by Mia Archer
I’d never thought of Jacqueline like this before. Sure I’d enjoyed her company. I thought she was beautiful, who wouldn’t? I’d just never considered her like this. The thought never occurred to me.
It was certainly occurring to me now!
“I don’t know about that. Something tells me he’s holding out for someone who’s more in his league,” she sighed. “Though that would be nice.”
I giggled and this time I leaned against her rather than elbowing her. Leaning against her felt nice. Very nice. I could get used to feeling her up close and personal like this, even if it would cause a minor scandal if word got out.
We were in a private room, though, and so I figured there wasn’t much harm in indulging myself. Especially when Jacqueline most likely thought I was just being friendly.
Friendly. Yes. That’s all I was doing.
“What on earth are you talking about? You’re easily one of the most beautiful girls out there,” I said. “Not to mention your family is easily the third most powerful in the country behind his.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence in my family,” she said with an eye roll.
“You know what I mean. Beauty and breeding. A girl like you should have no trouble drawing the attention of a handsome Dukeling!”
Jacqueline snorted at my joke and very nearly sent some of the wine she’d been sipping flying. “Little Dukeling! I like that.”
“Came up with that myself,” I said.
I came up with it myself and I’d tried it out on Maximilian who didn’t particularly care for the comparison. The boy might be handsome, not that I particularly cared about that sort of thing, but handsome and noble was a bad combination in this case that resulted in a bad case of vanity to go along with.
“Did you really mean that?”
I turned to Jacqueline and backed away. She was right there. Like right in front of me. Inches from my face. Something clutched at my stomach. Like this weird mixed up ball of anticipation and nervousness that was all coming together and making me feel more than a little giddy. It was a good feeling even if it was a little confusing.
Yeah, I might’ve realized I was into girls, but the whole royal thing meant I didn’t have any practical experience even if I was all about it in the theoretical sense.
“What do you mean?”
“You said I was beautiful,” she said. “Did you mean that?”
Oh crap. She was leaning in even closer. Why was she leaning in that close to me? Did she have any idea what she was doing to me by being that close? Could she possibly be interested in the fairer sex as well? Or maybe she was just looking to cause some waves and irritate her parents.
Now there was a noble cause I could get behind, and not just for my own selfish reasons. I’d been known to do the occasional crazy thing just to irritate father and mother, but Jacqueline had never been like that and damn it my mind was racing and I needed to get it back on track because there was something happening here that was making me feel all warm and fuzzy and funny inside and…
I stopped. Squeezed my eyes shut. Took a deep breath and counted to ten before letting it out. That got things back under control. Sort of. Maybe.
Okay, not really.
“Well of course you’re beautiful,” I said. “Any guy would be lucky to have you!”
I’d be lucky to have her. I thought about the odds that we might get up to a little more than leaning in close to one another. It wouldn’t be the first time a noble debutante had gotten a little hot and heavy in one of the side rooms at this ball, though hundreds of years of tradition dictated that sort of thing happen between fluttery simpering girls and guys like Maximilian. Not between the debutantes themselves.
I was venturing into uncharted territory here. Both personally and historically.
“You know you’re not so bed yourself, Princess Amelia,” she said.
Oh dear. This was getting out of control. I could see what was going to happen. Her eyes were lidded and her lips were parted. I might not have much experience, but I knew what that meant. This was happening. I couldn’t believe it but this was happening.
Well then. Was I a princess, heir to the throne, or was I a timid shrinking violet?
The answer to that became pretty obvious as I felt my lips press against Jacqueline’s. Her eyes widened and I felt her lips turn to a smile as she didn’t pull away, but she didn’t exactly return the kiss either. I pulled away, suddenly unsure of myself. Had I read the situation completely wrong?
Still, even if I had read the situation wrong I couldn’t help but feel just a little giddy. My first kiss, and it had been fun. It certainly confirmed that I was interested in kissing girls. It was something I could see myself doing more of!
“What was that for?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know? It felt right, I guess.”
“I don’t know. I mean I’ve never, but maybe this…”
Jacqueline held up her wine glass to let me know exactly what she was talking about. Well then. Maybe she wasn’t making a lifestyle choice so much as she was using alcohol as an excuse to do a little exploring. I was reminded of stories of the Americans going off to college and doing this sort of thing.
Those girls didn’t know how lucky they were.
“So what did you think?”
Jacqueline looked at me and blinked. “What did I think of what?”
I suppressed the urge to growl in frustration. That would just ruin the moment even more than it already had been. Already thoughts of us carrying on a secret relationship were being dashed, but I thought maybe I could salvage something. Yet with every passing moment it was becoming more and more obvious that Jacqueline was maybe a little farther into the drink than I’d thought.
How many of those wine glasses had she snuck away?
Then it hit me. Maximilian. If he was interested in her then I figured it was a safe bet that he’d kept her up with a steady supply of drinks. Not that he needed that to catch a girl’s interest, but he had just enough of a slimy veneer that it was the sort of thing he’d do anyways.
Which meant I was likely tilting at windmills with the next question, but there was a hope, a fire, that had kindled inside me after that kiss and I couldn’t help but plow forward even if I also couldn’t shake the feeling that I was somehow heading for disaster.
“The kiss? What did you think of that?”
Jacqueline blinked again and she got a faraway look in her eyes. Then she was back and she grinned a sloshed grin. Max must’ve had his eye on her for a good chunk of the night. Damn him.
“I think it was nice?” she said. “I don’t know. It was so fast.”
I knew it was stupid even as I did it, but I couldn’t resist. I pulled her against me again and pressed my lips against hers. In that moment I felt as though I was truly no better than Max, but at the same time I couldn’t help myself. I was a woman possessed, and her lips felt so good.
This time I got more of a response. Her mouth opened to mine and her tongue darted out which sent an electric thrill dancing down every nerve ending in my body. I sighed into her mouth and I knew in that moment that my theoretical interest in girls was definitely a practical interest as well.
It was nice to have that confirmation. To know that my desire for the fairer sex went beyond a desire to try something that I knew would irritate my parents to no end.
Assuming word ever got out. I had no intention of that happening any time soon.
At least that was the plan right until a series of flashes went off. I blinked both because I was surprised and because the light was blinding in the otherwise dark room. I pulled away from the kiss and Jacqueline looked very confused.
“What was that?”
I zeroed in on the door. Some man I didn’t recognize stood there with a camera in hand. That explained where the flashes of light came from. Instantly the nervousness and desire I felt kissing Jacqueline changed to fury.
Who did this man think he was? H
e was in a tuxedo to blend in with everyone at the ball, but if he had that camera he must be working for the palace. Only if he worked for the palace then he should know he wasn’t supposed to leave the ballroom. And that smile on his face. Not a pleasant smile at all. No, that was the smile of someone who knew they were going to get very rich if they could get out of the palace with pictures of the Crown Princess kissing another woman.
He raised the camera again. More flashes. I held a hand up to block the light but it was too late.
Also too late I realized my mistake. When we were kissing my face was blocked by Jacqueline’s head. Now that I’d pulled away my face would likely be visible in some of those pictures. Before he had nothing. Now he had a series of photos linking the two women kissing to the Crown Princess and the heiress to one of the most powerful families in Allora.
Damn it.
“You! Come here!”
I didn’t expect it to work. The man shrugged and looked almost apologetic.
“Sorry, Princess Amelia, but business is business,” he said.
And with that the man ducked out of the room leaving me sitting there stunned for a moment. I finally had the presence of mind to dash for the door, though I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I could call security, but it was a big palace and if the photographer was wily enough to get in here in a tuxedo and past security then he was also probably wily enough to have an escape route planned out ahead of time.
Damn it, damn it, damn it!
“That guy didn’t act like one of the palace photographers,” Jacqueline said, stumbling up next to me. I looked her up and down and wondered how I hadn’t recognized how sloshed she was earlier. Suddenly I felt a stab of guilt to go along with the fear settling into the pit of my stomach.
I’d been the aggressor in that little kiss. Jacqueline had just been a little tipsy and amiably along for the ride, but I had no doubt she was going to get caught up in the gossip firestorm when those pictures were published. That they would be published was never in question. The subject matter was too salacious.
In short, I was screwed and I might’ve just brought Jacqueline down with me. Suddenly I felt like I had more in common with Maximilian than I would’ve liked, and it wasn’t a very nice feeling at all.
“This is going to cause some trouble,” I muttered.
3: Dani
“We’re almost to the park, and I want to remind everyone that you need to be on your best behavior while you’re out here,” Mr. Fredericks said.
He glowered at everyone gathered on the bus, but it wasn’t very effective. Mr. Fredericks was a good decade out of college, but he still had a baby face that made him look less than intimidating. There were times I almost felt bad for him. Except for the part where he compensated for being less than intimidating by being more than a jerk.
“I’ll remind all of you that you’re representing our school out there in the park. You have an international audience! I want them to feel the Tiger pride so much that they go back home and tell everyone about us!”
“Yeah, like that’s going to happen,” Sarah muttered.
“Shh! You’re going to get us caught,” I whispered back.
“Is there something amusing you’d like to share with us Danielle? Sarah?”
Damn it. Speaking of the man being a dick. He’d zeroed in on us. I shrugged.
“Go Tigers?”
Mr. Fredericks shook his head and sat down. His pep talks every time the bus stopped for a bathroom break or just when he felt like it were enough to make me wish I’d gotten a seat on the other bus. The main certainly loved the sound of his own voice.
Not that I had much of a chance of getting on the other bus. Mr. Fredericks wanted his drum majorettes handy so we could go over critical strategies for making sure the band marched in a straight line and turned just when they were supposed to.
Not exactly rocket surgery, but I suppose if that was everything in your life it could seem like a big deal. Remind me not to go into band teaching.
“Hey Danielle!”
I turned around and regarded the girl kneeling down next to me in the bus aisle. I glanced forward to where Mr. Fredericks sat, but he didn’t seem to notice her there. Yet. He wouldn’t be happy that someone was out of their seats if he did turn around though.
I tried to remember the girl’s name. With every passing year I knew fewer and fewer people in the younger classes. It seemed to matter less as I got older and my friends graduated and went off to college. Like I was about to.
It hit me. Melissa. A sophomore, or maybe a junior now. It was weird thinking in those terms since it was the summer and I’d be going off to college instead of back to the old school in the fall. We hadn’t really talked all that much but I knew who she was. Pretty enough, but I had no idea why she’d want to get my attention.
“What’s up?” I whispered. “You know Old Fred isn’t going to like it if he finds you out of your seat.”
Melissa bit her lip and blushed. She looked up to Mr. Fredericks and then back to me. Smiled. Now that was odd. Why the hell was she doing that routine?
I was immediately on guard. Given the year I’d been having since prom I didn’t trust anything that seemed to be going my way.
“Well I was wondering if maybe you’d want to hang out when we got to the park?” she asked.
Okay then. This was very odd. Was this girl trying to flirt with me? It was silly, but I found myself hoping against hope that maybe my luck was finally turning around. I risked a smile. I felt like I hadn’t been doing much in the way of smiling lately, and it felt good.
“Are you feeling okay Melissa?”
Maybe not the best response to a pretty girl coming up and flirting with me, but I couldn’t help but be a little suspicious. My brain told me something had to be up. After all, what was more likely? That a pretty girl found out about my interest in girls through the rumor mill and decided to join me in being ostracized, or that this was just another in a long line of people screwing with me?
Probably the latter, as much as I hated thinking that way. God I couldn’t wait to get to college.
“Well I’ve just been doing some thinking, and I thought it might be nice to hang out with you,” she said.
Oh hell. Maybe the universe was finally throwing me a bone. Besides, she just looked so darn cute as she squatted there on her knees rocking with the motion of the bus. Even the baggy band shirt she wore, wrinkled from sleeping overnight on the bus trip, added to the cuteness factor. I finally allowed myself to smile.
“I think that could be fun,” I said.
Melissa grinned. Alarm bells went off in my head. That wasn’t a pleasant grin. No, that seemed more like the sort of grin you might see on a shark right before it devoured a particularly tasty and gullible fish it had invited back to its place for dinner. Immediately I knew I’d made a mistake.
The universe wasn’t throwing me a karmic bone. I wasn’t that lucky, damn it.
“Oh yeah? Well that’s too bad, isn’t it, because it’s not happening!” she said with a giggle.
I sighed and slammed my head against my seat. And immediately regretted it. These giant buses really weren’t designed with comfort in mind, and there was something distinctly hard just under the cushion that had been thinned out by who knew how many people sitting here. Not for the first time I found myself hoping they gave these things a thorough scrub down between rides even as I knew that probably wasn’t true.
I also found myself wishing I wasn’t on this trip. I almost hadn’t come, but Sarah had begged me. Not to mention my parents put their feet down yelling about how much it cost. I thought I was free from this bullshit after graduation, but it was like I was being drawn back for one last week of social pariah hell.
“Very funny Melissa,” I said. “Did he put you up to that?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, putting that cute sweet and innocent look to good use.
Well. We’ll see ab
out that.
“And I don’t know what you’re doing out of your seat! You should go back before you get in trouble!”
Melissa looked confused for a moment. Only a moment. Her eyes went wide and I didn’t need to turn around to know that Old Fred had turned around in his seat and was giving her the old stink-eye. The best part was she still had two years to deal with him and probably couldn’t afford to get on his bad side like I could.
Oops.
“What are you doing out of your seat?” he asked.
“I… um… I mean…”
“Get back to your seat now!” Mr. Fredericks snapped.
I fought down the urge to giggle as she scrambled towards the back of the bus. Right back to a seat that was conveniently located right in front of Colin. As soon as she was back there the terror of having Mr. Fredericks yell at her seemed to leave her, and she was all smiles and giggles as she whispered with my ex and they both looked up here as though they’d played the greatest joke in the world.
The jerks. Not that I was surprised.
“Colin again?” Sarah asked.
I turned around and regarded her as she stared out the window. At least it looked like she was staring out the window. I could see her eyes staring at me in the reflection instead of watching the palm trees blurring past outside.
“You were watching that?”
Sarah turned to me and smiled, but it was a sad smile. “What did you expect to happen? You thought some girl was randomly interested in you? After what’s gone down since prom?”
“I… Well…”
I looked down. When she put it that way it did seem pretty damn stupid. Colin might be playing some nasty jokes on me, damn could he hold a grudge, but I was the one still falling for them. This week couldn’t be over soon enough.
I sat back in my uncomfortable bus seat and crossed my arms. I was sure there was a pout developing on my face, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t fair.
“I know you’re going to say it isn’t fair, but no one ever said life was fair. At least they’re not after you because you like girls or something stupid like that.”
