PARTY WITH THE PRINCESS: STUPID HENRY, WHAT DID YOU GIVE HER?

Abigail's mum all but snatched the black shopping bag from Ki's hands, "Oh, Abby my girl, lookie!"

She opened the bag to show her daughter and they both peered into it as if there was a puppy inside.

"I should've gotten the handbag." Henry regretted, but Beta Pete produced an elegant and long box wrapped in a muted gold paper for Henry to hand out.

"Happy birthday, Abigail. And many more to come." Henry produced his PR smile. The one that could be a smirk, but could also be interpreted as a friendly half smile.

"Oh, you remembered!" Abigail gasped.

I looked nonplussed at the golden box she was holding to herself with both hands. Either, like with the shopping bag, the object inside was to be expected, or Abigail and her Mum had x-ray eyes. Did humans have x-ray vision?

"Oh my!" Her mum gasped, "Is that what I think it is?"

With all due respect madam, but how would I know what you were thinking? I looked at Ki who smiled at me like a flower to the sun, "It's probably jewelry. Perhaps a watch or bracelet. The gold paper is Roulette's signature gift wrap."

I'm going to assume Roulette was a brand name here, and not a game of chance. I turned to Henry, "What did you get her?"

Henry shrugged, looking just a little confused and a lot wary at Abigail's reaction, "How should I know?"

Abigail and her mum had unwrapped the gold paper and upon opening the box, Abigail squealed, "Oh! I can't believe it! Oh, Mummy, lookie!"

I craned my neck to see. It was, as far as I could tell, a charm bracelet.

"Nice one." Ki complimented Beta Pete from his side, but they were both just next to me, so I heard.

"Yours too." Beta Pete acknowledged.

The two betas congratulated themselves for their job well done. At this point, I don't think any of us realized how crazy Abigail was yet.

Meanwhile, Abigail had thrown her arms around Henry's shoulders, "Oh! Yes, Henry! Yes!"

Henry took a quick side glance at his beta. It was a "what the hell did you buy?" look. I totally understood. I wished I knew what Ki bought too, but hahaha... I think Beta Pete's gift won hands down tonight.

"Oh, Henry! This is the happiest day of my life!" Abigail gushed, "I think I'm going to cry."

"Oh dear." Beta Pete sighed. Poor Beta Pete. Sometimes, being too good at your job could hurt you too.

I patted his shoulder, "Don't worry about it. He's too tied up right now to do anything more than curse you over the mindlink."

And then I laughed because it was really too funny. Henry's furious, but caught in Abigail's delighted arms and in his PR mode, all he could do was stand there.

I had never seen Henry so helpless or clueless either. I'm not sure why Beta Pete wasn't quickly extraditing his young alpha, my betas definitely would have. Maybe Beta Pete didn't have the practice my Betas did with me. Or maybe he just didn't want to - knowing Henry's temper, I doubt there would be any incentive to.

"Sam, don't laugh." Henry ordered. He had managed to grasp Abigail by her arms to hold her in place. Abigail tossed her head and smiled smugly in my direction. She stuck out her hand towards me. She could only move her lower arm since Henry's large hands were holding her firmly by her elbows.

But it was enough for her to show me the charm bracelet that was now around her wrist, "Look what Henry bought me."

I nodded, looking, but not exactly sure what I was seeing. It was a charm bracelet, it had the letter "A" charm and a heart-shaped charm with a tiny diamond right in the center. That was it. 2 charms on a gold bracelet.

"It's very pretty." I tried my best to respond well. I was still feeling bad about earlier and I wanted to make it up to Abigail.

It's just that Abigail was making this really smug look at me like she had won. I'm not even sure what the competition was, and you know how I hated losing... especially if I lost even before I got a chance to try properly. (Don't make me flashback to the "Talent Time" just now. I'm going to say "Talent Time" in air quotes from now on because that was how much "Talent" counted for at that time. Yes, I'm bitter. Sue me.)

What would I give to know what the hell was going on behind that smug look she kept shooting my way? Like repeatedly. She kept looking at me from Henry's side. Like with that look. Like her mouth would flatten, and one side would quirk up while the other side would turn down. She was THAT SMUG she was smiling and frowning at me at the same time.

She would do that face at me and then turn to Henry suddenly all smiles and starry eyes, and then she'd turn to throw me a look and make that face again.

But it's not like I could use my gift of insight in front of everyone (goddess knows how I might possibly look freaky doing it), and for the same reason, I could just chikaboom and demand an explanation and storm off. I wasn't at home.

It was really Zara who stormed out of the crowd, "Stupid Henry! How could you?"

There was a lot of dramatic gasping. How dare this... this nobody human girl storm out and call the Young Alpha of Silver Mountain, "Stupid Henry"?

The rest of the cool girls tore out from the crowd after her and stumbled out into the clearing.

"Not cool, Young Alpha." Krystal gave her verdict.

"Yah. Not cool!" Zara started cracking her knuckles, "I was even beginning to think you were okay."

And then Zara pointed at Harvey, "This is your chance! Take her away from here! I'm rooting for you!"

I'm not sure what got the cool girls into such a fit, but they weren't going to stand in the crowd to whisper about me. They were coming upfront to confront Henry... For some reason, this was Henry's fault? And hahaha, Zara still thought Harvey was my childhood love or something. Lol. But only internally, of course.

At this point, their dates managed to get past the crowd too. Ivan tried to pull Zara away. To the onlooking crowd and the red ant warriors, he said, "Don't mind her. She's crazy."

And then I laughed, out loud, because come on. It was really funny.

I had forgotten they were there, my school friends. I knew they were mostly just human, but my friends, despite their tendency to turn into dark angry-eyed jelly background characters in the mangas, had always stood up for me when they felt I was in trouble.

"What the hell, Sam." Henry let go of Abigail, "Don't just stand there laughing. Do something!"

Like what did he expect me to do? Take hold of his other arm and have an impromptu tug of war with Abigail? I could only imagine what kind of news the LNC would spin if it got out.

No way was I going to be part of the tug-of-war for love! I'd rather go visit my dentist!

Or to be tugging over Henry! I'd rather die.

But, sigh... It's not like I could turn my back on my ally in his moment of need either.

I decided to take a leaf from Ki, and smiled my best flower to the sun smile, "Perhaps...perhaps there is a misunderstanding. Maybe we can sort this out...urm..."

I tried to look for a private space to suggest, but the entire glass hall was just one large open hall. I vaguely pointed outside, "Somewhere more private?"

I was winging it, but heck yes, I was pretty good at this diplomacy stuff! I mean, not bad for a first try huh?

Yes, I was very pleased with how diplomatic and Ki-like I was. I didn't kraken, I didn't melt down, I didn't need someone to come excuse me because it was past my bedtime. In fact, I was the one doing the excusing - diplomatically. I was so adulting!

"Yes. Let's talk outside." Henry agreed, looking somewhat relieved. I'm not sure why he didn't think of this himself. Maybe he panicked, but why?

Henry gave his beta a sharp look, "I believe some explanations are in order."

Poor Beta Pete.

"Oh! Mum, Dad, come on!" Abigail looked so excited and happy right now. She pretty much skipped to her parents and pulled them both by the arm towards the exit, "I'm sure you need to hear this."

"Come on girls." Krystal decided, "Leia, make sure you film it. We don't want that b**** making up stories later."

The cool girls nodded seriously.

"Don't worry." Zara cracked her knuckles again, "I won't let her get away with it. Nobody messes with my friend's boyfriend."

And then she quickly assured Harvey, "I'm sure it's only temporary. You shouldn't give up!"

Harvey coolly pretended he didn't hear her. I suppose it was for the best.

Okay, let's just get out of here.