Complicated

Chapter 24: Complicated

Chapter 24

The trumpets blasted through my ears, the only thing that I could hear as my hands shook and my heart pounded and I looked out at the sea of people.

I'd been preparing for this day for six months and I still couldn't believe it was happening.

This made it official.

Now, it was a thing. I was Queen.

One trumpet was slightly off key and every note that pierced through the otherwise perfect sound was a jolt straight to my ear drums, the hair on the back of my neck standing on edge.

I tried not to move my head too much, the collar of my coronation dress was painful and itchy.

The dress was too tight around the chest, thanks to the fact that we had it fit a week ago, before the lovely side effects of having your period stepped in and caused my chest size to go up.

An unpleasant jolt hit my stomach as I suddenly realized that I was being called upon to speak.

The entire time that I delivered my coronation speech, about how honored I was to be the leader of such a fine nation, and how I was going to take this country to greatness, my heart was thudding and my throat was tight.

This isn't what I wanted. Not yet, at least.

This was going to be the rest of my life and I still hadn't properly wrapped my head around it.

A year ago, I would've jumped at this opportunity.

I would've been thrilled to get the hell out of high school, finish my diploma from here, and live out the rest of my days as queen.

I wouldn't have had any sentimental attachment to the people I go to school with, or the pep rallies, or the football games, or the parties, or the dances, or any of the ridiculous things in the small crappy town that I'd somehow ended up.

But today, on a day that defined the rest of my life, all I wanted to do was rip off the crown that was poking my head, slip out of the tight and painful dress, and go get shit faced drunk at the Senior all night party tonight with my boyfriend and all of our friends.

Today was supposed to be my graduation after all.

But that was all over for me.

I couldn't be careless.

I couldn't have fun.

I couldn't do anything.

My head was spinning as we finally retreated into the castle.

"Scarlett?" My dad asked nervously as I started to feel a bit too light headed.

"I'm fine." I said instantly, holding up my hand.

A frown was etched on his face but he didn't say anything else as the crown was taken away from me and I unsteadily walked towards the stairs.

I felt Oliver's presence behind me, his hand steady on my back as I walked towards my room.

He didn't say anything as Mary helped me out of the ridiculously complicated dress. And she didn't say anything about the fact that he was patiently sitting there for me despite the fact that I was half naked.

He didn't say anything as I changed into more comfortable clothes, sweat pants and a t-shirt.

And he didn't say anything as I sat down next to him on the couch, curling up into his open arms as he held me tightly against him.

It had been six months since Christmas. Since our entire lives changed.

I was now permanently living in Castello, I hadn't been to California in almost two months.