His Secret Princess

Celeste As Christmas approached, so too did the Moon Goddess Festival ball. It was an annual celebration on campus, one where all my classmates would pair up for a night of laughter and dancing. I was the only one who didn't deserve it. My brother and everyone around me reminded me of that. It was pathetic, really. I was eighteen, legally an adult and a freshman in college, but I was stuck under my brother’s thumb. “Celeste, another round!” Jack's voice cut through the clamor, an unspoken command. I picked up the pitcher of punch sitting on the kitchen counter and obeyed. Laughter echoed around the room, sharp and poignant, another reminder of my outsider status. My brother's friends, arrogant and self-assured, moved about the room in a buzz of excitement, their eyes filled with amusement each time they glanced my way. Jack, as always, was the ringmaster of this circus, commanding the room and myself with equal authority. I had no choice but to obey my brother. He was my

Celeste Reality crashed over me like a cold wave, jolting me out of the intoxicating haze. I pushed Matt away abruptly,slapping his hand away from my mask before he could remove it. “This was a one-time thing,” I stammered, hastily buttoning up my blouse. “I want to keep the mystery.” “But wait,” Matt protested, reaching out a hand. “Leave me some way to contact you. I—” “No,” I replied, cutting him off. “Like I said. A one time thing.” Matt shot me a pained look at I finished buttoning my shirt and climbed out of the bathtub. My cheeks were still red from the way that he made me feel, but I knew that it couldn’t happen again. He was popular on campus, and he was my brother’s best friend. It would be doom for both of us if we did this ever again. I could only imagine the hate he would receive for fucking Celeste, the fat, ugly girl. “Please,” he said, standing. His tall form towered over me in the darkness, blocking my way to the door. I felt my panties stir

Celeste“So… You like to dance, huh?”The notification popped up on my screen, causing my heart to leap in my chest. Matt was sitting right across from me in the living room, texting me, and he didn’t even know that it was me.Jack was sitting between us, playing a video game on the television. The two of them had been taking turns for a while; I would have been hiding in my room were it not for the fact that dinner was in the oven, and I needed to be in close proximity to the kitchen to keep an eye on it.I shot Matt a glance, wondering whether I should ignore his text for now in case anyone caught on. But as my memories of our night in the bathtub worked their way back into my mind, I couldn’t help but be a little naughty.“I do,” I replied, angling my phone in order not to be seen. I tucked my knees up to my chest and leaned back in my armchair, hoping that it would only look as though I was playing a game on my phone.“Well, that’s good,” Matt said. I glanced over at him as he typ

CelesteWhen Matt entered the boutique, my heart immediately took on an erratic beat.I retreated to the safety of the dressing room, my chest heaving as I struggled to catch my breath. Why here? Why now? Why did this only happen to me?I had hoped to go unnoticed, for him to gloss over my presence as he'd always done at school or at Jack's parties. But no, my luck had run its course. This was getting dangerous, and I needed to get out before he or anyone else recognized me.After quickly changing back into my normal clothes, I tugged my hat down harder over my hair, pulled my hood up, and covered my face with my surgical mask.“Let's go,” I blurted to Fiona when I re-emerged from the fitting room, keeping my head low, my face shielded by the hood of my coat. The protective layers felt too thin, but I had no choice. This was the only plan I had in mind.“But, Celeste—” Fiona protested, her voice laden with confusion. But my grip on her arm was tight, insistent, and I shot her a pleadi

CelesteUnder the cloak of night, I found myself kneeling by the trash cans, swiveling my head around this way and that like a cat on the prowl while the stench of rotting food wrapped around me like a shroud.Jack had taken it upon himself to take the trash outside to be picked up by the truck in the morning. Although it was normally my job to take the trash out, along with all of the other household chores, he said that he didn’t trust me not to sneak the dress back if I did it myself.“You were so wrong,” I whispered to myself as I rolled up my sleeves.He was inside now, drunk already with the hockey game on full blast. Over the years, I had gotten good at slinking silently around the house to avoid his disdain. I had slipped past him easily on the way out here, and I would be able to slip past him on the way back to my room.With one hand clamped itself firmly over my mouth and nose, blocking out the stench of the garbage and my other hand delving into the muck, my heart pounded