Suddenly Princess

Chapter 2 - Thinking Of You

"AnnaMaria!" Someone screams my name from across the auditorium. I let out a heaving sigh of frustration and turn on the microphone extension on my headset. Static shudders through the line before it finally catches a signal.

"We discussed this before, the next person to use my full name gets a flood light directed straight into their eyes!" I hate it when people do that because the only time my full first name is ever used is when mom gets mad at me.

I spot Valerie waving her arms and motioning towards the front row of lights on the stage. "Can you make these brighter?!"

My eyes roll upwards, "If I make them any brighter you won't be able see the colored lights! And then Vlad will have my head!"

For a moment I forget that I'm on the microphone extension. I wince when I hear Mr. Vladescu yell back. "What am I chopping your head off for now, Romanoff?!" He's laughing, trying to help a girl put on her microphone.

"Nothing, nothing at all!" I answer back quickly, going off the microphone extension. I hear Mitchel, the sound booth guy and my awkward ex-boyfriend, laughing through the headset. I can even hear him from behind the separating wall.

"What are you laughing at?" I ask threateningly, staring intensely at the lighting board. With the flick of a switch, I turn the front white lights up higher. Sure enough, seconds later there's a shriek of protest from Valerie. The urge to punch her is even greater than usual. In our small high school of no more than 500 people, she's amongst the most annoying. And I know a lot of annoying people in this place.

@AnnaNoff: So close to strangling someone right now. #restrainingmyself 

"Oh, Anna, there will be no physical assaults tonight," Mitch says with a chuckle through the headset. "Save that for hell week."

"Oh did I say that out loud?" I do that a lot. It's become quite a nasty habit with this headset on. I forget there are about four other people listening to me talk to myself.

"Yes, yes you did. Just remember: it's only two more weeks of this torture."

Laughing at his attempt to be optimistic, I look down to Vlad to see if we're going to do another song... maybe even mine... or my dance with the rest of the dance team. We can never really predict what he and the other teacher organizers are going to do next. He makes no move to give us any hand signals, so I settle back in my chair and occupy my time by fiddling with the broken spolight, determined to get it working again. It's the one I used freshman year, so it's kind of a sentimental thing for me. Unfortunately it also has the most wires attached to it, so I end up tripping and falling into the wall a thousand times. I'm such a kultz. You wouldn't know I was a dancer upon first meeting me.

They better let me do something other than sit up here and play with spotlights and lighting boards. When I sit up here I think. When I think, I start over-thinking things. When I start to over-think things I get anxious. Take, for instance how I cannot stop thinking about that guy in the store yesterday. It's really bad; the way my heart leaps against my ribcage when I think about him.

I should have made a move, or acted more interesting––and less dorky. God, I must have looked like such a loser, blushing all over the place and giggling. I can't stop thinking about how I probably missed out on a really hot Vladesvyan guy. Those are rare around here because there aren't many Vladesvyan or Chirnovian families to begin with.

This happens every time I meet someone attractive and friendly. I tell myself I'll make a move or drop some kind of hint, but in the end it's all up to the guy. I'm too introverted and bashful to ever flirt like Ashlyn or Avery can.

I should have them give me lessons. Seriously, it would probably help a lot.

_______________

"Well, if she looks anything like her mother, she's going to be beautiful," my father drawls in Vladesvyan, lounging in his leather chair in the small suite we chose at 'Katherine's Inn'. We'd been reluctant to stay in such a tiny place, but no one recognized us here. It's peaceful for once. Not even the press dared to venture down the winding roads leading through hills and forests to get here. 

"But what if she has the personality of her uncle or grandfather?" I point out. Of all the people in her ancestry, those two are amongst the most difficult; the most easily angered. Their reputations for lashing out are notorious.

This is the problem with this kind of marriage arrangement. Arranged marriages are hard to predict. There's often a lot of fighting and outbursts. Sometimes the passion comes quickly, but leaves just as fast––and there's no normal loving connection to replace it. In fact, sometimes there is no love to speak of. That's what worries me the most: the possibility that our relationship may not have any kind of emotional connection whatsoever.

"I am sure she will have a humble personality. She wasn't brought up in a mansion like those other debutants you've dated, you know." Again, my father never ceases to reassure me that things will go well... Not that I ever believe him.

"You'd be correct in saying that," our old friend and informant, Lucius Vladescu, pipes up from across the room. He has every right to put his two-cents in, of course. He's been watching her since she was small, so it only makes sense. He should be able to give us a good idea of what she's going to be like.

"She does chores, walks to school sometimes... has a job...  a very smart girl, too. I've seen her at her best and worst, and I can tell you that overall she's quite determined; very set on her future plans. She's gone through rough patches just like everyone else in this town but has come out just fine."

My father does that smirk that always annoys me. "They've been inadvertently preparing her."

Lucius hesitates to answer. "Yes... accidently preparing her. Her mother is strict about many things––grades, chores, manners... but isn't that expected from a Chirnovian mother?"

I give him a nod and chuckle, "Completely expected."

A beat of silence.

"Do they know you have been working for us, Lucius?" my dad asks out of nowhere.

"No, Victor, they never found out." He seems pretty confident they have no clue. I mean, he did become good friends with them. He's gained their absolute trust. They think he was sent to America with them to make sure that Anna was never found. When, in fact it's the complete opposite. I can't imagine how heartbroken they're going to be when they find out about his betrayal.

Though, as I sit here thinking—or trying to think—about my future wife I can't get my mind off of that girl in the general store. Big blue eyes; long, dark blonde hair, a little frizzy from the humidity inside that stuffy shop, but still cute... And her smile... there's just something in the back of my mind nagging at me to go back to that store. I didn't even ask her what her name was.

But I know I have a fiancé and I'll stay faithful to her no matter what––I'm not going to make a fool out of myself like other royals have. I can't let loose another scandal. It's just... frustrating.

I need something to occupy my time so I don't go back to that shop looking for her.