Chapter 5 – Classes Continue
"No, no and double no!" Kim cried from under her bed covers.
Riley, Lilly and Violet rolled their eyes as they tried to convince Kim to attend her second day as princess. So far, no progress had been made.
"Oh, c'mon you big chicken! It can't be that bad." Lilly cried
Kim slammed the covers away from her face and stared at Lilly.
"She's a black hole where dreams go to die." Kim muttered darkly, before she pulled the covers back over her head. "Besides, I'm sick." She coughed
"Oh, alright then." Riley said, walking over to Kim's cell phone. "If you're sick, then you won't mind us calling Leo to come check up on you."
The covers slammed down again. Kim death glared Riley as Violet and Lilly smirked.
"Oh, you wouldn't dare." Kim muttered
"Try me." Riley answered, holding Kim's phone open.
"I'm not going and I am sick."
"I know. I believe you. But we need Leo here to look after you, while we have fun today."
Kim's eyes widened. "He'll absolutely mother me to death!" She cried
"Exactly. So? Are you gonna go to class today?" Riley asked
"Nope. It's the first time I don't have classes or other obligations and I'm gonna spend them here." Kim remarked, crossing her arms.
"Are you sure?" Riley asked, turning Kim's phone on.
"Don't you dare."
Riley turned on the phone.
"Riles…"
She dialed in the lair's number.
"Riley no, he'll worry and I'll look like an idiot."
Riley raised an eyebrow, showing Kim the number and her thumb hovering over the call button.
"Stop!"
"Then get out of bed and go to Rayon."
"No." Kim pouted
Riley pressed the call button. Kim jumped out of bed.
"NO!" Kim yelled, running after Riley as she ran around Kim's room.
"Hello? Hey, Leo! How's it going?" Riley asked smugly.
"GIVE ME THE PHONE RIGHT NOW!" Kim threatened
"What was that, Kim? You're sick?" Riley gasped
"RILEY CAITLEN PHOENIX!" Kim hollered
Riley chucked the phone into Kim's hands. "Here, it's for you."
Kim could only growl as Riley grabbed her younger sisters and bolt out the door. Kim sighed and slowly and apprehensively pressed the phone to her ear.
"Hello?" Kim sung apprehensively.
"Go to Rayon." Leo said sternly.
Kim's hand holding the phone dropped and she pouted.
Riley, Lilly and Violet laughed as they all ate breakfast at the kitchen table.
"Good thing we called Leo ahead of time." Violet chuckled
"Yeah or else we would have to explain to the media about a giant, walking, talking turtle." Lilly agreed
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP
The girls all jumped at the annoying beeping. Violet ran to her handbag by the door and took out her pager.
"Sorry you guys I have to go. The hospital needs me urgently." Violet said before she ran into her bathroom to brush her hair and brush her teeth.
Violet quickly rushed back into the kitchen and used her magic to change into her work clothes.
"I don't know when I'll be back. Can you tell Donnie?" Violet asked
"Yeah, don't worry Vi. Just go save a little kid." Riley told her.
Violet nodded and quickly rushed out the door with a slam.
"Why do we need to tell Donnie?" Lilly asked
Riley shrugged. "Maybe they had something planned today. I don't know. Hey, do you think they're doing something?" She asked suggestively.
"Yeah. They are." Lilly gasped, "Are they trying for a baby?"
"Please, the only people we should think are trying for a baby are Riley and Raph." Kim scoffed, coming into the kitchen.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Riley asked, crossing her arms.
"You guys have sex a lot. It's not a criticism. Just be careful."
Riley scoffed. "Yeah whatever, mum."
Kim rolled her eyes and orbed away.
"She's just jealous because she is too busy with all her classes on Earth and Rayon to get laid." Riley muttered.
"Yeah, too much information." Lilly said, walking out of the kitchen. "Let's hope she can juggle everything."
Riley heard her sister's last comment and stopped. She thought it over before shaking her head.
'No way she'll spend too much time with one over the other.'
"Do you remember the plan?" Renaldo asked Charlotte
The two stood in an empty hallway of the castle, whispering quietly to each other. Charlotte smirked and nodded.
"Of course, My Lord." She answered, "My job is to make the princess fall into a state of security. Once she believes I have accepted her she will never suspect that I am sabotaging her chances at the crown."
"Good." Renaldo smirked, "Do not get caught." He added before leaving.
Charlotte entered the dining room and saw Kim and Emily were already there. Emily was tying a scarf around Kim's chest as she sat at the dining table. Charlotte internally sighed before plastering on a smile.
"Your highness," She said softly, "Please accept my apologies for my behaviour yesterday." Her eyes lowered, "You were right. If I am to be teaching you decorum I must act the same as I teach others to be." She looked up at Kim, "Please, princess. Please accept my humble apologies. It shouldn't matter your heritage, you are forever more my princess."
Kim stared long and hard at Charlotte, searching her eyes for any hint of a lie. Charlotte was beginning to doubt her acting ability when Kim finally smiled.
"Apology accepted, Charlotte." She said, "Let's put this behind us and continue anew from now on."
Charlotte nodded and stood beside Kim with Emily. She looked over the scarf and nodded at it.
"Charlotte?" Kim asked, "Is it customary in Rayon to imprison your dinner guests with scarves?" She continued, struggling against the tight scarf.
"The scarf is merely a training tool. It is to help your posture." Charlotte told her
Kim tried to pick up a fork that was across from her, but her arms couldn't reach with the scarf restraining any more movement.
"Eventually you will learn to sit and eat properly without it." Emily added as she sat next to Kim, eating lunch without the scarves.
Kim finally reached the fork and tried to stab it into a tomato, but she was failing miserably. Charlotte resisted the impulse to sigh and roll her eyes, but she reminded she had to keep up pretences.
"Do not fret, Princess. It takes time to-" Charlotte stopped when Kim slammed the fork into the tomato, but accidently slamming the edge of the plate sending it, and her food, flying to the floor and onto Charlotte's shoes.
Kim and Emily gasped while Charlotte simply smiled. "I wonder if Paolo has arrived." She mused
Charlotte led Kim and Emily away from the dining room towards the ballroom. Kim felt a buzz at her dress skirt and picked up her phone from the ribbon belt around her waist.
Kim looked down at the phone with a small smile as she saw Leo's name flash across the screen.
Movie at yours tonight? Just us two? He texted
Sounds great. I'll be there. She replied back
As soon as Kim placed her phone back at her side the trio had reached the ballroom. The doors opened and they saw Drake pacing the middle of the room.
"Where is Paolo?" Drake asked when he noticed their entrance.
"He is here, My Lord." Charlotte assured, "Send in Paolo." She ordered the guards
The guards nodded and opened the doors again to reveal a bold man who was half horse and half man.
"Greetings, my Princess." Paolo greeted Kim, kissing her on the hand. "My Lord Drake, greetings." Paolo greeted Drake with a bow.
Paolo gestured to two female humanoid goats with long black hair, who stood behind him. "These are my assistants, Gretchen and Helga." He introduced as they curtsied at their names.
"Good afternoon. We're so pleased you could make yourself available, Paolo." Drake greeted with a smile.
"Your Lordship, we won't waste time. Let the work begin." Paolo announced with a clap of his hands, leading Kim to a seat in front of a vanity mirror with numerous styling equipment.
"Excuse me, your Lordship. The Rayonian press secretary's waiting for your call." Charlotte whispered into Drake's ear.
"Oh, yes, of course. Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave and come back and be surprised." Drake said before he led Charlotte out of the room. "Emily, watch him like a hawk." Drake instructed and Emily nodded.
"Brush, Helga! Thanks." Paolo thanked Helga as she passed him his hairbrush.
Paolo looked at Kim through the mirror and smiled.
"So we begin, Princess? In Paolo's hands, remember you will be beautiful." He started checking out her hair. "You have thick hair. Like a wolf." He commented, brushing her hair, but the brush got caught and broke.
"Ow!" Kim complained when it broke, pulling her hair.
"Do you wear contact lenses?" Paolo asked looking at her eyes
"No, I don't. But I do wear reading glasses."
"Well, now you'll have to use them when you want to read." Paolo smiled, "Gretchen! Helga! Attack!" He ordered and the makeover began.
An hour later Paolo was finished. Drake and Charlotte entered the room and saw Helga and Gretchen holding two similar photos of Kim's pre-makeover self in front of Kim's new look.
"Your lordship, Paolo is exhausted because, lordship, only Paolo can take this-" he pointed at the picture on the left, "and this-" he pointed at the second picture, "and give you-"
"A princess." Helga and Gretchen replied simultaneously, revealing the new and improved Kimberley.
Kim's hair was now a little shorter than shoulder length and now nicely framed her heart-shaped face perfectly, outlining her jaw line and face beautifully. Her hair colour was now a nice chocolate brown/really dark red colour that heightened her beautiful green eyes. Her eyebrows were very nicely shaped and thin, her dark circles under her eyes were gone, her eyelashes looked longer and more beautiful and natural, her skin looked fresh and clean and well rested. She looked at her nails and saw they had been manicured and cut, shaped, cleaned and polished nicely with clear polish. Kim smiled at her reflection and almost squealed in delight at her pearly white teeth.
"Beautiful." Drake said and Emily and Charlotte nodded in agreement.
"I tell you, it was the funniest thing!" Lilly cried as she and Mikey watched 'Funniest Home Videos' in the lair. "This guy was riding his bike and this dog comes rushing in front of the bike and trips him over on his face and the bike lands on him!"
Raph, Violet, Donnie and Riley rolled their eyes as Mikey and Lilly cracked up into hysterics.
"I'll tell you what's funny." Riley started smugly, "Little Miss Doctor's face when she walks in on me and Raph kissing back in the apartment."
Violet blushed and looked away. "Oh believe me, it was very terrifying." She mumbled as everyone laughed.
Leo entered the room and smiled at all the laughter. "You guys all look like you're having fun."
"Oh, we are!" Mikey laughed
"Where are you going?" Donnie asked
Leo smiled. "Kim and I are watching a movie at her place."
The girls smirked. "Have fun!" They giggled
Leo rolled his eyes playfully before walking out.
Leo jumped through the window leading to the living room the girls always left open for them and looked around. The entire apartment was empty and quiet.
'She must not be home yet.' Leo thought before smiling, 'I'll set everything up as a surprise when she comes home.'
2 hours went by and still Kim had not come home yet. Leo was beginning to think she had forgotten when finally he saw Kim orb in the middle of the living room. She jumped, seeing Leo standing in front of her.
"Hi Leo," She smiled
"You're late." He said, crossing his arms
"No, I'm not." Kim replied, "It's only-" She stopped, looking down at her watch. "Oh, Leo. I'm so sorry."
Leo sighed and uncrossed his arms. "It's ok. You were held up. I get this is all new to you, it'll take time to adjust."
Kim smiled and walked over to Leo, snaking her arms around his neck. "Thank you for being so understanding." She said, giving him a sweet kiss. "Now, how about that movie?"
Leo smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I can't now. The guys and I have to go out on patrol now."
Kim's smile dropped. "Oh." She said, "Ok, that's fine. Rain check?"
Leo smiled and kissed her forehead. "Definitely." He said before he jumped out the window and ran into the night.
Kim watched him leave, her heart suddenly feeling heavy.