Changing Tides

1

"Mariah! Mariah Saenz, wake up please!"

Mariah's eyes flew open and she sat up straight, looking around the room. "Wha-- where, who?"

She was in her 3rd Period AP Navarian History class, Mr. Virtue standing next to her while the rest of the class snickered.

"Since you obviously have time for sleeping, can you tell me the year the Great War ended?"

"Um," Mariah hummed, scrunching her face in deep thought. "I--I can't remember..."

"You need to start paying more attention, Mariah. We just went over this chapter Wednesday." Virtue said, turning to the rest of the class. "Can anyone else answer this question for Mariah?"

A girl in the back of the room raised her hand. "It was the year 1915."

"Very good, Miss Croft, thank you."

Miss Croft, perhaps the single most popular girl in the whole school, the whole city even. With good reason, too. She's the daughter of Lord Eric Croft himself.

Mariah groaned inwardly as the teacher went on to explain the homework assignment.

It's not my fault I don't get enough sleep at night. She thought to herself. Hmm, maybe he'll give me an extension on that assignment from last week... Which was due Monday... Damn it, Mariah, focus! He's still talking!

We can't just start listening now, we'd be lost. The second voice in her head said.

Hey, who asked you?!

Just sayin, we're failures anyway. We'll fail this class, our other classes, never graduate, and then we'll cry. And cry some more.

"This assignment is due next Wednesday. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend." Mr. Virtue was saying right as the bell rang, signaling second lunch.

Crap, what'd he say?! Mariah thought, looking around in confusion.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around, almost falling over in surprise. "Oh, um, Miss Croft, what can I do for you?"

Her fellow student looked confused for a moment. "Mr. Virtue partnered us together for this assignment, didn't he?"

"He did?" What assignment?! Damn my short attention span!

"Yes. You did hear what the assignment was, right?"

"Oh, yes, of course." Liar! You heard nothing! NOTHING!

Shut up, you! Mariah gathered her books and put them in her bag quickly. "Sorry, but I should get going before they run out of pizza. Again."

She left the room quickly before her new partner could say anything more.

• • •

"So, let me get this straight." The boy sitting across from Mariah said, taking another bite of his pizza slice. "Miss Croft, the girl every dude wants and every other girl wants to be, is your partner for Mr. Virtue's assignment?"

Mariah sighed. "Yes, Caleb, that's correct."

They were sitting at their usual table within the school lunchroom, amongst a sea of rowdy, hormone-driven teenagers. It was perhaps Mariah's favorite time of the day. If lunch period were for a grade she'd definitely pass with flying colors. No joke.

"Wow... I'm so jealous right now." Caleb said, holding his heart in mock hurt.

"Don't be. It's just for this one time. I honestly don't even know what our project is about."

"Well, if I were the one paired with one of the hottest girls here, we'd definitely be doing much more than studying." Caleb wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Ugh, you're so disgusting."

"I know right? But you love me anyway."

• • •

"Hey, Isabella, that party's still on right?"

"Of course, and don't think of it as a party, Rebecca. It's a festival." Isabella closed her locker door to find her best friend standing there with a happy smile.

Rebecca shrugged. "Party, festival, same thing to me. There'll be food, music, food, boys, did I mention food?"

Isabella rolled her eyes. "It's the Victory Festival and I'm the only one available to host it. My mother and father are still away, along with my older brother. My sisters are too young, so that leaves poor old me."

"'Poor old you?' You should be excited!" Rebecca said, grabbing Isabella's shoulders and shaking her for emphasis. "You get to design the whole thing how you want it, how is that not exciting?!"

Sighing, Isabella shook her head. "It's not that simple. The festival is super important and I have to get it perfect."

"You're Isabella Croft, Princess of Navaria and second-in-line for the Crown. Perfect should be in your middle name. I'm sure you can handle one measly festival."

"Maybe. On the bright side, my father is letting me bring our whole class. That'll make it more interesting."

"Ooo when will you make the announcement? I've been keeping it a secret all week." Rebecca asked, jumping up and down.

Isabella giggled at her friends excitement. "I'll do it during lunch. Which is right now."

• • •

Okay, let's get this over with. Isabella said to herself, taking a few steps onto a polished, wooden pedestal. She waited a few moments for the cafeteria to quiet down before she began.

"Hello my fellow classmates. I would like to thank you once again for accepting me into your school. I am truly humbled for your kindness." Isabella said, her voice projecting perfectly throughout the room. "To show my appreciation, I would like to invite the entire Senior class to the 100th Annual Victory Festival in three weeks time."

The Princess paused and allowed her audience to cheer and applaud. She smiled sweetly at them all before raising her right hand, the gesture quieting them down significantly.

"The festival will be hosted by your's truly at the Royal Palace. You each may bring up to four guests and the ball is strictly formal attire. If you wish to attend you must pick up a special ticket from the main office. That is the only way you will be allowed into the Palace. I hope to see you all there. Have a wonderful weekend, my friends."

The cafeteria erupted into a hundred different conversations at once as Isabella stepped down from her pedestal.

I think that went well. She thought to herself, walking through the exit with a pair of her personal guards.