The Selection

Chapter 1

Kate James's phone buzzed.  She picked it up and there it was; the ever-waiting daily call from her Mother. "Katherine, where are you," her mother said sternly. "At home. I don't want to come to your show. Skinny people walking around in clothes you've made sure I've seen," Kate replied. Her mother was a clothes designer and fashion celebrity, so obviously a 2. "Even if you have, I want you to come to the show. I have something to tell you!" 

Kate groaned. "Nothing you can tell me over the phone?" 
"Not a chance, sweetheart. I expect you here in 20 minutes, dressed and pressed," her mother said, using her favorite expression. Kate rolled her chair out from her desk and walked over to her ginormous closet. She picked out a green dress with big buttons down the side and slipped it over her head. Kate never has to worry about her hair; its just naturally straight in its boring brown glory. Slipping her feet into matching heels, she walked out to her car.

Big billboards announcing upcoming Illean events, the Selection being a main one, whizzed by her silver SUV. She arrived at the place, slamming her car door and running in, eager to get this over with. 

"Kate, there you are," her mom walked up with a handful of pins. Kate raised her eyebrows "What were you going to tell me?"     "Now, I have a proposition for you. You know how you want to travel the icky world out there? Well, if you enter the Selection you can," Kate's mom decided, walking around a model that wasn't much taller than Kate. 

She had been waiting for her ticket out of Illea for two years now. Kate didn't like Illea that much, and she finally decided that her chances of getting into the Selection were slim to none. "Fine. But you promise  you'll give me the ticket?" Kate replied. She knew she'd never get in, even though 45 girls were being let in this year. The eldest kids of Queen Vivienne and King Solomen were twin boys, Zachary and Thomas Schreave, so they were having their Selection together.

Her mom nodded, deep in thought about the model in front of her. "Can I go?" Kate asked, mad that she'd changed just to go somewhere for five minutes. "Yeah" her mother nodded, not really listening. Kate turned on her heal and walked out of the place. Selection forms were expected to come tomorrow, turned in, and pulled the week after. Nothing big. 

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"Tonight, we will interview our Princes," the announcer on the Report, Jerlek, stated. The boys walked up and sat down. They were handsome, and Kate wasn't ashamed to admit that. She did think that they would look different in person if she were to ever see them. Light brown hair mixed with green eyes made a good combination with their semi-chiseled features and tan skin. The queen, however, had not a single feature of hers in her sons. Queen Vivienne had blonde hair, brown eyes, and she was short and curvy. Her hair was much brighter in her Selection; time changes people.

"So, Prince Thomas, we'll start with you. How are you feeling about what's going to happen?" Jerlek questioned. "Well, I don't know, honestly. The only real encounter I've had with girls is with Merlet, my cousin. But with 45 girls coming to the palace, I'm sure it will be much different," Thomas replied. Jerlek laughed, along with Zachary and the Queen, but the King tried to suppress his. "You're probably right there, your highness. Now, what kind of girl are you looking for?" Jerlek asked. "Uhhh? I think probably someone different. Whether that means in appearance, childhood, or personality. Oh, and she should be pretty," Thomas replied with a sheepish grin. All the royal family members exploded with laughter after that. "That's an interesting approach! Now, Zach, do you think you'll find your true love?" Jerlek switched focus. Zachary squinted into the distance in thought. "No. I think people have multiple. Maybe I'll find one of them in that lot arriving in 2 weeks, but you never know." That was not the reply anyone was expecting. Jerlek cleared his throat, "Huh, I never thought about it that way. But I'm sure if my wife heard that she'd go berserk!" This is usually the way the Report works. Anything that makes people really think is just turned into a joke for the people's entertainment. Kate always likes to wonder what would have happened if people really listened to what everyone said. She was sure Illea would be very  different if that were the case. But it's not, and the people just have to accept that.

"Okay, let's stop watching this and go to bed," Mrs. James said, sitting up and shutting the TV off. Kate hated when her mom tried to shield her from the real world like that. "Love you," Kate said, kissing her mom on the cheek. Even though Kate sometimes was annoyed at her mom, she still loved her to the moon and back, like any kid should. She walked down the grand hall to her bedroom, which was one of the least lavish rooms in the house. A bed with a fluffy quilt, a beanbag chair in the corner, and a desk in the corner, littered with tutor work. Field hockey trophies balanced on every free shelf. It was her favorite sport, and much to Mrs. James's dismay, she still played on the Fennley State team. The James's big house stood in the capital of Fennley, which was right next to Angeles.

I slipped under the quilt and fell asleep right away.