As Hollow As A Mannequins Grin (Keveridge)

As Hollow As A Mannequins Grin

People were dancing round the room, twirling and swirling on the floor. Magnificent ball gowns and fancy tuxedos were being paraded all around the room. Everyone was here to celebrate the young Prince's crowning, and birthday.

"Everyone is here just for you, my son," the queen whispered into the Prince's ear. They were both standing just outside the ballroom as she was fixing his hair one last time, "Everything's going to be marvellous tonight, I promise," with that one last word, the queen smiled and left - pushing open the ballroom doors and gracefully walking through.

This left the young Prince by himself. He looked behind him, wondering when his father would come down to congratulate him and wish him a happy birthday, but so far nothing. He turned back around to the doors and looked at himself in the mirrored door. Quickly sorting his hair to the way it was before his mother had even gone near it and straightening out his blue starred jacket, he followed after his mother, finally coming to the conclusion that his father wasn't come down any time soon.

He walked up to where his mother was sitting, doing the customary thing by bowing in front mostly for respect, but also to show her status before taking a seat beside her to watch the people dancing on the floor.

There didn't seem to be anyone his own age as he scanned the room, not that he was that much surprised as most of the people here were friends of mother and father from across the country. That's what he thought until he saw a boy over by the buffet table. His hair was brown except from a a bright red fringe and he had soft brown eyes. He was wearing a black shirt underneath a black pin-stripe waist coat with black jeans and a shiny skull belt buckle. He was pretty cute to say the least...but even The Prince had to admit that looking around at everyone else that was there, he didn't fit in with the crowd.

The boy turned round to his mother, "Would you like a drink from the table?"

She smiled, "That would be wonderful, thank you darling."

He stood up and walked over to where the red fringed boy was. Making himself as composed as he possibly could he approached him, "Hello there."

He jumped, his brown eyes going wide as he looked at me, "Hey...I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

The Prince felt the corners of his mouth twitching up a bit, "I wouldn't think so, not in person at least. But as for why you would be here, that's how you would know me."

The boy's eyes narrowed slightly in thought and he chewed his bottom lip before finally answering, "Are you The Prince?"

He nodded, his black hair flopping messily over his eyes, "Yes...I was looking around and you seemed to be the only one my own age that I could see," he nervously glanced away, sweeping his hair out his face and back to it's original position.

"I'm nine...and my name's Kier," he said, looking down at the ground and shuffling his feet back and forward.

The Prince looked back at Kier, smiling a little more as he became more confident, "Me too, and I'm called Laurence," he faltered a moment then extended his hand to the other boy, "Pleasure to meet you." Kier stared at the hand as though it might bite him but after a second deciding what to do he took it, shaking it firmly.

"You too...oh, and a happy birthday as well." 

They got to talking and spent the next hour or so exchanging stories with one another of how they grew up. Laurence had a pretty easy life having grown up into a rich family that had a good background. Meanwhile Kier lived the totally opposite life. He'd grown up into a poor family and had spent most of his life on the streets fending for himself. After hearing this, Laurence couldn't help but feel a little guilty and sorry for his new red haired friend.