The Runaway Princess

Family Issues

"So, if I'm going to marry you, do we at least get to be friends?" I prompt.
"We can be best friends." He smiles. "Since we'll be stuck with each other for a while." He chokes back a laugh, "I've never actually had a friend."
"You've never had a friend?"
"I've always had my family; that's it." He sighs, "I had Willow, but then that changed."
"I guess it helps that I didn't grow up here." We're now at the back end of 'my' house. The pools reflection almost blinds me every now and then.
"Sky!" Landon comes running up to me. He has on his trunks and his floaties.
"Hey!" I pick him up and place him on my hip. He may be six, but he's still my little brother.
"Whose the boy?" He give Gus a disapproving scowl.
"He's... My prince." I smile over at him and he tries to control his laughter.
"We'll see." Landon comments, and I set him back down. "Mama wanted me to eat a snack before I got all wet again. Do you want to see me do a 'Cannonball'?"
"Of course!" I exclaim, motioning towards the bench with an umbrella sticking out of the cement.
"Brother?" Gus finally asks.
"Technically, no." I sigh. "But he's still my family."
"Do you want a family of your own?"
"You mean, kids?" I clarify, refusing to look at him. Landon keeps walking around the pool, trying to find the best place to jump from.
"Yeah, kids."
"I guess I do..." I murmur, starting to backslide on this marrying a stranger deal.
"Just not with a stranger; I get it." He laughs and I finally look at him.
"I wanted kids with Connor." I mumble, almost scared to say it out loud.
"I think it's more like 'want'." He places his hand on top of mine, like a friend would. "I understand completely."
"I guess after a while we won't be 'strangers', so it could still be in the cards." I comment, looking towards Landon who waves before jumping right in. He fails at doing a cannonball, but he still acts majorly excited afterwords.
"Skylar!" Mae comes running out from the house. I hop up and join her half way, Gus not too far behind.
"What?" She grabs my arm, still out of breath.
"Your parents really got into it... I don't know if Ava is okay." She looks genuinely concerned.
"Okay," I start to walk towards the house, but Mae shares glances with me. "Right- Gus, this is Mae. Mae, this is Gus." She looks at him and I nudge her shoulder before adding, "He's the one I have to marry." Her face falls.
"Right." His face is actually glowing, but I don't have time for this... Not now anyways. I head for the door, but Landon stops me.
"Is everything okay with mama?"
"Of course, I'm just going to check on all the adults, okay Buddy?"
"Okay." He mumbles, walking back over to the edge of the pool. When I reach the back porch, I make my way to the sliding door leading inside. Once I open the door, I feel the cool air hit my face; but I also hear crying.
"Ava?" I call out, padding out to the living room.
"Jocelyn?" She sounds surprised and alerted.
"Hey..." I say slowly, both of us knowing that I caught her. She sat on the couch, her legs balled in and tissues laying everywhere. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything's... fine." She takes a deep breath between the two words. Giving my own emotional state, I know what 'Fine' means.
"Is there something I can help you with? Ice cream, more tissues... Someone to talk to?" I sit next to her and I see her eyes are blood shot.
"Your family is a lot more complex than you think."  She muffles a laugh and I touch her hand gently.
"You can tell me." I offer a small smile, hoping it's convincing enough. I don't know if I can muster up an actual smile yet....
"He doesn't love me." She slowly let's out. "He loves her, and he always will." She sounds bitter, but also heart broken.
"Who?"
"Brooke." She cries into her tissue and I piece it together. That's why they don't do normal couple things... "It was arranged, but he met Brooke before me. Now he will never love me, because he loves her!" She blows her nose, making this sound like some teenage Vampire Movie.
Jane's heart is broken.
But Danny can save her from herself!
Oh wait- the best friend gets involved- and now it's broken forever!
"I called it off." I hear my mothers voice.
"You." Ava stands, madness swelling into her eyes.
"I told him I wasn't going to let a boy pull me away from my best friend."
"Lies." She spits. My mother starts coming closer, slowly; making sure she doesn't move too fast.
"I promise, it's the truth." She gently explains.
"Why wouldn't he tell me that then?" She starts making excuses.
"He wanted to hurt me: and he used exactly what I did to get you back, to lose you."
"But he would never do that!" Ava sits back down and Brooke sits on her other side.
"Yes, sadly, I would." Tony enters the room and I'm startled by his booming voice. He sits across from us, lighting a cigar. "I'm still in love with you, My Dear Brooke."
"Well, I no longer feel the same. I found someone who wouldn't tear my best friend and I apart just to get me."
"Well, thanks to me, he never had that chance."
"You have such a wonderful woman here, why hurt her just to win me back?"
"I'm still in love with you! Sure, I could learn to love her, but I don't want to. If you want we can still runaway together; get out of here!"
"Too late pal; she's mine." My daddy comes out and I smile. His face shows pride, like she his prized possession. "I found her, hurt, and broken because of you. She never deserved to be treated that way. You don't reject someone because they don't want you." He takes my mothers hand, "and you definitely don't break up a friendship because of it either." Ava and my mother share glances and I realize it's the first where she doesn't look like she's going to rip her face off.... Tony huffs and storms out, but we all know we have to live with him.
"I am so sorry." My mom brings Ava into a hug. They look like long lost sisters.
"I'm sorry." She murmurs into her shoulder, "I should have trusted you more."
"How can I blame you? He was a prince for crying out loud." They both laugh and my mother wipes away a tear rolling down her cheek.
"Well, now you know." My daddy pulls me into a hug, his chest warm and inviting.
"I'm glad I know." I mumble, the fabric making my voice quieter.
"Making you marry some prince for royalty shouldn't be the way we solve it." Ava moves my way and takes my hands. "Connor. He can be-"
"He ended it." I swallow back the pain, knowing it can't last long.
"What?" Both my mothers stand in shock.
"Is he brain washed?" My daddy questions, being his fatherly self.
"Apparently I am."
"It'll work out!" Brooke takes my free hand once Ava drops it.
"Actually, I've already solved that problem...."
"So, you and Connor-"
"No... You're looking at the new Jocelyn -A.K.A. Skylar- Princeton." I don't try to sound disappointed, but it comes out that way.
"That boy...." Ava murmurs and turns to Brooke.
"What boy? You're not allowed to be with anyone unless it's Connor!"
"No, mom." I drop their hands. "I'm getting married to Gus Princeton."

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- Emuna_Jasmine