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Chapter 6

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No commentary this time. I'm too excited about this chapter. Let me know what you think about the twist!

Now enjoy:

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The burger joint was full of teenagers and college students, the oldest people were a couple who sat a booth with their two young children. The smell of burgers and cheese filled the air and every now and then I could hear meat sizzle on the grill. I sat across the table from Duke, contently sipping my root beer float.

"Mom wants you over for dinner." Duke said, starting conversation. We hadn't spoken since we left my house.

"Should I be worried?" I asked.

He smiled, "No... But she wants to have a proper meal with my 'girlfriend'." Duke watched my reaction very carefully, I could feel his eyes searching my face and eyes.

Already prepared for this, I took a deep breath. On the drive here, I thought about where I stood in terms of having a relationship.. I was certain of what I wanted. "Do you call me your girlfriend?"

"I want to." He admitted and nervously smiled. "But what do you want?"

To convey my sincerity, I looked straight into his warm eyes. "I want us to have a strong friendship no matter what... But I also know that lately I've felt like I've wanted more from you. Y-You have to understand Duke that I fell in love and was even willing to marry... him."

Duke didn't need clarification on who I meant. His eyes narrowed though, "That coward murdered you."

My heart clenched and I couldn't breathe. Blood drained from my face. Slowly, I started to stand up, and when I was on my feet I realized I was trembling.

Realizing his mistake, Duke blanched. "I'm so sorry Kay. I didn't mean-"

"You will never be half the man that Peter is." I said coldly, gaining control of my breathing again. With that said, I strode away from the table, earning some strange looks. I was furious and out of the corner of my eye, I watched as flames rose from the grill, cooking the hamburger meat. An evil smile came to my face- all these silly, weak humans had no idea what power I once had... I could engulf their world in flames... If they made me angry.

And dear Aslan, Duke Keelings had made me angry.

But there was no flame inside me and so I was disappointed when the grill's flames died down.

Just another reminder that my life was normal again. I was normal again.

I made it out to the parking lot when Duke caught up with me. He grabbed hold of my arm. "Kay please listen-"

"No you listen!" I hissed, spinning around and glaring. "You, a silly boy, could never understand love. You have many years to find out- but I have lived and loved. I have no regrets and never will, because I know that Peter would still love if it had been me to had killed him. He was a boy just like you when he came to Narnia, but war and responsibility changed him into a man. I can only hope that one day you can be half as decent as him! Hah! And to think that I even considered letting you have my heart! I should have been more careful- I know how delicate my heart is. It's been broken twice already."

Duke looked desperate, his hold on me did not loosen. "Please Kay, I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you..."

I began to pull away. His grip tightened. "No, please listen to me. I listened to you when you asked me to, I listened to your story about Narnia. Now you need to listen to me!"

"Fine." I agreed, but bitterly.

He spoke quickly, probably scared that I would simply walk away before he could say everything. "I spoke before thinking and I am so, so sorry. You know that I would never be so cruel- but please, think about it. I've liked you for a long time Kay. I really have, and I may not have been terrific at displaying it, but I've always known that you were different from all the other girls. I was just too stupid to realize that I needed to stop being Mr. Popular to have you... And now I learn that I'm too late. Some man- who shouldn't even logically exist!- has snatched you up. No how the hell am I supposed to react to that? Especially when you say that you were willing to marry the guy! He's a fucking King for heaven's sake! Royalty! Now tell me, how am I supposed to match up to that-"

I kissed him lightly on the mouth before he could say anymore. Stunned, he stare down at me. I smiled sadly, "I'm sorry, it was wrong to compare you to Peter. It seems I'm wrong, you're a man now too... Strange how much can change in four months."

Duke nodded and bent forward for another kiss- but I ducked out of the way. "Please, I don't think we should start anything serious. I acknowledge that there's... attraction between us, but I don't think I've let go of him yet. Not completely... Four months has helped, but I still feel wrong if I were to say that I could be with you happily."

"You need time." He said quietly, but not angrily.

"Yes," I murmured. "I am sorry."

Surprising me, Duke placed a chaste kiss on my forehead. "It's okay, I'll wait. Going to college makes it easier to take things slowly since I'll be able to visit only during weekends."

"So," I laughed lightly. "Are we courting?"

Duke grinned, "Do you realize how medieval that sounds? I believe you mean dating Kay, come on now. Keep up with the lingo!"

I rolled my eyes. "Pardon me, I meant dating."

He reached out and held my hand, something that I did not protest but rather enjoyed. His hand was large, warm, and unexpectedly soft. A welcoming comfort. "No, I wouldn't say dating... But I wouldn't say we're just friends anymore. I think we're somewhere in between."

"Okay," I sighed. "We're complicated."

"Yes... But I'm happy with that. Are you?"

I didn't feel guilty at my answer, but I was sad. "Yes... I am."

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"Duke, I don't want to do this anymore." I took a step away from the pool. Duke's family had it built a few years back, giving him plenty of opportunities to practice for water polo.

He kept his hand on my waist and gently pushed me forward. "It's okay to be scared, we'll stay in the shallow end for today. You won't get hurt, I promise."

"W-What if-"

"You can't drown in the shallow end Kayla." Duke smiled. "The water only comes up to your waist."

"T-That's not the problem." I felt tears brimming my eyes. "I... I can't do this... Not after that storm! Water looks peaceful and welcoming, but it can turn on you Duke! It can become your death, throwing and snapping your body like a twig-"

"Okay," He intervened, frowning. "That was open sea and you were wounded! God Kayla! You're forgetting who you are. You're Captain of the water polo team- you're a born swimmer! I've never seen anyone with such strength in the water."

"I want to go home." I declared, his words meaningless.

"Trust me." His arm tightened, "I will never let go. I promise."

We stood at the edge of the pool, and gingerly I lifted my leg. Slowly, and grabbing onto Duke tightly, I put my foot into the water...

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Six Months Later...

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"Oh," Mom giggled. "This is a strange sight."

And what a strange sight indeed.

Alyssa and I sat on the couch in my living room, looking very bored in our evening gowns. Well, I wore an evening gown at least, she had chosen more of a cocktail dress for our Winter Formal dance. Only to be excepted, I was always the prude. I liked my dress though, it was new. Mom wouldn't let me go to Winter Formal in my prom dress from last year- apparently it was against the low of womanhood. It was a nice change though, I had to admit, because it was much more modern than my modest prom gown. I had been home for a whole year... I was a modern teenager again.

Narnia hardly crossed my mind anymore.

To be sure I dreamed of my adventures and friends often- but during the day I never felt remorse or pain for leaving it all behind. I was happy with my life here and Duke had helped me move on. Completely. I would always love Peter, I knew this perfectly well. And although my heart was still mine... It seemed that fate would give it to another man soon. Duke and I had been together for six months now, but we only kissed twice. And this didn't bother either of us, in fact, it seemed to help us focus on developing our relationship in a more mental way. In a way I felt guilty for this, but I had grown closer to Duke than I had ever with Alyssa. Not that she seemed to mind, she had Will these days.

And it was Will that made the sight 'strange'. He stood in front of our television in suit and tie, oblivious to the world around him: including an annoyed girlfriend. All his attention focused on the rowdy wrestling on the screen- the volume so high that the ground beneath the couch vibrated.

Dad walked into the room covering his ears. "Will you turn that down?!"

"What?!" I shouted.

Instead of responding, he simply walked up the television and brought the volume so low that it was nearly muted. He gave Will a hard look, "You have ladies present."

Will grinned easily, "Sorry Mr. Steen." Then, he turned to Alyssa.

She frowned at him.

Before an argument could commence, the front door opened. In stepped a very attractive Duke, the tuxedo he wore fitted his body very well. It was new and a shade darker than the one he had worn at prom. Of course, his blue tie matched my flowing dress.

I wore silk and it shined brilliantly, embracing the lights of the room. The design was completely modern and striking- my front was covered and only a hint of my bosom in view- but the back was another story. Two straps met at my upper back, creating an 'x' design. Below, my back remained exposed... But the blue material wrapped around my waist to cover my lower back and legs, a modest slit on my right side. (w w w . p r o m g i r l . n e t / p r o m d r e s s 7 7 2 . h t m l)

Duke shook his head after taking a few moments to view me, "You can't wear that."

"Why?" I bit my lip, did he not like it?

"Because as soon as we step into the room, boys will try to take you away." He said simply.

I scoffed, "Hardly. After they see me trip and fall in these horrid things-" I pointed down at my heels. "They won't come near me."

Mom rolled her eyes. "Can I just take pictures before you two start?"

"Okay!" Alyssa exclaimed, always ready to pose.

It took fifteen minutes and about ten thousand photos, but Dad finally took the camera away from his wife. With a quick wave, I walked out the front door and into the chilly air. Immediately goose bumps covered my arms, but I didn't care. Will's mustang would warm me right back up.

Thankfully, Will was a good driver.

Duke and I sat in the back, holding hands. We always did, it was our own way of expressing affection. I held my small handbag in my lap, and nearly dropped it when I got out of the car. My heels betrayed me and sent me flying to the ground, but thankfully Duke had managed to grab my shoulders and hold me up.

Some freshman arrived in limos, but I only laughed at their youthful faces. Limos were reserved for prom in my eyes, this was just Winter Formal. Prom wasn't for another few months, followed swiftly with graduation. College applications were sent out... My future was finally happening. High school was coming to an end.

"What's the matter?" Duke gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "You look sad."

I sighed, "Just thinking about the future."

He smiled knowingly. "It's scary to be a senior isn't it? Everything is about to change... Enjoy high school Kayla."

We presented our tickets at the entrance to the great hall, some teachers who were serving as chaperones greeted Duke pleasantly, along with several other students. Last year's Prom King had returned! I sniggered when I caught some girls giving him a dreamy look. Freshman.

As soon as we entered the hall, I grinned. Prom already looked better than last year- the decorations were much better and it seemed that the school had hired a decent DJ. Fast beats boomed through the hall, the speakers massive and intimidating. We had arrived an hour late and so the party was in full swing. The dance floor was crowded, and before I knew it, we had joined them.

We must have spent at half the night up there- throwing our hands in the air, shaking our hips, and just laughing as we let go of ourselves. Alyssa had completely ruined her hair by the time we decided to take a break- Will had loosened his tie and seemed very worn out. Duke was flushed and couldn't stop jumping up and down like a crazed man... Me? I just couldn't stop laughing. It was addictive to laugh, and plus I hadn't been this happy in a long time.

Everyone I knew, the people I had grown up with, was here. They weren't the simple toddlers I had once knew- no, instead I found myself surrounded by young, intelligent adults.

"When did we grow up?" I inquired, genuinely interested.

The four of us sat down at an empty table, breathing heavily and trying to catch our breathe. Alyssa was the first to speak, "I was just wondering the same thing."

"It's freaky isn't it." Remarked Will thoughtfully.

"Wait till college." Teased Duke. "It really hits you... You're not a kid anymore."

I slapped his arm, "Oi! Let us enjoy the bloody night. I can barely handle high school at the moment."

Silence ensued. I tilted my head, "What?"

Will looked puzzled. "D-Did you just have a British accent?"

I shrugged, "I can do a pretty good imitation."

Giving me a strange look, Will let it go. But Duke and Alyssa sent me warning looks- I had accidently slipped. But old habits die hard.

"I think they're going to start serving dinner." Duke declared and just a few seconds later the music died away, much to the disappointment of the dancers. A girl took a microphone and stood on a small stage, I recognized her to be the student body president. A friend of Alyssa if I wasn't mistaken. "H-Hey!" The girl waited for people's moans of complain to end. "My name is Kimberly and as President of the Student Body I would like to officially welcome everyone to Winter Formal!"

Cheers roared, people clapped, a few rowdy footballers even whistled loudly.

Kimberly then directed everyone to find seats and soon dinner was served. It was a nice enough meal, but I was very amused when I noticed that many were impressed by the 'fine' dining. I was a bit biased though, I knew what real feasts were like... I kept these passing thoughts to myself.

Once desert was served, Kimberly took the stage again. Her face beamed and it was clear she was very excited. "Alright people! It's that time... Let's find out who our Prom King and Queen are!"

Our school had decided to try something new. Instead of finding out our King and Queen on the night of Prom, it'd be announced at Winter Formal. That way, the royal couple would actually have a grand entrance at Prom, already knowing the winners. Strange I know, but whatever, it was student council's call.

I nudged Duke, "Sorry, but I think you're about to be replaced."

He pretending to feint.

A few teachers joined Kimberly on stage, they held two crowns and an envelope. A past English teacher of mine handed Kimberly the white envelope. "Annnndddd...!" Kimberly opened and withdrew a sheet of paper from inside. She paused a moment, most likely thinking it added to the apprehension. Not for me, I simply leaned against my chair and waited until I had to clap for the winners. The only time I'd ever be excited for this announcement would be one of my friends winning- Duke had already done that, Will was too quiet to be well known, but Alyssa had a chance.

"Our King is Jacob Troy!"

No surprise there. Jacob was a nice guy and a varsity soccer player, we had Math together this year. He was pretty smart too- I watched as he stood from his table across the hall, giving his date a kiss on the cheek before walking up to the stage. His cheeks were flushed and I laughed. Jacob was actually embarrassed! Well, I didn't blame him, it was a stupid title anyways if you personally ask me-

"Jacob meet your new Queen: Makayla Steen!"

I started to clap dully for the winners... Wait. WHAT?

"What the hell?" I gasped. Duke leaned over and kissed my cheek, before giving me an encouraging push. I stared at him with wide eyes, "D-Did she just say my name?"

Alyssa stopped her crazed clapping. "Are you retarded or something?"

Will stood up and pulled me out of my seat. "Go! Get up there!"

I wrinkled my nose, but complied. My feet dragged as I walked up to the stage, doing my best to ignore everyone's eyes. Damn it, this is not what I wanted. I hadn't even known that I would be considered for Queen!

Oh my god.

Queen.

The title sent chills up my spine. I had already had my turn at being royalty, and I was very satisfied with the status of 'Princess'. I'd never considered being a Queen unless... Unless I had married him. And now, a year later, I found myself being crowned!

Talk about ironic.

I already thought it was weird that the only relationships had been with Kings... One was King of a country. The other King of a dance. How strange.

I didn't even realize what was happening, but next thing I knew, I was being twirled by a blushing Jacob. He was no dancer and when he stepped on my foot, I woke up from my daze. I looked about me startled. We were on the dance floor, alone, for the traditionally dance between King and Queen. The lights had dimmed throughout the hall, except for one that followed us around the floor.

"Let me lead." I whispered. "Just step twice to the right, then once backwards. It's a simple dance."

Jacob blinked, "Okay."

And soon we actually looked like we knew what we were doing. Well, I did know what I was doing- but Jacob had no clue. His feet were only good at one thing: kicking a ball into a net.

He gave me a grateful smile, "Hey, where did you learn to dance like this?"

"Lessons." I lied.

"Wow that's so cool-"

A strange, foreign sound blared into my ears.

"Ah!" I exclaimed, jumping in fright. What the devil was that?

Jacob paused, but started to move again. He was caught off guard, "A-Are you okay?"

I paled. "D-Did you hear that?!"

"What?" He glanced around us. All he could hear was the soft music playing.

The horn sounded again.

This time, I didn't jump. I simply gasped. "That!"

"Whoa, Kay, what are you talking about?"

"That horn!" I snapped.

Mumbles of confusion broke through the audience... People were noticing that something was wrong. Hearing them, I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe. Calm down... I must be hearing things. I'm just not in my right mind-

The horn called again.

My eyes snapped open. "Susan."

Before Jacob could speak, I pulled away from him and ran. I ran to my friends, who all stood up at startled.

"What are you-" Will began.

I paid no heed to him. I only spoke to Alyssa and Duke. "I just heard Susan's horn. Her hunting horn. Three times."

They sprang into action. Alyssa turned to Will and linked arms with him. "Come on, we need to leave."

"What?" He protested. "Why? Why do-"

Her voice turned dangerously hard. "Trust me, we need to leave. Please."

Will assessed his girlfriend's expression, then nodded. They marched towards the exit. Meanwhile, Duke had taken my hand and held it firmly, I knew he wouldn't let go. We followed the other pair out of the hall- which was now turning into chaos. Kimberly was shouting my name, desperately trying not to lose control of the night. For a second I felt guilty- I could only imagine how much time and effort she had spent on organizing tonight. Students were standing and talking loudly, anxiously as they watched us leave. Teachers were beginning to walk after us- alarmed.

The horn blew again.

Everything then happened in the span of twenty seconds.

I froze and gaped. I stood not a dozen feet away from the entrance doors. Duke stopped as well, but Alyssa and Will passed through the doors. They turned around on the other side, and waited for us.

"Come on Kay!" Alyssa saw the approaching teachers.

Using my hand that held my handbag, I pointed at the door frightened. "The horn, it's coming from the doorway."

Duke went rigid. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Alyssa stared for a moment, but then blanched. "Y-You don't think... Oh god."

Now very worried, Will bit his lip, but continued to hold the door open. "What's going on?"

I looked at the young man at my side, "Let go of my hand Duke."

His eyes were glimmering from the moonlight that spilled into the hall from outside. "No."

Alyssa took a step toward me. I screamed, "Don't!"

She froze.

"Don't walk through it again!" I pleaded. "I don't know if it'll take you too!"

"What the hell is she talking about?" Will demanded.

"Don't do it." Alyssa begged. "Don't leave again."

"I don't think I have a choice. I'm being called..."

"I won't let go of your hand."

"You must!" I cried. "I can't have you risk your life-"

"Hey! Your four! Get back here!" A teacher shouted angrily. His voice was close- very close.

"Now or never Kayla." Duke smiled at me, his voice tender. We took a step and entered the doorway.

The last thing I heard was Alyssa's scream, "NOOOOOO!"

Everything changed.

Cars were replaced with shrubs.

Buildings replaced with trees.

Sidewalk replaced with grass.

The forest of Narnia engulfed me. I was back...

And I wasn't alone.

"Holy crap." Duke trembled, but he never let my hand go.