Now Belle stood leaning against the redbox and staring at her silent phone.
“Are you making phone calls telepathically now?”
“No…I…”
“I made you uncomfortable.”
“Please. Do you really think you’re the first one to ever do that?” Belle asked, trying to regain her confidence, which seemed to have melted away with her lips. Belle reached up and softly touched her own lips to make sure they were still there. The truth was Dave was the first guy Belle had ever kissed. She quickly tried to recover from her shock and delight over what had just happened, but it was hard to do when her hands were still shaking.
“Why yes, I believe I am,” he said, noticing her hands. He covered them with his own and the pressure made her hands stop moving.
“You’re a little cocky, don’t you think, Mr. Prince?” Belle emphasized the ‘Mr.’ as she spoke in mock politeness.
“Not at all, Ms. Princess,” he retorted in similar tones. “I am merely confidant in my ability to make a young girl weak in the knees.” Belle jumped to her feet and whacked Dave on the shoulder again.
“You jerk!” she said with a slight smile. Dave reached for her and Belle turned to run. Dave grabbed her around the waist in one swift motion and had her over his shoulder in the next. Belle started screaming and kicking, but David battled this with tickling and her yells quickly turned to laughter. He finally set Belle on her feet again and she gave his shoulder yet another slap.
“You’ve really gotta stop doing that,” he said, moving his fingers in a tickling motion and inching toward her.
“Or what?” Belle asked, grinning.
“Or I might just have to kiss you again.”
“Well Dave,” she said, tossing her long, golden hair over her shoulder. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Dave smiled and grabbed her hand, turning her around to face him. “But,” she said, holding her hand in front of his chest, “We do need to pick out a movie or my cousins are going to wonder what happened to us.” Belle tossed her hair again and winked at Dave over her shoulder before returning to the redbox and looking through the movies. Dave joined her side but was far too distracted by the way her hair smelled to pay any attention to the selection in front of them.
“My Sister’s Peeker?!” Belle read and laughed out loud.
“What?” Dave asked, finally focusing on the movie titles.
She looked at the words more closely. “Oh! It’s My Sister’s Keeper.” She smiled at Dave, then quickly tapped the ‘next’ button and casually scrolled through the choices.
“What, are you dyslexic or something?” he teased.
Belle went very quiet and tried to look away from Dave’s joking face.
“Oh Belle…I’m so sorry! I was just kidding!” he said, wishing he could kick himself.
Belle looked as though she might cry, but she turned toward Dave and smiled. “It’s no big deal,” she said, trying to brush it off.
“No, seriously! I am so sorry!” he continued.
“Really, let’s just drop it, k?”
Dave stood quietly, staring at the redbox. Belle looked over at Dave and gave him a little shove, knocking him back into focus. “Geeze David, lighten up!” she said. He smiled back at her and they resumed their flirtatious behavior as they finally made their DVD choice. Then they began walking home again.
“So,” Dave spoke in almost a whisper. “We picked out the movie.” His voice seemed to waiver just a little and Belle had to turn her head so he wouldn’t see her smiling. He seemed nervous now and she liked that.
“So?” Belle asked.
“So, I thought you wanted me to kiss you again,” he said, nudging her playfully.
“Maybe some other time,” she said casually. Belle could tell she had shocked him at first and then she made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Belle smiled and Dave could tell she was just playing with him. She gently smacked him on the shoulder.
“Oops!” she said, covering her mouth. Dave laughed and kissed her again.
“That’ll teach you,” he said. The two walked hand in hand toward their street. As they approached the corner Dave hastily dropped her hand. Belle turned to look at him.
“Don’t tell your cousins what happened,” he said, then adding, “Please.” Belle looked at him, puzzled. She had been excited to share with her cousins the news of her first kiss! “I just…don’t want them to know…yet. It would make things weird I think,” he finished.
“Okay,” Belle reluctantly promised. Then she pushed open the door announcing, “We’re here! It’s Dave’s fault we took so long!” She glanced over her shoulder and grinned at him. Dave rolled his eyes in response, and then followed Belle into the house.
Chapter Six
Wednesday, July 14th
Two mornings later, Cinderella and Belle sat on tall barstools in Cinderella’s kitchen. Dana placed a pancake on each of their plates and watched the girls for a moment. Neither one noticed the pancake in front of them. Cinderella sat with her legs crossed and seemed to be staring at a particularly mesmerizing leaf outside. Belle sat with her arms folded, resting on the counter, her eyes looking hard into the wood below her chin. Both girls sighed a long, painful gust of air before Dana finally spoke.
“You two hungry or what?” Belle and Cinderella both jumped and then looked at Dana before looking down at their own plates.
“Oh, thanks Dana,” Belle said softly, reaching for her fork.
“Uh-huh” Cinderella mimicked before taking her first bite.
“What’s on your minds?”
“I miss Dave,” Cinderella finally spoke. Belle nodded in agreement, but made sure to keep her head down. She could feel her cheeks begin to warm at the sound of his name. Dana’s brow crinkled as she flipped the next batch of pancakes over. The white batter bubbled as it met the steamy, black griddle.
“You two have been fine without anyone’s company other than each other for fifteen years. Now you’ve spent a few weeks with this boy and you can’t think of anything to do without him?” Cinderella shoved a large piece of pancake into her mouth and stared at her empty plate. She should have known better than telling her mom, the man-hater. I must be spending too much time with Belle. I usually think before speaking my mind.
Belle looked over at Cinderella. She recognized that look on Cinderella’s face. The same look of misery was there the last time she brought up the subject of boys with her mom.
“I think it’s just that we’re used to having so many others around,” Belle said, trying to take the focus off her cousin. “With Ariel and Aurora at practice and Snow White being sick, David’s going to football practice seems like a bigger loss.”
Dana nodded in agreement. “That makes sense,” she said, nodding again. “Just give it a few days; with all you girls back together, you won’t even remember that boy at all.” Cinderella stole a glance at Belle.
“Thank you,” she mouthed.
Belle had saved her from what could have been a huge argument. Then Dana did something neither girl expected. She flipped the last two pancakes onto the girls’ syrupy plates, clicked the griddle off and said, “Now I realize you girls will probably start dating soon.” Cinderella sucked in a breath of surprise at the same time as trying to swallow the large bite she had just taken. The result was a coughing fit that lasted a good five minutes while Belle and Dana alternately thumped her on the back. When she finally was able to breathe right again, Cinderella gave her mom a sideways glance.
“Okay?” she responded.
“I know, you never thought you’d hear me giving you dating advice, but I realize it’s bound to happen. You are going to date whether I like it or not, so I’d rather you know a thing or two before the boys start lining up.” Belle and Cinderella glanced at each other, eyebrows raised, before turning their focus back to Dana.
“First, there are three types of boys. With experience, you learn to tell them apart, but a rookie sees them as all being th
e same.” The girls giggled at the seriousness in which Dana was leading this discussion.
“Go ahead and laugh, but I promise this information will come in handy.”
“Okay,” Belle said, pulling her most serious face.
“We’re ready now,” Cinderella added.
“The first type of boy, ‘The Prince’, is every girl’s dream boy. I’ve heard many women claim they don’t exist, but I’ve seen them.” Cinderella stopped snickering behind her hand and stared hard at her mom. Was this woman in front of her really her mother? Or had some imposter taken over her body? She never thought in a million years that her mom would actually admit to decent men existing on this planet!
Now that Dana had secured her audiences’ attention, she continued.
“Princes are not perfect, no one is perfect, but a prince does know how to treat a lady perfectly well. He will show respect to all women, from his mother to the high school girls in his class. He’s the kind of guy who says “ladies first” and opens doors for women of all ages and-”
“Wait a minute!” Belle cut in. “What if I don’t want a guy to open my door? I am perfectly capable of doing that myself!”
“Ah! Well, a woman who doesn’t act like a princess will never get a prince. I don’t mean act haughty and spoiled and tell people what to do. I mean act like a real princess. It’s not a question of whether or not you are capable of opening the door, it’s whether or not you respect yourself enough to allow the prince to do it for you. A boy will never respect a girl who doesn’t first respect herself.” Belle sank back down and seemed to think about this for a minute.
“A prince,” Dana continued as if there had been no interruption, “Will open your door getting into and out of a car. He’ll pull out your seat when it’s time to sit down and he’ll ask questions about you, not just talk about himself all night. A prince will be genuinely interested in how you feel, the things you like, don’t like, etc. He’ll always make sure to have you home on time and he’ll never ever kiss a girl on the first date.” Belle could feel her cheeks turning red again and she pretended to have a coughing fit so she could turn away.
“A prince won’t make rude jokes or make his date feel uncomfortable in any way. He is the kind of guy who is nice to everyone. There are a lot of boys you’ll meet who aren’t quite princes yet, but they are trying to be. These boys are called ‘The Frogs’. Frogs are boys with great potential of becoming princes. The biggest difference between a prince and a frog is the frog doesn’t have a lot of courage or self-esteem yet. Princes are not cocky or boastful, but they do take pride in themselves and the things they do. Frogs tend to be nice guys, but maybe a little awkward. They can be known to say the wrong thing, or maybe forget to get their date’s door, but frogs often have good intentions. The best way for a frog to become a prince, is by finding his princess and getting kissed. I don’t mean a kiss in the literal sense, but a few simple words of encouragement passed through a princess’s lips and that shy boy in the corner will transform into a prince faster than you thought possible.”
“So all I have to do is tell a nerdy guy he’s cute, and he’ll suddenly become the guy of my dreams?” Belle asked, looking doubtful.
“It doesn’t always happen that way, no,” Dana said. “First of all, the frog has to want to change. And second, the frog you help transform might not even be your prince.” Belle and Cinderella exchanged confused looks.
“Huh?”
“Sometimes you might help a frog become a prince for another princess. Otherwise, everyone would always marry the first person they date!” Cinderella nodded in understanding, but Belle still looked skeptical. Dana folded her arms on the bar and leaned forward a little, bringing her closer to Belle’s face.
“The whole point of dating is to find out what type of person you are compatible with, right?”
“Okay,” Belle nodded.
“Have you ever thought that while dating these other guys, you are really helping them get ready to find the girl who is most compatible for them?” Belle sat back against the wall behind her.
“Huh. I never thought of that before.”
“So what’s the third type of guy?” Cinderella broke in. Dana was pleased she had kept their attention so long.
“The third type I like to call ‘The Toads’.”
“The toads!?” Cinderella and Belle both giggled.
“What’s the difference between a frog and a toad?” Dana asked calmly.
“Toads are fatter.”
“And uglier! And they have warts.”
“But in many ways they look similar, right?” Dana asked.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Sure.”
“This is where it gets tricky. You see, toads are imposters. They try and make you think they are a frog so you will kiss them. When really, if you kiss them you’ll end up with warts instead of a prince.”
“What kind of guys are toads then?” Cinderella asked.
“The kind of guy who will act really charming and do anything to win your heart, then once he has you, he’ll stop treating you nice. Toads are the boys who say sweet things to you and compliment you and then turn around and act completely different around their friends. I’ve even seen a few toads who tell girls they want to keep their dating a secret, so it will be more exciting or so it won’t be awkward at school. These types of toads usually use excuses like that so they can cover up that they are dating more than one girl.” Belle shifted uneasily on her stool.
“Can a toad ever become a prince?” she asked quietly.
“I’m sure it can happen,” Dana answered, “But he has to really want to change, and I haven’t met too many toads who want to modify their behavior. A toad is usually perfectly happy being a toad and no amount of kissing, even from the most beautiful princess, can change a stubborn toad into a prince.”
Chapter Seven
Thursday, July 15th
Cinderella sat cross-legged in the middle of her unmade bed. There were piles of face cards in front of her, which she had a hard time keeping in place. They kept sliding down the slope toward her body, the only weight on the mattress pulling them in like a magnet. She was technically playing solitaire, but her attention had slipped from the game long ago. Now she sat in place, merely flipping the cards over and barely paying attention to the number each card held. The cell phone on her dresser started singing a country song and Cinderella jumped, cards flying in every direction. She glanced at the number, not recognizing it, and then answered confused.
“Hello?”
“Cinderella! I’m so glad you answered! Could you do me the biggest favor?”
“Dave?” Cinderella asked, surprised to hear his voice. Cinderella hadn’t seen Dave in over a week. Ever since he started football practice, his days had become very full and his nights were usually spent hanging out with guys from the team. The Princess sisters had learned quite fast that it didn’t take Dave long to make friends and they assumed he’d forgotten all about them.
“Oh I’m sorry,” he said, obviously smiling from the sound of his voice. “I should have known I’m not the only guy who calls your phone. I didn’t mean to confuse you. Yes, it’s Dave. Dave Prince to be exact, in case I’m not the only one you know.” Cinderella wanted to make a smart comeback. Belle probably would say something like, “Dave Prince? Is that the Dave I met at the movies or the Dave from the mall?” But all she could think of was, “What’s the favor?”
“My mom needs me to take some stuff up to my brother in Logan and I don’t want to drive by myself. Would you keep me company?” Cinderella was glad he hadn’t come over and asked her in person. She looked up into the mirror at her scarlet reflection.
“I’d have to ask my mom, can I call you back?”
“Sure thing. I’m sorry to give you such short notice, but I have to leave soon.”
“I won’t be long.” After hanging up, Cinderella stared at her phone. How did Dave even get her number? Usually Belle was
the one who would call him when they wanted to hang out. That thought led her to another, more disappointing thought. He had probably called her first. But since Belle was sick, she would have given Dave her number and suggested Cinderella as an alternative. Snow White had somehow gotten the flu and was kind enough to share it with the rest of her cousins. Last night, Aurora had to go home early, because she wasn’t feeling well. Then, just that morning, both Ariel and Belle had woken up with it. Cinderella was the only one who hadn’t gotten sick, which is why on this particularly sunny evening, she could be found alone in her bedroom playing solitaire. Cinderella shrugged these thoughts away. At least he had called her. Dave could have said “no thanks” to Belle’s suggestion and taken a football buddy with him. Cinderella decided to focus on this happier conclusion and she ran down the stairs to ask permission.
Dana was not happy about the idea of her daughter going anywhere with a boy at night, let alone driving an hour each way with him, but she finally gave in when she saw the pleading in her daughter’s eyes.
“Take your cell phone,” she said as Cinderella sat on the bottom step, tying the laces of her large black boots.
“Mom, I always have my cell phone.”
“And put this in your purse…just in case,” Dana added, handing her a small black bottle.
“Mom! This is Dave! I’ll be fine!”
“Put it in, or you’re not going.” Cinderella reluctantly accepted the bottle of mace and threw the blue purse straps over her shoulder.
“I’ll call you when we’re on our way back.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” Cinderella said, chuckling softly as she closed the door behind her.
“What’s so funny?” Dave asked, walking toward her.
“My mom’s just crazy.”
“Aren’t they all?”
Cinderella smiled at Dave before climbing into his mom’s shiny black sedan.
“Wow! This is a nice car.”
“Yeah, my grandpa owns a dealership. My mom gets a new car like every year.”
The Princess Sisters (The Princess Sisters Series) Page 4
