

"Sorry,"

"Sorry,"

"You guys always do that," he said sighing and pouting.

"We are sorry," Rissa said.

"But.."

Before I could finish he interrupted me.

"Don't say it," he said pointing to me.

"And by the way, are you going to marry Grand Duke Osiris?" He asked whispering.

"Grand Duke Orisis?" Rissa said shocked.

"I don't want to talk about that bastard," I said as I stabbed my bread with my spoon.

"Who?" Theon said.

"Like I said, I don't know why the Crown Prince wants to see me but I heard his hot," Rissa said.

Then scrunches his face shocked. Rissa laughed at him as she continued saying that the crown prince was hot and handsome. She teased him throughout our meal. Theon Wilson. He is going to be amazing.

An hour later, Rissa and I are walking through the Garden. The cold breeze felt like a cool hug.

"Are you okay?" Rissa asked me as we walked through the garden.

I nodded my head as I gave her a reassuring smile.

"You're not," she stated stopping.

"You kept on scratching on your nails and I am worried about you," she uttered gently.

"Rissa, I'm okay. I am fine. I really am," I lied to her.

Rissa, please don't fall in love with the crown prince.

I'm trying to think of a way to keep you safe and to keep me safe. Please don't fall for him.

"Rissa, I promise I'll tell you if anything is wrong," I tell her as I pull her in for a hug.

Everything has to be fine...