“Sooooooooo, tell me. How’d it go?” asks Tamara with a grin.
I shake my head and said, “Um…it was pretty great. He—he danced with me. And, it was amazing.” A smile betrays my bliss on my lips.
Tamara jumps up and down and asks, “So, does that mean he is going with you to the dance?” Her smile lessens as she adds, “I guess he’s going to have to woo you more huh?” I nod and she puts one hand on her hip and leans away from me. “Wow, you really make guys go the extra mile huh?”
“And you don’t?” I ask her.
“Not guys like Castor. I would say yes to a guy like that in a heartbeat.” Tamara and I walk towards Business Math when she spins around and stops. “Not that I would actually lose control of my heartbeat. How un-goth would that be.”
“Yeah,” I say as I remember my heartbeat whenever Castor touches me, whenever I look at him, whenever I—see him.
Thu-Thump
Thu-Thu-Thump
Thu-Thu-Thu-Thu—
“Diamond,” says a voice that I know too well. Emerald looks at me with her dark green eyes as she pulls me away from Tamara. For a moment, Tamara looks insulted until I give her an apologetic look.
“See you in class Die,” replies Tamara as she walks away.
Emerald waves at Tamara and in turn, Tamara gives her a rock on sign. “Diamond, I found a story that will be perfect to turn into a ballet. There’s no music printed for the story, but it fits perfectly for you and our sisters.” She hands me a folded paper and whispers, “Get back to me after school about it okay? I printed the story. It’s not that long, but I really do love it, and…it makes sense.” She walks away from me and rushes off to her junior classes. While I head off to my senior classes, folded paper still in my hand.
I stuff the paper in my business math book when class starts. And Tamara’s eyes linger on my book before she makes eye contact with me. “What did Mistress Geek want to talk about?” she asks.
Even though the name Mistress Geek sounds like Tamara is making fun of Emerald, she isn’t. She actually likes that I have a sibling who can help me and her with our homework if it gets too hard.
“It’s just an idea for our dancing classes,” I reply with a shrug.
Tamara frowns as she asks, “When are you going to invite me to see you guys dance?” I don’t want to. Because inviting Tamara to a dancing premiere means that she would most likely bump into my dad. And as immature as this will sound, I want to keep my best friend to myself. It’s not Dad’s business who my friends are at my school.
Shrugging my shoulders again I reply, “Invites are family only. No BFF’s allowed.” Tamara’s eyes light up despite her frown.
“Then I guess I’m going to have to crash the party unexpectedly one of these days.” She fans the pictures of her in the various gothic dresses. “Maybe I’ll crash your dance party with this,” she tosses me a picture of a black dress that the fringe looks like it is dripping with blood.
“The dress is kind of controversial. Are you sure you don’t want to save it for the prom?” I ask her. She takes her picture back and examines it for a moment before she puts it in the pile with the other pictures.
“I’ll think about it, after you tell me some lunchtime details.” I am caught off guard and she can see that. “Come on, I won’t bite. Well, unless he was a total jerk towards you. Then I’ll bite someone.”
She takes out her glitter black nail polish and checks that the teacher is writing on the board until she puts up her book to shield her hands from prying eyes. Then she looks at me as she opens the nail polish bottle with one hand. Nail polish with Tamara can only mean one thing. She wants me to tell her everything. Well, everything until class is over and she has to go to her world history class and I have to go to gym class.
“Hurry up, the QB is starting to get restless. He’s going to ask for a bathroom pass soon. I give it five minutes,” she whispers loudly.
The quarterback in question spins around and says harshly, “I heard that dweeb.”
“Charming, I’ve never been called dweeb before. But I bet you’ve been called jock—straaaaap.” Tamara raises her eyebrows high enough that quarterback Brian Johnson blushes and spins around to look at the teacher again. Although, I bet he’s just zoning out like he always does.
I roll my eyes and whisper, “Fine. I’ll tell you.” She starts to repaint her already black nails and nods, giving me the cue to start. “We ate lunch on the rooftop. He had a table, two chairs, and fake green grass carpeting the whole roof.”
“Damn, that’s cool,” replies Tamara as she discreetly fans her thumb and index finger. “What else?”
“He knew that I liked Oreos and sunflower seeds. And, I just met him yesterday. How weird is that Tam?”
“Really, but maybe you guys are meant to be couple,” she replies as she examines her retouching work so far. “I mean, usually I don’t believe in that sort of stuff but you guys are kind of the exception to me.”
“What do you mean?” I ask her as I write down some formulas that the business math teacher writes on the board.
“I mean that maybe the meant to be isn’t a far stretch. Sure, you guys just met yesterday, but I swear to God and Satan you’re perfect together.”
“Wow, I think that swearing to heaven and hell is a bit of a stretch don’t you think?”
“Not as much as a stretch as being given the ultimate romantic gesture as you just had minutes ago,” replies Tamara. “Seriously, what did you guys dance to anyway?”
“Bruno Mars.”
“You mean the guy who wears the fedoras?” she asks me. I nod and she laughs lightly. When the teacher notices she says, “I like the example that you put on the board there.” When I look, I am amazed to find the teacher drawing black bats on the board and then spiders on the other side.
“Thank you Tamara. I’m so glad you’re taking an interest in this class for once,” replies the teacher.
“Always am,” she says with a smile before she ducks behind her makeshift shield and talks again but fainter. “Please tell me that it was at least a slow song?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Good. Now I totally think we should go into more detail about today’s lunch tomorrow. How’s that sound?”
“It sounds great, but why tomorrow?” I ask her.
Tamara narrows her eyes over her shield directly at the business math teacher. “Mr. Yuck has noticed me. I’m at least going to have to pretend for the rest of class that I’m doing some work. It would draw out less suspicion and leave us more time to talk in class for the future.”
“That’s not the only reason that you’re going to stop talking to me is it?” I ask her. She pouts and glances at her pictures.
“Well, if I get one more mark from this teacher, I won’t be able to go to the dance. And if I can’t go to the dance there’s no way that I’ll be able to wear one of those dresses or get my Photoshop.” She frowns as she whispers, “And Mama’s got to have her Photoshop fix.”
I look ahead at the teacher and tune him in as for the first time in months Tamara and I are focusing on class.
That is until I open my business math book and the paper that Emerald gave me falls out. Tamara glances at me for a moment before I say, “It’s probably going to be just a ballet idea of sleeping beauty or something.”
“Yawn,” replies Tamara as she fake snores for a moment.
Stifling a giggle, I open the paper to find a story which I never heard of before. This is the title: The Shoes that Were Danced to Pieces. I guess I shouldn’t judge by the title itself. It wouldn’t hurt to read the story. Especially when Emerald went through so much trouble to print it out…
Once upon a time there was a king who had twelve daughters, each one more beautiful than the others. They slept together in one room, where their beds stood next to each other. At night when they were lying there, the king closed their door and barred it. However, when he opened it the next morning he saw that their shoes had been danced to pieces. No one could determine how it had happened. Then the king proclaimed that whoever could discover where they went dancing each night could choose [sic] one of them for his wife and become king after his death. However, anyone who attempted this, but failed to make the discovery after three days and nights, would forfeit his life.
A prince soon presented himself, offering to undertake the venture. He was well received, and that evening was taken to a room adjacent to the bedroom. A bed was made for him there, and he was told to watch where they went and danced. So they would not be able to do anything in secret, or go out to some other place, the door to their room was left open. However, the prince's eyes felt as heavy as lead, and he fell asleep. When he awoke the next morning, the twelve had been dancing, for their shoes all had holes in their soles. The same thing happened the second and the third evenings, and his head was chopped off without mercy. Many others came to try this risky venture, but they too all lost their lives.
Now it happened that a poor soldier, who was wounded and could no longer serve in the army, was making his way to the city where the king lived. An old woman met him and asked him where he was going. "I'm not exactly sure myself," he said, then jokingly added, "But I would like to discover where the princesses are dancing their shoes to pieces, and then become king."
"That is not so difficult," said the old woman. "Do not drink the wine that they will bring you in the evening." Then she gave him a cloak and said, "When you put this on you will become invisible, and you can follow the twelve."
Having receiving this good advice, the soldier became serious, took heart, went to the king, and announced himself as a suitor. He, like the others, was well received, and was given royal clothes to wear. That evening at bedtime he was escorted to the anteroom. Just as he was going to bed, the oldest princess brought him a goblet of wine. However, he had tied a sponge beneath his chin and let the wine run into it, drinking not a single drop himself. He lay down, and after a little while began to snore as if he were in the deepest sleep. The twelve princesses heard him and laughed. The oldest one said, "He could have spared his life as well!"
Then they got up, opened their wardrobes, chests, and closets, took out their best clothes, and made themselves beautiful in front of their mirrors, all the time jumping about in anticipation of the dance. Only the youngest one said, "I'm not sure. You are all very happy, but I'm afraid that something bad is going to happen!"
"You snow goose," said the oldest one. "You are always afraid! Have you forgotten how many princes have been here for nothing? I wouldn't even have had to give this soldier a sleeping potion. He would never have woken up."
When they were ready, they first approached the soldier, but he did not move at all, and as soon as they thought it was safe, the oldest one went to her bed and knocked on it. It immediately sank beneath the floor, and they all climbed down through the opening, one after the other, the oldest one leading the way. The soldier saw everything, and without hesitating he put on the cloak and followed after the youngest one. Halfway down the stairs he stepped on her dress. Frightened, she called out, "Who's there? Who is holding my dress?"
"Don't be so stupid," said the oldest one. "You just caught yourself on a hook."
They continued until they came to a magnificent walkway between rows of trees. Their leaves were all made of silver, and they shone and glistened. The soldier thought to himself, "You'd better take some proof," and he broke off a twig.
A loud cracking sound came from the tree. The youngest one called out again, "It's not right. Didn't you hear that sound?"
The oldest one said, "That is just a joyful salute that they are firing because soon we will have disenchanted our princes."
Then they came to a walkway where the trees were all made of gold, and finally to a third one, where they were made of clear diamonds. He broke a twig from each of these. The cracking sound frightened the youngest one each time, but the oldest one insisted that it was only the sounds of joyful salutes. They continued on until they came to a large body of water. Twelve boats were there, and in each boat there sat a handsome prince waiting for them. Each prince took a princess into his boat.
The soldier sat next to the youngest princess, and her prince said, "I don't know why the boat is so much heavier today. I have to row with all my strength in order to make it go."
"It must be the warm weather," said the youngest princess. "It's too hot for me as well."
On the other side of the water there was a beautiful, brightly illuminated castle. Joyful music, kettle drums, and trumpets sounded forth. They rowed over and went inside. Each prince danced with his princess. The invisible soldier danced along as well, and whenever a princess held up a goblet of wine, he drank it empty as she lifted it to her mouth. This always frightened the youngest one, but the oldest one silenced her every time. They danced there until three o'clock the next morning when their shoes were danced to pieces and they had to stop. The princes rowed them back across the water. This time the soldier took a seat next to the oldest princess in the lead boat. They took leave from their princes on the bank and promised to come back the next night.
When they were on the steps the soldier ran ahead and got into bed. When the twelve tired princesses came in slowly, he was again snoring so loudly that they all could hear him. "We are safe from him," they said. Then they took off their beautiful clothes and put them away, placed their worn out shoes under their beds, and went to bed.
The next morning the soldier said nothing, for he wanted to see the amazing thing once again. He went along the second and third nights, and everything happened as before. Each time they danced until their shoes were in pieces. The third time he also took along a goblet as a piece of evidence.
The hour came when he was to give his answer, and he brought the three twigs and the goblet before the king. The twelve princesses stood behind the door and listened to what he had to say. The king asked, "Where did my daughters dance their shoes to pieces?"
He answered, "in an underground castle with twelve princes." Then he told the whole story and brought forth the pieces of evidence. The king summoned his daughters and asked them if the soldier had told the truth. Seeing that they had been betrayed, and that their denials did no good, they had to admit everything.
Then the king asked him which one he wanted for a wife. He answered, "I myself am no longer young, so give me the oldest one."
Their wedding was held the same day, and the kingdom was promised to him following the king's death. But the princes had as many days added to their curse as they had spent nights dancing with the twelve princesses.
Are you kidding me? I don’t know how to feel. This can’t be a real story…
From <http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm133.html>
Sliding my IPhone under my desk I open up a web browser. Google is my favorite web browser. And I write down the URL and at the top of the web page it says the stories title along with the authors—Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The Grimm brothers…well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I don’t know much about fairy tales, but the Grimm brothers are like the William Shakespeare of the fairy tale story world. Or, so I’ve heard according to Ruby ripping off on their stories now and again.
But why does the story end like that? To me that story didn’t sound like a happy ending at all. I will definitely have to point the story plotline to Emerald later.
“Did you read the story?” whispers Emerald before we have to go into the limo. Both of us are behind one of the large columns that surround the back of Douze high school.
“Yes, and all I have to say about it is no way,” I reply.
“Why not? It’s just like Ruby’s story that she told last night. Twelve Princesses that danced—
“With twelve princes’ who lived in some kind of underground world? Oh, and isn’t the King of the story being a little bit nutty? Cutting off each guy’s head just because the guy’s couldn’t find where the daughter’s went into in the middle of the night. It just seems weird and freaky.” There is no way that I am going to tell her how I feel. Now, because I was able to give myself some time to process the story I know why I freaked.
The story is just too similar. It’s too much me, too much my sisters, and too much of a certain group of twelve brothers. Emerald looks at me as she says, “We can get rid of the chopping off the guy’s head stuff. Come on! This story is absolutely perfect for us! Everyone gets to play a part and we can even add parts too. After all, someone has to play the twelve dancing Princes’.”
“And who do you have in mind?” I ask her. She looks behind me and smiles huge. I turn around to find Castor five feet away waving at me.
I wave at him for a moment before I twirl back to look at my sister and whisper, “No. No way.”
Emerald takes two steps towards him as she turns her head to the side to look at me, “Why not? Who else do we know who has eleven biological siblings? And besides, we’ll be doing the ballet dancing. They just have to be there for symbolic effect.”
Symbolic effect! Who is she kidding? Oh, and she wants to walk over there. There is no way that I’m allowing that. “CASTOR!” she yells and waves at him. Well, I guess me holding her arm tightly doesn’t stop her from getting his attention.
I smile with teeth showing as I ask, “What the hell?”
“Hey, you’re Diamond’s sister right?” asks Castor. As if he didn’t already know that.
“Yes. I’m Emerald and I was wondering if you and your brothers would be interested in participating in a play of ours? All you have to do is be the twelve Princes’ of the story,” says Emerald all smiles. She obviously isn’t being the shy academic right now.
Castor’s face grows serious as he asks, “What story?” Emerald looks at me with stern eyes and I roll my eyes as I hand her the paper she gave me earlier.
“It’s a story by the brothers Grimm and it’s called the shoes that were danced to pieces. You just have to be the twelve Princes’ in the story who live in the underground kingdom,” replies Emerald.
“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to,” I add. “There are plenty of other ideas for plays out there and plenty of stuff to search for. Really, you can say no.” Castor’s eyes bore into mine for a moment and I feel like I want to touch him again.
“I’ll do it, and so will my brothers,” replies Castor with a sure nod. “If I could have this paper, I’ll read it and tell my brothers about it.”
“Tell us what?” asks Basil as he comes with his arm wrapped around Amber’s waist. She has her hands on his chest and is looking up at him dreamily. However, Basil is focused on the paper in Castor’s hands. And for a moment, Basil doesn’t look so sure of himself. His smirk fades as he whispers, “The shoes that were danced to pieces.”
Amber wraps her arms around his waist and squeezes him as she practically purrs, “What’s wrong baby?” Wow, baby status usually means she’ll discard him in a couple of days for sure.
Basil purrs back as he replies, “Nothing sugar. I’m just interested in the title. Never heard of the story,” he replies with a shrug.
However, when I look at his eyes and they lock with mine for just a moment, I know he’s lying. He does know the story. He’s probably embarrassed that he knows fairy tales more than Amber and I combined.
Amber laughs a little as she asks, “Oh? I’m sugar now?”
“Aren’t you?” asks Basil wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. At this action, Castor clears his throat.
“We should get going Baze. We have a lot to discuss to our brothers,” replies Castor as he smiles at Amber. “Have a good day Amber.” And with that said he drags Basil away from her. Basil comically frowns as does Amber. And here I am between them, trying not to crack up.
I hold Ambers hand and whisper, “We have to get going too. Our sisters are probably waiting in the limo as I speak.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” asks Amber with a huff. “Because it doesn’t.” Something strange comes over me as I look at Amber’s face longingly glance at Basil’s back.
“You really do like him don’t you?” I ask her as she ducks her face away from me. “Amber.”
Her head swerves towards my direction and her eyes blaze as she says, “So what if I do Diamond? Maybe I want to have a guy who I connect with and—I feel like I want to—to,”
“Ew! Spare us the details Amber,” replies Emerald as she scrunches her nose.
Amber’s face starts to redden as she says, “I want to be with him forever. Does that make sense?” At first it sounds like Amber is daydreaming, but Emerald is the first one to notice her seriousness.
“You like him that much?” asks Emerald. Both of my sisters have faces that look far away for a moment. That is until I snap one hand in each of their faces. Amber and Emerald both look startled and confused.
“We have to go,” I reply as I pull my backpack higher on my right shoulder. My two sisters follow suit as we make it to the limo and open the door. Only to find grouchy Jasper slumped in the leather seats.
“Where the hell have you guys been?” she asks with fury. I’m taken aback as her bushy eyebrows furrow together, emphasizing her anger.
Amber slinks in next to Jasper and opens her phone as she replies, “What’s up with you? You’re never cranky.”
“That’s because you think that everyone is so freaking happy don’t you. You’re such an airhead!” Amber ignores her rebuttal and isn’t fazed in the least as she texts away. Jasper isn’t one to snap. That’s usually Amber’s department.
Emerald throws a pencil from her backpack as she says, “Tell us what’s going on? You’re freaking me out.”
“Yeah, me too,” I reply.
Jasper touches her neck with her left hand as she says, “This asshole took the position of center forward in the soccer team. MY POSITION! I want him to freaking pay!”
“And who is this asshole?” asks Emerald in a serious tone.
“His name is Mace. And you should know him,” she says to me. “He’s a brother of that new boyfriend of yours.”
“Castor is not my boyfriend.” At this, Emerald, Jasper, and Amber scoffs. “Really, he is not my boyfriend. And I didn’t know that he had a brother who’s an athlete. I don’t keep track of all of them Jasper,” I reply with a frown.
Jasper shakes her head as she says with deeper slumped shoulders, “Screw it, it’s too late. I guess I’ll be stuck as the goalie for another year. Too bad I can’t curse Mace Thompson.”
I leave her to her disappointment as I think back to Castor. How do I feel like I want to be with him too…forever?