Chapter Six: First Errand

Rhea's POV

When I arrived at the orphanage, I could hear the kids arguing with each other. I opened the door and their eyes turned to me.

“Rhea is back!” Tobi cheered and I laughed, doing a small wave with my hands.

“Oh, yes, babies. I'm back.” I sing-songed, chuckling.

“Look. I did the whole thing and I didn't go outside the lines.” Mikey said, holding his coloring book for me to see.

“Wow. That's so good.”

"No, it's not. He went outside the lines," Ada argued, without even looking up from her coloring book.

“No, I didn't.”

“You did.”

"Let me see." I stepped forward and crouched down next to Mikey, studying the page. "I think you did great. The dragon looks fierce."

"See." He stuck his tongue out at Ada.

I chuckled, watching them argue over the drawings before going to the pantry to grab something to eat before dinner then went to my room.

I dropped my bag by the door, freshen up, dropped onto my bed, and pulled my books out to actually get some studying done.

I had barely opened the first page when Cleo knocked once and pushed the door open.

She smiled at me. “Hi, gorgeous.”

I sat upright, smiling. “Hi, pretty face.”

She held up a plain white envelope between two fingers. “Sir sent this.”

I sighed and looked away from it, like not looking would make it matter less. "What does it say."

"I don't know. I didn't open it, you naughty girl." She said, walking in and dropped onto the edge of my bed.

"Just tell me what it says. I tell you everything anyway."

She huffed a laugh and tore it open carefully along the seam. Her eyes scanned it quick, then she read it out loud, the same tone every single time. Hoped I was doing well. Busy with work. Had wired some money for my upkeep. Hoped I was studying hard.

I let out a slow breath once she finished. "It's not like it's anything new."

"I know." She folded the letter back up and set it on my nightstand then looked at me. "Hey, don't look like that.”

“I look myself.” I lied, trying to act like that information hadn't just affected my mood.

“You expect me to believe that? Come on. Let me take your mind off it. Tell me about hockey practice with Jiles. You came back all moody yesterday and I figured you needed space, so I didn't push."

A small, mischievous smile crept up before I could stop it.

She caught it instantly. "Oh. Okayyy. I see where this is going."

I laughed, pressing my lips together. "Promise you won't freak out."

"I promise nothing, but go on."

"Cleo."

"Fine, fine. I promise." She held up both hands.

I took a breath. "He saw my face."

Her mouth fell open. "Oh my god! I was not prepared for that this evening." She grabbed my arm. "Did he go on about how beautiful you are, did he say anything, did he….”

"Cleo, stop, you're putting ideas in my head."

"What? Anyone who sees that face of yours is going to melt a little. What did he do after?"

I bit my lip, trying not to let her dramatics pull me further in than they already had. "He didn't melt. But seemed curious." I hesitated. "And then he found a way to make sure I'm around him basically every day now."

Her whole face lit up, then went confused in the same breath. "Wait, what does that mean?"

I contemplated how to phrase it for a second. "He made me his errand girl."

She went quiet, actually thinking about it, which was somehow worse than if she had just reacted right away. She was about to speak but I beat her at it.

"See it from the brighter side." I explained quickly, trying to sell it. "I get to be around him. That's basically everything I've wanted for two years."

"And he gets to boss you around. Don't you see that part?" She shook her head slowly. "As much as I'm excited that you will be near your crush, that doesn't mean he gets to treat you however he wants. You carry yourself a certain way, Rhea. You hear me, Lancaster?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, ma'am."

She softened, bumping my shoulder with hers. "Well. If it's making you this excited, I'm excited for you too."

We talked a while longer, her asking questions I only half answered, careful to leave out the eggs, the bathroom floor, the water bottle, anything that would actually worry her. I didn't want her carrying any of that the way I had to.

Eventually she kissed the top of my head and left me to my books, the door clicking shut behind her.

I sat there turning her words over. Carry yourself a certain way. I was still thinking about it when my phone buzzed against the blanket.

I grabbed it fast, my heart fluttering stupidly before I looked at the screen. As I wanted or expected or thought, it was a text from him.

I had saved his number earlier before I left school. I took a breath before opening it.

It was a photo. The front of a supermarket, nothing else, no caption attached. Then a second message landed right under it.

Tell them my name and pick up my items. Bring them to school tomorrow.

My mouth fell open slightly. Outside school errand girl counts too?

I didn't know whether to respond or not. I just stared at the photo, biting my lip, trying to decide what to even say back, when I saw the three dots appear. My heart skipped and I pressed a hand over my mouth before his next message landed.

Got it?

My stomach flipped embarrassing. I typed out got it, Jiles, stared at it, deleted his name, and sent back just got it instead.

A thumbs up emoji came back a second later. I actually giggled out loud at my phone, my cheeks going warm and dropped sideways onto my bed, grabbing the nearest pillow and screaming into it quietly so nobody downstairs would hear.

I both loved and hated how much this was making me feel.

I scrambled back up a minute later, too lazy to bother with proper makeup this late, and pulled on a hoodie instead, tying the strings tight under my chin. I added a face cap on top, sunglasses even though it was nearly dark out, and tugged the hoodie's neck up over my nose for good measure.

Then I went downstairs, got permission from the house mistress to run out quickly, and headed for the supermarket.