Chapter 2.

Audrey and Jay were sitting together on the bleachers in the yard, enjoying the sunshine. Jay had just finished training with the team and was now sitting with his girlfriend who had come to watch them play.

„Hey, Jay?" Audrey said in a sickly sweet voice, leaning on his arm and twirling a lock of his hair between her fingers.

„Yeah, babe?" He asked facing her.

„Have you ever thought about cutting your hair?" She asked absentmindedly looking up at him with the most innocent expression she possessed. His long hair was annoying her. He looked like the thief that he was and she was a princess after all, she couldn't be with just anybody. If she were to be with him she had to make sure he at least looked presentable.

„Nah, not really." He told her, furrowing his eyebrows in slight confusion. He had the fleeting feeling she was up to something. „Why?"

„Well, it's not that I don't like it, baby." Audrey said, beating around the bush, trying to use her charms on him. She had to be delicate if she wanted to make him do what she wanted without him realising it. „It's just… I think you'd look so much more handsome with short hair." She told him, smiling sweetly and making sure to flutter her eyelashes inconspicuously.

„Ah, I don't know, Audrey." Jay said, shaking his head slightly. He liked himself the way he was and he was reluctant to make such a big change, like cutting his hair.

„I just thought it would look really good on you." Audrey purred, not giving up. „You'd look like a prince." She smiled convincingly. „Not that you're not my prince already." She giggled and Jay smiled though it was a bit hesitant. He didn't want to change. But it seemed like it would definitely make Audrey happy and she was his girlfriend now, he wanted her to be happy. He decided he'd consider it, for her sake.

„I'll think about it, okay?" He flashed her his trademark grin and her face brightened at once.

„Thanks, Jay-Jay." She smiled at him widely, planting a kiss on his cheek. That's right, she thought smugly, she'd transform him into the perfect prince she wanted, at least he had a bit of potential. If he would only listen to her, everything would be perfect, she thought grinning to herself.

Jay on the other hand was in conflict. Should he do as she wished just to please her, even though he didn't want to? Maybe they could compromise somehow… But how?

„So? What do you think?" Jay asked with a grin the next morning as he approached Audrey, who was currently taking some notebooks out of her locker. She turned to look at him and noticed his hair was pulled back like it had been at Ben's coronation. Well, it wasn't what she wanted per say but it was definitely an improvement.

„It looks good, boo." She drawled out with a smile, thinking it was a step in the right direction. She began scheming in her mind. Next on the list was clothes. Then manners. Maybe she'd even get him to use his full name instead of this silly nickname. Wait… What was his name anyway? She realised she didn't know. Oh, well, she'd get him to tell her.

„Right?" He asked, glad that she approved. He was doing it for her after all. „So, I thought about it and I decided on a compromise. This way it'll be shorter like you wanted but I won't have to cut it." He said kind of proud of himself for thinking of this.

„Yeah. It looks great." Audrey said airily, but her mind was elsewhere, already working on how to get him to change his wardrobe to resemble, well, a prince's. That's when the bells for lessons sounded. It was like a million tiny little bells jingling all at once and that was the sound for the beginning and the ending of a class, curtesy of Beast, ahem, King Adam, who had requested that this be the sound for lessons, as it reminded him of his darling wife every time he heard it (and was related to her since she loved books more than anything - except him and Ben, of course).

"Ooh, class is starting, babe. See you in an hour." Audrey said in a sing-song voice, as she leaned forward to peck Jay on the cheek. Then she whirled around, her cream dress making a swoosh sound as she turned, and clicked her impossibly high heels, marching inside the building.

"Wow, she's got her priorities straightened out." A sarcastic voice sounded behind Jay, who turned around to see a smirking Mal and a smiling Evie standing beside their lockers. He grinned at his friends, as they made their way towards him.

"New hair?" Mal asked teasingly, as she laughed good-heartedly and passed him by, entering the building herself. Jay shook his head with a small laugh and turned back to look at Evie who had stopped right in front of him and was looking up at him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. There was a small mischievous glint in her eyes, which Jay couldn't deny really made their colour stand out.

"Go on." He sighed, with a mockingly pained expression on his face. "Make fun of me." He closed his eyes, wincing as if he was waiting for her to strike him. "I can take it." He whispered brokenly, before cracking one eye open cautiously to see her reaction. Evie's smile was so wide it was about to split her face, but she gave herself a thoughtful expression, as she looked him up and down in assessment.

"Well," She pondered for a moment. "I guess it's not so bad." She told him, her smirk winning over, tugging the corners of her mouth upwards.

"Ahaha, is that so?" Jay asked, leaning closer to her playfully with a devilish grin on his face, making Evie laugh melodically at his antics.

"Actually you look rather handsome." Evie confessed, her smile toning down a bit, her features softening. Jay's grin faltered slightly, his cocky demeanor shaken.

"Ahm... Thanks, Eve." He replied a bit embarrassed, which surprised even him and not just a little. He was always so confident and self-assured, why would her comment make him so flustered... This was so stupid, he face-palmed internally. He knew he looked good, right? Besides, Audrey had already complimented him earlier. And, I mean, come on! This is Evie we're talking about, his best friend in the entire world, why would he be nervous? Mal had teased him about his hair and he had laughed it off, that's what friends do. He almost groaned in frustration.

Luckily, Evie didn't seem to notice.

"Come on, we'll be late." The bluenette announced, sliding her dainty gloved hand in his bigger one and tugging him along towards the door.

Contrary to Jay's belief, however, she had spotted the almost inexistant smidge of red which had slowly crept up his neck. Being her mother's daughter, she had been taught to distinguish the different tints, shades and colours of blush since before she could speak, after all.

Disclaimer: I don't own the picture used for this story.

A/N: As always, I'd love to hear what you think :)