My Story

“It’s okay Hazele, its okay,” I’m trying to console my sobbing friend.

It isn’t working, apparently. She’s still crying.

“You don’t have a problem. OF COURSE its okay. You’re not a year older than the prince. You’re not 19. You’re not the one who’s not eligible. Of course it’s okay!” Now she’s glaring at me through her tear-soaked eyelashes.

What in the world have I done wrong? Apart from being born later than the prince, that is. And that’s hardly a crime.

“But.. but.. you still have Peter. Right? Right? And if you weren’t 19 I bet the prince would LOVE you,” I try again. She wails even harder.

Oops. Wrong choice of words.

“But he’s not the PRINCE!” She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. It doesn’t do any difference. The tears are still falling.“Not that I really care. Most probably he’ll be all stuffy and stuck-up and ugly too.” She utters a weak giggle.

I don’t mention that before the herald uttered those dreaded words she was thinking exactly the opposite.

“And you’ll be at that stupid princess academy and I won’t see you for a YEAR and who knows whether you will recognize me after that! And what if you become the princess? You probably won’t want to be friends with a lowly person like me anymore."

“WHAT?!”

I can barely contain my incredulousness.

“That’s the most nonsensical thing I have ever heard in my life!”

Now I’m the one who’s glaring in outrage.

“Well, its true,” Hazele huffs as she folds her slender arms.

“But..but.. I don’t even give a damn whether the prince likes me or not! And I bet the academy is crammed with stuffy professors and old cranky ladies. And at least you get to be rid of Angel. I’m STUCK with her in that stupid academy for a year!” I burst out. That does the trick. Hazele laughs weakly and sticks her tongue out at me in response.

“Here.” I pass her my hankie. She takes it and wipes her tear-streaked face as I breathe a sigh of relief. Finally.

“Well well well… What do we have here? Ain’t it our dear old smelly Sofea and her little friend the hazel tree! Ooh look! Hazel tree is crying! How shameful! Is it because you’re too old? Oh poor old Hazel tree! It’s okay, the beautiful princess is here to save you!” That irritating, dreaded, ear-piercing, screechy voice cuts through the air like an execution axe.

Aw crud.

Speak of the devil and he rather she, in this case, will appear.

Yep.

It's Darling Angel Baslr. The future princess.

And now Hazele’s crying. Again.

I’m so going to KILL her. I spent half a day just trying to calm Hazele down and just when I succeed she and her pack of she-wolves come along and make her cry again.

If it weren’t for that stupid law imposed by Angel’s dad the village chieftain last New Year’s Eve prohibiting ‘the hitting of fellow villagers whether big or small, young or old, friends or foes unless absolutely necessary’ , I would have made sure that brat and her little faithful pack would be mangled beyond recognition.

I bet that stupid nonsensical law was put up solely for the purpose of preventing me from hitting the village chieftain’s ‘pretty, graceful, beloved’ spoiled brat of a daughter, considering the fact that our village is pretty peaceful and one of the most crime-free villages in the entire kingdom.

Okay maybe I was exaggerating but hey, less than five crimes per year is pretty awesome.

And i guess I have to admit that, apart from having a freaking whiny spoiled brat of a daughter, Chief Baslr is pretty great.

Apart from the last law.

Because of the other one imposed this New Year’s Eve.

Saying that being the victim of verbal teasing and bullying is not a good reason for bashing people up.
Its like, come on.

So now,I am NEVER able to hit Angel without being reprimanded.

Talk about free protection. Hmph.

I’ve never figured out why Angel hates me so much. Or why she hates about everyone who doesn’t do as she says for that matter. And I still can’t figure out the nickname. Like, am I that smelly? I bet sometimes even her mom can’t stand her. Which just serves her fine. Brat. I'll show her. One day. Somehow. One way or another. Once i figure something out. I AM NOT SMELLY!

“What do you want, Angel? I’m not in the mood to argue with you right now,” I ask her tiredly.

“I don’t think you’ll be very happy once I flare up. And no, I won’t hit you, because that’s exactly what you want me to do, so I can get punished again, isn’t it? Well then, aww... too bad.Because there isn’t a law prohibiting verbal abuse and there won’t ever be, cos then you would lose your livelihood, wouldn’t you? So too bad.”

“well, um,” For once that brat seemed lost for words. I rejoice secretly as I watch her rouge-painted big mouth open and close like a dumb goldfish. She may be the prettiest girl in the village but her mouth was HUGE. Seriously.

I stifled a grin. As if reading my thoughts, Angel’s eyes narrowed as she glared venomously at me.

“Well,” She huffs as she flicks her long blond hair behind her shoulder.

“I’m going to be the one who’s going to be the future princess. So you can stop your fruitless daydreams, loser,” she snarls, jabbing her sharp nose up in the air with a disgusted sniff.

“Let’s go girls,” she waves a slender hand and struts off, her devoted fans trailing behind her every step.

"It's not like i want to be the princess in the first place, big mouth." I call after her, turning my back on the lot.

“Just ignore them, Hazele,” I take my still sniffling friend by the arm and shoot a glare at the receding figures of Angel and her devoted friends. “Let’s go.”