The One (A selection aftermath)

Chapter 3

"The boys have arrived!" Karren exclaims

"Maple, your going to have tons of dates!" Velma chimes.

"Lots of dresses!"Canie adds.

I blush head to toe and grin ear to ear. "She even looks excited!" They say at the same time.

I laugh listing to their planning about my wedding. Slowly I slip to my balcony and close the door behind me.

The boys are probably now walking in meeting their 'teacher' Bony. Then they get to their room and meet their maids. Among the herd is Jacon.

I think I am boy crazy.

I have no friends, other than my maids.

Lonely?

You could say that.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

After dinner(which I barley ate,nerves) I headed to my room and hop into bed not bothering to change. Some hours later my maids came in and changed me but I was barely awake. After they left I gratefully fall back to sleep, re-entering my dream.

Jacon was standing in front of the black tarp smiling.

And not the friendly kind.. more sinister.

My hands were tied behind my back with manacles along with my feet.

Harris and Trey appear next to him laughing"Silly desperate girl."

I try to yell for help but no words reached my lips.

Then the black tarp peeled back and-

I snap up in my bed panting. All my sheets have been kicked to the floor.

My night gown has been soaked with sweat, sticking to my hair.

My stomach grumbles from the lack of food. I should have ate dinner. Quickly I throw on a white T-shirts and gray sweatpants (both of them a present from my mom, would told me not to wear them in front of anyone) then I French braid my hair. Maybe it will be curly tomorrow since my hairs wet with sweat.

After I slip on my slippers I walk down the stairs to the 1st floor and go to the kitchen. All the lights were off beside a candle in the middle of the room. I tiptoe to the fridge and crack it open just enough to reach in and grab an orange.

I love oranges. They are so sweet and tangy, when I bite into them the little juice pockets explode in my mouth. Before I know it I have devoured 5 oranges. I sweep up the peels and throw them away. Not feeling tired anymore, I walk down the hallway the boys are sleeping in.

One of the rooms someone is snoring. My face turns red and I start cracking up.

Suddenly the snoring stops.

I freeze mid-laugh.

Thankfully the snoring continues.

I start to feel guilty about listening to them sleep and decide to leave.

But then the snoring stops and the door swings open reveling a boy in navy blue silky pjs with bed hair.

"I thought I heard someone. But I did not expect it to be Princess Maple." the boy says and I recognize him as Harris.

"Is that oranges I smell?"

I blush thanking the darkness.

"Maybe. It depends if that's a good or a bad thing." I say.

"Good."

"Then yes. I recently ate 5 oranges."

I immediately feel embarrass.

Why did I have to say that? For all he knows now is that I have an orange addiction.

A guard walks pass us then pauses.

He turns to me then bows "Princess Maple."

I nod glancing out of the corner of my eye to see Harris's reaction.

He just stands there showing off a lopsided smile and dimples.

He kind of reminds me of my father. Honey hair but very light blue eyes almost gray.

When the guard leans back up he pulls something out of his pocket and holds it to my chest.

A gun.

A southern rebel.

I sense Harrie tense up next to me.

"May I ask Princess Maple, what are you doing out of your room this late?"

My mouth is sewn shut with fear.

"Well we were going to wait to attack until the morning, but now isn't a bad time to start."

A door to my right opens up and out enters Jacon.

I can only imagine what he sees.

A rebel hold a gun to my chest with Harris standing behind me like a statue. "An other Selected coming to join to party huh? I think I need back up."

Just then an ear piercing alarm goes off through the castle.

The rebel curse under his breathe then pushes the gun deeper into my chest as the other boys exit their rooms and into the hall.

I hear guards yelling in the hallway near by.

Then the rebel pushes me to the ground and kicks me in the stomach.

I groan, clutching my stomatch.

The next thing I know Harris is helping me to my feet while Jacon and Grant take down the rebel. I thank Harris and feel suddenly helpless and embarrass. I don't just want to stand around and watch all this go by.

Finally I see my dad running into the safe room but catches sight if me.

"Maple!" he yells.

I start to move to him but a hand grips my shoulder and yanks my back. I hit fall to the floor knock my head on the corner of a hall table.

The last thing I see is a blur image of Harris maybe my father punching the guard who pushed me.

Then everything went black.