The President's Daughter

19

19
Four months later.

I'm president now. I have been for two months now. After we fixed up the city I had my Presidential Ceremony. I feel weird when ever I think about it too much. I never wanted to be president. But I guess it never really mattered because I still had years before it. And now, I'm 16 and president.

Today is Calvins birthday. He would be 19. I wonder if they celebrate birthdays where he's at. I mean, it would be kind of awkward to celebrate your life when your dead. But I still got him a birthday gift. I got him a story.
I remember how much Calvin loved stories. But only true ones. He never liked the make believe for some reason.
I walk to the library, my journal in my hands, close to my heart.
My house was completely burned down. Except for the library. Calvin would have been very happy and I can picture Dulce in my head, mumbling about why the kitchen couldnt be the room that survived. I laugh to myself when I think about how funny Dulce was. He was a jokester. Well, he wa when my parents weren't looking. Which made him even funnier.
I sit in Calvins favorite chair. It was my grandfathers chair. He used to sit in it and read us stories while we sat down by his feet. My parents weren't president yet but we still lived with my grandparents. Grandfather gave Calvin this chair on his 7th birthday, told him that it was his turn to start having adventous so he could tell his grandchildren the stories. Grandfather passed away three days later.

I open my journal to my book mark and look up to the ceiling.
"happy birthday, Calvin. I have a story for you." I look down at the words in my delicate handwriting. "it's a true story. Its kind of sad. But it has a little humor in it," I think of Dulce. "and children," I think of jayla who only liked stories that had children in them. "and love." I think of my parents and the live that they shared.
"so here it goes: there was man who was betrothed to the presidents daughter. It was an arranged marriage and all the man wanted was power. He thought he was clever, but one night the daughter over heard him talking about his evil plan and the marriage was called off. Since then, the presidents daughter married a different man, still arranged, but they had love. They grew up and had four kids. Their names where Calvin, Dulce, Braydon, and Jayla. And I know what your thinking and your wrong, Braydon is a girl, not a boy." I laugh to myself. I tell them the story of what all happened to me, even including what Uncle Ben told me.
It turns out Mr. Collins was the man that was arranged to marry my mom. He was power hungry and she heard about his plan to take over the state, she had him exiled. I asked Uncle Ben to look into it some more and he found a picture of Mr. Collins and a women named Ruth Cook. I was right. Casey does look like his mom.
Mr. Collins never let go of his plans to take over the state.
Uncle Ben was a prisoner of Mr. Collins, that's how he knows all this. He knew the truth. And now I do to. I know who killed my parents and why. But I still don't know why I'm still alive.
Uncle Ben told me all about how he was taken prisoner by Mr. Collins. He told me about how he got free and how he got an army together in a week. He also told me about his attack on a train that was going to a safe house. The train jayla was on. He cried himself to sleep for months knowing he was the reason my little sister was dead. I cried for months too, knowing that Uncle Ben killed my sister, And Casey killed the rest of my family.
I haven't seen Casey since the night he jumped off my balcony. I dont know what I would do if he did come back. would I kiss him or kill him? I hope he doesn't come around so I won't get the chance to find out.

"tomorrow morning we will have a trail for the men responsible for the death of the presidents and their family. This trail will not be ran by a jury. I will the decide the fate of these men, along with my vice president, Ben Reed." I say to a bunch of cameras and news reporters. I'm wearing the red and white pant suit I wore the day I told my family that I didn't want to be president. I made my uncle my vice president so I would not have to go through this by myself.
Tomorrow I will decide whether Quinn Collins is guilty or innocent. If it was up to me, he wouldn't even have a trail. But the state says that every man deserves a trail.

I no longer take the elevator to the speech stage or to my house. It holds to many hard memories that I would rather forget, but of course I won't. I have Ben drive me everywhere I go. I feel safe when I'm around him. He's like my second dad. He was always there for me, mostly to save my life.
We drive in silence as I stare out the window. The sun was shining and people were walking down the streets with smiles on their faces. "there's been no sign of Casey Collins." says Ben. The smile that was just on my face, falls. "oh." is all I say.
"I heard from one of the prisoners that you and Casey were..." he trails off like too embarrassed to say it. I just shake my head. "he lied to me." was all I said because it was the most honest thing I could say to describe our relationship. He lied when he said he hated me. He lied when he said he was sorry about what happened to my parents. He lied when he said he loved me. He's a liar. it's as simple as that.

I can't sleep. How could anyone sleep when they are about to face the man who is responsible for killing their parents? I'm nit supposed to walk around by myself. My uncles rule. But as I slip my silk robe and slippers on, the last thing I think about is getting security. I walk out to the garden. It's the one place where I was never allowed. Not until I am 18. But I ignore the 'no entrance' sign as I walk by the roses. My mom loved roses, especially the white ones. I like the yellow ones better. I am drawn to the center of the garden where I see the most beautiful fountain. I see the power cord and don't hesitate to plug it in. All around me lights glow and glisten off the new flowing waters. "I've never seen you in here before." I don't even had to turn around to know that Casey Collins is standing right behind me.
But I do anyway, just so I can see his face. "get out." I say sternly.
"I would. If you were armed, which your not. I thought I told you not to go anywhere with out caring something." he says in is usual annoyed voice. "how do you know I'm not?" just as the words leave my mouth, I press the security button on my bracelet. A full armed team will be here in a minute. "what are you doing here?" I ask bitterly. He walks toward me and my feet feel frozen, like the statue in the fountain. He places his hand around my neck and looks into my eyes, "I missed you madam president," he says with a slight laugh. "I went four months with out seeing you. I thought you wanted to see me too." I regain movement in my feet and quickly use it to step away from him. "I only wanted to see you if you were hanging from a noose." I spit. Where are the guards? Casey comes after me and places his hands on my arms, holding me in place. "i know you hate me. I even hate me. But I love you. What can I do to have you forgive me?" he brings his face close into mine, his lips lightly brushes against mine. "you can bring my family back." I whisper. He slowly pulls away. He looks me in the eyes one more time, before my guards come in, taking Casey by the arms. But Casey doesn't fight back. He just stands their and let's twenty guards come between us. My uncle runs out and stands between me and Casey. "Casey Collins. We've been looking for you." uncle Ben says it with fire and anger in his eyes. "I I ever see you even look at my Niece again, I send you to your death bed myself." he spits.
I look at the ground, trying to conceal my tears. "Braydon, are you okay?" he asks. I just nod my head. "yes. I'm going back to bed now." I run as fast as my broken heart will let me.

I'm about to run into my room when a woman calls my name. "aunt lily?" I ask as she runs to me. As her fiery red hair flaps in the wind as she runs there is no mistaking that it was my favorite aunt and godmother. "aunt lily!" I exclaim as she pulls me into a breath taking hug. "I missed you so much." I say into her hair. She let's me go but holds on to both my hands. "you look so beautiful. So grown up." she says.
"a war does make a kid grow up faster." it was supposed to be a joke but I could see by how fast her face fell that it was as funny as I thought. "Braydon, is there something you need to tell me?" I look past Lily and see Uncle Ben standing behind her, a scowl on his face. "did...did he....did he kiss you?" he asks. My aunts light shine. "you were kissed? By who? Do you like him?" I step away from both of them. "no." I walk back to room with out another word