The Princess in Me

Chapter 4

The flight home was very slow. We had a few layovers. One in Paris and another in New York. But all I could do the whole time was replay what had happened in the early hours of the morning. Random things kept popping into my head about Shawn and when he kissed me. Like how he was always acted like gentleman, except when he threw me into the ocean. Or how he would find my hand and hold it if we were walking somewhere. Or how he smelled so good. He did all of these things and I can't believe I never noticed what was right under my chin until now.

It must be because I don't really have many conversations or hang out with guys, so I don't notice little things about how they act. I mean my best friend is a guy but other than talking to him I don't really talk to any which makes me feel really insecure around them.

When we finally walked into our house I brought my things up to my room and just jumped onto my bed. It felt so good to be in here again. I looked around and everything was in its place. My cluttered desk, my open closet door, my TV, my books on the bookshelf. Everything was where I left it weeks ago when I left.

"Hey Hales... There is a package for you. It came when we were gone." My sister Jenna said.

"Okay thanks!" I said getting up to grab it. I knew who it was from.

I walked down stairs and took the package. It was pretty big. The box was the size of a big microwave but it was not very tall. I carried it into my room. I thought considering its size it would be heavy but it is lighter than I expected.

I opened the box and inside was a bow and arrows with a note attached to the bow. I took it off the bow and it read, "I sent you my first set bow and arrows. And don't be mad that I gave you them. I want you to have them. You have so much talent and you should keep practicing. By the next time I see you I hope you have improved."

I took the bow and arrows out of the box and there was another letter. On the front it said, "Only open when you need it."

Should I open it now? Yes. I grabbed the envelope and opened it. Inside was yet another letter written by Shawn. I started reading it. "I miss you. I really do and if you are reading this right now you probably miss me too. I don't know if I got the nerve to kiss you because I am writing this letter before you leave but I hope I did because my feeling for you are so strong. I can't stop thinking about you. It is hard for me to just do anything else but hang out with you because you are always on my mind. But now you are back home and I am in Kaelan. A thousand miles apart. But I can't wait to see you again. So when you miss me just read this letter and know that I am waiting for you! I can't wait to see you again. I miss you. Just know that whatever happens that I am waiting for you, miss you, and don't you dare thing that I don't care about you! Because I do! I miss you. -Shawn “I miss you too... A tear escaped my eye. I really miss you too.

"Whatcha reading?"

I jumped and quickly wiped the tears from my eyes. "You scared the daylights out of me Cole! When did you sneak up behind me?" I asked my best friend who was wearing a hot pink V-neck shirt and a pair of jeans.

"I was watching you read whatever that was for a few minutes." He said pointing toward the letter still in my hand. "And since I am your best friend I could tell you were upset." His blond hair looked a little longer than two weeks ago when I last saw him. It looked like Justin Bieber's old hair style except it didn't over his face as much.

"Yah... It's because I miss him..." I whispered softly.

"Him! Him? Who?" He asked and his blue-green eyes looked confused. He walked through my door and closed it.

I started from the beginning. How we met when he caught me in his arms in the coffee shop. How we spent every day together. We went to the beach. His favorite spot on the cliff overlooking the ocean. How he taught me archery. To dinners. And then I told him about my last night there. "Umm the last night I was in Kaelan was the worst..."

"What happened?" Cole asked.

"We went and had desert at this place that his friend owns. It was already closed so we were by ourselves. I was in such a sour mood because I knew I was going to be leaving and I didn't want to."

"And..."

"We ate some ice cream. Then danced for the longest time in silence. We went back to my hotel and we said goodbye."

"That can't be why you were upset when I got here."

"No there's more I just wasn't finished yet. Let me finish."

"Okay, sorry for interrupting. Continue." He said.

"When I ran off to get away from him before I broke down crying he stopped me and said he needed to tell me something. And then... And then he... He kissed me." I smiled remembering what it felt like. "It was amazing. I kissed him back."

"He kissed you!" He said clapping his hands. "That was your first kiss! How was it? Amazing I hope!"

"Yeah it was amazing. When he kissed me I wish it could have lasted forever. I didn't want him to stop kissing me. I didn't want to leave and I was scared out of my mind. I just knew I didn't know how to leave him. So when we finally parted ways he promised me that I would see him again."

"You told him all of that?"

"Yah and he sent me something."

"That was what you were looking at when I got here wasn't it?"

"Yeah. He gave me his first set of bows and arrows. But when you came in I was reading the letter he sent with it. Saying he missed me."

"Are you sure he isn't playing you? I don't want you to get hurt. And it seems a little too good to be true."

"No he's not! “I said a little angry.

"Okay. I just don't want you to get your hopes up of he is going to bail on you..."

"I know he won't, just trust me Cole."

"How will you talk to him when he lives so far away?"

"Email. He gave me his email so we could email back and forth."

"Cool. So you want to show me your cool new archery skills?"

"Sure lets go." I grabbed the gift from Shawn and headed down stairs into the backyard and behind the pool to practice.

I got an arrow out and placed it properly on the bow and aimed it at the center of one of the many trees in my backyard. "Here goes nothing." I let go of the bowstring.

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The morning was beautiful. I walked into my beautiful backyard and could smell the sweet smell of fruit. All of our fruit trees where in bloom.

I walked down the patio steps and around the pool. Behind the pool was where our garden and trees were along with a large flat grey rock. I went over and placed a can on the rock. I walked backward and was around 20 yards away now. I aimed an arrow at the tin can sitting on a rock in my backyard and the arrow went straight through the center. It knocked the can off the rock. I drew another clean arrow and released it aiming for an apple hanging from the tree. I hit the target perfectly again and the apple flew off the tree and hit the ground.

Almost a year has passed since I was in Kaelan and I am enjoying the beginning of my summer. My last carefree summer. Thankfully, today is my graduation ceremony. I found it kind of weird that graduation was a week after our last day of school but I wasn't complaining.

Shawn was still always on my mind. I haven't heard from him since he kissed me. I don't know what to think of him anymore. I am really mad with him, but I still can't get over the stupid feelings I have for him. Cole and I don't talk much of Shawn anymore because of the fact that he hasn't talked to me. I keep emailing him though. Telling him how my fricken life is going. Why can’t he just email me back? It really frustrates me... Cole is still my best friend though and I know if he ever sees Shawn he will probably punch his face for not talking to me over the past year. Shawn still comes to the front of my mind on my graduation day. I sighed.

"Hales!" I looked up and my mom yelled for me.

"Yah!" I yelled back to her.

"You need to come in and get ready for your graduation!"

"Okay coming!"

I gathered my arrows and bow and brought them with me inside. The apple I left on the ground. I climbed the stairs to my room and started getting ready.

I started by taking a shower then doing my hair and makeup. When I was finished I put on my graduation dress. A simple blue dress with lacy seams and has a shimmery look to it. I found it while shopping with Cole. Cole has the best style. I always look forward to his suggestions when we go shopping. The dress he basically picked out for me and it is totally gorgeous and I love it. I wish he was here right now so he could have done my makeup because he does it so much better than me.

It's nice having a gay best friend since I'm not very fashionable. He helps me pick out things which comes in handy when I go to occasions like a graduation. He is openly gay with his family and close friends but considering where we are from not many people are okay with it. I love Cole to death and of anyone did something to hurt him they would be in a world of hurt from me. And I know he would do the same for me too.


I looked in the mirror satisfied with my look. I walked out of my room and went down stairs nearly ready to go to graduation.

"You look beautiful Haley!" My mom said getting a little teary eyed.

"Thanks mom!" I said.

"I love you so much. I can't believe my baby girl is so grown up and graduating from high school. She said giving me a hug.

"I love you too." I said. "I really should head over to the convention center in Duluth to get ready. I don't want to be late." Duluth, Minnesota is not far from my house, only like 45 minutes, but it can sometimes take a little longer because of traffic.

"Okay, go. I will see you after." My mom said.

"Okay, bye. " I grabbed my purse off the counter, as well as my cap and gown, and headed to my car.

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My graduation ceremony was wonderful. I shed tears of joy. I can't believe that I am graduated high school and going to be starting college soon. I started walking out of the convention center to look for my family. My mom, dad, my sister Jenna, my brother Ryan, and my grandparents were all here at my graduation. I spotted them and smiled starting to run over to them.

"Excuse me miss." A large man in a suit said cutting in front of me. Then another man joined him blocking my path.

The second man said firmly, "You need to come with us."

'What?' I thought. I was really confused. What did they want from me? "Excuse me." I said back to them. "Why would I come with you? I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Can you just come with us."

"No!"

They showed me their badges that had the Royal Seal of Kaelan on them stating that they were the royal guard there. "You are wanted in Kaelan. You have been summoned by the royal family themselves. Now please come with us. We don't want to have to force you to come with us." The first man said.

"But this is my graduation day. Can't it wait? And how do I know your both not trying to kidnap me or something?" I said.

"We will ask you one more time nicely or we will have to make you come with us using force."

"What about my family? They are going to be very upset! I don't want to leave them!" I said getting upset.

"Don't worry we have other guards that are going to talk to them and round up your things so you can be comfortable in Kaelan for a while."

I don't think I am going to get out of this one, but I have no idea what I did to cause this mess. I just had to go with them. "Fine..." I mumbled. "I will go with you." I felt very stupid just letting them take me away but what else am I supposed to do?

"Good. Now let’s get going." The second guard said.

They escorted me to a black Cadillac Escalade and put me in the back seat before going to sit in the front.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"To the airport. We are taking you to Kaelan. Oh and my name is John by the way and he is George. We will be your guards until we arrive."

"Guards? Why would I a need a guard?"

"I am sorry but I can't release that information."

"Whatever."

I tried putting up a fuss with these so called guards but they didn't do anything. So I gave up. They seemed like good people and they were just doing their jobs.

When we finally got to the airport and they brought me to what looked like a private plan. I climbed in sitting down in one of the very comfortable plush seats.

"How are you getting me out of the country exactly?" I said. "Don't you need a passport?"

"Yeah, and we have yours right here." John said. "Your parents gave it to us."

"Why would they do that?"

"Because they had to. And we have a royal order to get you to Kaelan."

"Yeah right... Now are you sure you can't tell me why I have to go there?"

"Sorry no we can't. "

I ignored them from that point on. I just got comfortable in my seat getting ready for takeoff. We started moving.

Great now I was going back to Kaelan. I love the country. Yes. But I don't want to face Shawn. Hopefully I won't have too. Unless he's the reason that I must go back...