Pretending to be a Guard

Part 1

"Evangeline, wake up already. It's already 4:30! The royals wake up at 6:00!" One of my roommates, Nella Rondel, says rushedly.
"Leave me alone," I complain, burying my face into my pillow. "Wait- 4:30?!?" I fling my bedsheets aside, accidentally smacking Nella in the face. 
She sighs. "I'm glad you woke up," She says after a moment. "But next time, watch your hands."
"Sorry, Nella," I say sheepishly.
"Eva, did you see my belt?" Calls my other roommate, Patrisha Ertin from inside the bathroom.
"You lost your belt?" The final roommate, but most definitely not the least, Eloise Linder cries.
Patrisha and Eloise proceed to argue about responsibilities. 
Usually, we have nicknames for each other, but we don't use them in the morning, just so you know.
"Quit bickering, and start getting ready!" Nell yells, so fiercely, we all scramble to shower and put on our uniforms. 
"Geez, Nell," Patri mutters. "You're really scary sometimes, you know that?"
"I do work hard to prove that the boy guards are fools to underestimate us girls." Nell agreed, a slight smirk on her face. 
"They most certainly are," Lo, Patri and I all say in unison, without hesitation.
Some boy guards were sexist jerks.
Just because they're built to be stronger doesn't mean they can brag about it, yet they do, and trust me, some of them rarely exercise because of that.
Losers. You don't play the game, you don't get the reward, so obviously, the girls, who exercise 24/7, thanks very much, are stronger than the guys who just stand around.
Don't get me wrong though. Some boys are actually nice people. No one should have a set personality for everyone in the opposite gender.
Anyways, we head to the dining room, grabbing our rations.
We don't get as much food as the royals, but we still get enough food.
It's still delicious, so I'm not going to complain.
"See you guys after our shifts," I say wryly, saluting.
My roommates wave goodbye, and I go patrol around the gardens for a couple of hours, until I hear someone yelling my name.
"Evangeline! Over here!" Says Princess Carletta. She's one of the middle children in the royal family, and the nicest one to the workers and civilians. 
"Omg, Carletta, you're too high of a ranking to speak to those... lower classes." Lady Lana sneers. Lady Lana is Carletta's cousin.
She has a very different personality. It brings meaning to the words you don't choose who your family is.
Carletta, like the awesome person she is, ignores Lana.
"Your majesty," I say, bowing to Carletta, not even acknowledging Lana, since I know pretending she wasn't here will make her seeth. It's plenty of fun to watch, in all honesty.
Carletta loops her hand through mine.
"You know I want you to call me Carletta, Evangeline!" Carletta scolds, in a sweet way, which sounds impossible, but if you meet the bubbly princess, you'll know it's not. "Now, come on! Let's talk!" 
"Carletta, I can't- I have a shift-" I protest, but Carletta shakes her head. 
"We can talk in the garden, and you can keep me safe while we're talking, so there!" She says firmly, walking me around the garden, leaving Lana to let out a hmph and march back inside haughtily.
"So, we're having a ball tonight," The extrovert babbles, but obviously, I don't mind her talking. "And I want you to come with me! I can give you a makeover!" 
I flinch. A makeover. I want one, believe me. Catlett does amazing makeovers, but I can't go to the ball.
Guards don't go to balls, and I try explaining this to her.
I also didn't want to go without my friends. I try to explain that too. 
"Eva, please? I'm sure my parents will say yes! I can ask our friends too! Pleaseeee?" Carletta launches the ultimate weapon.
The puppy eyes.
I clear my throat. I mean, my friends always talk about how they want to go to the ball someday...
And I could really, really use a break.
"Fine," I sigh, pretending to be hesitant, but screaming of joy on the inside.
Carletta does a happy dance in her light blue dress.
"Yay!" She giggles, hopping around. "I'll go tell my parents and our friends! Come to my door with our friends at 3:00 pm!"
I crack a smile, and give her a bow as she bounds back inside.