THE BAD GUYS IN: raising princess

Party

Princess was sitting cross-legged on her bed, completely absorbed in the pages of her latest novel. At 15, she had become an expert at losing herself in the worlds of the books she read, and today was no different. The soft light from her desk lamp made the words on the page seem to glow, and she was inching closer to the most exciting part of the story.

Just as she turned the page, a sudden noise startled her. The distinct sound of something—or rather someone—climbing up her window ledge caught her attention. Before she could react, a familiar voice called out, loud and enthusiastic.

"HEY, Princess! GUESS WHAT?"

Princess jumped in surprise, her book slipping from her hands as her heart skipped a beat. She looked up, her eyes wide in shock, as the source of the voice appeared—Claudine, hanging casually from her window frame with a mischievous grin plastered on her face.

"Ah! Claudine!" Princess gasped, her hand pressed to her chest. "Did you just climb through my window?"

Claudine, ever the daredevil, dropped into the room with a smooth landing, looking completely unfazed. Her long, messy hair tumbled around her shoulders as she straightened up and gave Princess a playful wink. "Well, yeah," she replied with her usual nonchalance. "Remember Zoey Del Vecchio?"

Princess blinked, still trying to catch her breath. She'd never gotten used to Claudine's unpredictable ways. "Zoey Del Vecchio?" she repeated, confusion creeping into her voice. "What does she have to do with you sneaking into my window like a ninja?"

Claudine leaned against the windowsill, looking smug. "Well, it's kind of a big deal," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Her parents are going out of town for the whole weekend, and she's throwing a party."

Princess sat back in her chair, trying to process the sudden shift in the conversation. She knew Zoey, of course—Zoey was one of the popular girls at school, always in the spotlight. A party at her house could mean anything from a casual hangout to an extravagant event, and Claudine wasn't the type to miss out on any of it.

"Wait, what?" Princess asked, her eyebrows raising. "Zoey's parents are leaving, and you're already planning to crash her party?"

Claudine gave her a mischievous grin. "I wouldn't say 'crash.' I prefer 'attend as a VIP.' Besides, Zoey specifically invited me. And I knew you'd want in, too."

Princess stared at her, still processing. "But... you just climbed through my window, like you couldn't even wait to call me first?"

Claudine laughed, brushing off Princess's concern. "Texting takes too long. Besides, I had to tell you right now! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Zoey's parties are legendary. If we don't go, we'll regret it."

Princess bit her lip, torn between the sudden excitement in Claudine's voice and the fact that she'd been happily lost in her book just moments before. She was a little hesitant, unsure about attending a party like Zoey's. It wasn't really her scene, and she hadn't been to many of these kinds of events before. But then again, how often did her best friend barge into her room with news this big?

"Claudine, you really need to stop climbing into my window like this," Princess said with a smirk, though her tone betrayed her amusement. "But... a party, huh?" She paused, glancing at her book, then back at Claudine.

"So what do you say, we should go"

But she frowned, "I can't"

"What?! Why?!"

"Because I don't think my family (the bad guys) would let me go"

"But it's a party, it's Zoey Del Vecchio party"