I combed my hair, slowly looking into the mirror that could have dated back centuries. Looking into the mirror now, I could be any generation of the people in my family (what's our really old name?) exept for my clothes and the cell in my background. And the annying ring tone it was playing.
"Mom?" I asked, I coudl barley hear her voice on the other side of the line.
"Honey, are you back from London? I really would rather not make international calls on my cellphone."
"No, I'm still here." I replied.
"That can't be good for your studies, do you need any more money while you're there? Do you need help flying back? I was thinking of coming up and visiting you on campus soon."
Shit. I still hadn't told her about my... being kicked out?
I heard a clatter coming from a corridor or two away. I stood up.
"Mom, I'm going to have to call you back, I ahev to check on something."
"Oh! Are you cooking? I was so dissapointed when you never took it up after all of those lessons. But I never would have told you that unless-"
"No Mom, I have to go. Call you back later." I hung up the phone and started down the stairs.
The room I had picked was better than any I had ever imagined having. It was at the top of a long set of stairs (I'll probably loose ten pounds within my first week here) and I think it's in one of the towers because it's almost a perfect cirlce. There is a small closet and dark hardwood floors, but what really caught my attention was the white walls with a gold metalic flower pattern and trim, along with the big window with a sweeping veiw of a vally forest thing witha garden just around the edge. It is furnished with a vanity desk drawer mirror thing, dresser/wardrobe and a four poster bed with light, airy white veil things. There is also a little door on the far end- but I can't get it open.
I walked through sevral hall;s, mooving twoards the interior of the castle, where there were no windows and it was all dark. I had probably gone into 14 rooms last night, but this was all new territory. I could now still hear noises up ahead. Most of the castle was made up of stone, and it all seemed to be in relativly good condition. Before he had left, my Great Aunt's lawer had mentioned how my aunt and her staff only used a small portion of the estate, and they minimally maintained the rest- but never instaled electricity or running water.
Now I could clearly hear Jamie. "God, and it just keeps going on." He sounded drunk. "Alright Glaire, I give up, help me, I know that you're there."
I redirected myself, he was coming from the other side of the wall. Now he was just yelling my name. I turned the corner, and blinked at the harsh electric light that fell before me. I had found my Aunt's former home. I used the one of the bathrooms- taking time to admire the gorgeous modern taste she had and then veered back out to find Jamie sitting on the ground and yelling.
"Are you drunk?" I asked.
"No, of course not." He said.
"Then what's wrong with you? You have been clanging around for a half hour!"
"Much longer than that- I have no sence of direction, I was trying to find a bathroom. I'm-" he fell down over in his attempt to stand up, "terribly sorry." and looking up, bringing his face close to mine, he adds, "and a little drunk."
He paused, looking at me- catching my glance, he leaned closer, and I might have as well. I pulled back and caught my breath for a second. "Let me help you find your room again."
Jamie stood up, and assumed a confused look on his face. He reached back and checked his back pocket. He was wearing jeans and a polo. He shook his head a little, trying to remember something, and than said in a more collected tone. "I think I'm going out. Yeah- I have to meet my friends at a bar."
"Not to be judgemental, but are you sure that you shoudl be going to a bar now? It's nine in the morning."
Jamie looked down, still trying to think, "Yeah," he smiled, "We are meeting to help him with his proposal plan. He has this big idea and needs a lot of help."
I wouldn't have expected that smile- and was that a blush? from Jamie about the romantic gesture. Maybe it was that little sign of charm, or maybe it was the fact that I didn't want to end up with a castle alone after a drunken car crash, so I asked, "Do you need a ride?"
Jamie looked up a little, laughed at himself and said, "That would probably helpful."
He slept the whole way there. I had to grab his phone and find the email from his friend to know where to go. His phone was full of games and stupid apps by Hershey and stuff. It was like the iPhone of a ten year old.
"Jamie. Jamie, wake up, we're here!"
Jamie opened his eyes, "Oh, sorry Glaire. Thanks for the ride." He sat up and swung his way out of the car. "Hey um, do you want to stay?"
"I probably should go back to the- our castle."
"No- it will be fun, just stay for a bit. Like I said- he needs a lot of help."
"Alright." I said, getting out of Jamie's car. I put on some lip gloss as we walked into the bar. I still wasn't used to the country- the modern streets and the cute little shops with smaller cars going the same way. The bar was old and almost charming- it was full of blonde wood and signs in what I always thought of as Scotish caligraphy.
"Hey! James, you made it." a tall blonde man in a plaid T-shirt said. "And this must be your cousin! Claire, right?"
"Glair actually." I corrected.
"Ex-stepcousin actually." Jamie said, exchanging angry looks with his friend.
After a second, the friend put out his hand, "Jack."
"Nice to meet you." I said.
"So, are you here to help out Daniel?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, what are those plans?"
"They're just about to start talking about it, why don't you come in and take a seat?"
Jamie and I followed him into the crowded bar- seemingly all of whom knew both Jamie and Jack- and sat down at a table with both of them, a red haired girl and a young couple.
"Glaire, this is Wendy, Jim and Scarlett." He said, gesturing to the couple, and then the red haired girl.
"Hi, I'm Glaire."
"Noted." Scarlett said sarcastilcally.
"I love your accent!" Wendy said.
I lauged, "Thanks- I love all of yours!"
"Attention please!" a man at the front of the bar said. "Thank you all so much for coming, it means so much to me- and I'm sure it will to Jenny."
That night, after what felt like a half hour of walking to get there, I fell asleep on my beautiful princess bed and thought of all of the new ways that my life was changing- my money, my castle and Jamie.
