A/N: I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who has read my story. And a special thank you to all who have reviewed! There aren't that many chapters left, so if you haven't reviewed lately, or haven't reviewed at all, please do so! I love to hear what you have to say! This story is very special to me. I appreciate all of you for taking time out of your day to read it. But it's not over yet! Enjoy this short chappie!
13. The Lie
"Anna!"
"Briden!"
Our shrieks could be heard throughout the manor. I hugged my friend tight, happiness washing over me. Wednesday had come before I knew it.
I always knew my life would change at age twenty-one. It was always there in the back of my mind, the spell that would either lead me to my true love or lead me to my death. Little did I know it would lead me to both. But I'd never really given much thought to dying. I always knew the obstacle would be there, though I also knew part of me held a fierce hope that the fairies were wrong about the spell, or that I'd misunderstood, or maybe even that they'd change their mind and save me themselves. But whatever happened, I had to be practical. I wasn't going to wallow in self-pity and just succumb to my impending death. I'd had eleven years of warning, and besides, the euphoria of being in love left no room for panic. The spell almost didn't seem real to me. If I was being completely honest with myself, it hadn't yet sunk in that Friday could actually be my last day to live. I was way too excited about seeing Aaron again. But if the fairies were right, which I could only assume they were, then there wasn't any way around this. I could only make the most of the time I had left and hope for the best.
"Anna I've missed you!"
"I've missed you!"
"I have so much to tell you!"
Anna calmed down for a second, taking a deep breath. "You mean... Briden, are you... Did you—?"
I knew what she was trying to ask. I had rehearsed this in my head a hundred times between Sunday and now. I put on my biggest smile and nodded.
"Eeeeee!" Anna squealed with delight. I couldn't help but laugh. Her excitement was infectious. I brought her upstairs before I said anything else. She sat on my bed and looked at me excitedly. "So... Who is it?"
I gave her my most meaningful look. I couldn't bring myself to say it.
Anna gasped. "Oh!" and then lowered her voice, "It's Aaron?"
I nodded slowly, cautiously, awaiting her reaction.
Anna squealed again. "I knew it!"
I stared at her. "You did?"
"Oh I knew you two were perfect for each other. I wasn't sure if you would ever get past the friend stage, but you did! Oh I'm so happy!" She hugged me once more. "So, where's Aaron? I want to see him!"
"Um, he's at his house. I won't be seeing him until the ball." I smiled as I thought about me at the ball with Aaron for the thousandth time.
"Ball?"
"Yeah, he asked me to the royal ball Friday night..." Now came the hard part.
"Wow! Friday? That's the night before your birthday..." Then she paused, peering closely at my smiling face. "Oh." She said it so listlessly, her expression changing from excitement to worry. "You haven't kissed him yet, have you." It wasn't a question.
My smile barely faltered. "No, but it will definitely happen at the ball."
Anna's face still looked concerned. "But...if you two love each other, why haven't you kissed yet? Aren't you cutting it close?"
"Well..." I had anticipated this. I forced my shoulders to shrug carelessly, even managing a small laugh. "You know Aaron. He's shy. And he doesn't know about the spell," I reminded her, mixing in the truth to make my story more believable. "He's just waiting for the right time." And then I added, "Don't worry! It's going to happen." I held my breath at the end of this sentence and focused on Aaron; the more I thought of him the happier I looked.
Anna scrutinized my jovial expression. "I guess that makes sense..." A few moments more of hesitation, and then her face broke into a smile. "Well, great! That's one less thing to worry about. Now we can focus on getting you ready for the best night of your life!"
"Thanks Anna." I hugged her, immensely relieved. I hadn't been sure if she would buy my story, but it seemed to work. The last thing I wanted was for Anna to think I would die in three days. I wanted my last days to be fun, not sad. I figured I would go to the ball and the spell would be broken and she'd figure it out later. I would keep everyone happy as long as I could. Anna had called it the best night of my life, and I was determined to make it so.
Yeah, the best. And last.
A/N: Do I need to beg? PLEASE REVIEW! :)
