Chapter Text
Arthur tried not to notice.
Yesterday when he came in, swinging open the double doors, he could bet he was the image of confidence. They whispered and gushed, shaking his hands as he walked past. They wanted to see him, be him, know him.
But today was different. And it made his skin crawl and stomach squirm. All those years of corporate training, paparazzi, and newspaper's couldn't get him ready for this. He felt small, walking down his hall, discomforted and not at home.
If only he knew why. Why today was any different than yesterday, or the day before. Why everyone looked at him with such unprovoked hatred. Why just yesterday they all seemed to adore him, and how that could all change in the matter of a few hours. He kept a quick pace, head up, unbothered. He didn't see their glares, he didn't hear their whispering, and he didn't know anything. Neither did they.
The walk to his locker was excruciatingly long. He got to it, opened it, hoping it would cover his face. He knew they were still looking, and they wouldn't stop looking. They knew. He knew. He knew they knew. But how?
"Hey man." A familiar voice rang in his ears, thankfully pulling him out of his thoughts. "Are you good?" Elyan said, leaning on the locker beside him, with his backpack slung over his shoulder.
"Yes. Of course, why do you ask?" The question came out too anxious. He cursed himself silently, looking at Elyan who didn't seem to notice any strange pitch in his voice.
"Nothing-you just look..nevermind. We have practice today, right?"
"Five on the dot."
Elyan frowned. "Why not right after school?"
"Coach has an appointment, remember he said–oh wait, you weren't there the other day.” He hung his backpack up, and fished through the papers on the bottom of the locker, looking for his unattempted geometry assignment. “Do you have something you need to attend later?"
Elyan brushed the question off with some mumbled answer. He coughed, sounding a little too forced, as his eyes narrowed, locking on something past Arthur. "Well, thanks, I just needed to know. Uh, see you later." He rushed past him, missing Arthur’s confusion.
Arthur put the exchange in the back of his mind. He had enough to think about already. He closed his locker, becoming aware of everyone and everything. A boy walked past checking his phone then looking back up at him. Arthur wanted to ask what he was looking at but the question caught in his throat. He dug in his pocket as he moved away from his locker. Did he even want to go to class? Not if this is how it was going to be. But Leon would be there, right? He’d be fine.
He turned his phone on, slowing his pace as he neared the staircase. Multiple notifications sprang out at him, although not unusual, he had a nervous tic in the back of his mind, debating whether he should check it, or leave them be.
8 : 08 a.m
Mon, Jan 27
Harris and 50 others:
bro what the heck!?
7:51am
Pendragon, is this real?
7:44am
I always knew there was something off about you.
7:38am
want to get lunch w/me later
7:15am
You saw the post?
6:20am
like my post pls
6:19am
ArmaArma.Arima sent you a post by Secret Sharer.
??
6:14am
Did you really do this?
6:08am
Are you okay?
5:56am
wanna hang?
1:54am
Criminal.
12:21am
Hey, I'm a classmate of yours. I know we never talk but I just had this question. I saw this post saying…
9:45pm
Follow 4 follow?
Yesterday, 4:22pm
What were these people on about? He tapped on the Instagram icon, and waited for it to load. His heart ran quicker, as his finger trembled. He hadn't even noticed he stopped walking before a tall boy in the hall, shoved past him. The boy looked up, meeting Arthur's glare, and scoffed but backed away.
He looked back at his phone. Almost gasping when he saw the message notifications at fifty one. The maximum he usually got was twenty something.
Well, today really isn't normal. Unfortunately, he had this nagging suspicion that he already knew why. He didn't bother going through his messages. Instead he went to his for you page, slowly picking up his pace, and pressed search. He searched up the school's name.
It should be here, right? There were many accounts, run by students, that shared all the school's latest gossip. Something that would be his downfall. He could see it already: the once prince turned peasant by his own subjects. Ugh. And worse, he knew why. It's something he never, ever wanted to be brought up again.
And there it was.
A post with the headlines: A Pendragon's Evil deed.