The One Prudish

Chapter 3: Secret Meeting

Mother calls Nelson and I down to help with dinner. I've been taught my whole life that cooking is something a girl needs to know or the one she'll marry will and you'll both die out of starvation. Because of that I've always acted as though I don't like to cook so maybe I won't have to marry, but I'm reality I actually quite enjoy it and I know that I have to marry no matter what.

"What would you like us to do Mother?" Nelson asks her.

"Actually I would just like to talk to you two without the little kids knowing."

"Did we do something wrong Mother? Do you need me to redo my hair? Change? Add more makeup? Fix my posture more often? Mother please tell me what's wrong." I say scared of going to the boarding school.

"Nothing is wrong Annika, calm down. I wanted to tell you two that Prudish is having a meeting at 10:00 tonight with the parents and guardians of children. I was wondering if you two are going to do your normal sneak in and hope no one finds you or if you want me to give you what we're wearing and make you look older?" Nelson and I look at each other, how did she know about that?

"You're my children I don't let you out of my sight I know that you've been doing that for years and have been bringing Camelia recently." Wow she's good.

"I would like you to make us look older. What do you think Annika?" Nelson asks me.

"I would also like that."

"Okay well perfect. Go get dressed in all black undo your hair and take off your makeup." Well this is exciting! I never knew Mother would do anything fun. I put on black tights, black flats, a black flowy  romper and black jewelry. I take my hair out and brush then I take off all of my makeup.

"Cute outfit Nik but won't Mother think it's not Prudish?" Nel asks me as we pass each other in the hallway.

"She might but I don't have a lot of black clothes and I don't want to wear a ball gown to a parent meeting that would cause too much of a crowd."

"Good thinking Niks."

"Thanks Nel Nel!" I tease him and skip off to the stairs.

When we both get to the kitchen Mother has a lot of makeup and 3 black robes on the table.

"Andrew said that we should dress in all black with a robe so we didn't draw attention to ourselves. We wouldn't want the children to find out." Mother says and Nelson and I nod.

Mother starts putting my hair into two French braids and adding a dark brown eyeshadow into it so my hair doesn't give me away. Once she is done with the braids she moves into the makeup. She starts with a foundation that is just a little too light for my skin tone. She adds fake freckles, lip gloss, blush, mascara, eyeliner and a light brown eyeshadow. I have to admit I've always liked when she does my hair and makeup even if it's just plain I still feel beautiful. She starts working on Nelson's hair. She's adding the eyeshadow to it like she did to mine and gelling it back. He put concealer on under his eyes, covers his freckles with the concealer, uses blond mascara to make his eyelashes look shorter, fills in his eyebrows messily and put a tightening moisturizer on his lips to make them look dry.

"Now put on the robes and meet me at the library." Mother says.

"What about dinner? The kids think that we're helping you with it." I say almost forgetting about dinner.

"While you two were getting changed I brought them up dinner and they are now eating it in the twins room."

"Won't Camelia get suspicious of that? We have never been allowed to eat in our rooms." Nel points out.

"Possibly but I said that I wanted to change the rules a little since there is a chance you two might leave and I said that you were by the river eating and talking about your decisions so to not bother you. Now if you excuse me I'll be getting going, see you soon. Remember, library and leave in ten minutes." After that Mother leaves so it's just Nelson and I for ten more minutes and then the spying begins.

"I was wondering, are you planning to leave?" I ask Nel.

"I don't know yet. And when I do I won't tell you. You'll just have to wait and see." I giggle at his ridiculousness.

"So, what about you? Are you planning to leave?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." And at that he just rolls his eyes at me. We play rock, paper, scissors, shoot to pass the time and we're tied but it's time to leave. While we're walking we secretly do another round and he wins.

We get there and head inside. I hope we don't get caught like we did six years ago.