Perfect Date

"Mrs. Potts?"

"Benny! What are you doing down here, shouldn't you be packing for school?"

I stood hesitantly in the doorway of the kitchen. I used to come down here as a boy and help Mrs. Potts make all sorts of things, though her dishes were always better then mine. I hadn't been down in years.

"It's just…I need your help. I wanted to, um." My cheeks felt hotter then normal and the idea of telling Mrs. Potts my plan made me sick.

"Oh. I see," she simply said in that knowing way of hers.

"Huh?"

"Your father had the same look on his face when he wanted to do something for your mother. Audrey's a lucky girl. But I can't help you if you don't tell me what you're planning."

Why did everyone know I was planning to ask Audrey out? I suppose that's a dumb question, given our history, but shouldn't it be a bit surprising. After all, back in eighth grade I'd had a crush on Jane. But I'd never acted on it because…I suppose because I liked Audrey more. And everyone thought she was weird. I couldn't imagine Dad's face if I brought her home with me.

"Well…I'm thinking something simple. A picnic?" I mumbled.

"What a great idea! The cooks and I will have everything prepared and we'll help you set it up. Don't worry about a thing!"

But the knot in my stomach just got bigger.

I think we learned we started our chemistry unit in science. During that class I was mainly rewriting my speech a billion times. In math maybe we reviewed equations. I was finding trash cans in case I hurled.

By lunch I was sweaty and clammy and sure I looked a mess. But no one said anything. Then again, why would they? Ever since high school, people had seemed to divide based on their parents, royals on one side, commoners on the other. And I was put on my own side. Not a royal who would govern a tiny part of Auradon, no I was the guy who would rule it all. People were realizing that, looking at me different from the first day. It made me miss elementary school, building in the sandbox with Doug and Chad and not caring who had a crown and who didn't.

I didn't eat anything at lunch. Chad was busy lobbing peas at the band kids sitting under the always going air conditioning unit, all in their winter coats. I was busy reciting my speech.

The bell rang and I saw a flicker of pink out of my peripheral. It was now or never.

Aubrey had changed a lot between middle school and high school. She was slightly taller then me and already looked like a teenager, whereas I was all gangly limbs and hair that didn't lie flat.

I tapped her shoulder as she passed me. "Hey Audrey."

Her smile could blind a man. "Ben. Hi, how was your break? I heard you made the R.O.A.R team, congratulations."

"Thanks." Come on, Ben, come on! "So, uh, I was wondering. Are you busy tonight?"

"Not at all." Wonder if she was lying.

"Would you like to go on a, um, a date? Tonight? I can pick you up at your room at seven, I planned this whole surprise…," I drifted off. I didn't want to spoil it.

She was quiet for a moment. Would she say no? I hadn't even considered that. Audrey had been very clear for years how she felt about me. When I tried out for Tourney, she joined the cheer team. When Jane started liking me, Audrey had reminded me why that was a bad idea. She went out of her way to talk to me and we'd even talked about our matching coronation outfits when we were kids.

"I would love to."

"Great." Why was I so disappointed? "I'll see you tonight."

Word got around fast. I saw girls whispering in every corridor, the boys leaning in to hear what they were saying. The girls all seemed sad while the boys weren't shy about their glares. Chad, who'd spent more then one lunch going on and on about how hot Audrey was, didn't talk to me the rest of the day.

When I was back at my dorm room I shoved my face into my pillow and screamed. Thank goodness Dad had insisted I have my own room.

My phone buzzed and I rolled over to look at it.

'Everything's all set! Good luck tonight, you'll be great!' -Mrs. Potts

I broke out in a sweat all over again and rolled back over to scream again.

Lumiere had outdone himself. The trees sparkled and I swore it was winter even though it was nearly 60 degrees. I led Audrey down the path the man had texted me, since he'd done all the decorating. I wondered if this is what it'd always be like, other people planning my dates and me taking the credit for them.

"It's a beautiful night," Audrey sighed, rubbing her hands together. Mom did the same thing when there was a breeze. Maybe women got colder faster?

Come on Ben, this Audrey. Your childhood friend! Why was this so hard.

"Do you remember when we stayed up all night and mapped the constellations?" I asked, looking up at the stars. That had been a good night, a rare one when our parents let us have a sleepover. We'd had a Cheeto eating contest and she'd beat me by half a bag. I missed that.

"Of course. You helped me find the princess."

"Jane told me where it was first. I just wanted you to think I was smart."

"Oh? I did think you were smart. Still do. You'll make a great king one day, Benny."

The knot tightened at that K word. "We're almost there."

We headed off the paved path and into the starlit woods. This part had been my idea. Audrey loved the woods; she had always been dragging me into them when we played for a grand adventure.

Finally, we arrived in a clearing lit up by the lights hanging in the trees. Covering the glass was a snowy picnic blanket covered in a spread of all of Audrey's favorite foods. Mrs. Potts made it her mission to know what everyone liked.

"Wow…Ben, this is amazing."

"I had some help. Mrs. Potts made a lot of the food and Lumiere helped with the lights…" Would she hate that I hadn't done this all by myself?

"It's perfect."

Of course it was. That's what we'd been told all our lives. We were perfect.

"Then what happened?" Audrey asked.

"Well then," I laughed, "then Chad fell off the rail and came out of the pond dripping wet. It was great!"

"Your initiation sounds crazy," she giggled. Honestly, I'd missed her. Missed being friends, missed laughing, missed just being ourselves. We used to be able to do that so easily. What had happened?

"I've been so busy…high school isn't like I imagined it would be."

"What do you mean?"

I bit my lip before I answered. "It's so busy and there's so many expectations. My dad's been teaching me how to be king and he keeps yelling at me. And then there's everyone at school, always starting rumors…I just feel so lost."

"Ben, you were chosen for this life. There will be struggles, I'm sure, but no one can deny that we're perfect for the job."

"We?" I felt like someone had just dumped ice water into my veins.

"Hm?"

"You said we."

"Oh. I meant you, obviously," she quickly amended as she played with a thread on the blanket.

In that moment she looked as lost as I felt. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Maybe everyone was right.

She glanced up at me, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks flushed. She looked like she had when she'd scraped her knee when we were seven. Confused, hoping I'd fix it.

"Audrey?"

"What?"

"Would…would you be my girlfriend?"

I knew what her answer would be.

"Yes!"

What was wrong with perfect, after all?