~ {|} The Royal Charm Academy {|} ~ A Novel ~ {|} On Going

❦ Chapter Three ❦

Thirteen-year-old Missy Barnes attentively looked at the screen inside the box tv with her brown eyes. 

She bobbed her head to the music that was on a commercial for a cereal brand that she happened to love, the beads on the end of her black braids that rested against her face clicked together. 

"It's pretty much - cereal heaven! One spoon at a time." She sang along in a soft hushed manner, humming the rest of it as she sat on the couch, tapping a pen on the coffee table that was in rhythm with the commercial.

Cody's jade green eyes looked over at her, rubbing his temples and letting out a soft groan. "Missy, can you stop the wretched tapping, it's giving me a headache?" He asked, withdrawing his fingers from his temples and running them through his brown curly hair. 

Missy frowned, setting the pen down and looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry, Papa." She got off the couch and turned up the volume so she could hear it as she walked out of the room to the bathroom. 

Cody frowned at his daughter's actions. "Missy, can you turn that down a bit? Your mother is trying to sleep." He placed his hand out in front of her to keep, then pointed to the tv.

Missy looked at him with big brown puppy dog eyes and pouted, crossing her arms. "But Papa, I need to go to the bathroom and I don't want to miss a single thing!" She whined looking at her father, hoping her little pout and puppy eyes worked this time on him.

"Missy," Cody stated in a stern voice and she took that as a hint, scuffing her feet on the floor and turning it down. "Thank you."

Missy nodded and walked up to the side of the couch and looked at him. "But you will tell me what's going on if I am not back when it comes on?" She asked, hopefulness on the tip of her tongue. 

Cody nodded, it was the least he could do for his daughter. "Sure. I'll keep watching and if it comes back on I'll tell you." He agreed, cracking a little smile.

Missy beamed brightly, her smile was like the sun. "Oh thank you, Papa!" She exclaimed, giving him a quick hug before darting into the bathroom and closing the door. 

Cody snorted, shaking his head. He looked back at the TV as another commercial, an old one, showed the current Regent, Duchess Katherine, when she was younger with permed hair and bright makeup. "They throw money around like it was bird feed." He mumbled to himself, shaking his head.

Missy was as quick as she could and ran from the bathroom and into the living room. She slid onto the floor with her knees and smacked her hands on the coffee table. "Made it! I was fast like lightning!" She giggled softly as it finally came and grabbed the remote and turned up the volume a few bars to make sure she could hear it over the passing train. 

On the TV: A woman with sandy blonde hair had just gotten done fixing her bun that had some shorter hair hanging down on the side of her face. Her icy blue eyes sparkled brightly as she looked into the camera. "Hello, Senoia! We're your hosts, Jenna Donette and Alex Johnson. Welcome to the five-hundredth year of The Royal Charm Academy." She said through the TV, standing at the entrance of the school. 

The crowd of people standing off to the side in the grass, behind velvet ropes cheered at what she had said. Tickets to stand there sold out the day after this announcement.

The camera panned focused on a guy who had a shiny brown bald head, his usually intimidating dark brown eyes, looked bright and lively standing beside his co-anchor, looking quite distinguished with the slight scruff on his face. "Many young ladies and young men are anticipating a great school year and graduating as a royal or noble," Alex explained to the crowd and those watching.