The Princess Competition | ✔

Chapter 4

I gathered my things into the bag I was given and set it all down at the bottom of the stairs earlier the next morning. I was surprised at the size of the bag that they were giving me, I mean did all the girls get bags this small?! All the girls came down to give me hugs and it was immediate water-works. After that I gave Mrs. Gallagher a tight squeeze and took my few limited things I was allowed to bring outside to wait for a Royal Limo that was picking me up and taking me to the airport. I had received a letter last night informing me that Melanie and few other girls nearby or from neighbouring cities would be coming on the same plane as us. The letter had also said that Melanie and I would be driving to the airport in the same limo. I was glad that I had someone I knew always close. I carried by small brown bag down to the steps just as the limo arrived. A chauffeur stepped out of the limo, took my bag and opened the door for me to get in. I realized that no one was in there yet, so we must be picking up Melanie now, after me. I climbed in and the chauffeur took my bag to the trunk of the limo. He closed the door to my side of the vehicle and got in the driver's seat. He started the ignition and began to drive around the loop that went past the front of the house and then a one way street out to the dirt road of the village.

We had made it past the stairs where the large doors were open and all of the girls were waving.

"Bye Eva! We'll miss you so much!" many of the yelled out towards the slowly moving limo. But as we past the stair a little further; barely creeping an inch per second, I could see the back of the orphanage and the yard and I saw the boys filling a large wagon up with hay from the field. They weren't very far away and I could see Will's shaggy brown hair, then suddenly his ocean blue eyes turn and look at me. I could see them still a piercing blue through the tinted glass windows.  

"WAIT!" I yelled at the driver and he immediately pushed down hard on the brakes which made my head jerk forward. I thrust open the door gathered the hem of my skirt and ran towards Will. His eyes widened in surprise. As soon as I reached him I flung my arms around his neck and embraced him in a tight hug. He looked a little startled at this gesture but returned it, a little too warily then I would have liked though. I looked up at him, his bright eyes unclear of an emotion. He took my hands off his neck and held them gently.

"I said I'll wait for you, but you must go and try to win a better life. Trust me this is what I want for you," he said softly. Tears began to well up in my eyes; I didn't want to leave I wanted to stay here, in the open, with everything I knew. With everyone I knew. He wiped a tear from my cheek as I slowly and cautiously walked backwards. Shaking my head slightly and whispering 'no' to myself.

"Go," he said. "Get yourself a better life than anything I could've given you," he continued, just loud enough that I could hear.

And with that I turned around hung my head and let the tears come down on the short walk back to the limo. I got in and sniffed a bit as I wiped my tears.

"Are you okay Miss Stacey?" the driver asked gently.

"Yes, now please just drive," I said with a slight bit of venom in my tone.

"Yes Miss," he replied quietly as he drove the limo away. I just caught a glimpse of Will, looking dreadfully sad as we drove away. I know he didn't mean to be mean, but I felt like I had just gotten stabbed in the heart with a knife. And I'm positive that the driver of this limo now thinks I've become arrogant and rude by being entered in this competition. I looked at my surroundings in the limo as we began to enter the village. I was sitting on a long leather seat, and there was another seat exactly the same, opposite of me. There was much space in between the two seats and a small square table was in the middle. We came to a stop but before the driver got out I cleared my throat and began to apologise.