I wake up in a bed that is not my own. Which is unsettling, to say the least. I get out of bed, legs shaking, unable to remember what happened last night. Or yesterday, for that matter.

I walk downstairs, down a long hallway, looking around at pictures on the wall, very princely figures. I hear soft humming and some soft of sizzling from the next room. I peek around the corner and my eyes widen.

"Ivan?" The person humming turns around. "Oh, Princess! You're awake! I'm making pancakes, want some?" I nod. "Please."

I sit at the table in the center of the room. "Where am I, pray tell?" He turns with a plate stacked high with pancakes. "You mean to tell me you don't know?" I shake my head.

"I slept so well las' night.. I can't remember anythin'.." I pause. "Oh, wait, I sort 'f remember. I was at work.. 'm at yer house..?" I shove a bite of pancakes in my mouth and look around again. He chuckles. "Excellent observation, Princess, you fell asleep last night and I never got the chance to take you home."

He continues cooking. "We didn't do anythin'.. right?" My cheeks turn pink, just thinking of it. He shakes his head. "No, we didn't.. you laid in my lap and cried a little." He laughs. "Then you went right to bed."

I take another bite. "Oh.. right.. Did yer sisters ever get home? 'd like to say hi t' them." He gives me a look of surprise. "Yes, they should be down in a minute.."

Suddenly there's a soft thud, followed by a high-pitched cry. "Oh.. here they come.." Ivan disappears for a minute, the returns with a very curvy blonde, who's sobbing.

"This is my big sister Katyusha.." She wipes her eyes and sits across from me. "I'm Katyusha.. silly me.. you already know that.." She tears up again and sticks her hand out, trembling. I take her hand and shake it.

"M' name's Birgit." She laughs. "I know.. that's such a pretty accent, where are you from? "Sweden.." I shrug. "And you work at IKEA, how funny!" "Y-Yeah.."

I turn towards the door, hearing the click-clack of heels. Ivan turns too, smiling uncomfortably. "Oh, Natalya, you're awake!" I take it that's his other sister. She's not quite as well-rounded as Katyusha, but she has platinum blonde hair like Ivan. "Yes." She grabs my hand to forcefully shake it. "I'm Natayla."

Ivan gives them both a plate, smiling nervously at me. Katyusha happily eats her pancakes and Natalya glares at me, cutting her food aggresively. I stuff my face full of pancakes, not really wanting to say anything more to either of them.

I finish eating and look at Ivan. "What's th' time?" "7:18." He puts my plate in the sink. "Ready to go to work?" "Ja.." He smiles and grabs our coats and hands mine to me. "Come on." I shrug my coat on and step outside.

He leads to his car and opens the door for me. As soon as he gets in, he sighs. "I don't know why you'd want to say hi to them..." I shrug. "I didn't know."

I sigh and slump over in my seat. "Do you want to switch stations with me again?" I nod. "Ja.. 'm still not ready to deal with all those people.."

He smiles. "It's fine. You seem better at cooking than I am, anyways." He pulls out of the driveway and we head off.

"Oh, I really hate to ask this Princess.. but.. I'm curious.. do you think you will still be friends with Nora?" I stare at him. "I.. I don't know.."

"Have you tried to call her?" "Hnmmm." "Maybe you should try that?"

I lean my head against the window. "It's been what... three days...? D' ya think she f'rgives me?"

He shakes his head and I tense up in shock. "No, you haven't done anything wrong at all, Princess.. maybe.. she needs time to think. Or some space. You should leave her a message when you get home."

I sigh in relief and nod. "Alrigh'... I guess... 'f we did... 't would be weird..."

"I get that.. but it's better than not friends at all?"

"Maybe 'm blowing this way out of proportion.."

Ivan sighs. "Maybe you both are."