Once Upon a Time...

Part Seven

6- Matthew

            "It's so stupid! I didn't even do anything!"

            That was the first thing Amelia said to me as she jumped into the shotgun seat of my car. I looked at her and waited for an explanation, but she seemed too busy fuming to provide one without being prompted.

            "What happened?"

            "My mom woke me up and told me the review papers I filled out on the Disney Channel shows weren't done correctly or something. When I asked her what I did wrong, she said I used a pencil instead of a black pen and that I had to do them all over again! Can you believe it?"

            "So why did you call me?"

            "I can't spend the whole day trapped in my room again. That was so awful. But you realize why she did that, don't you?"

            "I'm guessing it didn't have anything to do with the pencil," I said carefully.

            "No, it didn't. She's punishing me for all of the chaos I've caused in her life lately. And most of it is your fault."

            I couldn't tell if she was kidding or not, so I decided not to take any chances.

            "Sorry."

            "I was just kidding."

            It was quiet for a minute, and then I asked her, "So what are we doing today, exactly?"

            "Something that doesn't have anything to do with Selena Gomez," she moaned.

            Laughing, I replied, "I think I have an idea."

            Amelia and I settled into another silence as drove us to the Animal Kingdom. When she saw the front gates, she moaned.

            "No. I am not going there."

            "Yes you are. And you'll have fun, too."

            "Did you see the grand opening I had to go to the other day on T.V?"

            "Yep."

            "Oh, God. Wasn't that just horrible?"

            "Only a little. Are you referring to your outfit? Because I thought it was kind of cute."

            She didn't even seem to notice my compliment. "It most certainly was NOT! That was the worst costume I've had to wear in months!"

            "So there are others?" I asked mischievously.

            "Um, no," she stuttered, catching her mistake. "But that's not the point. This is just another example of the daily torture my parents put me through for their own enjoyment!"

            "And one would think this is a fourteen-year-old speaking."

            "That's not true. But you would be surprised, if you were put into my shoes for a day, about how mean she is."

            I decided then that it was a good place to drop the subject. "Well, since you're like the princess of Disney or whatever, I'd say you need some time to actually go to Disney."

            She shook her head. "I go do Disney every single day. Remember? That's why I live here. That's the problem."

            I shrugged. "When was the last time you actually got to spend the day at one of the parks and didn't have to dress up or give a speech or smile for a photo shoot?"