Have a Nice Day

When Shields Go Up, the Truth Comes Out

I felt like I was waking up, but I was so deep in sleep I felt like I could fall back under again, and I did.

But the second time, I felt like I couldn't fall back asleep again. I didn't want to give up the perfectly good dreams that I was having. They were almost good enough to charm myself to sleep for a hundred years, just like sleeping beauty. But I knew my father would never forgive me once I awoke. So instead, I pulled up the covers up to my chin and snuggled back into my pillow. I set my hand next to my head to try and pad the pillow to fluff, but then I heard something.

I didn't open my eyes just yet, but instead I felt around my pillow. It was warmer that I remember, and it didn't have the soft fuzz that it usually did. I stroked up and down across my pillow, and it giggled.

"Stop it, that tickles!" I heard someone say. My eyes burst open and I sat up straight. My head wasn't resting on the pillow on my bed, but it was on Jace's chest in his mattress.

"OMG." I said. I threw off the covers and stood back up. "I fell asleep here!"

"It's okay-"

"It's not okay, Jace!" I yelled. I searched around for my phone, pulling up the covers and the pillows on the mattress on the floor.

"Whoa, hey, calm down!" Jace said, catching my eye for a second. I ignored him and kept searching. "Meep, it's alright! We just watched the movie last night and you fell asleep. I didn't wake you up because you were so cute when you sleep, peaceful, even."

"You should have woken me!" I screamed, frantically looking for my phone.

"Why? It's Saturday. Do you got something planned?" He asked. I stood back up and put my hands on my hips. "See, I got you there."

"But seriously, Jace, it's not cool." I said, looking for my phone again. Just then, I realized where it was. "Dang it! I left my phone at home!"

Jace stood up and retrieved his shirt from across the floor. "I'll take you home."

I put my finger up. "No, no. I'll charm my bike to come here." I said. I started to walk towards the door, but Jace stopped me again. He put his hands on my shoulders and stood in front of me.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" Jace asked.

"Yes, and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't bring it back up." I said, brushing his hands off. 

I didn't quite understand why I was blowing him off so quickly, but I wasn't sorry for it. My shields were back up and they weren't coming back down again. Even the curse tugged at this, but I forced myself to keep going.

Jace didn't settle for this. He grabbed my arm and made me look at him.

"Meep, Meep, stop." He said. "Reach deep down in that evil heart of yours and tell me, why are you brushing me off?"

I bit my lip, crossed my arms and shifted my weight to one foot. "I don't know." Jace smiled as he talked.

"Okay, you're going to have to try a little harder than 'I don't know.'" He laughed under his breath. I was silent for longer than he wanted, so he filled it in. "Come on, Meep. Can't you tell me why?"

"No, I can't." I said.

"Why?" Jace laughed, shaking my shoulders gently. His laugh was hard to resist laughing myself, but I managed to keep my giggle down. But it was too late, Jace saw the spark of humor and used it against my will. "Why can't you tell me?!" Jace screamed in a low and loud voice, sounding like he was fake crying. "Why can't you just tell me what's wrong? All I ever did was love you! Why do you break my heart so?"

My smile was hard to keep from coming out, so I put my hand over my lips.

"Ah HA! You little smuggler!" Jace said in a cowboy accent. "Now, am I gonna hav' 'ta take you in, little lady, or you gonna spill yer guts out right on this here floor? Don't you think I ain't been seein' that smile yer hidin' behind them fingers!"

"Jace, you're a goofball!" I yelled through my laughing.

Jace shook my shoulders again. "So? You gonna tell me, or what?"

I tried to bite my lip again, but it just ended up exploding in my face when Jace gave me puppy-dog eyes and I howled.

I found myself sitting on the mattress again and Jace knelt next to me. I looked at him dead in the eye.

"I swear to you, I am telling the truth, and I don't want you laughing." I said. Jace smiled and nodded. "I'm under a curse."

Jace bit his lip. 

"I'm serious!" I yelled. I slapped him on the chest playfully. "Three days before we met, it was my birthday. I was out of control from my dad. I had hypnotized him to go to Emerald City, I had hypnotized him to listen to every word I said, and I had been suspended from school for the teacher-kiss-love-potion thing. My dad let me have one friend over, Hona. She and I decided to get my father to let us have Feather and Crimson over too. It backfired. Badly.

"The next thing I know, Hona is gone, I'm in my room, and my dad is yelling at me. Suddenly his magic strikes me in the chest and I black out. The night after, Hona, Feather, Crimson and I find out that he cursed me to be good. To be nice, and not cause any trouble at all."

Jace considers this, then takes my hand.

"I believe you." He said. I smile at him, a tear tugging to escape. "But, I'm not going to settle for it."

"What?" I asked.

"Meep, I want you to look at me." He said, and I did. "I want to ask you one favor."

"Okay."

"If, and when your dad takes away the curse, I want you to try to give being good a chance, by yourself, not because of a curse or anything. Can you do that?"

"I'll try." I said. Jace smiled again and leaned over, kissing me again. But he then pulled back again.

"I have another question for you too." He said.

"Yeah?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?" 

I found myself smiling and I brought his hand up to keep next to my cheek. 

"Yes."