I Choose All of You

Chapter Twenty

The morning came all too soon. Hannah pulled the curtains apart and sun filled the room. I turned over, groaning. I hate mornings. I heard the clatter of silver on countertop come from beside me. Peeking over my pillow, I watched Hannah set down a tray of breakfast goodies.

"Tea or coffee?"

"Coffee, please," I mumbled.

Hannah cleared her throat and pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket, "There is a picnic lunch at noon, afterwards you are to have a dress fitting, and dinner with the Princes."

"What's the dress fitting for," I asked, trying to sit up.

"For the ball of course! At the end of the week there will be another ball! I think the theme this time is carnival."

Hannah gushed over the ball. It got me sort of excited for it as well. She helped me pick out a dress for the day.

I slipped on a short lavender bell-sleeve dress with short white heels. Hannah tied my hair back in a half up half down style.

***

I would say the picnic lunch was going swimmingly, but that would be a lie. Kalum completely avoided me. Which I am okay with. I don't find his company much fun anyways. But the fact he makes a point to make every other girl here laugh, then obviously glare at me, is just petty.

Avalon and I stood outside the gazebo and tried each mini cake we could find. We began rating them from worst to best, for scientific reasons of course.

 "With an appetite like that, it's a wonder you aren't already 50 pounds heavier," Nessa spat from behind me.

I spun around. I finished chewing what was in my mouth and swallowed. "If I'm hungry, then imma eat. Try it sometime."

Nessa rolled her eyes at me and called out for Valentina.

Almost on cue, the gazebo doors opened and Valentina walked out, holding onto Prince Kalum's arm.

"Over here, Nessa! The Prince wants to take us for a walk," Valentina called out.

Valentina's voice wasn't pitchy like Nessa's, but it was almost deeper and looming. Which, in the little she spoke, it somehow made her more intimidating. Like her and Nessa were the evil versions of Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Avalon whispered to me under her breath as Nessa took Prince Kalum's other arm, "Out for a walk? What are they? Dogs?"

I snickered and began quickly barking.

The two of us couldn't hide our laughter any longer and began laughing aloud.

Kalum, Valentina, and Nessa all turned to see why we were so loud, in unison.

I caught Prince Jeremiah in the corner of my eye. I saw his smiling face start to approach us, when Chloe cut his path short. I stepped aside to get a better look at theirconversation. Jeremiah and Chloe seemed to chat for a short bit before she took him by the hand and ushered him off. I sighed. Man. I was looking forward to chatting with Jeremiah today.

***

After the fitting with Isaiah, Hannah and I sat on my bedroom floor and chatted till dinner.

"Okay, he's a 10, but he acts like a baby when you hurt his feelings," I say.

"Ohhh, I wonder who this could be," Hannah teased. "I would say 4, but since I know you're talking about the Prince, I'm going to say 8."