Running With Lions

Lavin dived onto her bed. She covered her head with her pillow and closed her eyes. Everything was black and quiet; which was an extreme contrast to how the last two weeks had been.

She had come under a lot of scrutiny from the press and her family from the pictures printed in the magazines. Lavin was told by royal advisors to deny that she'd gone home with Harry.

Her family, even with their great affection for Harry, told her to lay low. To stay away from him at least for a little while.

Both her family and advisors were worried about how this scandal would affect her popularity with the people of Denmark.

Harry had broken up with Caroline a few days after she arrived back in London. It took some coaching but he finally got the nerve to do it.

Caroline had heard the stories--seen the tabloids--and imagined this great morbid fantasy in her thick skull. Needless to say, she didn't take the break up well. Luckily, Harry had enough sense to do it at Caroline's flat so that she wouldn't cause a scene.

Lavin received a few phone calls and one single angry message from Caroline that said she should better watch her back.

Lavin quickly deleted them. She was worried but not too worried. Caroline would never be able to get close enough to Lavin to physically harm her with the amount of security Lavin had.

"We're going out," Gen said, appearing in Lavin's doorway.

Lavin uncovered her head and turned to look at her cousin. She was already dressed in a pair of army green skinny jeans that were cut out from the thigh down and a top that showed off her toned arms.

"Oh, are we?"

"Yes," Gen affirmed. "Just because you aren't allowed to see Harry does not mean you should lock yourself away from society."

Lavin grumbled. "I was told to keep a low profile."

"A low profile does not mean become a recluse in your own flat," Gen stated with her hands on her hips, looking sharply at Lavin.

Lavin sat up, pushed her hair out of her eyes and glared. "If I get put onto one single bloody magazine you're going to pay for it."

Gen smiled now, satisfied at how easy it was to get Lavin to cave. "Fantastic. Will and Kate are coming with us too. Ben said he might stop by but he's on a date."

"Oh, so this has been planned out?" Lavin questioned suspiciously.

"Not at all," Gen told her. "I've just finished midterms and I would like to celebrate with friends."

"Where are your friends from Uni?" Lavin asked dully as she began looking through her closet.

"They'll be there too," Gen said, beginning to retreat from Lavin's room. "I'll be in my room finishing my hair."

"Righto," Lavin said absentmindedly.

Then she paused, realizing something.

"Gen!" she called.

"GEN!" she yelled when no answer came.

"Yeah?"

"Harry won't be there will he?" she asked.

"Will didn't say anything when I talked to him."

Vague, Lavin thought as she picked a pair of red jeans from her collection. She thought for a moment that she should text Harry herself but decided against it.

The element of surprise won over.
_______

Harry was at the club. And only by Lavin's request sent through text had he been keeping a fair distance away from her.

And for fear of another scandal happening Lavin had only drank two drinks all night. Club soda and vodka. She was sipping them painfully slow so she would be quick enough to react if disaster struck.

Kate was feeling good. She was blabbering on and on about some fundraiser Will was taking her too. She was completely terrified.

"I'm shitting myself here, Lav. Look at me." Kate stood from the barstool, presenting herself to Lavin.

Lavin shook her head. Kate could be so worrisome at times.

"Kate, you're going to be wonderful. Just smile and be yourself," Lavin assured her, patting her on the forearm. "However, if it is a complete disaster...you can always just come over and we can have a lovely girls' night with wine and Disney movies."

Kate's eyes widened. "That'd be brilliant! I would like that to happen, disaster or not."

Lavin nodded happily. "We can have it once a week if you'd like."

Kate nodded.

Lavin was about to change the subject when Gen rushed up to her, getting so close to her face that the only thing she could see was her cousin's red cheek. Gem’s lips were moving quickly and words were filling Lavin's ear.

"We need to leave. Caroline is here."

"Seriously?" Lavin asked. She began subtly looking around the dark club for Caroline's dark brown hair.

"Come on," Gen said, taking hold of Lavin's arm. "Get your things and let’s go."

Kate was watching them. "Wait a moment!"

Both cousins looked at her.

"What's going on?"

"Caroline's here," Gen told her.

Lavin pulled away from Gen, ignoring Kate's shocked expression. "Let’s at least tell the others before we go."

"I'll tell them if you two would like to make a quick getaway," Kate said, raising her hand.

Gen nodded. "Thanks, Kate."

All three quickly said their goodbyes and as Gen was leading Lavin through the throngs of dancers and club goers Lavin was furiously texting Harry.

CAROLINE IS HERE. GEN & I ARE LEAVING. DON'T WANT TO START ANYTHING.

"Look who decided to finally show her face in public."

Lavin ears pressed against her skull. She looked away from her phone and was staring directly into the face of an enraged and belligerent Caroline.

"The royal slut of Denmark finally makes an appearance!"

Caroline reminded Lavin of a terrifying giant as she loomed over her in a black dress that seemed to match the exact way Caroline was feeling.

Lavin wasn't surprised at Caroline's comment but couldn't think of a single thing to say to her. It was Lavin who agreed to go home with Harry. It was Lavin who allowed Harry to kiss her. It was Lavin who kissed Harry the second time all while being aware that he had a girlfriend.

"I'm sorry," Lavin said.

"What?" Caroline said, appalled.

"I'm so sorry," Lavin said again. "I didn't mean for this to happen. Not this way."

Caroline laughed mirthlessly. "Oh, you didn't plan this at all, Lavin? You didn't become my friend to actually be my friend, did you?" Her tone was accusatory.

Lavin opened her mouth, her eyes wide as if she were a deer staring down a hunter with a gun. She shut her mouth realizing she had nothing to say in her defense. Caroline was right: Lavin had pretended to be her friend.

Lavin's resolve to really be a friend to Caroline came too late. And there was no defending herself when there were pictures to prove her and Harry left together.

"You wanted to get closer to me to win Harry back. Well congratulations! You won!" Caroline with a sadistic grin playing on her lips as her tone was sarcastically enthused.

From her periphery Lavin could see millions of phones pointed in their direction. And the sporadic flashing of cameras meant that she would most likely be on tomorrow's issue of The Sun.

"You have all the right to be mad at me Caroline," Lavin said.

Caroline exhaled loudly with a sound of desperation and disbelief. "How dare you try to be diplomatic? How dare you!"

The next moment happened very fast yet very slow at the same time. Lavin watched as Caroline took her arm back, her hand forming a tight fist. Then the model swung her arm around, hooking Lavin right in the eye.

Lavin's hand went to her face, hovering over her left eye that stung and burned underneath. Only spots that changed from a metalic yellow to black were seen from that eye.

An explosion of chanting overpowered the music coming from the surrounding speakers of the club. "Fight! Fight! Fight!" It was as if Lavin was in one of those horrible high school television shows.

Gen was now in her face.

"She's getting taken out. Bodyguards and bouncers are escorting her out."

Lavin nodded, at a loss for words and too worried that if she did manage to speak she would start crying.

Gen and Essie, the only female bodyguard assigned to Lavin were taking her to the bathroom.

"You're gonna be okay," Essie cooed into Lavin's ear as she opened the door to the marbled bathroom. Once she booted two girls out who were reapplying their makeup she quickly locked the main door.

Gen stopped Lavin from looking at herself in the mirror. If she had looked she would have seen a cut from the outside corner of her eye to mid-cheek, bleeding relentlessly down her face.

"One of her rings must have caught your face," Gen said, taking a wad of toilet paper and pressing it against Lavin's reddening face.

Lavin jumped when she heard a pounding on the door.

"Let me in!"

It was Harry.

Gen and Essie looked to Lavin for a decision. Lavin shrugged and then nodded forlornly.

Essie opened the door and in stormed Harry followed by Kate. Will, they said, was calling for a car and talking with a police officer.

"Are you okay?" Harry said, gently taking Lavin's face between his hand.

Lavin nodded, she could feel her eyes begin to sting with tears. Gen pushed Harry's hand away and touched a warm wad of paper towel to Lavin's cheek.

"I can't believe that happened," Kate said, leaning against a sink. Her brows were creased in concern as she looked from Lavin's face to her phone, waiting for Will's call to tell them the car was here. "Who knew Caroline would be one to get violent."

"I deserved it," Lavin said, finally speaking. She took the towels away from Gen and turned to look at herself in the mirror.

She moved closer to her mirrored image, watching as a new wave of blood seeped from the cut and slowly began its journey down her cheek.

"Superficial, mostly," Essie muttered into the almost microscopic earpiece. "There won't be a need to go to the hospital."

Harry was looking at Lavin through the mirror. "No one deserves to be punched."

"Yes, Harry," Lavin said, her voice cracking. She gripped the sink for support. "I have acted just as badly as she has."

"What?" Harry asked slowly.

Lavin turned to look at him, leaning against the sink just as Kate was. Gen handed her a fresh wad of paper to press to her face.

"I acted like her friend. I wanted to scare her away from you. I couldn't bare the fact that you were thinking of proposing to her. I was being selfish. I was stupid."

She watched Harry's face fall into disbelief, his mouth hung open and his brows peaked.

"Then I realized how happy the two of you looked at the brunch your grandmother threw you and I decided to stop it all. I wanted to be her friend because if you loved her then I would love her too."

Lavin finally broke down. Tears were slowly beginning to stream down her face, mixing with blood.

"I...can't--you did what?" Harry asked, clearly enraged and then saddened at the same time. Lavin noticed Gen's surprised face too.

"I'm truly sorry, Harry," Lavin cried. "If I could go back I would have never done any of this."

"What exactly did you do?" Harry asked.

Lavin exhaled heavily, feeling ashamed. "I told her what things would change in her life if she were to take the next step in your relationship."

Harry didn't say anything. He just turned away from her.

"I didn't plan on us going home together on your birthday. I didn't plan on kissing you. Why would I?" She shrugged dejectedly. "I didn't know of your feelings before then. That is why I decided to really become friends with Caroline: I wanted to stop being in love with you for her sake."

"I need to go." Harry's voice was very even. And with that, he walked out of the girls' bathroom; the door shutting slowly after him.

Lavin cried even harder now. She had ruined their relationship, even if it wasn't official, in record time. And even though it felt good to tell the truth and come clean about this entire situation seeing Harry walk out that door hurt worse than Caroline's fist colliding with her face had.