Borrowed Identity

Chapter 5: Blooming Friendship?

*MAXINE’s POV*

“Are you sure?” The queen asked Maxine.

“Yes mother, I would like to be a student of that prestigious school,” Maxine answered and smiled at the queen.

“Alright, we’ll inform the university immediately about your enrollment,” the king said.

“Thank you, father,” Maxine thanked.

“You’re welcome honey,” said the king.

“Uhm, may I be excused now?” Maxine consulted the king and queen again.

“Sure darling, good night,” the king said.

“Good night father,” I replied and kissed the king on his cheek.

“Good night mother,” I also kissed the queen on her cheek.

“Wow, that was surprising, she never like physical touch,” I heard the king talked.

Crikey! Please don’t think about it too much, please, please, pretty please.

“You’re right but isn’t it a good sign? She’s changing for the better version of herself so let’s not worry so much about it,” I heard the queen replied to the king. I quickly heaved a sigh of relief.

Thank Goddess for Princess Zarah’s mother.

As soon as I was able to say good night to the king and queen, I hurriedly walked my way back to my room and quickly locked the door.

“Princess! Princess!” I shouted as I ran to the mirror and remove the cloth, covering the mirror.

“What? Did something happened?” Princess Zarah asked.

“You’re parents said I will enroll in the Universidad de Vampiros,” I informed the princess.

“And what did you reply?” The princess asked.

“I agreed to them,” Maxine answered.

“What!? Why!?” The princess disagrees with my decision but I already have made my decision and I will fulfill it.

“Because I want to,” I said.

“No, I have to,” I rephrased.

“Have to? Well, I don’t want to go to that university!” The princess argued.

“But I will,” I insisted.

“Why!? You should listen to me! I am the princess here!” Princess Zarah shouted again.

“Please, princess just let me,” I pleaded but she shook her head as a no.

“Why won’t you just listen to me!?” She shouted.

“That’s my body so I have the authority here!” Princess Zarah shouted again while pointing at me.

“Princess ple–“ I wasn’t able to finish my sentence when she started blabbing and shouting nonstop.

“Blah blah blah! I’m not listening to you!” The princess said while covering her ears.

“Princess I’m sorry but I will enroll you in the university,” I said again.

“No! Why do you keep insisting on enrolling in that stupid school!?” The princess asked.

“Because this is the only way for me to have my justice!” I shouted at her, not minding the tears flowing down to my cheeks already.

“This is the opportunity for me to have my revenge!”

“I want to make them pay for making my life miserable! I want to make them feel the same pain I felt for years in that university!” I shouted at her.

“I want to make him pay for forcing himself to me!” I added, wailing.

“W-What do you mean?” Princess Zarah asked, not knowing what to do nor what to say but I wasn’t able to say anything else anymore, I let myself cry and pour out all the emotions I’ve been keeping inside me while Princess Zarah remained quiet.

“A-Are you okay?” I heard the princess asked. I sniffed and wiped my tears and snot first before answering.

“I wish I am,” I sadly replied to her while forcing myself to smile.

“Uhm, I-I’m sorry for what happened to you,” she said while playing with her hands and avoiding my gaze. I sniffed again.

“I didn’t know the famous b*tch princess knows how to say sorry,” I joked at her and she just glared at me.

“Haha I’m just kidding,” I said, still wiping my tears.

“Duh, I know my limitations okay?” She said and rolled her eyes at me.

“I’m sorry, I thought you’re even worst than the other royalties,” I confessed to her.

“I’m not that bad,” she said and pouted.

“Haha stop pouting you looked like a duck,” I said to her the same words she said to me earlier.

“Hey!” The princess shouted and stomped her foot.

“Hahaha sorry, sorry, I’m just kidding,” I said while smiling at her.

“Well, at least you’re smiling now,” I heard her whispered something but I couldn’t understand it.

“What was that?” I asked her.

“Huh? Oh, nothing,” she said and we were surrounded by silence for a few minutes when the princess decided to break it and asked.

“Uhm, may I know what happened to you in your previous life?”

“Huh? You mean, about my miserable life?” I asked her and tried to laugh it out but she just looked at me with pity and sorry.

“Uhm, it’s not that interesting,” I said to her while scratching my nape.

“It’s okay, I just...want to know more about you,” she said and I was shocked because I didn’t expect her to be like this.

“Well?” She asked.

“Alright but, you don’t have to force yourself to listen to me,” I said to her and she just nodded at me.

“Are you sure?” I asked the princess again and she just nodded at me.

“You know that I’m a low class vampire right?” I asked her and again, she just nodded at me.

“I belong to the lowest class, Class D,” I started.

“I was a scholar since my first year in college,” I said, remembering the day I received a note from my high school teacher.

*FLASHBACK*

I was in the mountain, picking some fresh apples and flowers when I heard my father screaming my name.

“Maxine! Maxine!”

“Dad! I’m over here!” I shouted back and waved my right hand up in the air while my left hand is carrying the basket filled with apples and freshly picked marigolds.

I saw my father running towards me while holding a piece of paper and smiling from ear to ear.

“Maxine! A letter came from your high school teacher!” My father shouted and handed the piece of paper to me. I looked at him with confusion first before taking the paper from his hand.

“Give me that,” my father said and took the basket of fruits and flowers from my left arm. I opened the letter and read it out loud.

“Good day Maxine Delavan,” I began reading what’s written on the paper.

“This is your previous teacher from Schola Publica Pro Lamia (Public School for Vampires),” I continue reading.

“I have seen and noticed your potential when it comes to your academic classes and as a graduation gift, I would like to give you this certificate of scholarship to the Universidad De Vampiros. I want to help you succeed in life and raise your rank in the near future. I hope you will treasure this gift and be a professional someday. Best regards, teacher Grace,” as soon as I was done reading the note, I immediately started jumping up and down, while screaming.

“Yes! Yes! I’ll go to college! I’ll go to college!”

I looked at my father and saw him wiping his right eye.

“Dad, I’ll go to college,” I said to him with a smile. He held my left hand and squeezed it.

“I am so proud of you, Maxine, you’re truly the greatest blessing from the Goddess,” my father said and smiled at me with teary eyes.

“Don’t worry Dad, I promise I will become a professional and I will raise our family’s status,” I promised to him and smiled.

“Let’s go home, you’re mother is waiting for you, she prepared a hot soup for our dinner,” my father said as I just nodded at him. We both climbed down the mountain and went back to our house where I saw my mother, preparing three bowls of hot soup on the table.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

“The scholarship was given to you by your high school teacher?” Princess Zarah asked.

“Yes Princess, even though I’m from Class D, teacher Grace never looked down on me, she always taught us that even if our ranks are different, it doesn’t mean we can’t treat each other with respect,” I replied and smiled at her, remembering my favorite high school teacher.

“Then what happened when you finally got into the university?” Princess Zarah asked. My smile faded as my memories are replaced by my happy high school life with my hellish college life.

“Well, it was my first day at school and there was this big commotion. I saw a bunch of students watching at something so I decided to let myself join,” I said then I smiled at the princess, but this time it was a wistful smile.

“I saw a blonde girl bullying another nerdy girl, and since I can’t stand it if someone is hurting in front of me, I decided to help the nerdy girl,” I added.

“Ever since that day, all the students, including that nerdy girl whom I helped, started ignoring me or bullying me,” I forced a smile.

“Why?” The princess asked.

“Because in that university, there is a major rule that everyone, including the professors and staff, should follow,” I said.

“And what is that?” Princess Zarah asked.

“Whoever is on the lower class, must obey the orders and commands of those on top, especially the royal blood,” I recited.

“And if ever, two of the royalties have an argument, the one with the purest blood, have the higher authority,” I added and looked at the princess.

“So basically, since I am on the lowest rank, I have no right to fight back, the others are not allowed to help me unless they want to get dragged in the mess too, which obviously, no one wants to happen,”

“So no one, helped you? Even once? How about that nerdy girl you helped? Didn’t she return the favor?” Princess Zarah asked but I just shook my head as a no.

“She started avoiding me,” I replied to her.

“What!?” The princess asked in disbelief.

“Hahaha don’t worry princess, I already got used to it,” I said to her.

“But it still hurts every time they hit me,” I confessed.

“They bully you, every day?” The princess asked.

“Every time they see me,” I corrected her.

“Then, how did it ended up with you being...Uhm,”

“Raped?” I continued her sentence and she just nodded at me.

“Uhm I don’t know too. All I know is that the students in that university are cruel, shameless, and fake,” I said as I clenched my fists.

“So you want to use my identity to get even with those students who used to bully you?” The princess asked and even though I feel ashamed, I still nodded at her. She paused for a while, her right index finger tapping her jaw as if thinking of something as I waited for her reply.

Well, whether she let me use her identity or not, I will still proceed with my plan.

“Alright,” the princess said. I looked at her, confused about what she meant by saying alright.

“Alright, what?” I asked.

“You can use my identity and make those b*tches and d*uchbags feel sorry,” Princess Zarah said while her hands are on her small waist.

“But!” She added so I waited for her to finish her sentence.

“You have to promise me that you will tell me every detail about what you did and what happened outside of this room, okay?” Princess Zarah said like a mother lecturing her daughter.

“I promise, thank you you’re highness,” I said and I bowed my head to her.

“Don’t thank me, I’m not doing this because I feel sorry for you or what, I just want to bully those students too,” she said while avoiding my gaze and her ears are blushing.

“Haha alright, still thank you,” I said to her.

“Hey! I said don’t thank me!” She shouted at me again. I scratched my nape and nodded at her.

She’s pretty nice actually but she doesn’t want others to notice it.

“Well, we should go to sleep now, it’s almost seven in the morning,” I said to her and she just nodded at me.

“You’re right, I’m actually sleepy now,” she said and yawned.

“But how are you going to sleep? Is there a bed inside the mirror?” I asked.

“Don’t worry, everything on that side of the mirror is copied inside this side of the mirror so there’s also a bed here and a bathroom and my wardrobe,” she replied, looking at her back and pointing at the direction of the things she mentioned.

“I see,” I said as I nodded.

“Well, good night Princess Zarah,” I greeted her.

“Good night to you too, Maxine,” the princess greeted back then we both smiled at each other and walked towards our beds. I laid down on the bed facing the mirror, I didn’t even bother covering it with the cloth.

As I was staring at the mirror, I saw the princess quickly falls asleep and I couldn’t help myself but smile.

This is the first time that a royal blood did not harm me and someone like her actually listened to my story.

I closed my eyes as I let myself falls asleep.

I wonder what will happen to me when I got back into that school as Princess Zarah Bella Daenery Collins.