The Princess Sisters (The Princess Sisters Series) (9 page)

Chapter
Fourteen

“So
let’s say you wanted to ask me to Homecoming.  You’d put a plate of brownies on
my front porch with a poem or something rather than call and ask me?”  Belle
looked at Dave hard, waiting for him to crack and say he was making the whole
thing up.  But he just smiled back at her.

Dave
had been getting the mail when the Princess sisters pulled up.  They were all
out of the car and ambushing him before Mary even had the chance to turn off
the engine.  After tossing four letters and a magazine onto his porch, Dave
followed them inside and up to Belle’s room.  They all sat sprawled over
Belle’s bed as well as the blankets on the floor from the previous night,
listening intently as Dave explained the confusing conversation they had
overheard at the mall.

“That’s
right,” he said.

“Weird,”
said Snow White, shaking her head.

“It’s
a lot more fun this way!” Dave added.  “And believe it or not, it’s way less
scary!”

“Scary?”
asked Aurora.

“Yeah,
the thought of having a girl reject you to your face…that sucks.  This way you
get rejected through a note or something else.  It’s not nearly as bad.”

“When
have you ever been rejected?” asked Cinderella.

“Well,
no one would reject me,” Dave said in a haughty voice as he ran his hand over
his dark hair.  “But I’m sure it would suck for all those other guys.”  Then
Dave smiled his ever-charming smile and the girls forgot about giving him a
hard time for being cocky.

“So
how do you know who the person is that’s asking you?” Ariel spoke up.

“Oh
man, that’s the best part!  You hide your name!”

“What?!”

Dave
sighed and looked from one anxious girl to the next.  All eyes were on him. 
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.  He had never held so captive an
audience and Dave found it amusing how concerned they were for learning the
ways of high school.  He sat up on his knees and raised his hands for dramatic
affect.

“Well,”
he finally began, “When you ask someone to a dance you don’t merely put
something on their porch.  You write something funny or ‘cute’” he made air
quotes with this last word and grimaced slightly at the sound.  “Then you hide
your name inside it and the person has to search through everything to discover
who asked them!”

“I
don’t get it,” Snow White whispered to Cinderella.  But Dave overheard.

“Let
me give you some ideas...” he folded and unfolded his arms as he loudly
pondered “Hmmmmmm.”  He then tapped his pointer finger against his chin.  It
only took the girls a few moments to realize he was trying to be funny. 

“Dave!”
they all shouted as he started laughing.

“Okay,
okay, okay!  Once I asked a girl to a dance with popcorn.”

“Popcorn? 
How romantic!” Belle said, batting her eyelashes in an equally obnoxious way. 
Dave just glared at her before continuing.

“Yes. 
First, I had a friend drop off a big tub of butter at her house.”  The girls
exchanged glances but said nothing this time.  “Then we went back an hour later
with three big garbage bags full of air-popped popcorn and a sign that said:
Just
thought I’d butter you up before popping the question.  Will you go to Prom
with me?
  My name was printed on a little piece of paper hidden in one of
the bags.”

The
Princess sisters all smiled up at him.  There was no laughing now.  Dave could
tell they were impressed.

“That’s
actually really cute!” Cinderella said.

“Aw! 
You ruined it!  Cool.  Let’s just say it was cool.”

Now
it was time for the girls to laugh.  They all mimicked Dave in their best man
voices.

“Cool. 
It was cool.”

“Shut
up,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“So
wait...” started Aurora.  “Then how do you answer someone?  Do you just call
them up and say yes?”

“Of
course not,” said Dave, rather smugly.  “You answer in a fun way too.”

“Example?”
asked Belle.

“I
had a girl answer once with a huge jar full of M&M’s.  The note said:
If
there is an even number of candies, I’ll go with you.  If there is an odd number...eat
one!”

“That’s
cu...ool,” said Ariel, recovering quickly.

“Tell
us some more examples,” said Cinderella, unconsciously scooting closer.

“Let’s
see...” Dave said, doing his thoughtful chin-tap again.  “Oh!  I asked a girl
to the Christmas dance once by going to her house and making a trail from her
entryway to her bathroom with Hershey kisses.”

“How
did you get in?  Did you talk to her parents?” Snow White interrupted.

“No
I broke in...Of course I asked her parents!” Dave shook his head and then continued. 
“Then I left a dozen roses in her shower.  The sign said:
Now that I’ve
kissed the ground you walk on and showered you with roses, will you go to the
dance with me?”
  Dave got the exact reaction he was looking for.  All five
of them made the typical girl noise in unison.

“Awwwwwww!”

“Her
answer was the best too!  She covered my bedroom floor in Starbursts and said:
Check
the starburst for my answer.
 I spent hours opening starburst wrappers and
didn’t find anything!  That night when I lay down in bed, I looked up and in
glow-in-the-dark stars on my ceiling was a big
YES
.”

“That
seems mean!” said Cinderella.  “Making you spend all that time looking for
nothing!”

“It
was actually a lot of fun!” said Dave.  “When I saw the stars, I just laughed cause
I knew she liked me.  See, the harder you make it, the more you like a person.”

“Because
that makes so much sense,” said Ariel, throwing her hands up.

“No,
I’m serious!” Dave said.  “I know it sounds crazy, but the bigger the display,
whether good or bad, the more effort the person put into it.  Meaning they must
like you.  Get it?”

“Kinda
like hitting the girl you liked on the playground when you were little?” asked
Ariel.

“Yeah,
in a way,” Dave said, nodding.  “You’re giving them extra attention.”

“So
how did it all get started?” asked Cinderella.

Dave
shrugged.  “I’m not sure.  Just one of those things that we’ve done for so long
now, no one really knows why.”

“And
this is the way everyone does it?” Snow White asked skeptically.

“Everyone
in Utah,” Dave said.

“I
think it sounds like a lot of fun!” Aurora exclaimed.

“It
is!” said Dave.  “You guys will just have to wait and see,” he said looking at
the other four girls who seemed less enthused.  “Now, Aurora here is my kind of
girl,” Dave added, putting his arm around her.  “At least she can see the fun
in being a little creative.”

Aurora
beamed up at Dave and then looked back over at her cousins and stuck out her
tongue.  “Guess I’m the favorite now,” she said.  Ariel, Cinderella and Snow
White all laughed, knowing Aurora well enough to tell she was joking.  But
Belle didn’t find it so funny.  She casually slipped off the bed and began
scooping up articles of clothing that were flung about the floor.

Dave
seemed to pick up on the chilly air that had entered the room and said he
better take off.  “I’ll meet you guys outside in an hour for the fireworks,
okay?”

The
Princess sisters all nodded, and Dave quickly left the room, clicking the door
shut behind him.

“What
was that about?” Aurora stared at Belle as soon as Dave left.

“Dave
just bugs me sometimes.  Why does he have to be so cocky?”

“I
think he was just kidding,” Cinderella said softly.

Completely
ignoring her, Belle went on.  “Does he really think we care which one of us he
likes the best?  We’ve got better things to do than sit around all day pining
over him and hoping upon hope that we’ll be his favorite for the day.”

Belle
continued to rant for awhile, while the other four very quietly wandered about
the room, helping her pick up.  None of them dared go against her and stand up
for Dave, not when she was in this kind of mood.  So they worked silently, only
briefly exchanging glances, while Belle vented.

“So,
do you still want to go tonight?” Ariel asked quietly, when it seemed Belle had
calmed down a little.

“Yeah,
why wouldn’t I?” Belle snapped.

Ariel
flinched.  “Gee, maybe it’s because of your sunny disposition,” she countered,
getting annoyed with her cousin’s attitude.  “I don’t know if you remember
this,” she went on, “But we aren’t the ones who made you mad.”

“I’m
sorry,” Belle said more quietly.  “Are we going to need blankets?” she asked,
trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah,”
Cinderella jumped in.  “Dave said to bring a couple.”  She froze, afraid the
mention of his name would send Belle off again.  But Ariel’s words had taken
affect.

“Let’s
go grab some out of the basement,” Belle said, walking out the door.  The other
four pushed the remaining items into her closet, and then followed Belle down
the stairs.

Chapter
Fifteen

“I
just love Pioneer Day,” Ariel said, as she and Aurora returned to their group
with food in each hand.  Ariel placed some nachos in the center of the blanket,
where Dave, Belle, and Cinderella all swarmed the plate and began eating.

Aurora
passed around the large drink she had been carrying and plopped onto the
blanket beside Dave.  “I just wish it wasn’t so close to the 4
^th
,”
she said.  “Why couldn’t Utah’s birthday be in like six months or something?”

“Because
then it would be January, and we wouldn’t be able to have fireworks, genius,”
Belle remarked.

“Oh.
Yeah,” Aurora said, stroking her long blonde hair.  “Well, at least I have an
excuse.”

They
all laughed.

“What’s
so funny?” Snow White asked, returning from the bathrooms.

“We’re
just making fun of how blonde Aurora can be,” Cinderella said.

“Oh
fun! Can I play?” she asked.

Everyone
laughed again.

“Ouch,
Snow,” Aurora said, putting a hand over her heart.

Snow
White grinned at her and took a seat next to Cinderella, filling in the rest of
the circle.  She broke off a piece of the pretzel Ariel handed her, and then
continued to pass it on.

The
six of them sat in a circle on several blankets they had laid next to each
other on the grass.  They got to the park plenty early, to be sure and save
good seats for the fireworks show that evening after dark.  And it was a good
thing they did!  With the steady stream of people coming in and claiming space,
they now had groups of people closing in around them.

“We
better spread out a little more,” Dave said, as another woman approached and
set her blanket so close to theirs, it was almost overlapping.  “We still have
to save room for Scott and his friends,” Dave added.  He got to his feet, and
began pulling at the corners of each blanket, extending them as far as they
could go.

Cinderella
froze.  “Scott’s coming?”

 “Yeah,”
Dave said, continuing to work with his back to Cinderella.  He remained
completely unaware that he had almost given her a heart attack.  “I thought I
mentioned it,” he added.

“No,
you definitely didn’t,” Belle said.  She smiled as she watched Cinderella’s
face flash between pure elation and panic.

Dave
turned around and looked at them.  “Is that okay?” he asked.  “You guys don’t
mind him coming, do you?”

“Not
at all,” Belle and Ariel answered.

“No,
I’m excited to meet him,” Aurora said.

Cinderella
and Snow White were the only two who remained completely quiet, but for
different reasons.

“Does
anyone else want more to eat?” Dave asked, eyeing their empty plates and
containers.  “I’m still hungry.”

“Didn’t
you just say you wanted some more too, Snow?” Cinderella asked.

“No,
that’s okay,” Snow White answered, shaking her head.

“You
sure you don’t want to come?” Dave asked, turning around and offering her his
hand.

Snow
White glanced around at her cousins, hoping someone else would want to come
too.  But they all seemed comfortable and unwilling to move.  “I...,” Snow
White started.

“It’s
okay,” Cinderella whispered.  She nudged Snow White in the back.  “Go on.”

Snow
White finally looked at Dave and nodded.  “Yeah, I’ll come with you,” she said,
taking his hand and allowing him to pull her to her feet.  The two of them
walked in silence toward the outer edge of the park, where several vendors had
stands set up.

“What
are you in the mood for?” Dave asked.

Snow
White shrugged.  She was okay with Dave hanging out with them, but she wasn’t
sure how to talk to him one on one.

“Oh,
I know just the place!” Dave said, spotting a cart that made his eyes light up.

As
they got closer, and Snow White finally saw what they were headed for, her
heart stopped.

“They
have the best caramel apples in the world here!” Dave said, stepping up to the
display case.  Snow White slowly walked up behind him and peered over his shoulder. 
There were at least a dozen different varieties to choose from.  Snow White
quickly realized calling them caramel apples was a major understatement.  She
saw everything from apples dipped in caramel, white chocolate, or crushed up
Oreo cookies, to apples dipped in different chocolates, nuts, and candies. 
Snow White would never have admitted it out loud, but they looked delicious! 

“Ummm…I
don’t eat apples,” she said.

“Oh,
are you allergic?” Dave asked.

“No,
I just…because of my name,” she whispered so no one else could hear.  “I know
it sounds dumb,” she added, looking down at her shoes.

“Well,
I promise I won’t tell anyone you had an apple,” he smiled.  Dave then pointed
out two large, chocolaty apples to the cashier who sliced them up and bagged them
before Snow White could protest any further.  Dave then led her to a little
spot of grass, just far enough away from the stands and all their noise.  He
pulled the apples out of the bag and offered a slice to Snow White.  “Come on,”
he taunted.  “You know you want to.”  Dave waved a slice right under her nose,
and then crunched into the sweet, juicy apple.  Snow White picked up a piece
covered in chocolate and topped with cinnamon and sugar.  She held it between
her thumb and pointer finger, examining it from all angles.  She then looked at
Dave who nodded and took another piece for himself.  Snow White finally opened
her mouth.

“You
promise you won’t tell anyone?” she asked.

Dave
held up his fingers.  “Scouts honor,” he said.

Snow
White nodded.  “Alright,” she said, holding the temptation under her nose and
breathing in the sweet, rich chocolaty perfume before finally taking a bite.

“So?”
Dave asked.

Snow
White looked up at him.  “That’s delicious!” she said, reaching for another
piece.

It
didn’t take the two of them long to devour both apples, which was good since by
this time the sun was just starting to go down.

“We
better head back,” Snow White said, looking up at the sky.

“Just
a sec, you have something right here,” Dave said, pointing out a small amount
of chocolate just to the side of Snow White’s lip.  “Here I got it,” Dave said,
holding up a napkin.

Before
Snow White knew what was happening, Dave lowered the napkin and removed the
chocolate with his own mouth.  His lips lingered on hers for a second, before
Snow White jerked her head back and pulled away.  She just sat there, staring
at Dave, unsure of what to say or do next.

“I’m
sorry,” Dave said.  “I shouldn’t have...”

“It’s
fine,” Snow White said.  She quickly got to her feet and hurried back in the
direction of her cousins.

“I’m
really sorry,” Dave said, catching up to her.  “Are you going to tell your
cousins?” he asked.

Snow
White wanted to!  She wanted to run to Cinderella and Belle and the twins and
scream, “Dave kissed me!”  But she knew she never could.  She couldn’t say
those words to them, it was too embarrassing!  Maybe she could tell Cinderella,
but not tonight.  Not here.  Especially since she didn’t know why it had
happened. 
“Does he like me?  Was he just trying to get some action?  Or was
he really hungry?”
she wondered.  She wasn’t even sure if she liked it or
not.  Snow White made a decision right then. 
“I won’t tell anyone. Not yet,
at least. I’ll wait and see what happens next.”
  She looked back at Dave
and shook her head, then she ran the rest of the way to their blankets.

***

Cinderella
sat waiting for Scott to arrive.  She asked Belle, Aurora, and Ariel how she
looked at least three different times.  They finally just laughed the third
time, and that’s when Cinderella recognized how anxious she was getting.  She
never felt this nervous about seeing Dave. 
“I guess that answers the
question of who I like more,”
she realized.

“Snow
and Dave have been gone for awhile,” Belle observed.  “Where do you think they
are?” she asked, looking around.

Cinderella
felt bad she hadn’t even noticed Snow White was still gone!  She started to
look around with Belle, trying to spot her red head or green shirt amid the
crowds of people.  Cinderella noticed a green shirt moving quickly in their
direction, and scanned her eyes upward.  Sure enough, the figure had flaming
red hair.

“Here
she comes.”  Cinderella pointed, as Snow White got closer.

“This
seat taken?” Cinderella’s face warmed and she turned at the sound of a familiar
voice.  Scott and two other guys were approaching their blankets from the other
side.

Snow
White had to slow to a jog as she weaved in and out of people.  She turned
sharply to avoid hitting a family of four, and collided with Scott as he
reached Cinderella with his friends.

Scott
put his hands out, catching Snow White by the shoulders, to prevent her from
falling to the ground.  “Whoa! You alright there?” he asked.

Snow
White quickly nodded.  “Sorry,” she mumbled, collapsing next to Cinderella.

“Why
were you in such a hurry?” Cinderella asked.

Snow
White looked at Cinderella, pleading her to remove the attention away from
herself with her eyes.

Cinderella
looked up at Scott and smiled.  “Welcome,” she said.  “Go ahead and find a
seat.  We’re these three blankets here.”  She pointed them out as she spoke.

“You
made it!” Dave said, arriving just in time to greet his brother.  “You already
know Cinderella,” he said, pointing.  “This is Snow White, Ariel, Aurora, and
Belle.”

“Whoa,”
one of Scott’s friends spoke.

Scott
nudged him in the ribs with his elbow.  “Nice to meet you all,” he said.

The
other girls waved and said hello.

“So
tell me how ya been?  How’s that brother of mine treating you?” Scott asked,
sitting beside her.

“Really
good,” Cinderella nodded.  “How’re you?”

Scott
had a way of making Cinderella feel more nervous and sick than any guy ever had
before.  But he also had a calming affect on her and she found the longer they
talked, the more at ease she felt.  Before she knew it, they had been talking
for almost twenty minutes and the sky was now completely dark.

“Should
be anytime now,” Scott said, looking around.

Cinderella
hadn’t noticed how cold it had gotten, and she shivered slightly as a light
breeze blew over them.

“Are
you cold?” Scott asked.  He pulled off his sweatshirt and handed it to her. 
“Here.”

“Thanks,”
Cinderella responded, pulling it over her head.  It smelled amazing!  The first
firework went off and Cinderella jumped.

She
could see Scott’s grin as the next one flashed.  “Isn’t that why we’re here?”
he asked.

“I
just wasn’t ready,” Cinderella laughed.

The
show continued for several more minutes, the fireworks getting louder and
bigger as time went on.  Cinderella glanced at Scott’s profile in the flashing
light.  His dark, wavy hair blowing slightly with the wind.  She leaned closer
to him and rested her head on his shoulder.  Scott stiffened and glanced down
at Cinderella, but he didn’t move.  Then, as they sat together in the dark, he
relaxed.

“Where
is it?” Snow White’s voice was frantic in the dark.

“What’s
the matter, Snow?” Cinderella sat up.

“I
can’t find my bracelet,” she said, searching around the blankets with her
hands.  Everyone felt around their own seats, but with no luck.

“I
bet when we get home, we’ll find it wrapped in one of the blankets,” Belle
said.

People
around them were starting to get annoyed, and they were assaulted with several
angry, “Shhhhhhh!”

Cinderella
scooted closer to Snow White and put an arm around her.  “Belle is probably
right,” she whispered.  “But if we don’t find it at home, I’ll come back
tomorrow and look with you in the daylight.”