Chapter 03: Fake Friends ?

"Shouldn't you be not surprised? I'm pretty sure I heard you loud and clear" I said after class, on the way to lunch.

"I don't like him, not even a tiny bit," Jaden said, scowling.

"Prof. Collins? Why? I think he's alright" I grinned.

"Charlie, that person smiled at me funny when he came by. A weird smile, like he's decided that I'm an idiot. I'm not an idiot. He was standing there for so long like he wanted me to make at least a typo. Not that it matters, it would've been auto-corrected but still, it was like he was out to get me. I was so damn nervous. That pissed me off right away." he was literally fuming.

"So, in other words, you don't like him because he enjoyed watching you suffer through his quiz? Seriously Jaden, what've you been doing all this time? That quiz was basically general knowledge" I laughed, unable to hold it in anymore.

"Yeah, yeah blah blah blah. Very funny. Go on, laugh at me. Oh, by the way, where's your disguise today? Won't you be doing that anymore? Where are your specs?"

"Hmm? Oh. I think I forgot them. I must've left them at home."

"Woah. Wow. Unbelievable. I'm shocked. The perfect perfectionist, Prince Charles forgot his specs. You "think" you forgot them? You don't even remember? Are you being serious right now? Is our Charlie having a temporary brain malfunction? Was it that shocking? The morning news I mean" There he goes like always. Find a new target and forget the old one. That is Jaden being Jaden. Anger followed by sarcasm.

"Shocking? Are you kidding? This is ridiculous. Absolutely absurd. It's ruining my perfect day."

When I first started school, that is, around 10 years ago, I thought that, by going to school on time, having lunch at school, coming home after school, being taught by teachers who treated everyone equally, doing homework, and exams, playing basketball like everyone else, winning finals, going on field trips, graduating high school as the top in the country, hanging out at cafes and doing everything else that ordinary people do, I thought I was experiencing an ordinary life. But gradually, I became aware that the people around me were wary of me, cautious. The teachers were overly nice and attentive toward me. People who I thought were friends were apparently all friendly and nice because they had no other choice. There might've been some who genuinely saw me as a friend but most of them were good to me simply because I was the prince. The only one I could call a true friend, without a doubt, was Jaden. Winning over Jaden wasn't easy. How did it happen? That's another story. I was around 14 when I realized all these, that the life I thought was ordinary, has been one big drama.

When I realized the truth, more like overheard, I naturally went to find Jaden. He was in the library. I asked him,

"Jaden, are they being friendly only because I'm the prince? All of them? All this time?"

"What do you think?" he replied. Although we were the same age, he seemed much more understanding and mature than I was back then. That still seems to be the case even now. Though I'm never giving him the pleasure of knowing that. He was like my own older brother.

"I … I don't know. But I want to know. I need to know."

"How about this, think about it from their point of view. Put yourself in their shoes. What will you do if you were them? "

"Well … I don't know, if it's like that, even if I don't want to be friends, I'll still end up being nice. I don't think I have it in me to fake being friends. But Jaden, am I that bad a friend? Do I seem unapproachable?"

"They fear you, Charlie. It's not about you. It's about your status. About your parents. Even if they like you as a person, they'll still end up thinking they are not fit to be with someone like you. That they are not worthy or something. Again, it's about position you're in. But those who know you for real will like you for who you are regardless of where your home is. Take me for example, I don't give a damn about you being a prince. I know you as the stupid, stubborn, dumb, annoying, sensitive, delicate, fragile, hmm what else …"

"I get it I get it. God. You are making me laugh. You do realize that you're being rude to me?"

"Are those tears? Oh god, what a baby. I did mention delicate right? Ow! What was that for? Oh, you are also a terrible liar. That's a compliment. What was the issue again? Were you seriously upset about this just now?"

"Would it hurt you to say something nice to me? And I'm not delicate. And what the hell is fragile?"

"So? Anything else? I'm offering free counseling at the moment. What's on your mind now? Can't be something good. You've got this whole I-have-a-brilliant-idea, look. It's creepy"

"Really? Your reading my mind is way creepier. I've decided to try being someone with whom people around me will feel comfortable. And Prince Charles will not be going to university."

"Woah that smile is way too weird for comfort."

"Thank you, Jaden."

"Hmm? What? Sorry, I didn't hear you. Ow! Ow ow. That hurts. I'm human too."

"Really? I thought you were an alien."