Nobody's Princess
This Is Me
Ashlee Livingston sighed as she heard her mother's footsteps on the stairs. Ashlee hurried out of her secret room and quietly, but swiftly shut the door right before her mother walked in.
"Ashlee, Darling! Why aren't you downstairs? The guests should be arriving soon and your not even ready!" Ashlee's mother announced as she swept into the room. As immediatley as she had entered the room, Ashlee's mother went straight to her first walk-in closet.
"Let's see. We have to have you looking splendid. Better then Clarissa Kentwood did last night at her house. She might try to out-do you tonight to be the center of attention. But we want you to be the highlight of the night."
Wish I wasn't the center of attention... Ashlee thought and sighed.
"Ahh. Here we are. Wear this and get your primping out of the ay and fast. Oh dear! There goes the doorbell and your supposwed to greet everybody." her mother sighed.
"How many people are coming tonight?" Ashlee was afraid to ask this.
"250." Ashlee sighed and her mother sent her a look. "Ashlee Elena Livingston. You better pull it together and fast. We are showing you off to society." Ashlee turned around to hide her frown. "Now get ready young lady. There goes the doorbell again. I have to get going. Lea, please get in here and help her get dressed. And make sure she gets down those stairs before 5:30 so she can greet the rest of the guests." Lea, the maid came rushing in and took the dress from Ashlee's mom's hands.
"Yes ma'am." Lea was about 45 and was a tad over weight. She was from Ireland and somehow had kept her Irish Lilt. Ashlee adored her voice. But Lea was the one who talked to Ashlee and told her of the world outside of Rishness and snubbishness. About a world with problems other then having all the food prepared by a certain time and whether your the star of the party or not...
Ashlee's mom rushed out of the room and Ashlee heard her pounce down the stairs and greet the guests.
Ashlee sighed and again, for the millionth time, wished she was not who she was.
"Ok, Miss. We must get you ready. While your getting ready, i'll tell you another story if you want." Lea said in her Irish Lilt and Ashlee obeyed her command. If her mother had heard the way Lea talked to Ashlee she would be fired. So Ashlee was careful enough to keep Lea out of trouble.
"That would be nice. Yes, I think I would enjoy that very much." Lea only nodded and sat Ashlee in front of the antique vanity. Ashlee galnced down and blushed a light rose. Her song from earlier was still there.
Good thing mom didn't find it. Ashlee thought and rushed to put it away. She stuffed it in a drawer before Lea turned around to fix her hair.
"Now, let's see. Oh... what do you want a story about? Ireland or America?"
"I want a story about Ireland." Ashlee respoinded and was lulled into the story by the lilt of the Irish voice and the wonderful tale of Ireland and real problems.
***
Ashlee stepped out of her room and walked slowly down the stairs like she was taught to do. She walked to the front door and notcied all eyes were on her. Especially Clarissa's accusatory glaring eyes. Ashlee stopped at the front door and greeted everybody. When she looked over at the guest list she noticed everybody was here, an idea struck her and struck her hard.
"Hey, umm Nick... can I ask you a favor?" Ashlee asked the doorman Nick.
"Sure." he replied and smiled already knowing kinda what she wanted.
"Could you cover for me? I'm gonna slip out and take a walk. Say I'm in the bathroom or something if my mom slides by! Thanks so much." Nick nodded and opened the door for her. Ashlee slipped out and took a deep breath.
Nightime air. Damp Nighttime air and it's so wonderful! Ashlee began to walk in her dress to the park she was forbidden to ever go to. Why she had no clue but, just because it was a big no, she was going to go to it. Like a fly to a bright light.
Wow this is huge. Why I hadn't thought of this sooner I have no idea!!! Ashlee thought to herself and sat down on the swings. She sighed content and looked up at the stars.
"Well hello there." Ashlee whirled her head around and looked at the speaker.
"I thought I was alone. Sorry. If you were here first, but it's mine now so leave." Ashlee said and his face was struck with disbelief. Then he saw the smile on her face and laughed.
"That was meant as a joke huh?" he asked.
"Yeah, yeah it was. Glad you finally got it." Ashlee said and laughed at his hurt expression.
"My name's Edward."
"Ashlee."
"Nice to meet you." he said and smiled down at her.
"I'm not sure if I'm glad to meet you yet though. Give me a few minutes." Ashlee said and stuck her tongue at him.
"From the looks of your dress, you were just at a really high class party." she grimaced and he laughed. "yeah, I don't dig those either."
"Something we have in common I see." Ashlee said and he nodded.
"If you'd let me hang out with you, I'm sure we could find some mroe things we have in common. I mean, if you want that." he said smoothly. Ashlee smiled.
"I'd like that a lot." Ashlee said and he smiled down at her and sat down in the swing next to her to talk.
"Ashlee, Darling! Why aren't you downstairs? The guests should be arriving soon and your not even ready!" Ashlee's mother announced as she swept into the room. As immediatley as she had entered the room, Ashlee's mother went straight to her first walk-in closet.
"Let's see. We have to have you looking splendid. Better then Clarissa Kentwood did last night at her house. She might try to out-do you tonight to be the center of attention. But we want you to be the highlight of the night."
Wish I wasn't the center of attention... Ashlee thought and sighed.
"Ahh. Here we are. Wear this and get your primping out of the ay and fast. Oh dear! There goes the doorbell and your supposwed to greet everybody." her mother sighed.
"How many people are coming tonight?" Ashlee was afraid to ask this.
"250." Ashlee sighed and her mother sent her a look. "Ashlee Elena Livingston. You better pull it together and fast. We are showing you off to society." Ashlee turned around to hide her frown. "Now get ready young lady. There goes the doorbell again. I have to get going. Lea, please get in here and help her get dressed. And make sure she gets down those stairs before 5:30 so she can greet the rest of the guests." Lea, the maid came rushing in and took the dress from Ashlee's mom's hands.
"Yes ma'am." Lea was about 45 and was a tad over weight. She was from Ireland and somehow had kept her Irish Lilt. Ashlee adored her voice. But Lea was the one who talked to Ashlee and told her of the world outside of Rishness and snubbishness. About a world with problems other then having all the food prepared by a certain time and whether your the star of the party or not...
Ashlee's mom rushed out of the room and Ashlee heard her pounce down the stairs and greet the guests.
Ashlee sighed and again, for the millionth time, wished she was not who she was.
"Ok, Miss. We must get you ready. While your getting ready, i'll tell you another story if you want." Lea said in her Irish Lilt and Ashlee obeyed her command. If her mother had heard the way Lea talked to Ashlee she would be fired. So Ashlee was careful enough to keep Lea out of trouble.
"That would be nice. Yes, I think I would enjoy that very much." Lea only nodded and sat Ashlee in front of the antique vanity. Ashlee galnced down and blushed a light rose. Her song from earlier was still there.
Good thing mom didn't find it. Ashlee thought and rushed to put it away. She stuffed it in a drawer before Lea turned around to fix her hair.
"Now, let's see. Oh... what do you want a story about? Ireland or America?"
"I want a story about Ireland." Ashlee respoinded and was lulled into the story by the lilt of the Irish voice and the wonderful tale of Ireland and real problems.
***
Ashlee stepped out of her room and walked slowly down the stairs like she was taught to do. She walked to the front door and notcied all eyes were on her. Especially Clarissa's accusatory glaring eyes. Ashlee stopped at the front door and greeted everybody. When she looked over at the guest list she noticed everybody was here, an idea struck her and struck her hard.
"Hey, umm Nick... can I ask you a favor?" Ashlee asked the doorman Nick.
"Sure." he replied and smiled already knowing kinda what she wanted.
"Could you cover for me? I'm gonna slip out and take a walk. Say I'm in the bathroom or something if my mom slides by! Thanks so much." Nick nodded and opened the door for her. Ashlee slipped out and took a deep breath.
Nightime air. Damp Nighttime air and it's so wonderful! Ashlee began to walk in her dress to the park she was forbidden to ever go to. Why she had no clue but, just because it was a big no, she was going to go to it. Like a fly to a bright light.
Wow this is huge. Why I hadn't thought of this sooner I have no idea!!! Ashlee thought to herself and sat down on the swings. She sighed content and looked up at the stars.
"Well hello there." Ashlee whirled her head around and looked at the speaker.
"I thought I was alone. Sorry. If you were here first, but it's mine now so leave." Ashlee said and his face was struck with disbelief. Then he saw the smile on her face and laughed.
"That was meant as a joke huh?" he asked.
"Yeah, yeah it was. Glad you finally got it." Ashlee said and laughed at his hurt expression.
"My name's Edward."
"Ashlee."
"Nice to meet you." he said and smiled down at her.
"I'm not sure if I'm glad to meet you yet though. Give me a few minutes." Ashlee said and stuck her tongue at him.
"From the looks of your dress, you were just at a really high class party." she grimaced and he laughed. "yeah, I don't dig those either."
"Something we have in common I see." Ashlee said and he nodded.
"If you'd let me hang out with you, I'm sure we could find some mroe things we have in common. I mean, if you want that." he said smoothly. Ashlee smiled.
"I'd like that a lot." Ashlee said and he smiled down at her and sat down in the swing next to her to talk.