The Princess Sisters (The Princess Sisters Series) (5 page)

Chapter
Seven

Thursday,
July 15th

Cinderella
sat cross-legged in the middle of her unmade bed.  There were piles of face
cards in front of her, which she had a hard time keeping in place.  They kept
sliding down the slope toward her body, the only weight on the mattress pulling
them in like a magnet.  She was technically playing solitaire, but her
attention had slipped from the game long ago.  Now she sat in place, merely
flipping the cards over and barely paying attention to the number each card held. 
The cell phone on her dresser started singing a country song and Cinderella
jumped, cards flying in every direction.  She glanced at the number, not
recognizing it, and then answered confused.

“Hello?”

“Cinderella! 
I’m so glad you answered!  Could you do me the biggest favor?”

“Dave?” 
Cinderella asked, surprised to hear his voice.  Cinderella hadn’t seen Dave in
over a week.  Ever since he started football practice, his days had become very
full and his nights were usually spent hanging out with guys from the team. 
The Princess sisters had learned quite fast that it didn’t take Dave long to
make friends and they assumed he’d forgotten all about them.

“Oh
I’m sorry,” he said, obviously smiling from the sound of his voice.  “I should
have known I’m not the only guy who calls your phone.  I didn’t mean to confuse
you.  Yes, it’s Dave.  Dave Prince to be exact, in case I’m not the only one
you know.”  Cinderella wanted to make a smart comeback.  Belle probably would
say something like,
“Dave Prince?  Is that the Dave I met at the movies or
the Dave from the mall?”
  But all she could think of was, “What’s the
favor?”

“My
mom needs me to take some stuff up to my brother in Logan and I don’t want to
drive by myself.  Would you keep me company?”  Cinderella was glad he hadn’t
come over and asked her in person.  She looked up into the mirror at her
scarlet reflection.

“I’d
have to ask my mom, can I call you back?”

“Sure
thing.  I’m sorry to give you such short notice, but I have to leave soon.”

“I
won’t be long.”  After hanging up, Cinderella stared at her phone.  How did
Dave even get her number?  Usually Belle was the one who would call him when
they wanted to hang out.  That thought led her to another, more disappointing
thought.  He had probably called her first.  But since Belle was sick, she
would have given Dave her number and suggested Cinderella as an alternative. 
Snow White had somehow gotten the flu and was kind enough to share it with the
rest of her cousins.  Last night, Aurora had to go home early, because she
wasn’t feeling well.  Then, just that morning, both Ariel and Belle had woken
up with it.  Cinderella was the only one who hadn’t gotten sick, which is why
on this particularly sunny evening, she could be found alone in her bedroom
playing solitaire.  Cinderella shrugged these thoughts away.  At least he had
called her.  Dave could have said “no thanks” to Belle’s suggestion and taken a
football buddy with him.  Cinderella decided to focus on this happier
conclusion and she ran down the stairs to ask permission.

Dana
was not happy about the idea of her daughter going anywhere with a boy at
night, let alone driving an hour each way with him, but she finally gave in when
she saw the pleading in her daughter’s eyes.

“Take
your cell phone,” she said as Cinderella sat on the bottom step, tying the
laces of her large black boots.

“Mom,
I always have my cell phone.”

“And
put this in your purse…just in case,” Dana added, handing her a small black
bottle.

“Mom! 
This is Dave!  I’ll be fine!”

“Put
it in, or you’re not going.”  Cinderella reluctantly accepted the bottle of
mace and threw the blue purse straps over her shoulder.

“I’ll
call you when we’re on our way back.”

“I
love you.”

“I
love you too,” Cinderella said, chuckling softly as she closed the door behind
her.

“What’s
so funny?” Dave asked, walking toward her.

“My
mom’s just crazy.”

“Aren’t
they all?” 

Cinderella
smiled at Dave before climbing into his mom’s shiny black sedan.

“Wow! 
This is a nice car.”

“Yeah,
my grandpa owns a dealership.  My mom gets a new car like every year.”

“Cool.”

“Yeah.”

The
car remained silent for the first few minutes.  Cinderella had never been alone
with Dave before.  It was easy to talk to him with all of her cousins there,
but alone was a different story.  Even he seemed a little nervous, which
Cinderella found unusual.

“So
I didn’t even know you had a brother,” she finally got up the nerve to say.

“Yeah,
Scott just graduated high school last year.  He’s starting at Utah State this fall, but when we moved down here, he decided to stay in Logan for the summer.”

“Cool.”

“Yeah. 
You ever been to Logan before?”

“No,
I don’t think so.”

“Oh
man, it’s great!”  All the awkwardness in the car melted away as Dave continued
to speak.  “It’s a small town, surrounded by mountains, and there’s this
restaurant called the Bluebird that has the best food ever!  We should stop
there and get something to eat.”

“Sounds
good.”  Cinderella noticed his eyes seemed to brighten as he spoke.

“It’s
just a fun place cause it’s a college town, so there are always activities
going on.”

The
drive seemed more comfortable after that and soon, the two were lost in
conversation.  Cinderella didn’t realize how long they had been driving until
she noticed they were surrounded by beautiful, green mountains on either side. 
They passed an occasional house, but mostly all she could see was green and
more green for miles ahead.  Cinderella gasped quietly when she noticed several
deer climbing up a hillside, a few hundred feet from the road.  As the car
rounded the bend, coming out of Sardine Canyon, Cinderella’s hand flew to her
nose.

“Ugh! 
What is that?”  Dave looked over at her and laughed.

“Another
one of Logan’s charms.  Those are cows you smell.”

“How
can anyone live here?!”

“Come
on!  Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“I
think I lost it back there, along with my sense of smell.  I’ll never be able
to breathe again!”

“We’re
not even into town yet.  The smell will be gone in a minute.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”
 He grinned.

No
sooner had Dave finished speaking when Cinderella started to feel the pleasure
of fresh air.  Soon after, they began passing the stores and restaurants that
lined the streets.

“The
return of civilization,” Dave announced, his hand pointing out the sites.  It
didn’t take long for Cinderella to know she wanted to return to Logan with the girls one day soon.  She knew they could spend hours just walking through
all the little shops and exploring the old buildings.  Then Dave turned off Main Street and pulled into a parking lot behind several of the buildings.

“I’m
hungry,” he said.  “Ready to try the best food you’ll ever eat?”

“Well,
I did survive the cows,” she said.

As
soon as they were out of the car, Dave took Cinderella by the hand and led her
in the back door to The Bluebird.  Cinderella looked down at their enclosed
hands and then over at Dave, but he didn’t seem aware of what he was doing. 
The restaurant was humming inside with the sound of several voices and the
clanking of silverware on dishes.  As they headed toward the front of the
restaurant, Cinderella noticed a large, old staircase leading to another floor
reserved for parties and banquets.  Along one side of the entrance was a bar
and several stools which looked like they had been pulled out of a movie from
the fifties.  Behind the bar were two young women, scooping ice cream, filling
drink orders, and making old fashioned ice cream sodas.  On the opposite wall
sat a large glass counter, filled with homemade chocolates of every kind.

“Best
chocolate ever,” Dave whispered in her ear.  Cinderella wandered toward the
candy counter as Dave told the host they’d need a table for two.  Her mouth
began watering over the mingled smells of cocoa, mint, and delicately dipped
fruit.  Cinderella already loved the charming little restaurant and she hadn’t
even tried the food yet!  She glanced back at Dave, who was waving her over and
hurried toward him.  The host showed them to their table; a small one pushed up
against the wall in the main dining room.  Cinderella glanced up as the
waitress approached the table.

“Are
you feeling adventurous?” Dave asked.  Cinderella nodded.  “We’ll have two cherry
iron ports and two bluebird chicken meals with fries,” he said.  Cinderella
handed her unopened menu back to the waitress before reaching for one of the
warm, soft rolls that she had deposited on the table. 

“What
did you order for us to drink?” Cinderella asked, eyeing the bubbly, brown
liquid that was set down in front of her.

“You’ve
never had an iron port?” Dave asked.  He took a long swig from his glass and
sat back.  “Ahhhh!  So good!”

Cinderella
smiled at his exaggerated sound effect and carefully took a small sip through
her straw.  “Wow!  That is really good!” she said, surprised.

“The
regular kind is good too, but I prefer mine with cherry,” Dave said, taking
another long drink.

“Good
call,” Cinderella replied.  Just then their salads arrived and Cinderella
looked up at Dave.  “Did we order salads?” she asked.

Dave
laughed at her surprised excitement.  “It’s just part of the meal,” he said,
gesturing for her to go ahead and eat it.

“So
how is football going?” Cinderella asked as they began eating.

“It’s
not bad. A lot of work, but we usually have a good time.”

Cinderella
waited for Dave to go on, but he said nothing else, so she let the subject drop. 
Their conversation lulled until the waitress brought their meals out a few
minutes later.

“Wow!”
Cinderella exclaimed, her eyes widening at the sight of her plate.

“I
know!” Dave said eagerly.  “They really give you a lot of food here.”

Cinderella
took her first bite.  “Mmmm,” she nodded as she chewed.  “This is really good!”

Dave
smiled.  “I’m really glad you like it,” he said, shoveling another forkful into
his mouth.

“So
how long did you live in Logan?” Cinderella asked, trying to get the
conversation going again.

“All
my life,” Dave responded.

Cinderella
walked out of the restaurant half an hour later with a box of leftovers in one hand
and clutching her very full belly with the other.  “I think I ate too much,”
she said.  “How on earth did you finish all that food?”

“It
takes years of training,” Dave said.  “You’ll just have to keep coming back
until your stomach can hack it.”

“So
you’re saying I have to eat that yummy chicken until I’m as good as you? 
Darn,” she said, snapping her fingers.

“Oh
no, you’ll never be as good as me.  But you can come close,” he teased.  She
stuck her tongue out at him in return.

“It’s
almost getting dark, I guess we better get this stuff to my brother,” he
gestured at the box sitting on the back seat.  He then put the car in gear and
pulled back out onto Main Street.

Chapter
Eight

Cinderella
didn’t know why, but she suddenly had butterflies in her stomach.  She stood a
little behind Dave as he knocked again on the white-washed door.  They could
hear music blaring inside, but the occupants obviously couldn’t hear the knocking
over their own noise.  Cinderella glanced around at the other three identical
doors that stood in the hallway.  The door directly behind them had a small,
homemade wreath on it and the door next to it held a neon pink welcome sign. 
The third door, the one next to where they stood, was open and Cinderella could
smell baking cookies from inside. 
Yup,
t
his is definitely the only
guy’s apartment on this floor.
  She looked up again at the bare white door
before them and jumped back when it was finally thrown open. 

“Hey! 
You made it!”  Cinderella was yanked into the apartment and pushed into a seat
surrounding the kitchen table.  There were four other guys sitting around the
table, their hands moving mechanically from the bowl of chips in the center to
their crunching mouths.  Off to the right, in the adjoining living room, were three
couples dancing to the deafening country song that blared through the stereo. 
Cinderella had never seen dancing like this before!  The girls were being spun
and tossed around by their partners and occasionally even flipped over the
guys’ arms in all sorts of complicated moves.

Cinderella
looked back over the kitchen at Dave, who had slipped into the group as if he’d
been there the whole time.  Glancing around the table, Cinderella knew exactly
who Dave’s brother was.  He stood a foot taller than Dave, with a similar, yet
bigger build.  His dark hair sat thick on his head and when he smiled, she saw
Dave’s face.  Where Dave’s eyes were a deep blue, however, his brother’s were
an even deeper brown.  Cinderella couldn’t think of any other way to describe
them.  She guessed they were brown, yet they seemed almost as black as his
hair.  The two Prince boys were talking animatedly with their hands and
Cinderella blushed when they both turned their attention to her.  She tried to
turn away and pretend she had been watching the dancers, but Dave grabbed her
shoulder and twisted her back toward him.

“Scott,
this is my friend Cinderella Princess,” he shouted.  “Cinderella, my brother
Scott.”  Scott’s grin widened and he stuck out his hand to shake hers.  His
hand was surprisingly soft, yet his shake was firm.  Cinderella tried to slide
her hand out of his grip, but Scott wasn’t done yet.

“You
look like you could use some dancing,” he said, and without waiting for an
answer, Cinderella found herself on her feet and in the middle of the
make-shift dance floor.  Scott pushed two of the other couples aside to make
room for them in the crowded space.  Then he took both her hands in his and
quickly showed her the basic step.  She tried to protest, claiming she couldn’t
dance, but he shrugged her off saying, “Just follow my lead.”  Cinderella then
found herself spinning very fast, her arms twisting in all directions.  As the
song came to an end, she was lifted into the air with ease before finding
herself dipped over Scott’s bent knee, her head almost touching the floor. 
Scott gave Cinderella a high-five after pulling her back on her feet.

“You
were awesome!” he said, guiding her back to the kitchen.  Someone had shut off
the music and everyone seemed to be preparing to leave.  Cinderella found she
was disappointed.  She wanted Scott to dance with her some more!  That was the
most fun she had had in a long time.

“How
was it?” Dave asked, his eyes laughing, no doubt at her dazed expression. 
Cinderella had no words.  She was still breathless from being flung around. 
Scott came up behind Cinderella and placed his hands on her shoulders.

“You’ve
got quite the girl here, little bro.  Better hang on to her.”  Cinderella could
feel the heat rising in her cheeks again, so she quickly looked down at her
feet.  She felt like an old science experiment, with someone constantly pushing
the button.  Her rosy cheeks being turned on and off, on and off, for all the
judges to see.

“She’s
not really mine,” Dave replied.

“Well
then, I might just have to snatch her up,” Scott said.

Kill
me now,
Cinderella thought, her face getting warmer by the
minute.

“Well,
you guys comin’ with us or not?” Scott asked, releasing her shoulders and
looking between them.

“Where?”
Cinderella finally found her voice.

“Dancing!” 
And then in reply to her confused look, “There’s a club down behind Main Street; everyone goes there for western swing dancing on Thursday nights.  We were just
getting warmed up here, the really fun stuff starts when we get to the club.”

“It’s
almost ten o’clock!” Cinderella said noticing the clock above the stove.

“It
starts at nine, but only beginners get there before ten!”

“I’d
have to call my mom…” Cinderella trailed off.  She wanted to stay more than
anything, but she knew what her mom’s reaction would be.

At
that moment, two girls who had been standing nearby, listening, walked over.

“You
could stay the night with us,” they offered.  “We just live across the hall.”

“My
mom’s kind of a worrier.”

“Wouldn’t
your mom feel better knowing you’re staying the night than the two of you
driving through the canyon after dark?”  

Cinderella
looked over at Dave.

“It’s
up to you,” he said.  “My mom wouldn’t care if I stayed on Scott’s couch.”

“Come
on,” Scott pleaded.  “It will be fun and I could show you some more moves.” 
Pushing a lock of chocolate brown hair behind her ear, Cinderella walked away
from the circle of people and pulled out her cell phone.

“Hi
mom, it’s me.  No, everything’s fine.  I was just wondering if I could stay the
night up here.”  Dana started to protest, but then the phone was ripped out of
Cinderella’s hand.  She looked over in surprise to see one of the girls from
before talking to her mother.

“Hi,
Mrs. Princess?  Oh, I’m sorry, Ms. Princess then.  My name’s Jenny and I’m a
long-time friend of the Prince’s.  Yes, I do understand you’re worried about
your daughter getting home safe, but so am I.  It started raining pretty bad up
here and we’re all worried about Cinderella and Dave making it through the
canyon.  It gets pretty slick out there.  I can assure you she will be in good
hands!  No, of course the building isn’t coed.”  Jenny pulled the phone away
from her mouth and put a finger over her lips to silence everyone’s laughter. 
“We live in the building next door.  What are we planning on doing tonight? 
Oh, well the girls were all about to head home and watch a chick flick. 
Alright, sounds good.  No, thank you.”  Jenny slapped the phone shut and took a
bow.  Everyone clapped their approval and then started filing out the door.

Before
Cinderella could get to the stairs leading to the parking lot, Jenny and her
roommate pulled her aside.

“Come
with us,” they said.  Cinderella followed them through the door with the bright
welcome sign, past the kitchen, down the hall, and into their shared room.

“Are
you sixteen?” one of them asked.

“No,
not yet,” Cinderella said.

“Take
this then,” one of them said, tossing a card on the bed.  Cinderella looked
down at the school ID card.  The girl in the picture had similarly long, brown
hair but other than that, she looked nothing like Cinderella.

“You
have to be sixteen to get in, but the bouncers don’t look at ID’s too closely. 
And Sara is gone for the week,” Jenny said pointing at the card.  Cinderella wasn’t
sure what to do.  She already felt guilty about lying to her mom so she could
stay, but now these girls wanted her to lie about her age too!  She stuck the
plastic in her back pocket. 
I’ll talk to Dave once I get outside,
she
told herself.

“And
try these on,” the other girl said, returning to the room.  She handed
Cinderella a cute pair of blue sneakers.

“I’m
okay…” Cinderella started to protest.

“Dancing
will be much easier,” she insisted.  Cinderella didn’t even know these girls,
but she could already tell there was no sense in arguing.  With shaky hands,
she removed her large boots and replaced them with the feminine looking pair of
tennis shoes.  The girls then led her back out in the hall where Dave and Scott
stood waiting for them.

After
Scott and his friends started to walk away, Cinderella handed Dave the ID card.

“At
least she looks a little like you,” he said, handing the card back.

“Then
it’s not a big deal?” she asked.

“Naw! 
Before I turned sixteen, I used to borrow Scott’s friend’s ID’s,” he said.  “If
they give us any trouble, we’ll leave,” he added, putting his arm around her
shoulders for comfort.

Cinderella
looked up at him and finally nodded.

“Let’s
go then!” Dave said, hurrying them out the door.

When
they stepped outside, Cinderella noticed how warm the night air was.  She
looked up at the clear, bright sky and then over at Jenny.

“Well
look at that!” Jenny smiled.  “Cleared right up!”  Cinderella felt a little
uneasy but then she looked over at Dave, who smiled, and she forgot all about
her mom again.  When they got to the car, Scott opened the door for the three
ladies to climb in the backseat.  Dave got in the front next to his brother.

“Showoff,”
he said.  Scott glanced in his rearview mirror and caught Cinderella’s eye.  He
winked at her.

“No
wonder she doesn’t want you,” he said punching Dave in the arm.  “You’ve got to
treat her like a lady.”

The
drive to the club was very short.  Cinderella was nervous as they waited in
line at the door.  She began fumbling with the card in her hand.

“What’s
the matter?” Scott asked, coming over and standing beside her.  Cinderella
handed him the card without saying a word.

“You’re
not sixteen yet?” Scott asked in surprise.

Cinderella
shook her head.  “I just turned fifteen a couple months ago,” she said.

“Wow,”
Scott seemed stunned.  “I thought for sure you were sixteen...or maybe even
older.”  Cinderella noticed he said the second part quietly to himself, as if
he were disappointed.  “Look, I’m really sorry!” Scott added, looking her in
the eyes.  “I didn’t realize...if you want to forget about it, I can take you
back to the apartment.”

Cinderella
thought to herself for a minute. 
On the one hand, I can spend the night
dancing with two gorgeous guys.  Or on the other hand, I can sit alone in their
apartment, which just seems pathetic.  Plus I don’t want to ruin everyone
else’s fun.

“Just
call me Sara,” Cinderella said, forcing a smile.

“Are
you sure?” Scott asked, handing the ID back to her.

“Yes,”
Cinderella said, trying to convince herself as well as Scott.

When
their turn came he took Cinderella’s ID and, putting his arm around her, handed
both cards to the large man standing guard.  He barely glanced at the couple
before ushering them inside.  Scott then paid for both her and Dave before
taking off to say hi to some other friends.  Dave took her by the hand again
and led her past the bar and pool tables into the dark room beyond.  As soon as
they stepped inside, Cinderella’s white shirt began glowing.  She smiled up at
Dave, who smiled back.  They noticed each other’s bright, glowing teeth and
laughed.  The country music poured down on them from the huge speakers on
either side of the wall.

“Wanna
dance?” Dave offered.

“Do
you know how?” Cinderella asked.

“Please,”
he said, pulling her into the sea of bodies.  “Every good Logan boy knows how
to dance.”

Cinderella
found herself being pulled in all different directions.  After only a couple
songs, she started to feel a little dizzy and told Dave she was going to find a
drinking fountain.  The dance floor was jam-packed with college students.  She
didn’t think it was possible, but there were even more people there now then
there had been when they first arrived.  After pushing her way past several
couples, she found the corner that held the restrooms and a drinking fountain. 
She had barely gotten a drink when another guy she recognized from Scott’s
apartment came over and asked her for the next dance.  Cinderella found herself
in the middle of the floor again, but this time above everyone else.  The guy,
who introduced himself as Nate, had her above his head.  But she didn’t have
time to be nervous because in the next second, he had rolled her over his
shoulder and back onto the floor.