Forever After

t e n

"Shhhhh!"

"OW!"

"Briella! You're going to wake her up!"

"I didn't see the wall right there!"

"How did you not see the wall?"

"It's dark!"

"Oh my... lets just get this done before she wakes up!"

What is going on? Am I dreaming? Whatever, I'm not waking up, sleep is too precious. 

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

I shoot up from my bed to see who decided to awaken me from my peaceful slumber. There stood Briella, Abby, and Lily with giant grins on all there faces.

Oh ya, it's October 9th, also known as my 19th birthday. Not going to lie, I kind of forgot with all the preparations for the ball. 

"Guys, what time is it?" I groaned. 

"Time to party!" Briella whooped.

"It's actually 5:30 in the morning," Lily responds.

"At least we have presents!" Abby cheered.

It's too early for this. It's much, much too early for this.

Three gifts are practically thrown in my face, along with some oddly shaped cupcakes. Lily gave me come candles, Abby got me a sleeping mask and some slippers, while Briella got me a journal and pens. 

"Thank you guys, you really didn't have to," I say truthfully.

"Anything for you Emma!" Abby grins before going to eat some of the cupcakes with Lily.

"The journals for you to write stories and love letters about James," Briella whispers into my ear devilishly. 

"Briella!" I whisper scream back. "I thought we were over this entire prince thing. I'm with Carter now."

"Ya ya ya, whatever. I'm forever and always will be team 'Jemma.' Whoa, we really need a better relationship name for you two. What an unfortunate coincidence?"

"For the last time, there is nothing romantically going on between James and I. We're just friends. You also seem to forget that Carter, not James, is my boyfriend." I whisper back desperately.

Briella only gave me a shoulder shrug and grin before bouncing off to where Lily and Abby stood eating cupcakes while muttering, "Jaemma? No. Jamma? No. Jamema? Possibly. Emames? Hard no."

What am I going to do with her? Eventually she will realize I'm happy with Carter and I like hanging out with him and going for strolls around the castle whenever each of us are both free. Obviously, I love the late night musical lessons with James, but he's like a childhood friend I've known since I was three. 

I can tell he has opened up to me, just like I have with him. I know I need to tell Carter about my friendship with James, but it almost feels like James and I's 'thing' that nobody knows about (besides Briella of course.)  It's hard to describe, but it feels like it won't be as special the more people know. Worst of all, if Jemma finds out, consider me in a grave six feet into the ground. 

  ➽➽➽➽➽➽➽➽➽➽➽➽➽➽➽➽  

At the current moment, I stand outside the painting Carter brought me to the first time we hung out. He said to meet me at 7:15 after supper for a birthday surprise, it is now 7:22 and I'm spending my time staring at the amazing architecture of the palace.

If you look close enough, there are little scenes showing the history of Mazania carved into sections of the marble pillars.

In the middle of looking at a carving of some treaty between Mazania and a country I didn't quite catch, I was lifted off my feet into the embrace of a hug.