My Light in the Night

"You're not a princess." Jake, the cutest boy in school to all but one girl, leaned against the locker. "You aren't even wearing pink." What an i***t. I keeled at the foot of my locker. "Haha." I took out my four text books, three notebooks, and binder for my morning classes. On top of that I put my 703 page fun-reading book and laid my wireless headphones on that. "That, my dear Watson, is a stereotype." I smiled as I lifted my books. "Just like how everyone thinks you're cute. I deify all kinds of stereotypes." I slammed the locker with my foot. "I'm way off limits, too." He pretended not to hear that. "We're going to the same place right? Let me carry your things?" He can't do it. I smiled. "All of them?" "Of course! If I'm to be a prince for you, princess, then I have to be perfect." "Alright..." This will be interesting. I turned to him and offered my books. "Here you go, hot shot." He put his arms under my books. "These are heavy." "Ready?" "What?" I took my hands completely off the books. "Here." "Gah!" Jake dropped to the floor. "How do you lift these?" They aren't that heavy. He's just off balance. I squatted down with a smug grin. "With ease." I took the books from his arms. I shifted them to my right arm and used my left to force on my headphones and the music rang quietly in my ears. "See you in Eshistanian History." I giggled as I thought about the struggle that James had just had with my books. "See ya." I started towards the class with my head held high. Half way there my music gave out and I ducked into the girls' restroom. Damn. I set my things on the shelf and leaned against the sink. I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror. "I am a princess..." Just then the Queen Bee of Eshistan Public, Mary Ann Jones, Jake's sister, entered the restroom. "Well if it isn't the princess who is too good for my brother," she taunted. "What are you doing here?" "Thinking." I pulled out my phone and fixed my music which was now around my neck. "It's a public bathroom." She didn't care. "About being a princess?" Mary began fixing her make up in the mirror. "Bet you don't even have a drop of royal blood in your body. I follow the royal affairs very closely and you don’t even look like the princess... Besides, even you did, you wouldn't go to a crappy, third-rate, public school like this." It doesn't matter… I shook my head in the mirror. "I don't care what you think and it just so happens that I like this ‘crappy, third-rate, public school' that my father pays for. So yeah, just because I wasn't born in wedlock doesn't mean I'm not first in line for the throne." I put my music tight over my ears and picked up my things. But it could mean that soon... I headed for class. I had way too much on my mind right now to think about Mary. It happens tonight anyway... The rest of the day passed with little event. James flirted with me in history, I refused, Mary teased me about my weight in gym, I ignored her, and I said goodbye to each of my teachers, some of which cried. At the end of the day, all of my books were turned in and only the teachers knew I was leaving for good. After the bell at the end of the day a small crowd instantly began to gather around the door. "Whose car is that?" "It's so fancy!" "Is that a chauffeur?!" I walked out the double glass doors with an air of confidence that I didn't usually use in school. The limo was parked directly in front of the doors. Unusual as Walter, my 32 year old chauffeur, had my orders to pick me up ten blocks away from school, which normally amounted to him sitting two blocks away for 20 minutes. I stepped up to the middle aged man. "Why are you here?" "You must get home right away, my lady." He opened the door to reveal the black leather interior. "We must prepare you for tonight. Many of the suitors and their families are already at the palace." Walter leaned a little closer. "Plus, if we don't get there soon, your brother will attempt to get into the pants of all the girls who have come with their brothers." "Fine." I threw my bag into the seat. "I forgot my phone charger in the Chemistry lab." I turned back towards the school. "Hurry back." Walter smiled. I waved him off and entered the school. The crowd that had assembled was now silent and parted way as I walked through as though they were afraid to touch the nerd that went from low class to princess with one glimpse of a long black car. I walked silently past them, head held high. I made my way back to my locker and opened it, peeved that I had nearly forgotten it. Getting my charger had been a lie. I reached into the top of my locker and took out a royal blue shoe box. I knew this would be happening this week so on Monday I had brought a tiara to school hidden in a shoe box. It was a very special tiara. It was the one my mom had worn at her wedding, before the crowning, when she was still the first princess. I didn't take it out yet. It was dangerous enough for me to have it here. I started back towards the doors again. But this time, someone tripped me. My box flew from my hands. "No!" The box and I hit the floor at the same time. The box bounced and the lid fell off. I rushed towards it. If my tiara hits the ground it'll break! I reached forward as the tiara fell towards the floor. I caught the tanzanite and diamond tiara with my fingers just before it hit the floor. I quickly put it back into the box and stood straight. I rushed out to limo. Walter closed the door behind me but I noticed James trying to push his way out, extremely unsuccessfully, to me through the crowd. I sunk down in my seat and noticed a clipboard with pictures and papers clipped to it. "Is this a list of suitors?" "Yes, ma'am." Walter started the car and looked at me in the mirror. "Your father chose some of the best young men in the kingdom and then there are your political suitors who are any of the princes. Your dress will be waiting in your room the moment we arrive. Please change and make your way to the ball room. We would like for you to mingle with the suitors and their families before we move into the throne room for a formal meeting." He started towards the palace "This will be on TV so you have to be a good little princess." I sighed. "I always am." I started in on the profiles "Yes, Princess, you always are."