Hey guys! New chapter here! Hope you enjoy. Reviews make my day, so leave one if you like it :) Also, next chapter will be the Selected being chosen, but I still need more character submissions, so please, please, please submit one! I love to hear from you, and the girls submitted so far have been wonderful. Thank you to everyone who's submitted. Until next time!

xoxo

how you make the color blue

It was half past four, and Julian and Daniel were currently poring over lists upon lists of special events to host while the Selected were there. Julian had long since decided that if he was going to have fun while the girls were here, then he would have to pick things he would like too. So far, with Daniel's input, they had decided on a pool party and a field day, and were now trying to pick a theme for a dance.

"What about Winter Wonderland?" Daniel asked. Julian shook his head.

"Too cheesy. That's, like, the most basic theme ever."

"Fine, Mr. Picky," Daniel said, elbowing him. "How about a costume party?"

"I don't like to get dressed up," Julian said. Daniel sighed extremely theatrically.

"What are we going to do with you? You don't like anything!" There was a knock, before Harper poked her head in the room.

"What are you guys doing? I was wondering if you wanted to play a game or something?"

"Well, Harper," Daniel smiled at her, "We're actually trying to come up with a theme for the dance we're going to have while the Selected are here, but your brother is being a complete asshole about the whole thing." Harper smirked.

"That's pretty common, actually. But I might be able to help. A dance, you said?" Julian nodded vigorously. "How about Winter Wonderland?"

"See, that's what I said!" Daniel cried, leaning over to fist-bump Harper. She grinned.

"Great minds think alike." Julian sighed.

"You guys! We're not doing a Winter Wonderland theme, and that's final!" Harper and Daniel both looked at each other with identical expressions of "are you kidding me" on their faces. They sat in silence for a few seconds before Harper piped up again.

"What if you did a masquerade ball?" Julian was about to say no automatically, when he realized that actually, that wasn't such a bad idea.

"I like it," Daniel piped in. "That's a cool idea, Harper." Julian shrugged.

"Sounds good to me, but Harper, you're going to have to help with the planning, because I have no idea how to throw one of these." Harper snickered, before standing up to go.

"Don't worry, big brother. I like planning stuff." She flicked her caramel hair behind her shoulder as she walked out the door, and Julian noticed something flicker over Daniel's face, but then he blinked and it was gone. Well. That was weird.

"Julian, man, are we ever going to take a break?"

"Not until we finish going through this stack of papers."

"But we've been at it forever."

"Well, forever is going to be a little longer."

"But Harper said we could play a game with her."

"Is the game called side with her every time she opens her mouth?"

"Julian." Daniel's eyes were boring into him. "What the hell is going on?" Julian debated lying. He could say he was tired, or he missed Liam, or that he was in a fight with his parents.

"I'm scared." There it was. The truth. Daniel looked steadily at him, and for a second, Julian felt like the younger one.

"Of course you are. Fear is human. But you're going to get through your Selection. I promise. And I'm going to be here the whole time." Julian couldn't help but feel slightly more reassured.

"You mean it?"

"Of course."

"Thanks, Daniel."

"You can thank me by putting down your papers and coming to get a snack with me."

"I'm not that grateful."

"I'm about to leave." At which point Harper walked back in and Daniel sat back down.

"Hey, guys. I'm hiding from Rose-Marie." Julian groaned. He knew his sister had a penchant for stirring things up, and he really didn't want to know what she'd done this time. Daniel, however, seemed interested, leaning forward and resting the side of his face on his hand.

"What did you do?" Harper's eyes twinkled.

"I might have added the chemical mixture from my Science class to her shampoo. How was I supposed to know it was going to turn her hair orange?" Daniel snorted.

"Maybe because you were the one who did the experiment?"

"So maybe I did know what was going to happen. She needs to loosen up a bit anyway." Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she busted out laughing, and Daniel joined in. Julian just sat there shaking his head. Sometimes he worried about their mental health.

"Guys, seriously, can we please go watch a movie?" Harper asked, regaining her breath. Julian sighed.

"As long as it's not How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days," he conceded. "I hate that movie."

"Kate Hudson is hot, though," Daniel pointed out.

"I don't care. We're not watching it. You can jack off to her later." Daniel smacked him in the back of the head.

"We're watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and that's final," Harper said. "Let's go. You need to stop obsessing over the Selection. The girls are coming for you. If anything, they should be nervous." Julian highly doubted that they would continue to like him once they met him in person, but he shrugged and started off towards the movie theater anyway.

"So, Julian, are you ready to meet your future wife?" his dad asked at dinner. Giselle immediately started bouncing up and down and clapping her hands.

"I am! I am! When do I get to pick the names, Daddy?"

"In two weeks, Princess." King Luke smiled fondly at her.

"I can't wait! I get to pick the girls who are coming!"

"Well, technically, you just pick them out of a glass bowl. You don't get to read all the names and select one," Julian pointed out.

"Still!" Evidently nothing was going to stop Giselle. As ice cream was brought out, Julian realized that he hadn't gotten to spend as much time with Daniel as he would've liked. He glanced over to see Daniel stealing bites of Harper's ice cream as she smacked him. An odd feeling settled in his chest as he watched them, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what.