Coco Teal - Rebeka P. (the false prince series txt) 📗

Prologue

Did it ever occur to you that sometimes you weren't meantto find out a secret about a friend? That if you did, everythingwould change? Maybe that's why it went so wrong. I knew to much...

Chapter One:

It was an ordinary day at school. I was sitting in History Class reading ahead of everyone else. They read to slow so, naturally, I got picked on to answer a question. "Coco, what year did-"Excuse me," came a deep voice from the classroom doorway. "May I have a word with Coco Teal please?" It was the principle. Ugh. "Yes, of course Mr. Sir," Mr. Putman replied. "Miss Teal, Mr. Sir wants a word with you." I looked down at my shoes to roll my eyes.
I slowly got up and headed toward the door with my things. I knew what he wanted. He wanted to know where Pulser was. But of course I couldn't tell him...otherwise he would die.

One Year Ago:

Pulser and I were walking down a deserted street. He seemed very frustrated for some reason. A reason I should have picked up pretty quickly. We've known each other since childhood, grew up together, and, naturally, became best friends. Pulser had the deepest black hair ever, tinted with dark green. It was pretty intense to see. His eyes were a deep, emrald green surrounded by a ring of bright yellow. He was 6'3", tan, and strong.
I had light pink hair. I was born with it. The doctor's were confounded as to how my genetic make-up worked. My eyes were the color of a dew-kissed rose pedal with a very light pink ring around it. I was only 5'5". Everyone called me short. I was average. But that's not really the point. Pulser was trying to tell me something. Something important.
"Coco...I don't know where to begin. You're nineteen today. I've been nineteen for about seven months now..." Pulser dragged to a sudden stop. I nearly ran into him. He held up his hand, barely breathing. I followed his actions; making my breath softer than the wind. I listened because he listened. For ten minutes we stood there, listening. I could see a vein pulsing in his neck. This was not a good sign. We needed to leave. ASAP.
I lightly touched his arm. "Pulser...we should go. Now." He jerked his head once, seeming to know something wasn't right. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, making me edgy. I slowly backed away. The gravel crunching beneath my feet seemed very loud. I was scared. I hated to admit it but I was. The air became colder. The sky darker. Sheer instinct told me to run. Told me to hide.I immediately felt a presence behind me. The hairs on my neck prickled.
I tried to spin around the unknown person but either I was to slow or he was faster. I established that it was a he because of his iron grip on my arm. I bit down on my lip to keep from screaming aloud. The pain in my arm hurt worse than anything I remembered. It burned with a firery passion and ached like a charred piece of wood.
I tried to pull away from the hooded figure...or...at least I thought it was hooded. My vision was becoming blurry. Everything was blacking out. It took all my concentration just to focus on the hand that grabbed my bare arm. To my horror, for I gasped aloud, I saw red, raw skin that was once soft and pink. I pulled frantically away from...my attacker? Is that what I would call...it?
"Leave her be, Evil. She knows nothing." Pulser said with hatred dripping from every word. "But," replied Evil cooly, "you were going to tell this pretty little girl here your secret. One you took an oath

to protect. If you tell her, her protective spell will end and she'll be just...another...human

." he enunciated the last three words, clearly causing Pulser's blood to boil.
"Just leave her be. She knows nothing. If you touch her-"But, my dear friend! I am already poisoning her. She has, at most, three years before the spell takes place. I'm sure she'll already know by then. For who could could resist the secret of an unknown object? She shall soon belong in my

service. You cannot protect her forever. Give up. It's over." Evil's grip on my arm was slacking. I struggled to stay conscious. I barely heard Pulser's last words before I went under. "No! She's just

a human! Putting that...that thing

around her neck will only weaken her!" "Then so be it. All she will remember now...is a dream."


I shifted uncomfortably in a bed. I felt groggy and parched. My mouth felt cottony. When I tried to speak, no sound came out. My eyes were bleary and everything I saw was fuzzy. I closed my eyes trying to remember. Pulser...Pulser was trying to tell me something. Yes! But something happened...what? That's when I hit a blank wall. I couldn't...couldn't remember...my arm! I bolted up to a sitting position. The pain in my right arm unbearable.
I threw back the cover of my shirt to reveal...soft, pink flesh? It didn't make any sense. When I moved it, the pain burned like fire, yet there seemed to be nothing wrong with my arm.
"I healed it," came Pulser's voice from across the room. "Well, just the outside of it. There's not much I can do to the curse. It's very hard to heal the damage dark magic creates. You're lucky you didn't die. That is to say, unless his tricked worked. Take off your sweater." Everything he said to me confused me. But I obeyed without question. I took off my shirt revealing a snowy white tank-top beneath. Why was I even wearing a sweater?
"What's around your neck, Coco?" I looked down, startled. I saw a smooth, black circled stone entwined with golden vines hanging from a golden chain. It was breath takingly beautiful yet disturbing to see all the same. It seemed to cast a black aurora around itself. "Try and take it off, Coco." I did as I was told. I lifted the beautiful stone in my hand; it felt cold. Then I pulled, or rather tried to pull, the neckless over my head to take it off. It didn't work.
"Pulser...Pulser what happened

?" I asked urgently, my voice going up an octave. Pulser just stared at me with his strange eyes. He just shook his head. We were in his room. It was on the second floor of his house. He was leaning against the wall near the door. The bed facing opposite him. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I didn't open them when I spoke, "Pulser. What. Is. Going. On?" When he didn't answer aloud, I opened my eyes. He shook his head again. Trying to keep my cool, but failing miserably, I leaped out of bed and tackled Pulser to the floor, punching him in the gut.
"Tell me!" I screamed. "Please tell me!" I felt scared, confused...lost

. "Pulser please! Just...say something!" I made to punch him again but he grabbed my wrists, restraining me. That got me even madder. Hot tears rolled down my face.
"Coco, would you believe me if I told you your life was in grave danger from Evil?" Evil? I deflated. I sat, leaning against the wall. "What sort of evil?" I asked softly. I felt to out of breath. "Not what. Whom.

Evil is a person. Well, that's his name. Would you believe me if I told you he did this to you?" he cocked his head to the side, looking at me. I closed my eyes and let the nausea pass a little before I said, "I think I'm gonna puke."
Sadly, I did. It was awful. At least I made it to the bucket, I thought wearily. "Water." I choked. Again, Pulser shook his head. My head felt like it was going to explode. I made to get up but I fell right back down. I wanted water. I needed

water. My arm felt like it was on fire. I shifted my weight a little then leaned forward. I was on all fours; ignoring the burning rage my arm made, I started to crawl to the bathroom. I felt weak, like I'd just gotten through a weeks worth of exercise but with out the breaks.
Saliva built up in the back of my throat. I tried to swallow but couldn't. I made it down the thin hallway. The third door on the right was the bathroom. I was almost there. A sense of hope gave me the strength to stand. I stumbled my way to the bathroom sink.
I turned the cold water on, cupped my hands to make a tiny bowl for the water.
Then, right before the water reached my lips, I was shoved aside, landing on my hurt arm. I yelped in pain. Pulser was staring at me with sad eyes. He said something but I couldn't hear. I screamed bloody murder at him.
With what little strength I had, I plunged my head in the sink, letting the still running water seep into my aching mouth. I gulped down mouthfuls of water, hoping to ease the burning pain. When I was done, still unsatisfied, I plopped down on the bathroom floor, leaning against the wall.
Pulser came in and sat beside me. "Didn't work did it?" he asked me softly. I shook my head no. My head still felt like it was going to split in two. He gently took my right arm and examined it. Pulser muttered to himself before saying, "We'll have to get you some professional help. But first you need to know. Need to know my secret."

Chapter Two:
With the help of Pulser, I was seated on the family sofa. Pulser sat on a wooden chair facing me. We stared at each other. Just staring. Each trying to read each others eyes. Finally I looked away. I could decipher nothing. Slowly he leaned forward in his chair, catching my gaze again.
"Coco...what happened Friday should have-"What?!" I screamed in outrage. "What happened

Friday. What day is it?" "Monday." "I was out that-"Coco please. I am trying to explain. For once just stop

talking." I deliberated for a while. Three days? Three days I was out cold? I wanted answers to pointless questions. Who was Evil? What happened to my arm? What about school? My brother? Wasn't he

worried? I certainly would-"Coco!" my head snapped up. Pulser was staring at me questionably. "Oh...oh! Sorry. I'll stop."
Pulser chuckled to himself. "Anyway, Friday should have never happened. I was careless to try and tell you outside of protective boarders. Anyway, it won't matter now because of that...thing

around your neck. It will alert Evil the minute you fully understand. Which, I hope,