I'm No Prince

Clover's Closet

The final week alone that the siblings had was now nearing its end. Thursday had come, and was now nearly over. Clover and her sister now sat on her bed, side by side, going over their week.

"Okay," Clover said, legs crossed at the foot of her bed, "we need to flesh out this plan for talking to Mom and Dad. I need to talk about this to them now, or else I'll be way too scared to bring it up when it's necessary."

"Right," Kelsey replied, "we should try and know what you want to say, but remember, Clo'," she scooted closer and put her arms on Clover's shoulder, "you only have to tell them once you're ready. Don't rush into it if you aren't comfortable, sis."

Clover smiled at her sister's concern for her. It was really nice to know somebody would care enough to remind her not to get ahead of herself if it seemed she was rushing it. She really did want to tell her parents, of course, but she knew Kelsey just wanted her to know she could delay if she needed to.

"I think," Clover said, "I have a small idea."

"Tell me, and I'll help you make it a reality, Clover," Kelsey told her, "let's do this thing your way."

"Well," Clover explained, "I think I'd like to have less boyish things in my room, especially when I'm having this conversation. Do you think we could redecorate my room tomorrow, in preparation for Mom and Dad coming back?"

Kelsey grinned, "of course, that sounds wonderful. What are you thinking?"

"Well," Clover started, looking around her room, scrutinizing every minute detail, "I'd really like to get rid of those sports team posters, for one thing. Also," she added, "the colors of the room really don't feel like me anymore."

Kelsey looked around the room as Clover mentioned her distaste for the current decor, nodding along with her sister's plan. As she did, Clover could already seem to hear the gears spinning in Kelsey's head, and she knew her sister was already workshopping plans to suggest for this endeavor. Clover smiled, feeling incredibly lucky.

"That sounds brilliant," Kelsey said after a few minutes of silence, "would you like to call our friends, see if they want to help us out? I get the feeling they'll make the work so much faster, as well as more fun."

Clover smiled, thinking of redecorating her room with Chloe. The kiss from Monday still lingered, and the gentleness of Chloe's embrace was now living rent free in her mind. Heck she loved that girl.

"That," Clover said, "is the best idea ever."

*Friday*

After school, Clover, Kelsey, Jason, and Chloe were gathered in Clover's room, waiting to begin their plan. While Andrew had been too worried about appearances to personalize his room to his own taste, Clover was far too concerned with finally letting the girl inside of her out of the closet. This room would not survive the day without being changed to Clover's true self.

"Chloe," Kelsey said, "where's Harry? Wasn't he supposed to be here too?"

"He did his best," Chloe replied, "but we were so last minute, and he wasn't able to get any time off from his job. Fridays are typically the busiest day for him, anyway."

"No worries at all," Clover said, "Harry's still with us in spirit, I can tell."

"How can you do that," Jason asked, "can you sense his presence in the force or something?"

"I can do anything," Clover laughed, "as long as my twin is close enough. We don't train in telepathy just for reading minds, you know. We can psychically sense anything we desire, our uprising will be swift!"

Chloe, Kelsey, and Jason all burst into laughter, and Clover grinned. As Andrew, she'd been far too shy and unsure of herself to make such bizarre jokes, but as Clover, she already felt like she was way more confident in herself. She laughed alongside her friends, savoring the camaraderie she felt in that moment.

"Okay," Kelsey started as the laughter died down, "last night, me and Clover went around town finding as much decor as we could for this room. We have new posters, sheets, even furniture and wallpaper. Are we all ready to make this room as girly as Clover has designed?"

A resounding "yes!" came from the group, and they immediately set upon tearing down the posters and old wallpaper. Eventually, Clover and Jason decided to move the cramped desk out of the room, replacing it with a larger and cuter one, which even had a mirror, which was why Clover had chosen it. As the desk fell into place, and the new wallpaper went up, Clover found herself smiling once more; this room, which had been a refuge while she was scared and alone, was now a shining monument of who she now was, and she couldn't feel more proud of how it was coming together.

Kelsey and Chloe dropped a beanbag chair into the little nook that had been forgotten and ignored before, and Jason began hanging up posters bearing Clover's new favorite bands on them. As the posters came up, and the room was graced with album covers such as "OK Orchestra" and "Ocean Eyes", Clover felt immense satisfaction crop up inside of her. She'd truly come a long way since she'd first questioned herself, and in a sense, her journey was still only beginning.

The muted blue and gray sheets and pillowcases came off from her bed and pillows, and were quickly replaced by pastel magenta and orange, two of Clover's favorite colors. Her friends gathered around her as the job soon was complete, and the four children clapped their hands in celebration as they looked at the transformation they had wrought upon the previously boyish room. Clover glanced at Chloe, who was staring at her with a gleam in her eye.

"So," Chloe said, grinning deeply, "what do you think of your new room, sweetie?"

"I love it," Clover told her, "I couldn't be more grateful to you guys for making it a reality. I don't know how to make it up to you."

"I can think of some way you could repay me," Chloe said softly, and then grinned in a sheepish way.

Clover grinned and kissed her, taking in the softness of Chloe's lips, and the gentle way that she sank inwards as they lingered in their affection.

Jason made a gagging noise from behind them, and they broke apart, laughing again.

"So," Jason said, "we have now rescued your room from a hideous state of boyhood, ready to take your life by the horns, Clover?"

"Jason," Clover said, arm around Chloe's waist, "I have never been more ready for anything in my entire life."