Chapter 20 (Rosie):

I know I should be worried or tense, but I just feel free as we zip through the empty streets. It's nice to just be seventeen for a night. The anticipation of the upcoming night out practically crackles in the air. Everyone looks so happy, even Petros and Megrin, who have finally stopped looking over their shoulders and actually started enjoying their stay here.

The rest of the island is going to bed, but our night is just getting started. The full moon hangs high in the sky, illuminating our ride through cobblestone streets, past sleeping shops and quiet homes.

Ed rounds the corner on the Vespa and the others follow. A warm familiar feeling floods my body. I know this street. It's home to Lucio's, the best native food on the island. My grandfather knows the owner, Señor Lucio. They grew up together. My mother used to bring me to the restaurant all the time when I was growing up. I'd eat the arroz con pollo a la Fiorre, an old family recipe that was always one of Señor Lucio's favorites, and Mother would talk to all of her peasant friends. Before Mother married Father and became queen, she was a peasant too. It was important to her to never forget where she came from. Those nights we spent at Lucio's were some of my favorites.

Ed signals the others and to my surprise, they all pull up in front of Lucio's and park the Vespas.

"What are we doing here?" I ask as I climb off of the back of the scooter and pull off my helmet.

"Surprise." Ed grins.

"But it's closed." I follow him to the front door.

"Is it?" Ed winks, then pulls open the door. Petros, Megrin, Armando and Carter follow us inside.

The restaurant is empty, but all the lights are on. The black and red checkered floor is clear. All of the tables are pushed off to the side with the wooden chairs on top. Señor Lucio smiles from behind the counter when he sees me.

"Hola mija."

"Hola Señor." I smile back.

"Who are your friends?" he asks, already pulling out a pitcher of ice water and pouring it into six glasses.

"This is my best friend Carter and her boyfriend Armando," I say quickly, but the term "her boyfriend" still gets stuck. Apparently they're official now, I guess. I don't know. It's all still so weird to me.

"My friend Edwin," I continue, pointing at Ed. "And two foreign exchange students visiting from Greece, Meg and Peter."

"Nice to meet you." Señor Lucio shakes everyone's hand. "Any friend of Rosalinda's are friends of mine. And Ed, nice to see you again."

"Again?" I look to Ed for clarification.

"He came by earlier today to ask my permission to rent out this place for the night," Señor Lucio explains. "And I say, 'Anything for mi reina.'"

I laugh, a little shocked and a lot pleased all at the same time.

Carter starts swaying, moving her hips to the Latin beats pulsing through the restaurant. She grabs Armando's hand and pull him out into the middle of the room, where the two of them start dancing. I wouldn't exactly call the dance a salsa, but it's something similar, combined with moves that would look right at home at an American high school prom. At one point, Armando pulls Carter in really close and runs his hand down the side of her body. I mean, I get that it's Carter's life and her choices, but I don't like the way Armando looks at her sometimes or the cheap way he treats her. They were making out for weeks before he'd even call her his girlfriend.

"Hey, I know that face!" Ed's voice breaks through my thoughts and I tear my eyes away from Carter and Armando "No worrying tonight. It's your night off, remember?"

"Yeah, I know." I set my purse aside and let Ed pull me onto the dance floor beside Carter and Armando, who are kissing now.

"How did you know that this is where I would want to go tonight?" I ask Ed as we dance.

"I asked our mom about places on the island that were special to you." He shrugs. "She recommended this place. Why? Don't you like it?"

"Of course I do." I squeeze his arm. "It's really personal to be back here. It's the perfect place to unwind."

"Good." Ed smiles.

"Thank you." I lower my voice and look him in the eyes. "For everything. You've been such a big help ever since we got here."

Ed shrugs. "What are friends for? That dress is amazing by the way. You look beautiful."

"Thanks." I beam. It's nice to dress for me, instead of the throne, if you know what I mean."

Ed nods and I know that he gets it. I don't know how he does that, always somehow understanding what I'm going through, what I need, but he does. Sometimes better than anyone else, including Carter.

Ed's phone rings. He glances down at the caller I.D. and his smile gets even bigger. "It's Brooke. Sorry I've gotta take this."

"Yeah, no problem." I drop his hands and he rushes outside to talk to Brooke.

It feels a little awkward standing in the middle of the room by myself, especially since Carter and Armando are nowhere to be found, so I walk back over to the front counter where Señor Lucio has my food set out for me along with a cup of ice water with a lemon wedge on the glass, the way I like it. Petros is there too, enjoying another one of Lucio's signature dishes with a side of super hot salsa and homemade corn tortillas. Megrin is over at the bar, flirting like crazy with the bartender and downing what looks like her second or third margarita, not that there's much that I can do about it. Megrin's eighteen, which means that here in Costa Luna, she can legally drink alcohol.

Petros follows my gaze and sighs, swishing his straw around in his drink, making all the ice clink against the side of the glass. "Be honest with me, Rosie. Should I be worried about her? I mean, she was always the party girl back home, but it was never this bad."

I like how he called me Rosie instead of Rosalinda.

"I don't know," I admit. "She's been through a lot. This may just be her way of trying to deal with it all."

"But what do I do to help her?"

"The same thing you've been doing – standing by her side and doing whatever it takes to keep her safe."

He nods, but he doesn't seem satisfied and I know exactly why. He feels helpless, just like me. I mean, I'm queen of the entire island and I'm stuck in my office all day, rather than being able to get out there and actually make a real difference. My best friend is dating someone who's worked for me for years, but is practically a stranger to me, while my new friends are in constant danger of losing their lives. Meanwhile, I'm writing speeches and approving budgets. It's not enough anymore. I need to actually do something.

I glance around the restaurant. Carter and Armando are still MIA, presumably making out in some dark corner. Megrin's still flirting and drinking and Ed's coming back from his phone call. I lean over to the prince as casually as possible.

"Petros, I need your help…