STAMP OF APPROVAL - a selection story

"i'm gonna teach you to skateboard"

"I already asked you that!"

"And I didn't have them then." I shrug, and she rolls her eyes, begrudgingly hanging over her three jacks. Emmie places the four cards next to the other piles. Abri frowns as she rakes over her cards again.

"Levi," Emmie starts.

"Yeah?"

"The castle is just fine?"

"I guess."

Abri grins. "He doesn't want to discuss the gala." She sends me a sneaky look.

Emmie's eyes widen. "You went to a gala?"

I stifle a sigh. "I did."

"Did you have fun?"

I have to say, it's nice not to have the questions go right to Charlotte for a change. Not that I blame Abri for wanting to talk about Charlotte, and not that I entirely mind talking about the princess, it's just a nice change.

"I did actually," I say. It's the truth. I did have fun. Even though I spent most of the time wandering around, wondering what to do with my time.

Abri quirks a brow. "You did? Why?"

I was expecting her question.

"Because of the food."

"Please tell me you danced with her?"

"Who?" Emmie asks innocently. Abri sends her a pointed look, then a cheeky smile settles over her features. "Oh, right." A light blush colors her cheeks. I hide my smile. Emmie was always a bit more romantic than Abri, me and Charlotte being the exception for Abri.

"I did dance with Charlotte."

"Was that why it was fun?" Emmie hands over two cards when Abri asks for them.

I don't actually know if that's the answer, but I know it must be part of the reason. We practiced for hours, and a part of me is glad that I finally got the hang of dancing. At least the few dances Charlotte went over with me.

There are still a lot more I'm still not comfortable doing.

"Part of why it was fun," I answer.

"Did you dress up for it?" Emmie asks almost immediately. I feel like Abri coached her on what to say, but I don't ask.

"Yes." I watch as Abri hands over her two aces.

Emmie adds the cards to the pile. "Abri told me you wore your leather jacket at the last dance. Why didn't you wear it this time?"

I glance toward the pile of clothes, the outfit I wore for the gala, sitting on the floor. I told Miguel to leave it when he started to clean it up late that night, and so far they've continued to sit on the ground. I told him Sunday's are do not disturb days.

"I thought I should dress the part. It was for a public event, and I already took a stand last time by wearing the jacket." I grin to myself. "Plus, I thought I could pull off the suit jacket."

"Did you wear a tie or bowtie?" Abri asks without looking up.

I shake my head.

Abri catches it and sighs. "Of course you didn't."

"What did you wear exactly?" Emmie asks, curious. I describe the suit jacket, the pants, the black dress shirt, and even the polished black shoes. I'll never understand what she means when she wants me to describe the clothes even more so, as if the color isn't enough. But I also don't understand why girls talk about clothes in the first place.

"What about Charlotte? What did she wear?"

I let out a sigh as I do my best to describe her dress. From the color to the design, even to her hair, which they asked about, and I didn't know all the lingo, but it was up in a twisted bun, with what the girls called "tendrils" of hair around her face, with gold and blue flowers decorating it. Then they asked about her makeup, but then I began to suspect they're asking less for their visual picture and more for making me remember her again.