The Princess Sisters (The Princess Sisters Series) (14 page)

Chapter
Twenty

Aurora
tried to pull Dave’s attention away from Belle, but she had her eyes locked on
him like a vise.  They had made their way to the other side of the park and
stood in line waiting for a ride called
Wicked
.

“This
is my favorite ride in the whole park!” Dave exclaimed, pointing up at the huge
yellow roller coaster.  “You guys will love it!”

“Whoa,”
Ariel said as they watched the next car zoom out of a tunnel and take off up
the track like a rocket.

“How
fast are they going?” Aurora asked.

“I
dunno,” Dave said.  “It’s crazy though!  One second you are sitting in the
tunnel, waiting for the ride to start.  The next second, you’re flying out of
the tunnel and then going over the edge and dropping straight down.  It’s
awesome!”

Wicked
did not disappoint!  As the three girls came walking off the ride, they
couldn’t stop talking about it.

“We
have got to do that one again!” Ariel said.

“You
weren’t kidding!” Belle said to Dave.  “It really felt like we were flying!”

“I
know, it’s great!” Dave smiled.

Aurora
smiled and nodded her agreement, but she didn’t walk far before she had to
stop.

“Something
wrong?” Ariel asked.

“I
just feel really dizzy,” she said, holding her head.  “I must have really hit
my head hard,” she added, looking at Dave.

“Do
you want to lie down for a minute?” he asked.  “You could rest in the car for a
little while if you need to.”

“That
might not be a bad idea,” Aurora said.

“Here,
I’ll take you to the car.”  He put his arm around Aurora’s shoulders and began
guiding her toward the exit.

“We’ll
come with you,” Belle said.

“No,
that would be silly for all of us to go,” Dave responded.  “You guys go ahead
and keep riding.  I’ll call you when we’re heading back in and we can figure
out a place to meet.”  Then he and Aurora continued on their way.

“So
what do you want to ride next?” Ariel asked.  But Belle just gave her a dirty
look and stormed away in the opposite direction.

When
they got to the car, Dave handed Aurora a water bottle out of the cooler he had
stashed in the back.  Then he laid the back seat down and helped her climb in.

“Why
don’t you lie down for a little while, and I’ll turn on some music,” Dave said. 
Aurora closed her eyes while Dave turned on the AC and fidgeted with the
radio.

“Thanks,”
she said.

“For
what?” Dave asked.

“For
taking care of me,” Aurora responded.  “I know Belle wasn’t too happy about us
leaving them, or that you even went on the ride with me in the first place.”

“Well,
we’re not going to last the rest of the day if you’re dizzy the whole time,” he
said.

“I
think she likes you,” Aurora said, opening one eye to peer at Dave.

“Who?”
Dave asked.

“Belle,”
Aurora stated.

“Oh...yeah...”
he said, without turning around.

Aurora
closed her eyes again.  “I think she will be pretty pissed to find out you
kissed me.”  This time Dave turned around in his seat.  Aurora smiled, but she
kept her eyes closed, pretending to sleep.

“Were
you planning on telling her?” he asked.

“Well,
she’s going to find out anyway, isn’t she?” Aurora asked.  She was trying to
get Dave to admit that he liked her more than Belle.  Or at least that since
they had kissed, they were going to start dating now.

“It
probably would be better if we didn’t tell anyone,” Dave said.  “I don’t want
to mess things up between you guys.”

“She’ll
just have to get over it,” Aurora said.

“Please?”
Dave asked.

Aurora
finally opened her eyes again and looked at Dave, who was still turned around. 
“Yeah, sure,” she finally said.

Do
you want to take a little nap?” Dave asked, trying to change the awkward
subject.

“I
wish I could!” Aurora exclaimed.  “I have trouble even sleeping at night. 
There is no way I would be able to fall asleep during the day!”

“Just
give it a try,” Dave said.  “Here, I’ll help you.”  He climbed over the seat
and sat beside Aurora in the back.

“I’m
telling you, I’m a lost cause,” said Aurora, sitting up on one elbow.

“Then
you’ve got nothing to lose,” Dave said.  “Now lay back down.”  Aurora shrugged and lay back down, with her head resting on Dave’s lap.  He began to gently
start brushing his fingers through her hair.  “Just close your eyes and relax,”
he said.  Aurora did as she was told, and she tried to take deep breaths and
focus on the soft music.  Pretty soon she felt herself begin to relax.  But
just as sleep was about to overtake her, Aurora jerked awake.

“I
don’t know why I even bother!” she said, getting frustrated.

“It’s
okay, just try again,” Dave responded softly.  Aurora closed her eyes again,
and felt the tingles run down her neck and spine as Dave stroked her hair. 
Then he began gently messaging her temples.

“Where
did you learn how to do this?” she whispered.

“Shhhhh,”
Dave said.  “I’ve seen my dad do this a bunch of times when my mom gets a bad
migraine.”

“Be
sure and thank your dad for me,” she said.

“You’ll
never get to sleep if you keep talking,” Dave teased.

Aurora
smiled up at him.  “Okay,” she mouthed.  Aurora could not remember the last
time she felt so relaxed.  But every time she came close to falling asleep, images
of eyes staring at her popped in her head, and she would jerk awake again.  Then
Dave began telling her stories, in an effort to distract Aurora from thinking
about gaping eyes.  The combination of his gentle scalp massages and soft voice
finally worked.  Before Aurora knew what had happened, she was waking up an
hour later.  Her eyes slowly opened and the first thing she noticed was Dave
was no longer by her side.  He was sitting in the front seat with the music
turned down, so he wouldn’t wake her.  Aurora slowly sat up and Dave turned
around in his seat.

“Well
hey there, sleeping beauty!” he said, with a big smile on his face.

“Was
I really asleep?” Aurora asked, stretching.

“Yeah! 
How do you feel?”

Aurora
paused for a moment to see for herself.  “I feel great!” she realized.  “How
long was I out?”

“Only
about an hour,” Dave responded.

“I’m
sorry you had to sit here that whole time,” Aurora said.

“No
worries. I think I may have even snoozed for a minute myself,” Dave said. 
“Well, I guess we better go find Ariel and Belle.”

“Speak
of the devil,” Aurora said, climbing out of the car.

Belle
and Ariel were walking through the parking lot, heading in their direction. 
Dave turned off the car and climbed out, locking the doors behind him.  “Well
hey!” he yelled, waving.  “We were just going to come meet you guys.”

“You
were gone for awhile, so we wanted to come check and make sure everything was
okay,” Belle said.

Aurora
ignored the fact that she was looking at Dave and not her when she said this. 
“Yup, I’m feeling much better,” she said.  “I actually took a nap!”

“Shut
up!” Ariel said, patting her sister on the shoulder.

“I
know, right?” Aurora responded.  “All thanks to Dave here.”

“Oh
really?” Belle asked, looking at Dave.  “What did you do?”

“I
just helped her relax, that’s all,” Dave said, shrugging.

“Relax,
how?” Ariel asked, playfully nudging her sister’s shoulder.

Aurora
laughed, but Belle didn’t take her eyes off Dave.  “Yes, how?” she asked.

“I
massaged her temples, the way my dad does for my mom when she’s got migraines,”
he said.  “Aurora just needed a quiet place to relax and she was able to sleep
just fine.”

“Thanks
again!” Aurora smiled at him.

“No
problem,” Dave said.  “Well, let’s get back on those rides!” he exclaimed,
clapping his hands together.  Belle claimed his arm once again and the two led
the way back inside the park.  Aurora looked at Ariel and the two rolled their
eyes in unison and then followed close behind.

Chapter
Twenty-One

Cinderella
and Snow White lay facing each other on Cinderella's bed, a hand cupped under
each chin with an elbow propping them up.  There was a half eaten bag of nacho
cheese
Doritos
resting between them, which they continuously reached
into with their free hands. 

“So
what do you think they're doing right now?” Snow White asked.

“I
don't want to think about it anymore,” Cinderella said glumly.  “We need to
think of something fun to do ourselves.”

“Let's
see,” Snow White said.  “We can't watch TV, your mom took away your phone, and
we can't go anywhere...there's just so many options!  However shall we pick
just one?” she asked sarcastically.

Cinderella
rolled her eyes and shoved Snow White's elbow out from under her, making Snow
White's head collapse onto the pillow below.

“You
can be really obnoxious sometimes, you know that?” Cinderella said with a
smile.

“Is
that the way you're going to treat the only person who stayed by your side
during imprisonment?”

“It's
true,” Cinderella said.  “But I can't really blame the others for going.  It’s
not their fault I'm stuck here,” she said, motioning around the room.

“You're
right,” Snow White added.  “It’s not their fault, it’s Dave's fault.”

“It's
not Dave's fault either.  He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“I
still choose to blame him,” Snow White said.

Cinderella
laughed.  “You sound like my mom!”

Snow
White threw the chip she was about to eat in Cinderella's direction and it
bounced off her head, landing back in the open bag.  The two of them laughed at
the new game that had been invented as they tried again and again to repeat the
perfect landing.  Orange cheese powder left streaks on their cheeks and in
their hair.  Then the doorbell rang.  They both jumped to their feet and tried
to brush as much powder off themselves, and the bedspread, as possible.

“Who
could that be?” Snow White asked.

Cinderella
shrugged and then paused in her efforts to clean up.  “Oh,” she said, “I bet my
mom just locked herself out.  I'll be right back,” she added as she bounded
down the stairs, taking two at a time.  She pulled open the front door and was
met by the chocolate eyes and perfect smile of Scott Prince.  Cinderella froze.

“Miss
me?” he asked, grinning at her stunned expression.

Cinderella
was finally able to catch her breath.  “Yeah,” she sighed.

“I
was just on my way to Salt Lake to hang out with some friends,” he said,
pointing his thumb toward the parked car outside.  “I wanted to stop to talk to
Dave for a minute, but no one appears to be home.  I know you guys hang out a
lot so I was hoping I’d find him here...” he trailed off.

            Cinderella
smiled up at him, but said nothing.  Her voice seemed to have run away with her
pounding heart.

            “Looks like
you've been having fun without me,” he said, wiping some bright orange cheese
powder off her cheek with his thumb.

            Cinderella's
eyes quickly scanned over her clothing as she frantically tried to brush
additional powder from her body.  She wiped another smudge from her arm and
sheepishly looked into Scott's laughing eyes.

            “We were, uh,
having a
Dorito
fight,” she said.

            Scott put his
hand up.  “No need to explain,” he said.  “So do you know where Dave is?”

            “Yeah,”
Cinderella finally seemed to get her brain working again.  “He’s at Lagoon with
a few of my cousins.”

            “Why aren’t
you with them?” Scott asked.

            “I'm grounded,”
Cinderella said, frowning.  Then realizing her mom could pull in at any moment
she added, “And my mom isn't home, but she could be soon so you better go.  She
would flip if she saw you here!”

            Scott raised
his eyebrows, but didn’t ask for details.  “Well, I don’t want you getting into
any more trouble, so I’ll head out.  Tell Dave I stopped by, will you?”

            Cinderella
nodded and then slowly closed the door behind him.  She stood staring at the
door for several minutes before finally turning around and trudging back up the
stairs.  Scott had come to see her! 
Well, technically he came looking for
his brother, but he was at my house!

            “Ummm Cindy,
come here!” Snow White called from her bedroom.  Cinderella hurried up the last
couple steps and found Snow White with the curtains pushed aside, looking
outside.

            “What's up?”
Cinderella asked.  Snow White turned around and smiled wide at Cinderella then
looked back at the window and pointed.  Cinderella slid the glass door open and
stepped onto the balcony and into the warm night air.  Below her stood Scott,
holding a large pink rose that he had obviously just picked from her mom’s
rosebush.

            “Rupunzel,
Rupunzel, let down your hair!” he cried.

            Cinderella
laughed.  “You've got the wrong princess,” she said.

            “But
Cinderella didn't have a balcony,” he responded.  “Here,” he said, throwing the
rose, underhanded, into the air.  Cinderella leaned forward and caught the
flower just as it was on its way back down.  She brought the soft petals to her
face and breathed in deep.

            “What’s this
for?” Cinderella asked.  She hoped he couldn’t see how bright her cheeks were
turning.

“It’s
a peace offering,” Scott said.  “I just called Dave and he told me you were
grounded because of lying to your mom about staying in Logan.  I’m so sorry! 
My friends are idiots; I never should have let Jenny lie to your mom like
that.”

“It’s
not your fault,” Cinderella said.  She buried her nose in the rose to hide the
huge grin on her face.  It smelled amazing!  “I shouldn’t have done it.  I just
didn’t want to leave.”

“Well,
we didn’t want you to have to leave either, but we should have found a better
way for you to stay,” he went on.  “I guess maybe I should be apologizing to
your mom.  Give her the flower for me, will you?” he asked, grinning.

“Oh
wait!” Cinderella put up her hand to stop Scott from leaving.  She grabbed his
sweatshirt off her dresser and ran back down the stairs and out the front door. 
“Here,” she said, handing it back to him.

“Oh,
awesome!” Scott said.  “Now I don’t have to worry about Dave stealing it.” 
Scott turned to get back in his car, but Cinderella stopped him.

“There’s
one more thing,” she said, hesitating.  Cinderella stood up on her tiptoes and
gave Scott a lingering kiss on his cheek.

Scott
took a step back and looked down.  “Listen Princess, I think...I think we need
to talk.”

“What
about?” Cinderella asked.  She didn’t like the sound of those words.  They
never ended with anything good.

Scott
directed her to the porch steps and they both sat down.  “I’m just afraid I’ve
given you the wrong impression,” he said.  “I really like you.  In fact, I
think you are great!  But we really need to just be friends.”

Cinderella
could feel all her hopes for their future, crushing inside her.  She bit her
lip to keep from crying.  “Why?” she finally asked.

“Well,
you are still in high school,” Scott said.  “Which I still can’t believe,” he
mumbled under his breath.

“Yeah?”

“And
I’m in college,” he said slowly.  “I’m too old for you.”

“Why
does it matter?” Cinderella asked.  “Technically, you’re only three years
older”

“But
we’re in two different worlds right now,” he said.  “High school was a blast,
and I want you to be able to enjoy it.  If we were to start something, I would
be taking high school away from you.  And I just can’t do that!”

“Don’t
I get a say in it?” Cinderella started to sniffle.

“It’s
not even legal,” Scott said.  “And with everything you’ve told me about your
mom, I highly doubt she’d give us her blessing.”

“I’ve
lied to her before,” Cinderella said, quietly.

“Please
don’t,” Scott pleaded.  “I’m not worth it, I promise!”  Cinderella couldn’t
fight the tears any longer. She put her face in her hands and began to cry. 
Scott placed a comforting hand on Cinderella’s shaking shoulder.  “Why don’t
you give me a call when you’re 18 and I’m 21?” he asked.  “I would love to take
you out then.”  He meant for his words to be light-hearted and comforting, but
Cinderella just cried harder.

            They continued
to sit on the steps in silence, neither of them knowing what to say. 
Cinderella was finally able to regain composure and she looked up at Scott
again.  His eyes genuinely looked sad, and his mouth drooped down at the
corners.

“Why
did you kiss me then?” she finally got the courage to ask.

Scott
shifted uncomfortably.  “Because I wanted to,” he answered.  “And because Dave
asked me to.”

Cinderella
looked at him quizzically.

“I
am so sorry!” Scott said again.  “I know I shouldn’t have.  I know it was
stupid on my part.  I let my hormones do the thinking instead of my brain.”

Cinderella
jerked her head up and she looked at Scott again. 
“I can’t believe he just
said that!”

“I’m
sorry,” Scott said, seeing her reaction.  “Maybe I’m being too honest, but
that’s the only way I know how to be.”

“It’s
fine,” Cinderella said, forcing a weak smile.  She wanted to hate Scott right
now, but she still liked him too much!  And the longer they sat together, the
harder it was getting to look at him.  “I need to go,” she finally said.  “My
mom will be home really soon.”

“Are
we okay?” Scott asked.

Cinderella
nodded, then she turned and went back inside.  Scott stared at the closed door
for a moment.  He kicked a rock hard, sending it flying into the bushes beside
her house.  Then, with a final glance up at her empty balcony, he got in his
car and drove away.  Cinderella reached her bedroom, where Snow White was
waiting.

“You
were gone a long time,” Snow White said with a grin.  Then she noticed
Cinderella’s red eyes and blotchy skin.  “What happened?” she asked. 
Cinderella sat on the bed and as she started to relay her story, she felt the
waves of tears wash over her all over again.