"It can't rain all day." Grayson groaned, staring out the window.
"If you could will it to stop raining, it already would've." His mom said, patting his shoulder. "Sorry, bud." He sighed and flopped down on the couch. "Read your new comic or something."
"I already did. Twice." He said. He growled as he heard a loud thump upstairs. They were so loud!
"You could always play with the girls." She knew all too well that that was what he was trying to avoid. 'The girls' were his sister Jenny and their cousin Jessie. They always made him feel like a third wheel and girls were just weird. Especially those two. No matter how many times his mom told him Jenny loved him, he could not shake the feeling they wished she and Jessie were sisters and he was the cousin they only saw every few months.
"I'll just stay down here." He sighed, looking down at the floor where some blocks waited. Blocks, at his age? Aunt Rhonda had to be joking. Then again, she had been told he would spend the day playing outside. And that had been the plan. This cold, gray drizzle was the only thing keeping him from doing that. "It'll stop before we leave, right?" His mom's face was all the answer he needed.
"We'll be in Auntie's scrapbooking room if you need us." She said, turning to leave him to the blocks and his twice-read book. "No playing ball in the house."
"I didn't even think of that!" He insisted, but he doubted she believed him. He had only done that once and it wasn't even here! Thump! "God, shut up." He muttered as he looked up at the ceiling. What were they even doing up there? Then again, did he really want to know? He surveyed the living room and shrugged. Had to be better than hanging out alone down here. They were going to be here all day and lunch was still a long time away!
"So then, I told Allison that Meghan said" Grayson paused at the ladder that led up into the attic. Did he really want to do this? He could turn around and find something, anything else to do. It did not hurt to at least see if they were doing something cool, he figured.
"Hey" he said, poking his head up through the floor. The girls turned and looked at him.
"What do you want?"
"Jenny, be nice." Jessie said, smiling at him.
"He's an annoying little brother. Why should I?" She looked back at her brother. "Why aren't you playing outside?"
"I wanted to, but mom said I'll catch a cold and die if I go out in the rain."
"Oh." Jenny looked a bit conflicted. "Uh, I guess you can play with us? Right, Jessie?"
"Sure." Jessie grinned. "If you play what we're playing."
"You were playing? I thought you were just talking."
"We're princesses." Jenny said, immediately picking up on her cousin's hints.
"Yeah, they sit around and talk a lot."
"So, what would I do? Be a knight or something?" He remembered doing that before when the girls had been younger and everything had been princesses with them. That had been alright.
"Not quite. You'd be a princess too." Grayson's nose wrinkled almost immediately.
"So I'd just sit here and listen to you two talk?" He almost started down the ladder again.
"I guess? We could play a board game or something though. Once we're all princesses." Grayson rolled his eyes.
"Fine, whatever. I" he grunted as he climbed up into the attic fully. "Better than playing with blocks, I guess."
"Well, we gotta make the rules clear." Jessie said. She had gotten up and was looking through some cardboard boxes. "I know there's some stuff in here." She murmured.
"Rules?" That sounded more like what he had expected. Jenny was always bossing him around. She had even once tried to order him to clean his room! She was his sister, not his mom, but he still felt like he had gotten in more trouble for telling on her than she had for being so bossy.
"If you want to play with us, you gotta do what we say. We're princesses after all."
"But... But you want me to be a princess too. Don't you?" Wouldn't that put them all on the same level or something?
"Yeah, and you'd be my little sister princess, so you still gotta listen to your big sister princess." His brow furrowed. Was it worth it to avoid having to sit downstairs, playing with those baby toys?
"Fine."
"Fine what?" Jessie asked, digging through a box with her name written on it in marker.
"I'll be a princess too." He muttered. The girls smirked.
"Found it!" Jessie said, pulling out a worn pink and white book.
"Is that what I think it is?"
"Yep! Princess Prim's Guide to Princessing." She flipped it open. "Here, if he wants to be a princess, he's gotta do this."
"Oh, perfect." Jenny looked at it and then handed it to her brother.
"The Princess Pledge?"
"Yep. You gotta follow the princess guidelines."
"Put your hand over your heart." Jessie demonstrated, elegantly placing her hand on her chest. "And read it nice and loud." Grayson sighed.
"You guys didn't have to do this."
"We did when we were little." Jenny said at once. "You remember me having that book too, right?" He nodded. "But did you ever do the Princess Pledge?"
"No."
"Well, go on." Grayson sighed.
"Hand!" Jessie called. He did his best to mirror her, even as the girls giggled.
"I, Princess Grayson,"
"Don't mumble." Jenny scolded, her bossyness in full form. "Start over."
"I, Princess Grayson,"
"Louder." Jenny said, shaking her head disapprovingly.
"Why am I doing this?" Grayson muttered.
"You can go craft with our moms." Jessie said with a snort. Grayson rolled his eyes. If there was anything the three of them could agree on, anything was better than spending time with the adults.
"Go on. Princess Jenny orders it!" Grayson sighed.
"I, Princess Grayson," he said for the third time. "Do solemnly swear to execute my princess duties with dignity, elegance, and grace."
"Keep going." The girls said, giggling.
"I pledge to always treat others with respect. I pledge to be brave and stand up for what is right. I pledge to believe in myself, even when others don't believe in me. I pledge to always be kind to my fellow princesses. I pledge to be the best princess a girl can be." He threw the book on the floor. "There. Happy?"
"It's missing something." Jenny said.
"Like this?" Jessie asked, pulling a dress out of the box she had been digging in. Grayson felt his stomach clench, but what did he have to be nervous about? Jessie was probably planning to wear that for this princess game.
"That's perfect. Get undressed, Princess Grayson."
"What are you talking about?"
"You need to put on that dress Princess Jessie has. It'll help you remember your oath."
"What?" He glared at his sister.
"Well, yeah, any princess would want to wear any dress she can get her hands on."
"Well, I'm not... that kind of princess."
"Bee es." Jenny said. "You need a dress Princess Grayson. Princesses don't dress like boys."
"I am a boy, dummy."
"Not anymore. Once you took the princess oath, you became a girl."
"What? You don't really believe that, do you? I'm still a boy."
"Nope. Princesses are girls. You swore to be the best princess you can be, so you're a girl."
"This is a dumb game."
"You're a princess, Grayson. Now and forevermore." Jessie agreed.
"I like you better as a girl, honestly." Jenny said thoughtfully. "I've always wanted a sister." Grayson looked from face to face. They were crazy.
"C'mon, Princess Grayson. Get undressed and put on your dress."
"But"
"You also swore to be kind to your fellow princesses. That's us and being kind is totally putting on this dress." Jenny nodded to Jessie. "Princess Jessie."
"Princess Jenny."
"Princess Grayson." They said, grinning like twin Chesire Cats at Grayson.
"Oh!" Jessie said. "There's also these tiaras in here for all three of us, so once Princess Grayson stops being silly and puts her dress on, we can crown each other true princesses." Grayson groaned.
"On second thought, I guess I can go play downstairs."
"C'mon Grayson!" Jessie said immediately. "We're just having fun!"
"Yeah, it's just a game." Jenny's tone made it clear that she saw it as more than just a game.
"I'm not wearing a dress."
"Why?"
"Cuz"
"Cuz why?"
"Because I'm"
"A princess, just like us." Jenny interrupted. "The last line was 'the best princess a girl can be'. Girls like you, Princess Grayson, wear dresses."
"We've made you wear dresses before."
"What Princess Jessie means is you've worn dresses before. All girls have." Grayson rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. I'm going downstairs."
"To play with baby toys? Is Princess Grayson a baby princess?"
"I think she is." Jessie snickered.
"Which is it, Princess Grayson? Are you a baby princess or a big girl princess?"
"This is ridiculous."
"You wanted to play with us!" Jessie said with a shrug. "How about we let her pick what we play?" She smiled sweetly at Grayson. "Would that get you to stay?"
"Sure." Grayson sighed. This had to be a trap.
"She needs her dress on first." Jenny said firmly.
"Quit being bossy."
"Princesses are bossy sometimes." Jenny said, looking to Jessie for confirmation and backup. "Especially when their little sister princess isn't wearing her dress."
"Why is this so important to you?" Grayson asked. Why was he still up here? He refused to wear a dress. "I thought it was just a game."
"The Princess pledge is for life, Gray- Princess Grayson." Jessie said. She walked over to retrieve the book, leaving the dress draped over a box. "The Princess Pledge is not to be taken lightly." She read. "Once a girl takes the"
"I'm not a girl though!"
"You're a princess, Grayson. You pledged to be one." She smiled. "That makes you as much of a girl as me or your sister."
"That doesn't make any sense!"
"Doesn't have to. It's princess stuff." Jenny said, also coming over. She patted her brother's arm. "But don't worry. You have a princess sister and princess cousin here to explain it all to you." Jessie grinned.
"Oh, that's perfect! Let's give Princess Grayson princess training!"
"But" Grayson needed to find some way out. "I thought I got to pick what we're doing."
"Oh, now you're interested." Jenny said. "Well, if you're suddenly so willing, prove it." Grayson almost asked how, but he knew what the answer would be. He looked over at the dress with a sigh.
Jessie knew telling him so would only make him less likely to wear the dress, but she had worn the dress to a friend's princess birthday party and hated every minute of wearing it. Its pink frillies felt too girly to her and now her boy cousin was about to put it on. She could barely restrain her excitement as she saw him looking at it.
"Gonna do it?" Jenny asked, also noticing his gaze.
"Fine." Grayson muttered. "But you two need to cover your eyes."
"I've seen your underwear before!" Jenny said. "I'm your big sister!"
"And we've both seen you get your diaper changed when you were a baby!"
"You're not even that much older than me. Like you remember!"
"Still, if Princess Grayson's a bashful princess, she can order us to turn away." Jenny said with a smirk. Grayson groaned. Everything was princesses with her!
The girls waited to see what Grayson would do. He smirked inwardly as he came up with the perfect way to call their bluff: tugging down his pants right there in front of them, revealing his blue camo boxer briefs, his absolute favorite pair of underwear, not that he would admit that to two girls.
"It's about time!" Jessie said. Grayson blinked in surprise.
"Geez, she's such a drama queen."
"Drama princess?" The girls laughed, Grayson all but forgotten. He left his shirt on as he grabbed the dress, even though his instinct was to pull away from something so downright girly. This had to be the girliest dress in the box, but he knew the girls would take it in the worst possible way if he asked if there was another dress. The thought of spending the rest of the day doing some sort of princess fashion show horrified him. He would just have to make due with this dress.
"How do I?" He muttered to himself before pulling the dress over his head as if it was just another one of his shirts. The girls giggled as he shimmied his way into the dress.
"Blue and pink? How garish." Jessie remarked, giggling once again.
"It's Princess Grayson's own unique style." Jenny said. "Remember Princess Prim's whole thing?"
"Every princess has her own unique style." Jessie said, nodding in reminiscence. "Suppose that means we better think up princess titles, huh?"
"Let's get my little sister zipped up first." Jenny came over, kicking Grayson's clothes just a bit farther away as she turned his back to her and zipped him up.
"It's too tight!"
"No, it fits you right. Boy clothes are all baggy and loose. This fits you like a glove."
"Like perfect!" Jessie agreed.
"Now that you're a girl, you'll have to learn how girl clothes fit."
"I am not"
"Hello? You're a princess and you're wearing a frou-frou dress."
"Ooh! Let's make that Grayson's princess title! Grayson, the Frou-Frou Princess!"
"What does frou-frou even mean?"
"It means the girl who is the girliest of them all." Jenny said. "And it fits a girl in a dress like that!"
"It suits you, Grayson." Jessie said. Grayson knew she meant it as a sincere compliment, but what kind of boy would he be if he accepted it as one?
"How long do I have to wear this?"
"Until we're done playing." Jenny said, fighting back the urge to point out that princesses – princesses like Grayson especially – always wore dresses. Even that answer was clearly unsatisfying for him.
"How about this? Once the sun comes out, you can go play outside in your old clothes." Jessie said diplomatically. To Grayson's ear, she seemed more like a princess than his sister did.
"Fine." He worried just what he was agreeing to as the girls smiled. He tugged at the bottom of his dress. The hem? He didn't know all these words. He just hoped that the hem or bottom or whatever was keeping his underwear out of the girls' sight. It kept hitting his upper shins, so it had to be, right?
"Time for our princess coronations!" Grayson groaned as a girl grabbed each hand and pulled him over to some chairs they had set up around a little table. Sure, it had once been Jessie's tea party table, but they had mostly set it up as a place to sit and chat as cousins are wont to do. Now that Grayson was here though, it could serve as their princess meeting spot.
"Sit down, Grayson." Jenny ordered.
"Don't be bossy."
"He, I mean she's right, Princess Jenny." Jessie said. Grayson was surprised she took his side, even if she called him she. "Please sit down, Princess Grayson." She said, patting a chair next to her.
Grayson plopped down in the chair, already regretting ever coming up here. "What?" He asked, noticing the girls watching him. "Princess lesson number one's going to be how to sit properly."
"I'm sitting. How can I sit different?" The girls looked at him with pity in their eyes.
"We'll worry about that in a minute. Just sit there nice and pretty while we're crowning each other." Grayson sat there, trying to forget about the dress as his sister and cousin faced each other. Jessie opened the book Grayson had read that stupid Princess Pledge from and began to read.
"A princess brings dignity, elegance, and grace to all aspects of her princess duties. She is courageous and brave. She always does the right thing, even when it would be easier not to. She is honest, always telling the truth and never denying that she is a princess. She strives to always be the best princess she can be."
"Do you swear to uphold the tenets of princesses?" Jenny asked solemnly.
"I do." Jessie said.
"Then let this tiara serve as a symbol that you, Princess Jessie, are a princess and shall remain one for as long as you live." Grayson rolled his eyes as Jessie bowed her head and allowed Jenny to put the tiara on her head. He scoffed as Jenny loudly proclaimed "Due to her courage, kindness, and joy, Jessie Hall is hereby a princess. May she spread love and joy today and for all days happily ever after! Her Royal Highness, Princess Jessie!" Then they switched roles and Grayson realized he would be next. Could he sneak away?
"Don't fidget, Princess Grayson." Jessie said. "It's almost your turn."
"That's what I'm afraid of." He muttered. "I um, have to go to the bathroom." It was a genius move.
"That can wait. It's your turn. By decree of Princess Jenny and Princess Jessie, you are summoned before the throne of the two princesses." Grayson groaned.
"C'mon, it'll be fun!" Jessie insisted.
"I don't gotta say all that, do I?"
"You do." Jenny said, thrusting the book toward him. "Start up at the top!"
"A princess" he muttered in a monotone. "Brings dignity, elegance, and grace to all aspects of his"
"Her. You gotta read it, word for word."
"You're being so bossy!"
"Read it before she makes you do the long version." Jessie said. "Just a tip." He looked from his cousin to his sister, trying to figure out if that was a joke or not.
"Fine. A princess brings dignity, elegance, and grace to all aspects of her" he winced through each and every bit of it, but he got through it. It was like being forced to read out loud in class, except even worse.
"Do you swear to uphold the tenets of princesses?"
"I do." It was just a game. Sure, he knew Jenny would tease him about it, but how bad could it really be, pretending to be a princess for the next hour or two?
"Then let this tiara serve as a symbol that you, Princess Grayson, are a princess and shall remain one for as long as you live." Grayson barely bobbed his head down, feeling the tiara press into his messy, unbrushed hair. "Due to her courage, kindness, and joy, Grayson Parker is hereby a princess. May she spread love and joy today and for all days happily ever after! Her Royal Highness, Princess Grayson, the Frou-Frou Princess!"
"Jenny!"
"What? You're my little sister princess, so I figured I'd give you something extra special." He looked at Jessie, who only shrugged. It was just a game, he reminded himself. He wasn't the frou-frou anything!
"Whatever." He mumbled.
"A princess is always polite." Jenny said. "Thank me for my nice gift."
"No." He smirked. "I'm a princess and a princess does what he wants."
"Grayson's got you there." Jessie said with a smirk.
"Well... let's teach Princess Grayson how to properly sit in her" she smugly emphasized the her. "Dress."
"Stand up." Jessie said. Grayson complied. "Do this." She swayed back and forth a bit. Grayson felt silly, but tried his best to mimic her.
"That's not enough!" Jenny insisted. "She should twirl in a dress like that!"
"Look, her dress is fine!" Jessie said.
"Uh"
"Now sit back down, but do this." Jessie ran her hands down her back and over her butt. "That way, you're smoothing out your dress and it looks prettier." Grayson did his best.
"Try again." Jenny said, at least trying to smooth the bossy edge in her voice. Grayson was a princess now, after all.
Grayson bobbed up and down at least five times before they finally decided it was good. Even then, his training was not over yet.
"Now the back's all wonky." Jenny said, staring at Grayson's butt. Grayson gave a little shimmy, which made Jessie giggle.
"See? Your princess instincts are taking over."
"I don't have any princess instincts." Grayson said.
"You're gonna have to twirl, Princess Grayson." Jenny said decisively. "Your dress still looks wrong."
"Twirl? What's that mean?"
"Come on. Twirl. It's right there in the name." Grayson stomped around in a circle. The girls looked aghast.
"That was awful. Were you trying to do it as boylike as possible?"
"Now, Princess Jenny." Jessie said. "Grayson did the Princess Pledge and even swore the coronation oath. That makes her a princess through and through."
"Yeah, that's true."
"So, it's our duty as fellow princesses to help her become the best princess she can be, isn't it?"
"Aren't you two taking this a little far?"
"Naw, it's fun." Jessie said. "We haven't played princesses in so long. I'm glad you insisted on it, Princess Grayson."
"I didn't even."
"Well, we're playing it anyway. Cuz it is fun." Jenny said. "Now!" She rubbed her hands together like their dad often did. "Let's teach my little sister how to twirl!"
Grayson knew how to twirl. It was just spinning and what kid hadn't spun themselves silly on at least one occasion? The girls, however, treated him as if he knew nothing, taking him by the shoulders and gently turning him around and around as if they needed to get him used to the sensation. Frustrated, he broke free and spun around. The way the dress's skirt seemed to fill and flare as he spun filled him with strange feelings and he blushed lightly as he came to a halt.
"Dizzy?" Jessie asked. Grayson shook his head.
"Well, you can sit down now, princess." Jenny said. "We can play a board game or something." Grayson sat, ever aware of their watchful gaze.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you, Jenny. I mean, Princess Jenny." Jessie launched into a long story about something a friend of hers said. Grayson had no idea who Alexa was, but Jenny seemed engrossed. He sat there, fidgeting.
Other than occasionally pausing to tell him some princess fact or rule or something, Jenny and Jessie left Grayson alone, which meant he just had to sit there, in a dress!, while they chatted about school, friends, and things like that. He sighed out of boredom, staring down at his socks.
"Oh, I think someone's a bored little girl!" Jenny said.
"Well, I know just what our little princess needs." Jessie said. "I meant to bring it up a bit ago."
"Hey. If you two are princesses too," Grayson said, nervous about what Jessie had in mind. "How come I'm the only one in a dress?"
"You're Her Royal Highness, Frou-Frou Princess Grayson." Jenny said. Grayson stuck his tongue out at her.
"I guess we could put on dresses after lunch." Jessie said with a shrug. "You're taller than me, but I'm sure my dresses'll fit you, Jen."
"We're not going to play that long, are we?"
"Even if we don't," Jenny said. "You'll stay in that dress. A princess wears a dress whenever she can."
"But... I won't be a princess after we stop playing." Grayson said. The girls looked at him solemnly.
"Grayson." Jenny said. "That tiara is a symbol that you'll be a princess for as long as you live. That's the rest of your life!"
"And the Princess Pledge?" Jessie added. "That's permanent too." The girls nodded as one.
"Face it, Grayson. You're a princess from now on." Grayson rolled his eyes, refusing to believe it. This was just them taking things too far. Once Mom and Aunt Rhonda called them down for lunch, this would all be over. He would put his clothes back on and go outside. In fact, it might not even be raining anymore. He wished there was a window up here in the attic.
"Can we go check if it's not raining?"
"Do you really want to go downstairs in your dress?"
"Why not?" Jessie teased. "She's a princess. Maybe she wants to show our moms her pretty dress."
"Do not."
"Well, we need to prepare for your princess debut, little sis." Jenny said.
"What is that?"
"Think of it as our next game." Jenny grabbed the book and opened it up. "A princess is born? A princess always... hmm. Which one should Princess Grayson recite for her debut?"
"That I'm a princess one, duh. Can you imagine if our moms record it?" The girls grinned at the sheer blackmail potential.
"What? I'm not gonna recite anything."
"Sure you are. A princess always has a poem to recite."
"Well, what about you two?" The girls smirked.
"Do you still remember the words?" Jessie asked. Jenny nodded.
"Can't believe we're doing this, but..." They stood side by side and began to sing.
"I'm a little princess, here is my crown. Here are my slippers and here is my gown. If a dragon finds me, I won't cry. I'll tickle til he giggles and waves good-bye!" This time, it was Grayson who looked aghast.
"I am not doing that!"
"Oh, there's an idea." Jenny said.
"Let's let her choose." Jenny nodded.
"Princess Grayson, the frou-frou princess. Do you choose to learn and perform the I'm a Little Princess song or do you choose the princess poem from Princess Prim's book?" Grayson chewed on his lower lip. He could not ignore the feeling that the poem probably had something he would not enjoy, but that song? That song would be a nightmare to perform, even just for his sister and cousin. They had just touched their shirts. He really was wearing a princess gown and he knew they would probably make him twirl. Yes, there was only one choice.
"I'll do the poem." He said. As soon as he laid his eyes on the book, he regretted it immediately.
"A princess never goes back on her word." Jenny said, her eager grin making it all too clear that she knew exactly what he had gotten himself into. "Start practicing."
The girls sat and watched him read the poem over and over again. He cringed every time he had to read about the permanence of his position before reminding himself that this was just a game. He was still a boy and certainly not a princess. He played hockey. Was there anything less princess than that? He almost laughed at himself. He was getting worried about nothing.
"I'm not really a girl." He said, looking down at the poem. He had read through it so many times, he could almost see it even when he closed his eyes.
"Princesses are girls. Didn't you learn that yet?" Jenny said with a laugh. He glared at her. "You're a girl, little sis. Always will be now that you're a princess." He was about to make some sarcastic comment when Jenny did something he never expected: she hugged him.
"What was that for?"
"Dunno." She said, almost sheepish. "Just, I'm really enjoying playing princesses with you."
"Uh, ok?"
"Come on. You're having fun too, except when you remember you're 'not supposed' to."
"What are you talking about?"
"All morning, we're talking about music and cool things, you're off in your own world. The moment we mention princesses, suddenly you're paying attention!"
"What? No!"
"She's right, Grayson." Jessie said. "You really think we want to play princess all day? We're doing this for you."
"That's just crazy! I... I don't want to be a princess!"
"You did the pledge. And you've been wearing a dress all morning."
"You made me."
"You could've gone downstairs at any point."
"Right. We couldn't really force you to stay up here."
"This is crazy! I don't want to be a princess."
"Yeah? Well, too late." Jenny smirked.
"What do you mean, too late?"
"You just played princess with us all morning. And"
"Lunchtime!" Their mom's voice came from out of sight at the bottom of the ladder. "Girls, come on down."
"See? Mom even says you're a girl now."
"You know that's not what she meant." Grayson was beginning to whine.
"Face it. You're a girl now. And a willing little princess."
"You did just read that poem out loud like ten times." Jessie weighed in.
"And once we go downstairs, they'll ask what we were doing. We'll say playing princess and they'll see you in your pretty dress."
"I'm changing."
"Come on! Get a move on." Mom called, as if on cue.
"No time, Grayson."
"That's Princess Grayson." Jenny corrected. "Should we even announce you? Her Royal Highness, the Frou-"
"No."
"She's right." Jessie said "We're all princesses. We'll arrive as a group." They each grabbed a hand and dragged him toward the ladder, kicking his clothes out of the way again.
"Stop! No!" Grayson squirmed, but he was simply outnumbered.
"Princess Grayson, you go first."
"Why?"
"Unless you want us to look up your dress?" Grayson blushed, but as he descended, he realized they had seen him in his underwear already. Plus, nothing would prove he was a boy still more than his undeniably male underwear.
The girls immediately grabbed his hands and led him to lunch. He braced himself for laughter from his mom and Aunt Rhonda, but it did not come. In fact, they barely even batted an eye seeing him in a sparkly tiara and the pink dress. What was going on? For the briefest sliver of a second, he wondered if somehow, he had really became a girl. He knew that was ridiculous.
"Have you three been having fun?" Aunt Rhonda asked.
"Sure thing, mom!" Jessie said. "We're princesses."
"I see that. Lovely tiaras." Grayson sat there, too scared to even move. At least he had made sure to sit the way the girls had taught him. He did not want to have to stand up, shimmy, and then sit again with his mom and Aunt Rhonda watching. Or even twirl!
Lunch was tuna sandwiches, but Grayson was too afraid of being noticed or acknowledged to complain. He nibbled politely at the sandwich and mostly ate potato chips, taking care not to wipe his hands on the dress. Why was he still wearing it? He felt so conspicuous. I wish I had at least taken off the tiara, he thought grumpily. He had almost forgotten he even had it on.
"That was good." Aunt Rhonda said once they had all finished eating.
"And such good lunch company!" Grayson and Jenny's mom said. "Three lovely princesses!"
"And what are the princesses' plans for the afternoon?"
"Well, weren't you talking, mom, about playing that new board game while the cousins are here?" Jessie asked, as innocent as can be.
"Oh! That's right!" She got up and grabbed a brightly colored cardboard box. "I think it'll be a lot of fun. Liv, I was telling you about this. I played it at Kella's last week and it was a real hoot." Why did every single girl seem to spout off names as if everyone knew who she was talking about, Grayson wondered.
"Before we start, though." Jenny said. "Princess Grayson has something to share with us."
"She does." Jessie grinned.
"Oh, what's that, sweetie?" His mom asked. Grayson's mouth opened and closed. What were they talking about? He looked to Jenny on his left and Jessie on his right.
"I grabbed this when I went to the bathroom." Jenny whispered, handing him Princess Prim's Guide to Princessing. The poem. That stupid poem.
"I'm not going to." He hissed.
"You have to." Jenny whispered back. "Princess Grayson has a poem she's going to read."
"Uh she is?" Mom said, looking at Grayson curiously.
"Well, princesses are girls, mom." Jenny said impatiently. "And Grayson's been a princess all morning, haven't you?" Whether it was the tuna or his nerves, Grayson's stomach twisted and he only nodded.
"A princess always speaks her truth." Jessie whispered.
"Yes, I've been a princess all day." Grayson squeaked. He stood up and shimmied, smiling to himself as his dress hit his sister and cousin. They seemed unbothered and his mom and aunt were a bit taken aback by his downright feminine gesture as he stood. He took a deep breath. He just needed to get this over with and then he would demand being allowed to change back to his own clothes. He was the only one in a stinking dress!
"Mom, don't you want to record Princess Grayson's princess debut?" Jenny asked.
"She can't! Mom, you can't!" Grayson whined. Sure, he sounded like a whiny princess, but he didn't care.
"We could put it to a princess vote." Jessie said. "We have three bonafide princesses here."
"It'll be two against one. Like always." Grayson said. "Mom, seriously." She had pulled her phone out. "I'm not reading it!"
"Well, I'm hitting record regardless, so poem or no poem, you're on camera, Princess Grayson." Mom said. "As. Of. Now." She gave Grayson a go ahead signal. She knew his dad would get a kick out of his hockey star standing there in a pink dress and tiara. How he had not thrown a fit before now was a mystery, she thought. Maybe Jenny had ways of getting through to her brother? Maybe something else was the cause? He had shimmied so naturally to fluff his skirt, after all.
"Read the poem!" Jenny began to chant, Jessie joining her. "Read the poem! Read the poem!" Grayson sighed and groaned loudly.
"Fine." He opened the book, but he had read the poem so many times already that day, he almost did not even need to look at the graceful script on the page.
"I'm a princess is what I say, though it may not really seem that way
But this tiara that I wear, means it's true everywhere
My pretty dress I love to wear, lets me rule most anywhere
It's true, I am a princess now, but you may be wondering how
The princess pledge I made today, will be true both now and every day
My princess pledge I will not break, whether dreaming or awake
A princess will I be forever, even when we're not together
Always moving with princess grace, a princess smile upon my face
With this poem, I decree, the prettiest princess, she is me!" He groaned as the room erupted in applause.
"That was wonderful, Gray- Princess Grayson." Aunt Rhonda said. "You really do make a wonderful princess." He sighed and flopped down in the chair, only then reaiizing he had still run his hands down to smooth the back of the dress. That better not be a habit, he muttered.
"Oh, we promised Princess Grayson we'd put on dresses like hers after lunch." Jessie said.
"She sure likes being special though. Don't you, little sis?" Jenny was clearly feeling emboldened and Grayson tried to put her in her place with his most severe glare.
"We'll keep Princess Grayson company. Don't you worry." Aunt Rhonda said, smiling at the girls as they hurried off.
"Mom, can I go change too?"
"You're already in your dress."
"Mom! That's not what I meant!"
"How long have you been in that dress? You'll survive a bit longer. The other princesses will be back soon."
"I don't want to be a princess!"
"Well, that poem certainly says differently." Aunt Rhonda said. "You declared yourself the prettiest princess."
"I didn't write it! The girls made me do that."
"I think you're having more fun than you want to admit." Mom said. "You're comfortable enough in that dress to let us see you, hmm?"
"The girls wouldn't let me change."
"Well, you look them right in the eye and give them a princess decree." Aunt Rhonda said with a laugh.
"They're princesses too." He muttered.
"And older." Mom said. "She's the littlest princess."
"Mom! I'm not a girl!"
"Well, your sister and cousin sure think you are. Didn't you hear them? They were talking about you like you're a little girl all through lunch."
"Mom!"
"Settle down. It's just a game. I promise you, you can change before we leave."
"Not soon enough." Grayson muttered.
"Presenting Her Royal Highness, Princess Jenny!"
"And Her Royal Highness, Princess Jessie!" The girls bounded into the room, wearing dresses. Theirs looked obviously more mature than the party dress Grayson wore, but at least they looked fancier than the jeans and t-shirts they had been wearing.
"There. Now all three of you are in proper princess dresses. Do you feel better, Grayson?" He only grunted. All he needed was a chance to sneak away and he could go change. Sure, he might struggle to get out of the dress, but he did not really care if he ripped it. With his luck, they'd probably try and send it home with him.
"Alright, princesses to the living room! I want a photo of the three of you!" Grayson felt himself being tugged to the living room, still farther and farther away from his proper clothes. Stuck in the middle of the couch as they all tried to situate their dresses, Grayson wondered if he would ever get back to his old self. Would he really be a princess forever? No, it was just a game.
Epilogue
Grayson's time as a princess did end. He returned home in his own clothes, even persuaded Aunt Rhonda that no, he really truly did not want to take the dress home with him. He had even smiled weakly when she reassured him it would be there waiting for him on his next visit.
He had to endure a week or so of his family bringing it up. Jenny would tease him about if he thought his teammates knew they skated with a princess on their team. Her worn copy of Princess Prim's Guide to Princessing had mysteriously appeared on his bookshelf, but she had never mentioned it. His dad, after seeing the video, had laughed and asked Grayson if he wanted to transfer to the girls' hockey team or even take up ballet. Grayson had played along, but he hoped his dad didn't take him seriously. Within a few weeks, however, Grayson had more pressing matters to attend to: his upcoming birthday. You only turn nine once, after all!
A few days before his birthday, he came downstairs to breakfast, still wearing his hockey jersey that served as a nightshirt. Sure, Jenny sometimes teased him that it was a nightie, but he just ignored her. It was his favorite player's jersey, after all. Definitely not a nightie!
"You got some mail, Grayson." Dad said. "Funny thing is, it's addressed to MISS Grayson Parker."
"Huh? It's just junk mail or something, right?" He looked at the envelope and his face turned pale. Official Princess Mail? He looked at Jenny, but her confusion looked genuine. Or was it curiosity?
"Well, open it at least." Mom said. Grayson tore it open and frowned. A letter and a pink envelope. He opened the letter and groaned.
"Jenny."
"What's it say?" Mom took the letter from him and read it out loud. "This letter is to confirm that Grayson Parker has had her name added to the International Princess Registry. You may now proudly tell your friends and family that you are a genuine, bonafide, official princess. Three cheers for Her Royal Highness, Princess Grayson Parker. May you live happily ever after, Princess Prim."
"Well!" Dad said, trying to hide his laughter. "Isn't that great?"
"Jenny, do you know anything about this?"
"Jessie joked about it. I didn't think she was actually submitting Grayson's name."
"What's the pink envelope?" Grayson looked at his dad and then at the envelope.
"I'm not opening it." Dad grinned and grabbed it.
"We've come this far, champ." He tore it open and pulled out a glittery card. "Happy Birthday, Princess!"
"Oh, god." Grayson muttered. "Please just stop there." He knew it would never happen.
"This card is to bcongratulate Princess Grayson on the momentous occasion of her ninth birthday." Dad read, relishing every moment. "On that day, the world was blessed with a princess who proves every day that there's nothing a girl can't do if she sets her mind to it! May you continue to fill the world with the joy and love a world-class princess like you always brings with her."
"Isn't that nice?" Mom said, smiling. She leaned over and kissed Grayson's forehead. "Your cousin didn't mean anything by it."
"I know." Grayson stared down at his toast, mind once again racing. A month later and he was still a princess. Would it ever end?