So sorry for not updating the last couple of days. There's really no excuse other than the fact that I was oddly social and didn't have time to write anything. I also rewrote this chapter a couple of times because I felt as though this story was coming a bit repetitive. For this chapter, I decided to skip the details of Teague staying another night for 1) length of the chapter was getting really long 2) fear that this story would just be repetitive. Basically in The Frog Prince, the princess must let the prince stay at her castle and allow her to eat her food because the "frog" (Teague) retrieved the golden ball (The seam ripper) that the princess (Mina) lost in the pond. Within the days that the frog stays stays with the princess, they fall in love. That's what I am trying to portray in the story, so talking about Teague spending the night IS necessary, I just don't believe I have to talk about EVERY night.
Anywho, here's chapter 21! It's the longest one so far and I really like how it turned out! Thank you guys for reading :)
Teague had stayed the night for the last time on Thursday. When the alarm clock buzzed, neither wanted to get out of bed.
"Does this have to end?" Teague asked pulling Mina in closer to him.
"Unfortunately." Mina responded nuzzling into his chest.
"Well, we could always do it again. I mean, we don't have to be limited to three days." Teague said referring to staying the night.
"I can't. My mom and Charlie will be home tomorrow morning. Besides I promised Nix we could hang out and do some last minute shopping tonight." The mention of the nixie turned Teague off. He pushed Mina slightly away subconsciously. Teague instantly regretted doing so because Mina got up, instantly, looking hurt. They quickly got ready for school and left Mina's house in Teague's mustang.
It was Friday morning, the day before the dance. By now, the event that occurred Wednesday afternoon had been completely forgotten as the actual dance is the only thing on peoples minds. Even I-don't-care-about-anything Ever was excited. The dance was the only thing occupying Mina's mind, but it wasn't for the same reason as her friends. Mina had to listen to Nan blabber about the dance all throughout homeroom. Teague seemed amused, but Mina was less so. In fact, the whole idea of the dance made her feel queasy. What if she didn't make it? What would happen to her friends? To her family? To Teague? Mina spent the rest of the first half of the school day worrying about the whole deal. Not until the lunch bell rang, did Mina snap out of her rut. Her, Teague, and Brody walked to the cafeteria together from chemistry.
After the whole incident in the gym, Ever and Teague have gotten along pretty well. They think that they made a good team in and agreed they both needed to be there for Mina when the time comes. Ever even made an effort to show up to lunch again.
"Okay, us girls need to get ready together for the dance!" Nan squealed at lunch.
"I'm down." Ever smiled and looked at Mina.
"Count me in. Let's meet at my house." Mina agreed.
"Can we come?" Brody joked while putting his arm around Nan. Nan glared at Brody, but knew he was only kidding.
"Of course.. NOT." The lunch table laughed.
"Teague, baby?" Savannah White approached their lunch table.
Teague's face scrunched in disgust before he turned to face her. She was wearing a distastefully low cut V-neck tee shirt and pink, designer jeans. Of course she looked fantastic, as always, but her outfit also screamed desperation.
"What do you want?" Savannah seemed taken aback by the harshness of Teague's words. Savannah sat down in the empty seat between him and Ever. Everyone at the table, including Teague himself, felt very uncomfortable. She pushed back his shaggy, already gelled back hair. As much as she tried to ignore the obnoxious blonde, Mina couldn't help but listen in.
"Just want to know if we were still on for tonight? I have to get some shoes and you need a matching tie." Savannah was talking extra loud to make sure Mina heard what she was saying. Jealousy stirred up in Mina's body, but she was hanging out with Nix later that night, so she couldn't get mad at Teague.
Teague quickly shot is that okay? glance towards Mina. She nodded in return.
"Uh, yeah, I guess. I'll pick you up at 6."
"Grand." She said flashing her big smile back at Teague before walking away. The table was silently eating.
"Well that was awkward." Nix finally said. Everyone laughed and nodded in agreement.
The rest of the day went by very slowly. The fact that Mina never took her eye off of the clock didn't help the cause. What seemed like 30 minutes was really only two. Mina was still in sort of a daze. Not from her teacher, but from all of the thinking she's been doing the last few days. Ranging from plotting against her teacher to thinking of worst possible scenarios for the end of the quest. Most of those ended with Mina dead, Charlie inheriting the curse, and Teague running off with Savannah. She honestly didn't know which ending was worse. After what felt like days, the last bell of the day finally rang.
Usually the water polo team had practice on Friday, but since there was a dance the next day. The boys' coach let them have the day off. Mina met up with Nix at his car. He opened the passenger door for her, as any gentleman would, then climbed into the drivers seat. Technically, Mina didn't need Nix to do the shopping with her, but she needed a ride since her mom was gone. Granted, she could have asked Nan or Ever, but Mina thought she should spend some more time with Nix before the dance.
"Where to first?" Nix said pushing his shaggy, red hair from his face with one hand and starting the car with the other.
"Let's go pick up the corsage and boutonniere. I ordered those the other day!" Mina said giving him directions to the floral shop.
"Weird, long words and you have still yet to tell me what they mean."
"It's more 'what they are'" She responded, laughing.
They went into Flora's Flower Shop to pick up they're accessories. Mina's corsage had white roses with very small, lavender colored flowers surrounding them with a Mint green ribbon tying it off. Nix's boutonniere had a single white rose with a ribbon that matched Mina's.
"Such a fancy name for such a simple thing." Nix said peering into the clear box. "I probably could have made this myself, Heck! I would have been able to. All it is is a flower on a poky thing."
Mina started laughing even harder. "Boy, do you still have a lot to learn." She joked. "The 'poky' thing is a pin, and yes, they might be simple, but they really bring our outfits together and are a must-have for all formal dances."
"It still makes no sense why you would pay for such a thing. Anyways, off to the shoe store we go!" Nix sung.
They found a small clothing store in their town square. There was a flash sale going on, but it ended soon. Mina and Nix ran into the store to make sure they made it on time. It. Was. Packed.
Girls and boys from their school were filed in tight. The line for the cash register almost reached the door.
"I guess everyone had the same idea we did." Nix stated. They decided they would leave and go to a different store. Mina was too impatient to wait hours in line just for a pair of shoes. As they turned to leave, Savannah and Teague approached the couple from behind.
"Leaving so soon, Grimey?" Mina stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the bratty teenaged girl in front of her. She quickly glanced at Teague then back at Savannah. "No response? Are you just embarrassed to admit you are too poor to afford anything? Even in this store." By now everyone was looking at the two girls.
"Savannah, leave her alone." Teague commanded. He looked very irritated. Mina couldn't tell if it was because he was with Savannah or if it was because she was with Nix. Perhaps it was a little of both.
"Let the girl fight her own battles." Savannah said inching closer to Mina.
Nix grabbed onto Mina's arm and started pulling her towards the door. "Let's get out of here." Mina just nodded. She felt so stupid that she didn't say anything to defend herself against Savannah. Especially since half of her school was at the shoe store, too. She heard Savannah spit out 'Just like her mute brother.' as she was walking into the parking lot. When they both were in Nix's car, Mina started to cry.
Normally, she wouldn't let Savannah get under her skin, but she was so sick of her and her unnecessary comments and the attacks at her family, that she couldn't hold it in. Nix reached across the counsel and pulled Mina into a hug. She nuzzled her face into his neck and sobbed. After five minutes or so, her cry turned into hiccups and her breathing slowed. Mina pulled away. "I'm sorry."
"No problem."
"She's just so—" Mina tried to think of the perfect word to describe Savannah, but couldn't.
"Savannah."
"Exactly!" Both let out a small chuckle. Mina wiped away her remaining tears and looked at the clock. It was 7:42. "Well, we better get going before the stores close at 9." They were about 20 minutes from the mall which only gave them an hour to shop for a tie and shoes. Her and Nix left the shoe store for the mall.
Nix was much taller than Mina, but not quite as tall as Brody or Teague. Mina kept this in mind as she was looking for shoes in Journeys. She ended up finding a pair of 3-inch lavender heels that would go with the little flowers in her corsage. They walked into Sears which was located at the corner of the mall. They found Nix a mint green bow tie and a black dress shirt to wear. He also found a pair of grey trousers and black dress shoes to go with the outfit.
"Okay, go try this stuff on." Mina said handing Nix a huge pile of clothes. He went into the dressing room and came out a couple minutes later.
"Wow, you look nice." Mina said with a smile.
"I told you green would go great with my eyes." He said, batting his eyelashes.
"I never doubted you, Oh wise one." Mina laughed as he went back into the dressing room to change into his street clothes. They walked to the cash register and purchased the clothes.
"So.. ice cream? I'll buy." Nix asked once they were in the parking lot.
"Well, I won't argue with that."
The drove to the ice cream parlor, The Freeze, that was near Mina's house.
"I'll have a vanilla cone with sprinkles." Nix ordered.
"And I'll have a chocolate vanilla swirl with cookie crunch, please." Mina added.
They ate their cones outside. It was a beautiful day in California and the sun was setting. It was perfect.
Nix coughed a little. "You know, Mina. Since the incident, at the palace, I can't help but think about you all of the time. At first, I thought it was because you and your brother saved me, and I, like, really appreciate it, but these last two weeks, I've really grown to like you. I mean more than a friend. You're funny, sweet, and so genuine." He paused for a moment to get his thoughts together. "I just wanted to know, Will you be my girlfriend?"
Mina was afraid this is where the conversation was headed. She loved Nix, but in a brotherly type way. She could count on him whenever and for whatever she needed. "Nix.." Mina started. He could see that she didn't want to pursue a relationship, but she kept talking. She needed to let him down, easily. "You're my best friend, and I thank you for everything you've done for me. You're the most outgoing and down-to-earth guy.. It's just, I don't think I can like you the way you like me. I mean it's not you, it's—"
"It's Teague, isn't it." Nix said. It's not what Mina was going to say, but hearing it come from her friend, she realized how much it was true. She loved Teague.
Mina nodded. She could see the disappointment on his face and felt awful.
"Well, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't support you? Even if the man of your dreams scares the living bejesus out of everyone." He perked up a little. "An awful one, that's what. You go after your prince." He said laughing.
Mina cringed at the word 'prince'. "You're not mad?"
"A little crushed, yes, but we're going to have the best time ever tomorrow, as friends." Nix said with a huge smile on his face.
"Hell yeah we are." Mina responded. Nix drove Mina home and they got to her house around 9:30. He walked her up to the door.
"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked.
"Yup. Be here at 4:30, my mom will want to take some pictures before we go to dinner." They hugged and Nix left.
Though today didn't go as planned, it ended great. Mina found her love and she had someone supporting her. Even though in less that 24 hours, she won't know where her life will be, she went to bed with a huge smile on her face.
YAY! Mina realized that she loved Teague! Do you guys think Mina broke it to Nix easily? Next chapter will be the beginning of the big night for Mina so get excited. As always, reviews are appreciated!:) Let me know how you are liking the story so far and leave any guesses you have for the upcoming chapters!