Chapter 13

October 11th, 2309

A whole week had past since the selection started and now it was Friday again, Michelle was feeling a bit excited. It was her first time on the Friday report.

During princess lessons, Michelle did her best to pay attention and she was also thinking about the report. Due to being the most timid and independent girl at school, she had never really like public speaking. But at the same time was quite excited about being on TV.

Kemi sat by Michelle during a politic lesson, due to the fact that Kemi had spent most of her life studying law, she was quite good with politics. She helped Michelle understand some of the stuff they were talking about.

After the lesson Michelle went back to her room to have some alone time before dinner and the report.

That evening after dinner, the girls all went to their rooms to get ready for the report.

Michelle went inside to her room and saw that Chloe, Maci and Alexis were there. What Michelle saw made her speechless. They were holding the very same periwinkle colored gown she had drawn in art class.

"How did you…" she said.

"I saw your drawing four days ago," explained Alexis. "Did you draw it?"

Michelle nodded giving a modest smile.

"You're a great artist," said Maci. "When Alexis showed it to us, Chloe suggested we make your dress for the report like it."

"I love it!" said Michelle. "I would love to wear it for the report!" she was quick to change in it. After she changed Chloe did Michelle's makeup and Alexis did her hair. Maci gave Michelle a diamond rose pin and clipped it on the dress.

"No go," instructed Chloe. "The report starts in ten minutes."

Michelle thanked her maids and headed off to the report room. As soon as she left her room, she came out the same time as Kemi. She wore a plain black dress, though it was fancy enough to be noticed as a royal.

"I like your dress Michelle" said Kemi.

"I like yours too" replied Michelle.

Then both girls headed off for the report room.

All the other girls were already there. Michelle heard Holliday calling her, she was wearing a yellow gown with a yellow shrug shawl.

"Wow Michelle, your dress is lovely!"

"Thanks Holliday," said Michelle hugging her best friend. "My maids made it look exactly like a drawing I made of me as a princess!"

"You drew out the design for it?" asked Holliday in amazement. "You were right, purple really is your color."

"And you look beautiful in yellow," said Michelle. "It looks like Rosie's from princess protection program."

"I know right, that's my favourite movie," explained Holliday. "So, I told my maids I wanted my dress for the report to look like it."

Leanne came to join the two. She wore a crème colored gown with a ruffled skirt. She had a big smile on her face.

"Yesterday, James asked me to have tea with his family," she said excitedly. "They were having a meeting with Mayor Noem of Yukon!"

Michelle and Holliday were both surprised Leanne hadn't told anyone that.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Holliday.

"I wasn't sure how," explained Leanne admittingly. "He kind of asked me because his sister Marcella asked him to ask me to tea, he agreed because he wouldn't mind an official date."

Michelle remembered when Marcella showed up when the girls were getting dressed for the photographs when they first arrived. Marcella had been talking to Leanne, and throughout the week it was shown that Marcella had taken a liken to Leanne.

"How did it go?" asked Holliday.

"It was fun," said Leanne. "I've always wanted to go to a tea party. Marcella even invited me to a tea party with her dolls tomorrow."

"She's twelve, isn't she?" asked Michelle. "I didn't think she had tea parties with her dolls anymore. I haven't had tea parties with my dolls and my mom since I was eight!"

"Well," said Holliday thoughtfully. "I still have tea parties with my cats."

"You have tea parties with your cats?" asked Leanne.

"Yeah, my mom makes all kinds of food with fish in them for my cats when we have tea parties and I dress them up in the cutest little outfits. Lord Tabby isn't too fussy about them, he's always trying to run away without having tea that naughty kitty."

Michelle sat between Holliday and Leanne. "You know," whispered Leanne. "When I was having tea with the royal family and Mayor Noem, he told them he was there on business, last night, a group of rebels attacked Yukon setting arson to four houses, nearly got that old couple who lived in the houses disintegrated!"

Michelle looked horrified.

"Said he thought they'd ought to know" finished Leanne.

Michelle was kind of surprised about a rebel attack, they rarely happened anymore, she decided they were probably objecting to the selection.

She didn't get to think about it for long as the report started.

"Ladies and gentleman of Illea," announced Timothy. "Here we are ending the first week of the selection. We would like each of the ladies to step up and tell us how they've been doing with their stay in the castle this past week. Holliday Wade of Jammins would you please come up."

The room was full of applause as Holliday walked up.

Michelle watched girls getting interviewed by the reporter about how their stay was in the palace. After Holliday was interviewed, Cindy was called up, then Whitney, then Morwenna.

Finally, …

"Michelle White of Belcourt" called Timothy.

Michelle took a deep breath and walked up to sit down next to Timothy.

"How is it being a seven being treated like a one?" he asked with a smile.

"Well, the pampering is pretty lovely," said Michelle admittingly. "I'm glad I was chosen for the selection. I do hope to at least come close to being the one that gets chosen so I can prove to everyone at school that sevens like me are just as special as they are."

"Why's that?" asked Timothy.

"Well," admitted Michelle. "I'm bullied at school by the higher castes" she decided not to mention the quartet, because she knew that if they were watching, they'd feel quite embarrassed for her to reveal them to all of Illea (specifically Emily.)

"So, your plan is get into the elite, become one of the final two and hope the prince picks you? Then nobody would disrespect you again" said Timothy.

Some of the people found that humorous and laughed including Michelle.

"Well I think it won't be hard," said Michelle with a big smile although a bit fidgety. "We already had our first dance, he asked me to dance with him in the garden."

None of the other girls found that a secret, they all knew about that.

"Best of luck in the selection Michelle White," dismissed Timothy. "Abella Dixon of Waverly" he called as Michelle walked back to her seat.

Michelle sank back in her seat. That wasn't so bad she thought to herself.

"You okay?" asked Holliday.

Michelle looked at her and nodded. "It could've been better you know" she sighed.

"Well I looked forward to my first interview when I started acting" said Holliday.

"I don't really like public speaking" admitted Michelle.

"Well you're gonna have to get used to it," humored Holliday. "Because if you do marry James and become the queen, you'll have to do public speaking all the time."

Michelle giggled and went back to the show.

After a while Giselle was the last to get called up. Her interview was short and to the point, she didn't have much to say. Just a few yes and no questions to answer."

"Well that's it for tonight, join us again next week on the Friday report" announced Timothy.

Author's note; Michelle has done her first report and it didn't go so bad did it? Do you think you would reveal your bully's names to all of Illea for revenge for their bullying or do you think you wouldn't mention their names?