Tess's POV
I have no idea what Matthew has planned, and it seems like he doesn't know either. But I trust Matthew, and I'm sure he'll think of something along the way. We could be going to the mall, a national landmark, a science museum, another kind of museum. But I know for sure that it's a place where we could just be ourselves as normal people. Just a boy, and just a girl.
I go to my room to change, even though I can't bear to part with Matt. Am I being too clingy? I just don't want to lose him again.
I put on white shorts and wear these canvas sneakers I find in my closet. If I remember correctly, Converse was a big brand back then. As much as I want to wear Matthew's shirt forever (it smells like him) I substitute it with a soft, melon-colored sweater. I'm so happy to have my necklace and my ring back. I feel so myself again. It's that moment when you don't know what you've been missing, and once you get it back, you feel comfortable in your own skin again. Matthew took out my braided hairdo a while ago, so I just brush my hair and put it in a ponytail.
I walk down to the foyer and Matthew's already waiting. Why do men make it look so effortless to get dressed?
"Love, you look very nice," he says, putting his hand in mine when I reach him.
"And you don't look too bad yourself, Prince Matthew," I say, as we walk to his car. The air is brisk and dandelion-filled, and I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to pollen, but I take a deep breath anyway to admire the spring air.
Matt wrinkles his nose. "Don't call me that."
"What should I call you then?" We reach his car and he opens the door for me. "Do your parents know we're leaving?"
He shakes his head and goes around to get in the driver's seat. "I told the guards outside their room to tell them, though."
"Why couldn't you tell them yourself?" I wonder aloud. Then his face shows all the embarrassment in the world.
"I didn't want to 'interrupt' them," he says, using air quotes before starting the car.
"No!" I say. "They did not! Your parents?! The king and queen of Illéa?!"
"Yes, my parents. The man and the woman that made five children."
"Oh, my gosh. I will never be able to look at your parents the same way again."
"Love, they're going to be your parents soon."
I gasp. "Goodness gracious, Matt. I'd be scarred for life."
"Well, I didn't see them, but I did hear them, and they were loud," he says, drawing out the last word.
I laugh. "That's hilarious."
"No, it's not. It's wrong and an injustice to all children."
"But you're not a child," I argue.
"Nineteen still isn't a proper age to know your parents still bang each other when they don't want any kids! There is no proper age!"
I just keep laughing. He sounds like he's exaggerating, but that would've been so awkward for any person. "Oh, look!" He points at a warm yellow house with a tire swing on a tree branch. The house in my dreams and in a picture in Matt's room. "That's Grandma Magda's house."
"Were you ever that kid that considered combining the title and then the name in one? Like, GrandMagda?"
He laughs as we drive past the house. "I can't say I haven't tried. My mother wasn't very impressed."
I laugh and we drive along the winding path. "Do you have any idea where we're going?"
He nods. "Yep. I hope you'll like it. It'll take a while for me to be happy about it, considering I hate clowns."
I frown. "Clowns?"
"I hate clowns, you're ticklish, we all have our weird things about us."
I stare at him with my mouth open. "Who told you I was ticklish?"
"I didn't have to ask anyone." He grins. "I have something to hold over your head now."
"No! Being ticklish is a natural human reflex. Hating clowns is just...not understandable."
"Are you kidding me?" he say, horrified. "Why do they were that much makeup? I mean, it's like they're going to be Miss Illéa or something!"
"Is that it? Is that your brilliant reason why you hate clowns?"
"But wait! There's more." He sounds like those television salesmen. "They try to cheer children up, but they end up scaring them. That's a crime in and of itself."
"Matt, that's a pathetic excuse."
"Tess, you're entitled to your opinions, I'm entitled to mine. That's how we work."
I laugh. "Okay, so you think you're a good kisser and I think you're not. Is that how we work?"
"No. It's a fact, not an opinion," he deadpans, but he's smiling, the sides of his eyes crinkling a little.
I laugh again and my cheeks hurt so much. "Mmhmm. Yeah, sure."
There's a slight pause. "Am I a good kisser?"
I turn to him and raise my eyebrow. "Matthew, I wouldn't have been making out with you for the past hour and a half if I thought you were a terrible kisser."
"Because I've only ever kissed you. Well, there was this one slut at the Italian night club we went to and she shoved her tongue down my throat."
I look at him, appalled. "What did you do?"
"Shove her away, of course! I would never cheat on you. I have many flaws, but lack of faithfulness is now one of them."
"Really?"
"Really."
We spend the next seven minutes in silence as I think about what he's said. I've only ever kissed Matthew, and I don't really know what to think that he's kissed another girl. I can't really hold it against him since someone basically mouth-raped him, but still. I don't know what to think.
"Hey, it didn't mean anything," he finally says. "I love you, not her. I don't even remember her name."
"You're good with names," I spitefully reply. "You probably do."
"Tess." He stops at a stoplight and takes my hand. "I've only ever loved you. And I will only ever love of you. I hate that girl so much because I feel so bad that I did that to you, unintentionally, might I say."
"Did you kiss her back?"
"Of course not! Even though I was halfway sober and she was extremely drunk, I did not kiss her back. I had more than half a mind to know that that was wrong. I'm really sorry, love."
"It's okay," I say timidly.
He sighs and steps on the gas pedal. "We're here," he says, his voice suddenly sullen.
I see a large Ferris wheel rise out of the middle of the...amusement park?
"Hey," he says, putting his finger on my chin and turning my face to him. "I will love you until the day I die, and I'm sorry that it ever happened. Truly." He pulls my lips to his, and suddenly things are right again.
I kiss him one last time and smile. "Okay. Let's go."
He smiles and kisses my nose. We exit the car at the same time and he locks the car. He hands me a pair of aviator sunglasses and puts his own wayfarer ones. "You look really hot in those," I say, sticking my tongue.
He laughs. "You look hotter."
Matt puts his hand in mine as we walk to the entrance.
"Tickets are ten dollars each," the grumpy, stout ticket man says. Matt pulls out his wallet and hands the guy a twenty. "Have a nice day."
"Thanks, you too," I say.
"Tess, I present to you..." He waves his arm for a dramatic gesture. "The Boardwalk."
I look around, and it's so bright and sunny I have to squint. "This place is huge!"
Matt laughs and leads me by the hand. "We used to come here all the time as kids. Then we got more recognizable, and Michael and I had to start attending meetings, and we just couldn't go anymore."
"Has Xander ever been here?"
"Nope. I feel bad that we didn't bring him and Maria along, but I want a whole day just with you."
I smile. "You're sweet."
"Speaking of which..." He pulls me to a stand with colorful plastic bags hanging from the poles. "Cotton candy?"
I smile. "Yup! I don't mind if you want to share. I probably wouldn't finish a whole thing of it."
"Tess, it's just sugar and air."
I shrug and he laughs. He buys a blue one and we walk while eating. "I don't remember the last time I've had cotton candy," I say. "Oh, wait. Duh."
He chuckles. "I don't remember the last time I've been here. I must have been about ten or something."
I nod. "What's your favorite ride here?"
"I don't know. There's this one called the Big Dipper. It's sick. Literally, someone has gotten sick on it."
I scrunch my eyebrows. "Are you sure I'll be able to handle it then?!"
"Tess, you got two fucking knives to the stomach. How can you not ride a roller coasters?"
"I think I'm acrophobic."
He throws the empty cotton candy bag away. "Only one way to find out!"
Matthew's POV
"Matt, Matt, Matt, why the hell are we doing this?" Tess shouts as the wind whistles in our ears. The ride slowly ascends up, the tracks and gears clicking in place.
"Because we only live once!" I yell back.
"But why are we at the very front?!"
I have no time to answer her as the Big Dipper shoots down. Tess's scream is shrill and high. I should have expected that, considering she's a soprano. Her grip on my hand is a vise, and I feel like she's cutting off the circulation to my fingers.
I whoop and yell, "This is awesome!"
"You're mentally unstable!"
I laugh the whole ride as she screams her head off. The ride finally halts to a stop and she's panting. "What. The. Hell. Is. Wrong. With. You."
I laugh and laugh. "Can I pick a ride now?" she says, and I'm slightly scared.
"Uh, sure."
"Okay."
Next thing I know, we're in line for the Haunted Castle ride. "I don't know how you're planning to get revenge on me with the Haunted Castle ride." I look at the theatrical sign with fake cobwebs on it. "Beware," I read aloud. "The boo monster might give you the spooks! Tess, this is...not that scary."
"Why can't I just ride with my boyfriend?" she says, nearly whining. "I want to feel like a child. Come on, just play along."
"Fine, okay. I'll play along."
Tess faces as we walk along the slow-moving line. She puts her arms around my waist. "I like this sweatshirt. It looks good on you."
It's a dark blue sweatshirt that I haven't worn in months. Nothing special about my outfit. "Well, thanks. Your little white shorts look so fine." I try talking like a guy my age, but my lifetime of etiquette and speech refinement requires me to make an effort.
"Matt," she whispers, "don't look now, but those girls behind us are staring at you."
I sneak a glance despite what Tess said. "Matthew!" she says.
"What? They're, like, sixteen. They totally have nothing on you. Look, that girl has white shorts and her ass is not nearly as cute as yours."
"Matthew. Shut. Up. They can hear you!"
"Hey, look. Watch this." I look at the group of four girls and smile. They smile back and giggle to each other when I look away.
Tess rolls her eyes. "So narcissistic."
"But you love me anyway."
"Yeah. Lucky ass."
"Hey, want to shut them up?"
"As long as they stop scoping my boyfriend, yeah."
"Okay, just go along, okay?"
"Okay."
I make my voice slightly louder and put my arms around Tess. "Babe, I love you so much."
"Baby," she says, her voice dripping with affection and sweetness. "I love you more."
"I really want to make out with you."
She giggles. "But there are kids around! Like, those four girls behind us would be like, 'Whoa, this is a PG-13 movie, and we don't have a parent!'"
I smile with my mouth open. "Oh, burn!"
The girls are no longer looking at us. "Awesome," I say. "Good improv."
"Eh, I try."
So we get on the large car for the ride, and I have to admit, I almost pissed my pants. The first pop out thing was a clown puppet. The second one had a knife in its hands. The third one came out of a coffin. "Stay in there! Go die again!" I shout, while Tess next to me is dying of laughter.
We leave the ride and I think ninety-nine percent of my insanity was left in there. "Okay, I forfeit. You win."
"I always win," she says winking. "What time is it?"
I check my watch. "One o'clock."
"Exactly one o'clock?"
"On the dot."
"When do we have to be back at the palace?" she asks, leading me to a booth with a giant stuffed dolphin.
"We have all the time in the world," I say with a smile.
Though I know I'll be the one who will run out of time.
That was a roller coaster of emotions! I based the Boardwalk off Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I've never been there, so sorry for any inaccuracies. I looked at the website.
Thanks for the reviews and I apologize for not being able to reply to them for the past two nights. So I'm putting the reviews of Chapter 3 on here and Chapter 4 for the next one.
LittleMissTori- Haha that was a lot exclamation points! So glad you're liking it! Thanks!
ReadLikeYouMeanIt- Haha Matty boy. And not to make this awkward, I've never seen the Anchorman. Where did you find the "reference" though? I'm oh so curious. Thanks so much!
agb1700- The ball chapter was supposed to come tonight, but it's coming tomorrow instead because I made this chapter. Lurve ya and you're AMAZINGER!
NalissaPatali- Aw you cried? Oh my goodness! I'm surprised my writing affected you that much! And I guess you'll just have to keep reading :) Thanks so much!
theoneforever- Aw thank you! I'm pretty sure I heard you screaming all the way from where you live :P Jk
Kiren- Haha the king is a butthead :P Thanks for reviewing!
winterprincess- Haha my friend read this review and he laughed. No, Matt did not deflower Tess. They just made out quite a lot. It seemed withheld too long and I needed to write a heavy makeout scene :P Thanks for reviewing!
lilythemermaid- *cough cough SO SEXY cough cough* Haha glad it made you happy! LALALALALALALOL- T :)
idk1234- Glad you're loving it! Thank you!
bubble4life- I'll have a chapter of them! Thanks for reviewing!
Love ya!- AcademicGirl
