and we fell

Chapter 12

SOFIA

"Look, the statue!" Dia screams and goes closer to the railing to take a good picture. She has one of those vintage cameras with her, the one that prints out the photos after they've been made. I was getting nervous of the camera at first, but Dia promised me the photos are just for us and she won't show them to anyone else. It made me relax.

"It's so big!" Nessie screams and follows her to the railing. I take Nini by her wrist and April follows us, til we're all next to the railing looking at Lady Liberty. Nini managed to convince Darrel yesterday by saying I'd be disguised and he could come with us. In the morning before we left, the girls lent me clothes: a hoodie, a pair of jeans, sneakers, a cap and sunglasses. My hair is also in a bun, so that it doesn't fall freely and it's harder to get recognized. Now, I look so different, that no one even considered I could be a princess while we were out on the streets. It feels nice.

"We need to take a picture of us," April says and then turns to my bodyguard. "Darrel, can you take a picture?"

Darrel sighs annoyed and takes the camera. April grins victoriously and we gather around for a photo. Darrel has been our personal photographer the whole time. He sighs annoyed every time we ask him, but I know deep down he loves the fact we don't tease him anymore and actually ask for his help.

After the click sound, the photo prints out. We wait a bit til we can see the colors, and when we do, we have to laugh again. While every one of the girls looks cool with some comfy outfits, I look weird with sunglasses and cap covering my whole face. Although I've ruined every photo so far by being in it, the girls still ask me to take photos with them, saying it's a "memory". I know they're just trying to be nice.

The boat arrives back in the dock and we're making our way through the streets of Brooklyn. Dia stops in an old record shop and buys herself a new CD. Our next stop is a bookstore for Nessie. She comes out with a tote bag filled with new novels.

"What did you buy?" I ask her and she turns around. I'l never stop wondering how is it possible for a person to have such blue eyes.

"Just some new romance," she answers smiling. I swallow hard, reminding myself that's the only thing my Mother reads since the split-up. 

Nini, who again noticed I tensed, tries to lighten up the mood: "With or without smut?" she asks. Nessie smirks guilty. We all start laughing.

"What are you doing? Reading stuff then trying them out on Mark?" April asks. Nessie blushes.

"Oh my Gosh," I let out and everyone starts laughing again.

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad," Nessie says in her defense.

"That's not what we've heard," Nini replies, and April continues: "You make an awful lot of noise."

Nessie blushes again. We start laughing, and she eventually joins us. After a while, she adds: "I swear, I can't wait til you're all getting boyfriends, so I can pay you back."

"Yeah, that's not going to happen," April says, putting a pair of sunglasses on.

"I already have one," Dia adds shy. 

Nessie uses the occasion: "So, why don't you pick on her then?" She turns to the brunette, who's still looking shy at the ground: "Sorry, Dia."

"No problem," she replies laughing.

April answers to Nessie, hugging Dia: "Because Dia here is our little angel."

Dia blushes and hugs April back. I chuckle and Nini smirks at me. Nessie rolls her eyes dramatically and looks around.