Selected

1

^^Mariana

My foot tapped in anticipation as time ticked by slowly. Just 30 more seconds. I think to myself, 30 more seconds until I'm free of schooling for three months.

"Mariana?" A voice whisper shouts pulling me from my trance.

"Huh?" I turn my attention to the voice to see none other than Lyon, he's staring at me with a look of concern covering his face.

"Are you alright?" He questions and I smile in response unable to form a coherent sentence and turn my head back to the front, my cheeks no doubt inflamed.
Lyon Fairchild, the most attractive boy in school.

Not in the ways you would assume though, he's no jock, or stuck up popular kid. He's smart and kind.

I've been in love with him since my early days- The bell sounded pulling me from my thoughts and I quickly shoveled up my tote and made my way from the classroom.

I first met Lyon in primary school, my sisters and I were at the park playing on the seesaw when I had fallen off and scraped my knee. While all the other kids including my sisters laughed, he did not instead he helped me up and gave it a kiss insisting it would make it all better and that his mom did that for him when he got hurt.

Ever since that day I've been in love with him, although I've never been able to hold a steady conversation with him.

Doesn't matter though, not like I could have an actual relationship with him anyways... even if he wanted to, I'm not my own to give, I'm property of the king and until I'm twenty even the thought of being with another man could get me caned.

Here in the beautiful country of Alvina if you are a girl born in the era of a crowned prince it is illegal to "give" yourself to another man until you are twenty or have not been selected.
Selected for what? You may ask, oh you know just a friendly game of the bachelor to fight for the princes heart.

Every girl within the age of sixteen and nineteen are forced to sign up for the game, and if we're selected the rest of our lives are displayed for the world to see even if we don't win.

"Mariana!" A voice shouted snapping me from my thoughts, I turned to see Mercedes-my twin sister- jogging to catch up to me through the crowd. "You excited?" She asked sort of giddy.

no.

"Yea" I lied, todays the last day of signups. Mercedes had been going every single day this week to sign up to better her chances of winning and I had made a multitude of excuses all week to not go, but now I have no choice but to sign up.

~~~~~~~~~
"Mariana!" My Mama's voice rang through our tiny house, I groaned burying myself under the blankets.

"Saca tu floja culo de la cama!"(get your lazy ass out of bed!) My Mama yelled.

"Bien, estoy arriba mamá!"(okay, I'm up mom) I yelled down to her, with a heavy sigh I rolled over to my side.

"Puta"(bitch) I mumbled before getting up and stumbled to the restroom.

Looking at myself in the mirror I almost laughed at how bad I looked, my hair was a tangled mess and mascara from yesterday stained my under eyes, quickly brushing my teeth I washed my face and fingered through my hair before dressing in a pair of old jeans and a black zip up.

Making my way downstairs I was greeted by the smell of huevos and wanted to barf, "Te tomó lo suficiente, aquí hay algunos huevos"(took you long enough, here are some eggs)

"Gracias mamá"(thank you Mom) I say, swallowing back a gag, I hate eggs. She smiles at me as I take my seat.

She means well, but translation gets lost... she understands English to an extent but can only speak Spanish. In my small three bedroom home, I have three other sisters: Maria, the youngest she's fourteen. Mercedes, my twin. And lastly Maya, the oldest.