Adam Banks: Courtney's Beginning [1]

Chapter 2

I wandered around the large library, looking for an interesting book. I highly doubted that there were any, but it didn't hurt to look. As i was reading the spines of a few of them, a few books sticking out of the shelf caught my eye. When I tried to push them back in, they wouldn't budge. I pushed harder. Nothing happened. I took them out and placed them on the floor. When I straightened, I found a small journal. I cocked my head, my brow bent in confusion. I tokk it from it's place and opened it to the first page. It was a diary! The date was 3/5/80.

What is this doing here? I wondered. The handwriting was in nearly perfect cursive. I began to read. 

Dear Diary,
Today, John-

I looked up when I heard footsteps. I hurriedly replaced the diary and the books just as Rosa came in. 

"Courtney, your tutor is here for your lessons." She informed me.

I sighed and followed Rosa out the door, glancing back at the books. i decided to come back later for that diary.

All during lessons, I couldn't focus. I daydreamed about what could be in that diary. Of course, it could be one of the servants', since there were a few named John, or it could be my mother's. My father's name is John. If it was a servant's diary, it might be about how they fell in love with one of the servants named John. If it Mother's... well, she doesn't seem to lead a very interesting life, as far as I've seen, which is a lot.

Like mother, like daughter. I though. My life has got  to be the least interesting in the history of least interesting lives.

"Your Highness? Are you listening?" My tutor asked.

"Uh, what?" I asked, shaking myself from my thoughts.

"I was explaining about the constellations." The woman said, as if it would bring back any memories of the boring lecture she had to have been giving.

"Uh, sorry, Mrs. Lockwood. No, I wasn't listening." I said, not really caring about whether or not it would get me in trouble. As you have probably guessed by now, I am not the princess that everybody wants me to be, or thinks that I am.

Mrs. Lockwood sighed. "Well, since you obviously can't get you head out of the clouds, we might as well skip classes today." 

"Really Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood." I hugged the young woman and speed-walked out of the room, back to the library. But, of course, Rosa stopped me again, this time for dance lessons. We headed towards the large ballroom on the first floor of the castle.

"Rosa, everything you teach me is so... old fashioned. I'm quite posotive that hte only times people dance are at my birthday balls, which, might I add, are also old fashioned." I complained, glding across the floor with Rosa.

Rosa sighed. "I think so, too, but your mother wanted to at least try to live like her great-grandmother did. She looked up to her when she was little, you know." 

"Can't Mother just... stop doing that? Ballroom dancing isn't fun. Not even close." I asked, even though I knew it wouldn't do any good.

"You dance when you ice skate." Rosa pointed out.

"Yes, but I don't ballroom dance. I do flips an dreally fast twirls... on one foot. Ballroom dancing is slow and boring and when I dance with Carlos he sometimes steps on my foot." That's when a horible thought hit me, and I groaned. "I might have to ask Mother to change her plans about having my ball on the ice." 

"Why?" Rosa asked, clearly suprised. "You love the ice."

"I do, but it Carlos steps on my foot he mgiht skate over it."