Chapter 17: Chelsea

I think it is a better option to be straightforward than to play dumb. 

"Yeah you are right, but where are you off to?" I say

"The terrace, of course," she says

"Isn't that out of bounds?" I say curiously. How in the world can anyone just get there? Isn't that supposed to be guarded well? The reason I did not question Carlen is because he has some tricks under his sleeves to always amaze me. However, can everyone and anyone just get into the terrace because they want to? 

Unless Chelsea has been lying to me all these years, hiding her true identity. 

"Did you question it when it came to Carlen?" She asks.

"How did you-" I ask. We have managed to get a small crowd around us. It is not likely for either of us to get into an argument, we have been friends from kindergarten till now. I suppose it caught them off-guarded, seeing us argue over something. 

I take the stairs upstairs, I do not want any more crowd to gather around. However, I believe the crowd I gathered this time was enough to make a rumor for a couple of weeks. At least it will not be a couple rumour since those seem like forever to be destroyed. 

I think Chelsea understood my gesture, for she followed me upstairs without making any further fuss. 

Yes, whatever it is, it is between us. 

We both take the way to the terrace, the guards are not present. Anyone can actually get into the terrace if they have the keys. Last time, I went to meet Carlen the door was opened for me. 

Still, to think of the lack of a security system is getting on my nerves. The terrace is far from being a safe place. When I was in grade 4, someone took their life there. There were also cases where severe misbehavior had been shown by the students at that time. 

After multiple events, the terrace has been shut down for good. Chelsea unlocks the door.

She stole the keys!

The Chelsea I knew would never make such an insincere move. Right now, I do not feel safe around her. I feel it was a better option to let at least Carlen know where I am at. Still, I have my backpack with me. 

I always carry something for my safety. I have pepper spray, and a knife. I go to home from my school alone, and there might be chances I get into trouble. It is for those reasons that I carry things like this. You never know who can betray you ever. 

Though I do not assume that it will go to that extent with Chelsea, I will not disregard the circumstances. She has been acting a bit uncanny. It cannot be solely for me running out of my Chemistry Class. There is something that lies deep inside her, something that is mine… something that she is hiding from me. 

I go with her to the terrace. She cannot throw me off of the terrace nor harm me severely since there are people who see her together. If she does anything funny, it will come back to bite her. 

"How did you know about that thing earlier?" I ask. I started with the questions since I have known her for a long time. So, there seems to be no need for an awkward moment. 

"I have been looking out for you for all these years… AND THIS IS HOW YOU BETRAY ME?!" She shouts. 

I am caught off guard. 

"What are you talking about?" I ask out of curiosity. She has never raised her voice against me. 

"I know that you are the lost princess," she says. 

"So you knew… why would you hide it from me?" I ask. 

"Because you have always been so PERFECT… I have always felt inferior to you, you always get what you want! You are so LUCKY! And you take pride in that, you are also arrogant and obnoxious…!" She screams. 

This is not… Chelsea…

The Chelsea I knew would never have said that. Tear seems to have watered my dry pale skin. I cried subconsciously because those words are cruel especially coming from someone so dear. She was the closest friend I ever had. 

"What did I do to displease you?" I ask softly.

"Your existence," she answers. 

I try to swallow the words for now.

I have to get my answers. I cannot be so vulnerable in front of her. 

"How long have you known about this identity?" I ask. 

"Hah… How long, you say? From the moment I gained consciousness, I have always been compared to you, and I need to kill you to destroy Velmoria-" she says as her eyes become green. She is also like Carlen but filled with envy.

I did not feel like this in front of Carlen. Though he was a stranger, I never felt this much uncomfortable with him. 

Funny… how years of friendship can make you feel so uncomfortable in a jiffy while an almost stranger can make you feel as warm as the sun. 

"How do you know so much? I do not have any idea," I say. 

"I told you, you were lucky… you were raised in a loving family while I was raised by my parents that were exiled from their land… all because of YOU-" Chelsea says.

If I put two and two together now, her parents are someone who is an enemy of the Velmoria empire. However, the literature text did say that all the heads of the enemy nations died. 

There are two options. 

First, Chelsea's parents were not the heads of the enemy nations they were simply allying with the enemy nations to cause harm to Velmoria. Second, the literature text is manipulated, the heads of the enemy nations did not die rather they were exiled to a foreign land. 

If the latter is the case, it can cause harm to Velmoria. Since the heads can ally to bestow an attack on Velmoria again. 

Chelsea seems to have lost her control. She is filled with rage. 

"You know, Rinette, all these could be over if I just… kill you here-"

-Thanks for reading-