The Runaway Princess

Jocelyn?

"I don't want to."
"Sky, you have to."
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do!"
"Ugh!" I groan, "Queen? I can't be a queen!"
"Watch your language, missy." My mother sternly continues to play with my hair. She hates the word "can't", so I've grown thinking it's wrong too.
"Sorry, mom." I apologize. "I just don't want to." I pull away from her grip, to stand up in front of her view. "I'm not dressy," I flare out my imaginary ball gown, "I'm not proper," I let out a berp, "I do not care about makeup." I pretend to apply face paint. "And I am no 'Queen' let alone 'Princess'."
"You remind me so much of your mother, when she was younger of course." I sit on my bed, as my mom sits in the chair I just occupied.
"Tell me about her, please." My mom nodded at my request, smiling as she collected her memories.
"Her mother had done the same thing she had done to you, which made her my neighbor until our Sophomore year of High School; until her birth mother came to get her."
"Just like me." I mumble.
"She was so free spirited, and she didn't care what others thought about her. She was herself, and I admired that about her. After she left, we still stayed close, she invited me for dinner, for slumber parties, and even balls."
"Balls? Like Cinderella?" I question out loud.
"When did you start watching Disney Princess movies?"
"Go on with the story, mom." I teasingly groan, making her laugh.
"Well, our friendship blossomed, we became closer. Ava had a steady boyfriend all through Junior High and up until she left. One day, she came running to me, crying and shaking. I was so worried, it looked as if she had ran away... I found out that her mother was forcing her to separate herself from her current man, because she had set her up with a prince near their island. She was heart broken, and she wouldn't let me help her pick up the pieces. She grew apart from me, and before I knew it, she was getting married to some prince. Years pasted and we both grew up. We just found out that Landon was going to be our only child, when Ava showed up. I had been shuffling around the house, trying not to break down in more tears when I opened the door to see her holding a newborn baby in her arms. She, without hesitation, came in, looking out front as she did so. She broke down in tears about the threats against your life. She told me about having a son, but her husband, your father, stopped him from having the thrown. He handed it over to her next child; which is you. She asked me if I could house you for a couple days. Then she had the idea of me raising you normally, just like she had been raised. After she handed you over, she changed. At first she was joyful to receive photos and news, but then it looked like it was a burden. She started to harden herself, which led to her wanting no communication with you. I never really found out what happened, but she always sent a monthly amount of money, that we accepted like Child Support."
"I wonder why she named me Skylar." I mumble, thinking it loud.
"Oh hunny, she didn't name you 'Skyar'; we did." She stands up and heads towards the door.
"Wait," she stops, "what did she name me?"
"Jocelyn. Jocelyn Ann Smith."

***

"Jocelyn. My name is Jocelyn!" I yell when Connor opens his front door.
"Sky, what are you talking-"
"Nope. It's Jocelyn." I slowly emphasize the name I was given as a traded newborn. I was brought in and I paced his living room floor, feeling as if I was burning the carpet in. He tried to get me to sit down, but I was way to riled up to stay sitting for long.
"Princess?" Connor stands once the word leaves my lips.
"It gets better: Ava is only here to take me back to become 'Queen'."
"Queen?" Connors face twists more. "Skylar that's-"
"Crazy? Yeah, I know."
"No. Well, actually yeah, crazy, but also amazing."
"Connor, you okay there?" I feel his forehead checking for a fever. "Where's the guy that worries over everything?"
"Skylar, this is a wonderful, life changing, chance! You'll become part of a royal line, you'll have many options of where you want your life to go-"
"Connor, I'd have to leave." I interrupt him, "My home, my life, my friends..."
"Look at everything you'd receive. You'd meet both of your birth parents, what your life would've been, even have the life of royalty."
"If my biological father is anything like that snob Ava, I want nothing to do with him. I don't need to know what I could've had, I have everything I need. But that's it, I don't want royalty." I sit down, "I'm not royalty."
"Who says you have to stay?"
"If I go, they'll think I'll stay."
"Make sure they don't." Connor sits next to me. I look at him, not hiding my worry, "If you decide to come back, I'll be right here."
"I don't know what to do." I groan, hiding my head in my lap.
"I've known you for the longest time, since I can remember, and I've figured out how much you like to keep to yourself. I know why you are really scared, and it's almost pointless. You have no reason to doubt if they'll like you. You're amazing, and if they can't see that, then too bad. Their loss." Connor smiles, taking my hand. "You're amazing, and don't let anyone change you." Confidence blossoms in me, and I take his words to heart. I am a strong, independent women, if they don't like me... I will still like myself.