Anyways, all the songs used in this chapter will be credited in the end.
Photo #52: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!
Eadlyn has heard about the other women who participated in her father's Selection and has met some of them. One of them who got both was Lady Natalie Luca.
Eadlyn has met Natalie on a few occasions and thought that she was a sweet a fragile lady with a warm heart. She was a woman who has been through the worst in life but always wore a warm smile on her face. Eadlyn has always wondered why someone who has seen what she has is able to keep such a demure that is only so stable.
That was the Natalie that Illéa and Eadlyn knew. This photo on the wall shows a different side to Natalie.
Natalie was in the Women's Room with Eadlyn's mom and Ms. Marlee. They all stand in front of the television with a newrby table filled with plates of delicacies. The three of them seemed to be wearing sweatpants and tank tops with fake tiaras and feather boas. Each with a bottle in their hands and a microphone.
Whatever was happening, this not only shows a different side of Natalie but of the other two women. And it sure looked fun.
-o-
"Natalie!" Marlee exclaims, stretching over the doorway to hug her. "I'm so glad you could make it!"
"Marlee!" Natalie hugs back, stretching the syllables of Marlee's name as she rocks the hug back and forth. Her eyes look up and she sees that familiar head of red hair. "America!"
"I'm so glad you could make it!" America says, "how have you been?"
"Terrible," Natalie responds. She breaks from the hug to face both America and Marlee and puts a hand to her temple. "Paparazzi are following me everywhere. I knew that was a price to be paid after the Selection which I was fine with at first, especially since it died down. But then it came back up when I just had to tie the knot with Evan Channing, the dreamiest award-winning celebrity of them all." Natalie rolls her eyes. "Now that we're divorced, I thought I could just be free from all that unwanted attention but I think it's even worse now."
Natalie sighs.
"If it helps," Marlee says, putting a hand on Natalie's shoulders. "I didn't like much of his movies."
Natalie gives Marlee a weak smile. "Thanks."
"How about I get some food and drinks and we can spend time in the Women's Room?" America suggests. Marlee and Natalie nod. "Great. Meet me there."
"While you're at it..." Natalie says. "Change into something comfortable. Let's ditch our skinny jeans, corsets, and heels and just let loose."
America and Marlee look back at Natalie, skeptical about her proposal. The two of them agree (Marlee lending Natalie some civvies) and they all met in the Women's Room wearing tank tops and sweatpants in different colors. America places some trays of food and drinks on the table with a maid's help. When she takes a seat, Marlee curls up on her corner of the couch as she turns on the television.
The three of them sit through an episode of The Report before changing the channel to a singing competition. When the next contestant walks on stage, their singing was so bad that it made America, Marlee, and Natalie's head jerk back and eyes widen at the impact of the singing that they would better classify as screaming, or better yet, screeching. Marlee ends up turning off the television and the three women appreaciate the silence until their ears stop ringing.
"Wow..." Marlee mutters.
"That was..." Natalie mumbles, looking up to think of the right word.
"Awful," America states. The other two agree. "We can sing better than that."
"Can we?" Natalie asks. "I mean, I'm not questioning our singing ability but can we actually sing right now? Let's have a karaoke session."
America and Marlee look at Natalie skeptical at the second idea proposed. Natalie opens her eyes wider along with her smile, persuading the other girls into a jam session. Marlee begins grinning as America nods her head. Natalie cheers as Marlee quickly runs out of the room. As America sets up the television, Natalie pushes the furniture off to the side to make some room, and Marlee returns with some accessories in her hands. She hands Natalie and America a feather boa and a plastic tiara.
"If we're going to sing, we must do so in style," Marlee says, putting a tiara on her head.
"I like your thinking, Marlee," Natalie praises, wrapping the neon blue boa around her neck.
"Here," America says, handing both of them microphones. She puts on her accessories.
"Why do you both have these?" Natalie asks them.
"We're parents," Marlee reponds on behalf of herself and America. "We have kids who play with these."
"Right..." Natalie mutters, remembering that she doesn't have her own kids. (As if she wanted any). "Let's get started."
America plays the music and the Women's Room, which is typically a silent room dedicated to reading and pondering, is now filled with blasting beats and an upswing rhythm. The three women being bopping to the beat, holding their microphones up to their mouths, getting ready to start.
"Some boys take a beautiful girl," Natalie sings.
"And hide her away from the rest of the world," America and Marlee sing next.
"I want to be the one to walk in the sun!" The three of them all sing. "Oh girls they wanna have fun. Oh girls just wanna have fun!"
When that song ends, the three of them cheer loudly, clinking their drinks and laughing when some spills on the floor. America scrolls through the next song selection and has never been more excited when a song she hasn't heard in so long appears on the screen.
"It took all the strength I had not to fall apart," America starts singing. "Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart."
"And I spent, oh, so many nights just feeling sorry for myself," Marlee sings next. "I used to cry but now I hold my head up high."
"And you see me somebody new," Natalie chants, whipping her free arm back and forth in a disco movement. "I'm not that chained-up little person still in love with you."
"And so you felt like dropping in," they all sing, "and just expect me to be free. And now I'm saving all my loving for someone who's loving me!"
Natalie chugs the rest of her drink in one go. She puts it back on the table and shakes her head wildly, holding her tiara in place so it doesn't fly off. America and Marlee cheer her on.
"Take that, Evan!" Natalie yells.
America and Marlee cheer and jump as if they were at a bar, helping their friend who just had a relationship ended. In reality, that is not far from what really happened.
Meanwhile, Maxon and Carter walk through the palace halls, chatting amongst themselves. It starts out as a light conversation between the two men until they find themselves needing to yell at each other in order to be heard. Finding it odd that the palace sounds like a rock concert, they slowly follow the sound of a growing beat up to the Women's Room. Maxon knocks on the door for politeness but Carter just goes ahead since there's no way the women would've heard the knocking over the music. Scared of what might be inside, Carter slowly oppens the door and him and Maxon peek their heads inside.
The two of them see their wives and Natalie, possibly drunk, swaying back and forth on their feet with the arms swinging around in rhythm to the music. It looks like a fraternity party (if they ever went to one, to be exact). Carter ans Maxon look at each other strangely, Maxon taking a picture before walking away and leaving the women to be. Carter watches for a few more seconds before rushing off.
"I don't tell you what to say," Marlee sings. "I don't tell you what to do."
"So just let me be myself," America continues. "That's all I ask of you."
"I'm young and I love to be young," Natalie sings. "And I'm free and I love to be free."
"To live my life the way I want," they all finish. "To say and do whatever I please!"
These three were grown women: two of them already married, one divorced; one a queen, the queen's attendant, and a jewelry designer. On paper and to the public eye, they were adults but tonight and to themselves, they were just teenagers.
Songs (in order of appearance): Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper), I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor), and You Don't Own Me (Cover by Grace)
Also, I made up the celebrity Natalie married since it was never revealed.
If only I had girls nights like this. Also, if any of you want reunion chapters with Kriss and Elise, then let me know! I'm probably going to write them anyways but let me know if you have any ideas.
Stay Tuned - time to redecorate!
