Chapter Nine: A What?

"Hey Daisy," Peach said one morning. "Would you mind going out on a double date?"

"A What? Where?" she asked.

"A double date! I was thinking maybe us and the Mario Brothers would go down to Koopa Beach and play some volleyball. You could swim too if you wanted," Peach said.

"Um...I guess so," Daisy said. "Mario finally asked you out?"

"Well, I wouldn't say 'asked out', but he asked me if you and I wanted to go with him and Luigi down to the beach," Peach explained. "He told me to ask you too."

"Sure, I'll go," Daisy told her. "When?"

"Tomorrow," Peach said.

"Fine, but don't think I'm going to be all...smitten with Luigi," Daisy said. Peach nodded, and that was the end of that conversation.

Her and Peach played singles on the tennis court. The two princesses sometimes bonded like this, if bonding was even the right word. They hung out, and Daisy didn't mind Peach that much. Perhaps she'd been a little overdramatic with Waluigi about that. She didn't really consider Peach her best friend, but they did hang out sometimes. They didn't talk about personal things, but sometimes some interesting conversation came up.

"So," Peach said that evening. "have you ever had a man in your life?"

"Nope," Daisy replied as they sat together by the fireplace. "I didn't think I needed one really. I can take care of myself."

"So, you never thought about having a boyfriend or someone you could spend the rest of your life with?" Peach asked.

"Well," Daisy sighed. "I do have to admit, I've thought about that one. It'd be nice to have someone like that."

"I've been thinking about all that and more," Peach said. "Do you think I'll ever get it?"

"I don't know," Daisy said. "I'm not really the expert on that sort of thing."

"Well, I was hoping one day Mario and I...could have something like that," Peach sighed, staring into the flames. "After all, he's saved me so many times and I've had a lot of fun with him. It's just right now, it seems all we are...it's just a friendship."

"I think when the time is right, you should talk to him about this, not me," Daisy said, shifting her position.

"I just thought I'd tell you because...you're my friend Daisy," Peach said, looking at the other princess.

"Thanks," Daisy said. "I think that you and Mario have a chance together."

"You think?" Peach said, her eye glimmering with hope.

"Of course," Daisy said. "I don't think Mario has anyone else in his life...like that. You hang with him a lot, and I'm not the type for dating. Not that I'm interested in Mario anyway like that."

Peach sighed again, and Daisy took into consideration that everything she just said Peach may not have heard. They sat together, looking at the flames in the study where Toadsworth was just an hour ago. They came here to talk sometimes, for it was one of the few places in the castle that had a pretty fireplace.

"Well ya know," Peach began. "That Luigi, he's pretty nice..."

"Peach! I don't know," Daisy said, looking back to the flames. "I don't think I want anything like that right now in my life."

"He likes you," Peach told her. "Mario talked about it last time we went golfing together. Luigi was at home that day, but Mario kept saying how Luigi would talk about you. Then he told me that Luigi liked you."

Daisy was silent at that piece of information. Luigi was interested in her, but she wasn't sure if she was in return. Waluigi seemed a little more appealing to her at the moment. She'd spent more time with him and she knew him better already.

"Well, let's just see how this double date goes then, if you could call it that," Daisy said.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Peach said. "I'm glad we had this talk. That's been in me for so long I had to tell someone. You have anything you want to get off of your chest?"

"...Nope," Daisy replied. "Nothing I can think of. But, I'll tell you if I do."

Peach smiled. "Okay. Good night Daisy." Peach got up and walked out of the study and into her room for the night.

"You're hanging out with someone," Toadsworth said from behind her. Daisy wasn't surprised to hear him, for she heard another door open and it was after he'd said those words when he hopped up onto the office chair.

"Yep," Daisy said. "But you're not going to tell Peach who because I won't tell you."

"Fine with me," Toadsworth said. "I don't even want to know. You can get into trouble I learned after spending a week with you. You don't mean to get into it, it just sort of...finds you."

"You're right about that," Daisy said. "Well, I'm goin' to bed. Good night, Toadsworth."

"Before you do," Toadsworth said, making her stop. "Just tell me it's not Wario."

"It's NOT Wario!" Daisy exclaimed. "EW! That would be so wrong. Good night, Toadsworth."

She then left the study, and heading up to her room, she thought of Waluigi. When she climbed into bed, she texted:

Gotta go with Peach to beach tomorrow. Might have fun, but when's next time for you and me?

A few minutes later, Waluigi texted her back:

We can play some dodgeball. Wario's havin a party in a few days. No bowser so ur good. Boo should b there 2. I'll text u with a date. Find any work?

She texted instantly back:

Sry, didnt look. I will, promise. I'll go to the party.

Another text:

Cool. TTYL, Daisy :-)

And her final text:

SYL, Waluigi... :)