STAMP OF APPROVAL - a selection story

reading the articles

No. I won't get in. But the princess must not know the process. Or else she may not have said. Or else she did, and decided to give half the guys here hope.

"And what are you looking for in a man? What does your perfect Prince Charming look like?" Abri reads aloud the next question. I can't help but listen. I can't help but want to know her answer, even though I shouldn't.

I don't know how I feel about her answer.

"Oh, that is a really difficult question. I mean, ideally I would like someone to be my partner. Someone who can stand by my side and support me and of course, make me laugh." Abri reading it gives it the energy it portrays, but that doesn't mean it was said with that much vigor. Abri is only reading it that way because she wants me to be interested. She wants me to want to get in.

But there isn't a point. I still wouldn't get in even if I did want it.

—
"What role will they play in your future?" I read, turning away from Levi. "They'll be my husband, of course, their role will be that of any other marriage," the princess answers, and I almost wish it wasn't in paper form. If Levi were really to get a picture of how sincere she is, he may be more interested. But if anyone knows Levi just a little bit, they know how good he is at hiding what he feels.

Is that what he learned after being away from his loved ones for so long?

I turn back to the interview.

"Can we expect children in the near future then?" The question reads. Most of the guys start whooping, or letting out wolf whistles, and I have to roll my eyes. Such boys. I frown, reading Charlotte's response, which I have to admire. "Sandra! I haven't even met the men yet!" I read, eyeing all the men, and some dip their heads. But most of them don't seem to care what I think about their reactions. Maybe I should have skipped that question.

It doesn't matter. It's the end of the interview.

—
I should have known she had another article to read.

"Read on as we ask Princess Charlotte Teen Illea's 75 Questions to Get to Know You," Abri reads, catching my eye. She grins slyly.

"On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about life right now?" She starts the line of questioning, but this time Abri moves closer to me. "9.5, the other .5 is a little bit of fear as I start this new course of action," is the princesses' answer.

I ignore the second question and answer.

Unfortunately, the third is hard to miss.

"If you could do a love scene with anyone, who would it be?" Abri reads the question aloud, then immediately claps a hand over her mouth. With her eyes wide, she looks at me first, then to the other guys around us, who all start "Oohing" as if they have nothing better to do. Everyone is glued to Abri.

I shake my head at her. "Don't," I warn.

She sticks her tongue out at me and reads the answer, "Oh gosh, umm, can I pass? No? Okay then, this is so embarrassing but Jason Momoa." Abri starts laughing aloud as soon as she reads it. Almost immediately, all the guys start groaning.

Genn walks out of her office, staring at everyone with confusion. "What is going on out here?" she asks.

Abri still can't stop laughing.

One guy yells out, "Can you really blame her though?"

Another one yells back, "Yeah, cause she hasn't met me yet!"

I wipe all the grime from my fingers onto my pants.

Genn walks over to Abri, who shows her what everyone is laughing at. Genn rolls her eyes, glances over at me with a frown, then walks back into her office.