Chapter 2

The next morning I woke around nine o'clock. I had stayed up late helping my Mom unload some more stuff that my aunt had brought over. She was always bringing us things that we didn't need. However, my mother has a sort of hoarding problem and loves everything her sister hauls over. We all know she's going to want to keep it all and will just store it somewhere. Guess we won't be using that room off of the hallway as a "rec room" like me and my Dad had discussed. What a shame.

I rolled out of bed and headed to the shower right away. I was hoping Samantha hadn't beaten me there. The thought made me quicken my pace and I listened for any yelling or whining. No signs of her yet. My bare feet thumped along the hardwood floor in the upstairs hallway. The bathroom was just a few rooms away, but I still had a bad feeling. *Thump, thump, thump* Almost there... Almost...

Just then a flash of blonde swept by me and right into the bathroom. The door was slammed shut. I was now at the door and jiggling the handle. Yup, it was locked.

I shouted through the door, "C'mon Samantha! You knew I was going in there!"

She responded quickly, "Too bad! Do you know how long it takes to look as perfect as me?! Go away!"

Perfect? Perfect? She looked more like a hot mess to me.

I could hear the shower come on and I just sighed. I knew she would be in there for a while...like two hours.

"Well, I guess I'll just go get some breakfast for now." I made my way down the stairs and found my Mom sitting in the chair my aunt had brought her. She was reading some sort of novel and hadn't noticed me until I reached the landing at the bottom.

She glanced up at me and smiled. "Well, aren't we ready to go out and see the big wide world today!" she laughed looking at my appearance. I was wearing the same clothes I had had on the day before. My blue sweatpants were brushing the floor and my white T-shirt was riding up a little in the back. I pulled it down and lifted a hand to scratch my head. My shoulder-length brown hair was in a really messy bun, having been slept on all night. Great. Now I'm a hot mess.

I just rolled my eyes and said, "Yeah." Then before she could say anything else I turned and walked into the kitchen. I was hungry. I wanted food, not conversation.

I grabbed a bowl and the open box of cereal that was sitting on the counter. I looked at the bowl and then back at the box of cereal and decided I didn't need the bowl after all. I just shoved my hand into the box and pulled out a handul of the small O-shaped...things that were called cereal. Really, what are these things? Pencil shavings? O-shaped pencil shavings. Yum.

I walked back up the stairs to my room with the box and decided that I should just get dressed. Samantha wasn't going to be out of the bathroom any time soon.

I went to my closet and pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and a gray shirt that had a white "09" on it. I've had these clothes for years, but I still liked them. They suited my style. Plain.

I undressed and put on the fresh outfit. My hair was still a mess so I sauntered to the mirror and fixed it. I decided to leave it in a ponytail directly on the back of my head. Not too high, not too low. A few strands of hair escaped the tight grasp of the elastic and hung loosely around the edges of my face. My favorite hairstyle.

Slipping into my white flip-flops I headed back down the stairs. I wanted to go back out for a while and investigate the areas in town that I hadn't gotten to the day before. So far, it was a really ineresting place, filled with really interesting people. Really, REALLY interesting people.

My mind wandered back to the other day's adventure. Those two cute guys in the club room. I wonder who they were...maybe they were famous? Their performance was really good after all. I would love to be able to see them play again sometime! They were like real rockstars! There was that girl, too. The one who knocked me over. What was her name again? Am...Amelia? No. Amanda? No, that wasn't it either. Hmm...Amityville Horror? ...yeah, that sounds familiar. Certainly suits her well... Then there was her brother. Nathaniel. He seemed really nice. I can't wait to see him again! I think it'll be nice having someone to call a friend. Hmm, let's see. Was there anybody else? I could've sworn that I saw someone else. Then I remembered...

The prince.

I remembered how he looked when I first saw him. Victorian clothes. Dark hair. Mysterious aura. That smile he gave me. It was only a little one, but it was there. Then he vanished back into that store. That sea of frills and ruffles. He was so handsome. I found myself wanting to see him again. Maybe...I should go check out that little shop...? I mean, it wouldn't hurt anybody to just go look. I want to see that prince again...

I felt my face warm slightly just at the thought of seeing him again, but I knew I wasn't going to be able to convince my heart out of it.

I sighed. Then trying to boost my confidence before departing, I made a checklist in my mind.

Scent? I sniffed myself and then grabbed a bottle of my sister's vanilla body spray that was left on the coffee table, misting it over myself lightly. Check.

Lip gloss? I reached into the coat pocket of one of my jackets that was hanging up on a hook behind the front door and retrieved a tube of pineapple-flavored gloss. I applied it to my lips gently and took a moment to enjoy its taste. Check.

Hair? Check.

Breath? Check.

Box of O-shaped pencil shavings? Check.

"Mom, I'm going out for a while!" I called to her.

"Okay, dear, but be back in time for dinner!"

I was already halfway out the front door. "Sure thing!" I closed it behind me and knew that my quest had begun.