Sitting in my room at Joel's, I am stuck staring out the window. I can see Joel's sisters room across from me, the window open. The pink walls were filled with drawings and posters. I could hear the giggling wafting out from the open window.
I had spent the morning fiddling with my new computer. Well, calling it morning was a stretch. We all woke up about 11, then spent our time cleaning up the room, before all going our separate ways, Coral dropping me at Joel's house.
My window was open as well, letting the cool breeze in. My homework pile was large, but knowing that for at least a week from Tuesday I wouldn't be at school, completing the looming tasks didn't seem to matter that much.
Snapping myself out of the trance I was in, I turn back around, putting my back against the wall with the window, sitting short ways along the bed. I go back to organising documents and downloading programs on my computer.
Suddenly, something hits my head. I spin, thinking it was a leaf, or a bug, but on my windowsill was a scrunched ball of pink paper. Looking at the window across from me, I see a little girl smiling, and waving, half out o the window, whilst the top of Connor's head can be seen in his attempt to hide.
"Hi Dani!" The girl says. Her voice was high pitched yet sweet, a typical 4ish year olds voice. She had puffed cheeks, and thin blushed lips. Her slightly curled, strawberry blonde hair was encased in a loose plait that cascaded down her back, and placed on top of it was a beautiful plastic crown with little pink jewels "Im Lucy! Well, Lucinda, but no one calls me that unless I am in trouble. Connor keeps on talking about you!" She leaned further out the window, Almost falling out, but Connor quickly stands and grabs onto her waist.
"Sorry about her..." He says, half chuckling. Lucy was giggling at her little joyride out the window.
"It's all good."
"Connor, can Dani come over and play princesses with us?" Lucy pulls on Connor's sleeve, begging him to ask.
Her eyes were wide. There was no way I could say no. Who could say no to a little kid that cute.
"Luc, I think Dani probably has stuff-"
"It's fine. I'll come right over." I smile, waving at them, before closing my window. I walk into the closet, where the full length mirror reveals what I actually look like.
Ruff.
My hair was still in the braids Christina did last night. They had held up pretty well, but the frizz was starting to show. I was in leggings and a oversized t-shirt. Pulling off the t-shirt, I put on a fitted white top, and a cardigan over the top. It wasn't necessarily cold today, but it definitely wasn't warm. Sliding on a pair of thongs, and grabbing my phone, I head out of my room.
"I'm just going next door." I yell, to nowhere in particular. Who knows where anyone could be.
"Excuse me?" Joel says, walking out of the kitchen, with a sandwich half hanging out of his mouth. "To the Marklin's?" I nod.
"Are you okay?" I smile and nod again, laughing.
"Just like 4 days ago, like the last 8 years, you hated Connor."
"But who can say no to a 4 year old girl nearly crying because she wants to play princess with an actual girl, not her brother?" Joel nods, agreeing with me.
"I remember those days." He shudders, waving goodbye as I walk out the door.
I walk up to the Marklin's bright red door. Their house much like Joel and Christina's was a weatherboard, two story townhouse. Outside there was a perfectly manicured oval of grass, with rose bushes lining the fence line. Walking up the two steps to the porch, I lift my hand to knock on the door. Before I even make contact, it is pulled open by Lucy, jumping around like a lunatic.
"Mum! Mum! Guess who came over!" Connor comes running down the stairs.
"Hi Dani." He says, stopping just behind Lucy.
"Who Lucy?" Mrs Marklin appeared from behind Connor, probably coming out of the kitchen, if the house was the same layout as Joel's.
"Danielle Norm. It has been so long deery!" Mrs Marklin rushed in front of her two kids, towards me, embracing me in a hig. Frozen, I look at Connor for assistance. Luckily, Lucy was one step ahead.
"Mum, Dani said she would come and play with Connor and me." Mrs Marklin, who I had not seen in years, lets go of me, looking me up and down.
"How you have grown. When Con talks about you, he doesn't do you justice. So much better than Taylor." From the corner of my eyes, I see Connor go bright red.
"Mum, you can't just insult her sister." I laugh, Connor turning a deeper red. Mrs Marklin looks horrified.
"Its okay Mrs Marklin. It's common knowledge Taylor and me don't get along." She loosens up.
"Dani, although we haven't talked in ages, you can still call me Melissa, you know?" Nodding, I smile at her.
Lucy, becoming impatient, starts slowing inching towards the staircase, ready to start playing. We follow, dragging behind, while Melissa heaps back to the kitchen.
"You talk about me hey?" I ask, as we walk up the stairs. Connor, starting to recover from his blushing spell, relapses, mumbling something incoherent.
Walking into the pink room, I finally see what lays on the floor. I think the real question is what doesn't lay on the floor. There were so many toys and trinkets spewn across the floor, it was hard to get to the small clearing that was obviously where we played princesses.
"Here." She passes a crown to Connor.
"As the prince, you need to put the crown on your princess."
"Okay milady." Connor leans over towards me, both of our faces glowing red. He gently placed the crown on my head, making sure that it is secure.
"Maybe you should wear a tiara more often Norm. It really suits you." His breath gently brushes my forehead.
A small blush crept across me cheeks. I drop my eyes away from his, partially embarrassed, partially flattered.
Throughout the exchange, Lucy watched our movements very carefully.
"What's on your hand?" She asks abruptly, as Connor leans away from me.
"We don't ask that Lucy. Be polite..." Connor says, trying to fix a situation he new I may now want to talk about. But the little girl, although she didn't say anything else, seemed uncomfortable with letting the topic go.
"No. It's okay Connor..."
"He is Prince Connor, Dani."
"Okay then Princess Lucy. It's okay Prince Connor. I broke my hand Princess."
"How?" She asks, after several moments of silence.
"I fell down the stairs. I am a very clumsy princess. She giggles.
"Okay." She dropped the subject just as quickly as she had started it, seemingly satisfied with my answers.
"Now let's start playing Princess Dani. Prince Connor? Can you please pour us some tea?"
YOU ARE READING
In Your Company
Teen Fiction--Re-written-- When I was 8 we were playing hide and seek in the little park surrounded by bush down the street from my house. It was a large group of us. It was always fun down at the park, since our parents never really came and checked on us. Bei...
