Glass Slipper and the Prince - Chapter Two

One month. I'm thankful it has pass. I have been living in hell and I drag Elle down with me. I don't think she would ever forgive me for that. Then again, she force me to go on that horrible date. With that guy, Darren. And I still get the chills from someone mentioning his name.
I heard, in the distant, someone screaming. I open my eyes, slowly. I rub them, sitting up.
Elle is in front of me, screaming continuously. Her scream fill my ears and I cover them.
"Ellie! Elle!" I screamed, over her scream.
She shook her head.
"Grace! He's back! Oh god!" she scream at me. She started screaming all over again. I scramble, trying to stop her. I slap my hand on her mouth. She muffle a scream before she started coughing.
I let out a sighed. "Okay" I said, feeling in control of the situation.
"Okay, Elle. I'm going to let go of your mouth and when I do, you're not going to scream. Okay?" I said, nodding my head.

She nodded her head along with mine.
I slowly remove my hand and eye her suspiciously.
"Water, I need water" she whispered.
"Okay, let's go downstairs" I said, talking to her like she's my grandmother and hard of hearing.
I push the blanket off me and wrap my arms around her shoulders. I led her down the stairs.
"Sit here" I ordered, pushing her onto the chair. I grab a water bottle. I open the lid and hand it to Elle.
She took a big gulp and then a deep breath. I waited patiently for her speak again. She open her mouth and for a second I thought she was going to say something. Instead, she took another gulp of water.

Patience. I gotta be patient. Remember you are patient, Grace. I am a patient person. Freakin' patient. Hell, I'm not patient. At all.
"Elle, tell me why you're in my house? How did you get in my house?" I stress the how part. I mean, if she can get in, so can any other person.
She waved her hand at me, dismissing the question. "Grace, he's back" she said.
"Who's back?" I asked, trying to mask my frustration.
"Derek, he's back. I can't believe he's back. Why? How? Oh, I wonder if he's back for me?" she ramble on, touching her forehead. She push back her hair. I finally noticed her clothes. She wore her p.j's and a white tank top. Her hair tied in a messy bun. What's more surprising is she had no make-up. She usually wore make-up mostly in case she ever spot a cute guy.
"Who's Derek" I asked, puzzled.

Elle look at me then realization cross her face. She covered her mouth and sighed. "Derek is the guy I went out with, don't you remember? You went out with Darren--"
I gasped, interrupting her. "You mean the twins?"
Elle nodded. "I got this in the mail". She pull out a envelope, champagne color. She hand it to me and I snatch it from her hands. I open it, my hands fumbling. It read in neat handwriting:
"You are invited to attend the Black and White,
Ball, along you're friend: GRACE BOWIE. For Darren
And Derek's birthday party"
"Birthday party?" I repeated. Then read: "On June 12 at 9:00 pm". I look as pale as Elle did.
I look at Elle. "You're not thinking of going, are you? I mean, the date was horrible. It was boring. They acted like they own us or something".

"True" she agreed, "but, the whole school is going. Darren invited everyone we know, as a way for us to go. He wants us to go". She pause, looking at me and said, "He wants you to go".
"Me" I squeaked. "Why me? Did I offend him or something?"
Elle shook her head. "I believe the word is: like". My eyes widened. "Grace, he likes you. He wants to go on another date with you".
"What! Why can't he be normal and ask me to a movie or a dinner date? I know he's rich and all but come on! I'm normal. I don't have loads of cash stuff in my bra or purse or anywhere on me!"
I was panicking and I knew I was. When I panic, I swear the world swirls and everything is fuzzy and dizzy. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't add up. I breathing in funny way. I made a noise that sounded like I ran through the desert.

"I'm not going" I stated firmly, once regaining my breathing control.
Elle grab my shoulders and I almost thought she was going to plead me to go. What I didn't except was her saying, "I'll throw you in a basement or ship you off to Japan!"
"You. Are. So. Not. Going" she said, more firmly than I did. She said it like, adding concert to the top of it.
I felt a ton of bricks lifting off my shoulder. "Thank god".
Elle stood. "Okay, since we're not going then I'm going home to dream about throwing Darren into a ditch".
I yawn and said, "I'll join you".
I went back to bed, finally at peace. I'm not going to that Ball. Besides, who has a Ball for a birthday party. I never heard of such a thing.

"Grace, honey" said a voice like honey.
I mumble something.
She laughed. "What's that?"
"What's going here?" I mumble again.
"You always had a higher vocabulary than me" she said. And I knew she rolled her eyes. "Can you repeat it, more clearly".
I rub my eyes and said, louder, "What are you doing here?"
"Well, that's much better and I'm here because my little Gracie has a boyfriend" she said.
I jump out of bed and narrow my eyes. "What did you say?"
She open her mouth to repeat it but a sleepy Elle waltz in.
In her hand, she held her pillow and a bedhead.

"Grace, these people won't let me sleep" Elle whine and behind her, a group of people came in. She crawl onto my bed and wave away at the people. I glance warily at them then at Robin, my older sister. She basically isn't home but works a lot.
I rub my temple. "Nightmare, this has to be a hellish nightmare". I look up at the people. "Please tell me Darren isn't the one that sent you".
The people gave me a grim smile and I frowned. This can't be happening. It's official. God hates me and he just did the final blow. Robin beamed.
"Oh, Grace. It's in the papers. You and Darren together at the art gallery" Robin practically sang.
"In the papers?" I repeated.
Robin nodded happily. Too happy for my comfort. She dig through her purse and pull out a crumple paper. She unfold it and hand it to me.

The picture is of me and Darren, at the art gallery. Where are first date had been. It was that time when he grab my hand and led me away to look at some paintings. I also remember yanking my hand back. And yet, this is what the front page has instead.
I screamed. I grab a pillow and threw it at the people. Freak out and unable to control the situation, they slowly dissolve from my house. I calm down but my breath comes in puffs.
No wonder he invited me to his Ball. Because of this stupid paper. Elle told me he's rich but she should have mention popular rich. Like really popular that I end up on the front cover! Dammit! I let a sigh and tried to think on the bright side. Well, for one, it's summer vacation. School's over. And there's Robin who's back.....because for the stupid paper.

Yeah, I can't think of anything else. See? Like I told you: Hell.
I whack Elle. "Oi! Get up, we got a major problem". She moved a little but, still slept. "A end-of-the-world problem" I added.
She groaned at me.
"Ellie, come on. Upsy-daisy" I sang that last part.
"Grace, don't ever sing. You'll break the windows" she said, grumpy.
"Whatever you say, Ms. Grumpy-Pants" I said, smiling my best fake smiled.
Elle frowned at me. "Stop smiling, you phony!" She lift the pillow she was holding and threw it at me.

It whack me in the face. I pick up the pillow, lift it high and was ready to hit Elle with it but Robin butt in.
"Okay! That's enough!" she said, waving her hands around. "You two are acting like a bunch of three year old's". She held out her hand. "Give me the pillow".
I wrap my arms around the pillow. "No" I said, almost reminding of my younger days when Robin and I use to fight over toys.
Robin furrow her eyebrows. "Grace, give me the pillow!"
I shook my head.
"That's my pillow!" cut in Elle as she reach for the pillow at the same time as Robin and both yank. And that's how it happen. A fight over a damn pillow. I would shake my head but I might let go of the pillow.

Three grown women, fighting over a pillow. They should put that in the papers.
I let go first. Robin and Elle both hit the ground. Oops.
"Graced, what the hell!" they said together.
"Sorry, but I thought heard something" I said, listening.
Elle got up and peek through the window. "Oh no....."
"What?" I ask, curious.
Robin moved forward when I didn't moved. I stayed glue to where I was at. On the bed.
Robin took a peek like Elle and then she shut the curtains. "Are all the curtains drawn?" she asks. I nodded.
"Grace, it's Darren" Elle said. "He's at the door, along with hundreds of paparazzi".
And that's how my ordinary day went down the drain. I went from normal college girl to the girlfriend of Darren McCoy.