by K M Pyne
Jake: Yes!
We talk for the next two hours by text. Then my phone rings and I have to tell him that I need to speak to my parents and that I’ll see him in a couple of days for the final round.
I answer my phone cheerily. “Hey, Mum.” This is the moment my life starts to fall apart and crumble in front of my eyes.
Chapter Seven
JAKE
Having been talking to Ellie for the last two hours, I smile to myself. She’s gorgeous, and that’s with no make-up and her school uniform. Imagine what she’s going to look like with a ball gown and her make-up. She’s had to go to talk to her parents so I take the opportunity to do some homework before climbing into bed.
When I wake up the next day, I have a smile on my face. I dreamt about the two of us at the ball. It was a Cinderella kind of a dream, with Ellie in her beautiful ball gown and me in a suit.
I check my phone and see some messages from Ellie from last night.
Ellie: Jake, are you there?
Ellie: Jake, I really need to talk to you.
Ellie: Jake, can we meet tonight in the woods?
Shit. She needed me and I wasn’t there. I wonder what’s going on.
Jake: Ellie, I’m here. Of course I want to meet you. Nine o’clock. Same as last time xx Hope everything is OK.
She doesn’t reply before class and I can’t take my phone with me. I wonder what’s wrong.
I can’t concentrate on my classes. All I can think about is Ellie. It doesn’t matter too much because I’ve covered everything when I was homeschooled. This is just a refresher year for me.
At lunchtime, I go back to my dorm and check my phone. There’s a message.
Ellie: Thank you. I’m so grateful to have you in my life.
Jake: Me too. You brighten even the dullest day xx
I don’t hear back from her for the rest of the day. To be honest, I’m worried. Her texts this morning seemed frantic, like something is really wrong. I don’t know what I’ll do if she doesn’t want to be with me. I really like her. I’ve never felt like this before. I’m guessing because she wants to meet up tonight and that she texts me that she feels the same way too.
Getting through dinner is the hardest. I feel slightly sick because something doesn’t feel right. Dom is annoying me and it takes all my strength not to punch him. But I know if I do that then I’ll be on lockdown and I don’t want that tonight. Clearly Ellie needs me and I want to be there for her.
As I walk through the woods, I picture lots of scenarios. Maybe she thinks it’s a mistake to date me. Maybe she was caught with the phone. Maybe she was spotted walking back into the school. Lots of things go through my mind as I wait at the edge of the woods for her. It’s nearly half past nine when she appears.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she says as she throws herself at me. I just manage to catch her as she jumps into my arms. She wraps her legs around my waist as I spin her round.
I kiss her, taking advantage before she knows what’s happening. It makes me feel so good when I kiss her. When she releases herself, I take her hand and we walk to the clearing silently.
I make the fire and we sit on the log. She has another bottle of strawberry wine and I let her take the first swig before I kiss her to taste it on her lips. This has become my favourite way to drink her strawberry wine.
She sits so close to me she’s almost on top of me. “What’s wrong, Ellie? You can talk to me.”
“I know. I feel like I’ve known you all my life. You get me. No one else apart from Alia gets me. You understand what makes me tick and I love that.”
“So what’s the problem? I feel like something bad is going to happen.”
She starts to cry. “My parents are taking me home.”
“What?”
“After the ball at the Olympiad I have to go home.”
“When will you be back?”
“I won’t. I won’t be coming back, Jake.” She stands. “I’m from another country. It’s small. Everything is different. I’m… I’m… I have to go.” She kisses me. It’s like she’s kissing me goodbye.
“You’re still going to the ball with me though, right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” She looks up at me and she has tears in her eyes. “I have to go, Jake.” She leans up and kisses me again before she runs away on her own.
I sit back down on the log and stare at the fire. What the heck just happened?
I put out the fire and make my way back to Brunswick. There has to be a way to get her to stay. I’m a prince for God’s sake. I should be able to make that happen. I have power and money. I can do something about this. I know I can.
Chapter Eight
ELLIE
I can’t believe Mum and Dad are coming to collect me in a few days. This can’t have come at a worse time in my life. I’ve just met Jake, but I know he’s someone important. They want to marry me off to some dude who is probably old enough to be my dad. I can’t believe they are actually going to go through with it. All my life they’ve talked about it, but I never really expected them to do it. I thought they were more progressive than that. But I was wrong. That’s why they’re coming for me. They’ve arranged a meeting with him and his family. I don’t know why I can’t just meet him and then come back to school, but they’ve said that I need to be closer to home and it will take a year or so to organise my wedding. They are going to arrange for me to be homeschooled for the rest of my education. I just want to cry.
My phone beeps and I smile as I see Jake’s name.
Jake: Morning Ellie. Run away with me.
Jake: I have money
He makes me happy and my heart skips a beat as I think of the two of us running away. But let’s be practical, how can we do that? What would we survive on? Then I remember I have money too. Maybe we can make this happen. But the most important thing is that he wants to be with me. He wants to run away with me because he doesn’t want to lose me. That makes me smile and get goosebumps. What if he is the one?
Ellie: Where would we go?
He doesn’t reply straight away and I wonder what he’s doing. Has he changed his mind?
Jake: We can go anywhere you want, Ellie. Where would you love to go the most?
Ellie: I’ve always wanted to go to Norway. We could go there.
Jake: Do you have a passport?
Good question. I snuck downstairs one night and stole it from the front office. I wanted to be able to run if and when I ever got the chance.
Ellie: Yes I do. Do you?
Jake: Yes I do.
Ellie: So what’s the plan?
Jake: Leave it with me. I’ll think about it and come up with the perfect plan. Don’t worry babe, we’ll be together soon. We’d better not meet up in the woods, just in case we get caught. We don’t want anything to ruin our plans.
I climb out of bed, and after dressing, I go down for breakfast.
“Why are you smiling?” Alia asks. “Were you talking to Jake?’
“Yeah, I was. I really like him, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” She has a big smile on her face. I know she’s excited for me.
“Mum and Dad are coming to get me after the ball. I have to leave and go home.”
“No way. Why can’t you stay and finish the year at least?”
“I don’t know. They’re old-fashioned and I need to go home and be homeschooled. I hate the thought of not being in this place. Well, not being with you anyway. I can do without St. Bernadette’s.”
“Shit. That sucks.”
“They’re not coming until after the ball at the Olympiad, so we’ve got a week.”
She hugs me. “That’s not long enough.”
“I know, but it won’t be forever. As soon as I can, I’ll come and see you or get you to come to me. I promise.”
I want to tell her that I’m running away with Jake, but I can’t risk anyone knowing. It’s insane as it is, without Alia being involved.
We get on the school
bus and it drives to Brunswick. The boys are there to welcome us and Jake smiles and winks at me. We don’t want to draw any attention to ourselves, but I want to touch him. I want to kiss him and I want to talk to him.
In fairness, the nuns and his professors have been a little more lenient as the weeks have passed. Again, Jake passes me a note when he shakes hands with me. I don’t get to read it until we sit and have dinner. When I open it, it says: After the ball. At midnight, Cinderella
Smiling, I look up to see him watching me. I nod. That’s all it takes for him to know that I agree and will be ready.
There’s no way I’m going back home to marry someone I don’t know or love.
A few days later, Alia comes with me as we look for ball gowns. She wants me to get a slinky one, but I know I need one with a fuller skirt so I can hide my passport, money, and phone in the pockets, and have some spare clothes on underneath. I think people would notice me if I ran in the ball gown.
Jake has masterminded the great escape, as we’ve called it. When the car park is busy with cars and people getting lifts, we’re going to make a run for it. He is going to organise a car to collect us and take us to the airport. By the time we get away, they won’t even know we’re missing. Just the thought of being with him and doing this is exhilarating.
As I’m about to climb into bed, a text comes through.
Jake: I’m excited about tomorrow. I can’t wait to start our adventure together xx
Ellie: I’m scared, but know that you’ll look after me xx
Jake: Always xx
Tomorrow is D-day. First the Olympiad, then the ball, then the great escape. I need to get as much sleep as possible; who knows when I’ll sleep again?
I have my spare clothes ready and my ball gown, my passport, and money all stashed away.
All I need to do now is get through the next twenty-four hours.
Chapter Nine
JAKE
Today is the day of the great escape as we’ve dubbed it. I’m excited and nervous. What happens when we get to Norway? Where are we going to go? Where are we going to stay? I don’t know those answers, I’m just going to wing it, but it doesn’t matter, as long as Ellie is with me.
We’ve just got to get through the Olympiad and the ball first, but at least we’ve got something to keep us occupied.
The coach collects us and then drives to St. Bernadette’s to collect the girls, then we go to Anchorage for the Olympiad.
There are eight schools from across the country and we are against each other. We concentrate on the competition, and four hours later, we’re handed the trophy. We jump up and down, delighted with the result. We hug each other and it gives me a chance to put a note in Ellie’s hand. This one says, Tonight is our night xx
The coach brings us to the hotel we’re supposed to be staying at tonight. We get ready in separate rooms.
When she walks down the stairs and I see her in her dress, any fears I may have had just float away. “God, Ellie. You are stunning. You could be a princess.” She blushes and I love that about her. “Are you ready?” I ask, with a hidden meaning.
“As I will ever be,” she replies, looking at the floor. When she lifts her eyes to look into mine, I have to catch my breath. I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have this beautiful woman on my arm.
When we move into the function room, we find our table and sit down. I rest my hand on her leg and squeeze it. She smiles at me.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m excited and nervous at the same time. What if we get caught? What will happen to us?”
“We won’t get caught. We’re old enough to travel on our own. Who is going to notice we’re missing?”
“The nuns will know when I don’t come back to the hotel.”
“Don’t worry, Ellie. We’ll be long gone by then.”
After dinner, I ask Ellie to dance with me. I hold my hand out for her to take and she stands. I put my hand on her lower back and move her onto the dancefloor. We take our position and glide across the floor.
“Jake, you know how to dance,” she says, smiling at me.
“And so do you. My mother taught me years ago.”
I think she’s had a similar upbringing to me. I wonder why her parents are really going to take her home. Does she have obligations like I do?
I hope for her sake she doesn’t. That thought alone makes me want to run away now, get as far away from here as possible. But we have to pick the right time.
As the evening draws to a close, my nerves are getting the best of me. I want this to be over so we can execute our plan and get on our way.
“Can we get our picture taken? I want to remember this night.”
“Of course, babe. Come on.” I take her hand and bring her out to where the photographer is. We pose and take a few pictures. We wait while they’re developed and buy the ones we want. We look so good together that I know we’re doing the right thing.
“It’s nearly time,” I whisper in her ear as I guide her back into the room. “Are you sure you want to do this? This is your chance to say no and we change our plans.”
She turns to face me and puts one of her hands on my cheek. I lean into it. “Jake, I want this. I want you. If we don’t do this, I’ll end up being married off to some old guy. I know we haven’t talked about it, but my parents have picked the man I am to marry. I want to be with someone I love, not someone I’m obligated to be with. We do this tonight.”
I pull her in to me and hug her. “I want you too, Ellie.” I kiss her and hold her tight. There’s some clapping around us as we look at our friends as they stand, watching us. I pull away slightly, leaving my arm around her waist. “Get lost. Go find your own girlfriends.” I laugh. Everyone walks away, laughing.
“Come on,” I say, holding Ellie’s hand and pulling her out to the hallway. “We need to get changed. Where are your clothes?”
She smiles. “I have them on under my dress.”
I laugh. “I’ll meet you outside in ten minutes. Everyone is getting ready to leave, so there’ll be a lot of people around. I’ve arranged for a car to collect us and take us to the airport.” I kiss her again and watch her as she walks into the bathrooms.
I stand outside, waiting for the car, which isn’t there. I ring the number and there’s no answer. Crap, now I’ve got to go to plan B.
Five minutes later, bang on time, Ellie comes out in her jeans and a jumper. She has a small bag with her and she jumps into the black Mercedes.
“Where’s the driver?”
“We’ve had to go to the backup plan. I had to steal it. He didn’t show up.”
She puts her seatbelt on and I drive down the drive and out onto the main road, heading for the airport. I’d learnt to drive on our estate when I was fourteen. “Don’t tell me this is a bad idea,” I plead.
“Drive,” she says, reaching out and resting her hand on my thigh. I turn to look at her and then down at her hand on my leg. I smile and rest my hand on top of hers. We interlock fingers and I drive just under the speed limit so we don’t get pulled over.
When we get to the airport, we park in long term parking and walk into the airport. It didn’t even take an hour from leaving the hotel to arriving at the airport. We are hand in hand as we step inside the warm airport.
Ellie comes to a stop, pulling on my hand. I turn to face her. “What’s wrong?”
She points up at the TV screens dotted around the check in hall.
I turn and look at the screens and see pictures of us from the ball plastered on them all. Everywhere we look there are pictures of the two of us. It’s one of the pictures we had bought. It’s the headline that catches my eye. Prince and Princess Missing from Olympiad Ball.
I look at her. I knew she was from the same background. “You’re a princess?”
“Yeah, sorry.”
“I’m not giving up yet, Ellie. Come with me.” I hold on tighter to her hand and pull her towards one of the smaller shops
that doesn’t have a TV screen in. I buy two caps and some hoodies. I pay cash, and even though the teller looks at me strangely, he doesn’t say anything.
“Put these on and let’s see if we can get through security and get on a plane out of here. I don’t care where we go, as long as we’re together.”
“Let’s do this.” She smiles. We stop at a cashpoint and take out as much cash as we can. I’ll bribe my way onto a plane if I have to. Anything to be with Ellie.
Chapter Ten
ELLIE
I’m not surprised he’s a prince. He has the right mannerisms, he can dance, and he’s a gentleman. I knew we were alike, like kindred spirits.
He holds my hand and pulls me along to the desk to buy some tickets. He gives false names, as we don’t need ID for internal flights. We can lay low for a while somewhere away from here and then travel to another country when the heat is off us and someone else is in the news instead of us.
We manage to buy tickets and then we walk toward security. My nerves are kicking in. I’ve never been through security; I’m used to private planes. I really don’t know what to expect, but with our pictures on all the TV screens, I’m not expecting this to go well.
As we get closer to the security desk, I notice two of the guards looking in our direction and nodding. I pull Jake’s hand. “Hey, I think they’re onto us.”
He looks around and his hand tightens in mine. “I think we should go back to the car. Maybe we can drive for a while and try at a different airport where we’re not so high profile. What do you think?”
“I think you’re right. Come on. Let’s go.”
“No,” he says, pulling me to a stop. “We have to do this slowly. We don’t want to draw more attention to ourselves. Duck down.”
We both crouch down and pretend to undo our shoes. Then we slowly move back in the queue as others move in front of us, happily taking our places and not taking any notice of us. It’s not long before we’re at the back of the queue and we turn to walk back through the airport and out to the car park.
