"Attention, passengers. In a few moments, we will be landing in beautiful California, USA. Keep your seat belts on until the plane has stopped moving completely, then proceed out in a timely and orderly fashion. Have a wonderful time, and thank you for choosing Padaladia Five-Star Airlines." Mary and Aurora pressed their faces to the window to see the plane landing near the beautiful green grassy plains, jittering with excitement. "We're here! We're here! We're here!"
Helen looked at Conner sitting next to her. "Why did you pick Happy Harbor, California, exactly?", she asked. Conner smiled at her. "This is actually where I used to live, before I became a prince.", he told her. "I thought it would be nice to get back to my roots. I can't wait to show you guys around. This place is the best. Beaches, shopping malls, amusement parks, the whole deal!"
Jason smiled from ear to ear, nodding at everything Conner said. "First things first, you've gotta try the food here! Then we hit all the amusement parks and video game arcades in the town! After that, we have a day at the beach devoted to swimming, surfing, parasailing, water skiing, and all the other awesome sports done there! Then, Conner and I are gonna treat you to a real live baseball game!" Ben sat up, smiling like a moron. "I've always wanted to see a game in person!", he exclaimed. "But Miles said a dirty old stadium full of uncivilized boars swearing with food all over the place wasn't where a prince should be seen."
Jason pumped his fists into the air. "We are gonna have the best time EVER!"
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They walked out of the airport, all wearing neat button-down shirts and blouses, the boys in ties and khakis, the girls in miniskirts and heels. They all had one bag and $1000 each (Need I remind you, they WERE royalty). Eliza looked at her big brother and shrugged. "What do we do now?"
Conner looked at all the hipsters and punks looking at them, snickering and rolling their eyes. He looked down at his and his siblings' spic and span and much-too-old-for-them outfits. "Well, if we're gonna fit in better, we'll need normal clothes."
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After about three hours and $200 each, the kids left the mall, each with a whole new wardrobe. Conner wore his old S T-shirt with a brown leather jacket and cargo jeans. Helen wore a lavender top with long, loose sleeves, a knee-length black skirt, and white ballet flats, her long hair out of her usual bun and falling loose to her waist with a white headband. Jason had on a black hoodie and ripped jeans, while Eliza had a green boys' shirt, dark blue jeans and dirty sneakers, her hair in a messy braid. Ben wore a dark blue T-shirt with Spongebob Squarepants on it and loose, comfortable blue jeans with black-and-white sneakers. Aurora wore a bleached denim jumper with a skirt over a hot pink shirt, a pink bow in her blonde hair, and last but not least, Mary wore a floral babydoll dress with long sleeves and leggings underneath, her red hair in pigtails sprouting from both sides of her head.
Conner looked at his brothers and sisters, pleased with their new ordinary, everyday appearance. "Okay, now that we don't stand out like sore thumbs, we can really start to have fun." Jason stepped forward and thrust a finger into the air above his head. "To the arcade!"
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Ben pressed the buttons furiously while fiddling with the knob, all while Jason looked over his shoulder, shouting words of encouragement into his ear. "Come, Ben! You're doin' great! Almost there!" At last, an explosion appeared on the screen. YOU WIN! NEW HIGH SCORE! Ben jumped up and down, howling like a monkey. Jason gave him a double high five. "Alright! Great job, Ben! You're a natural!"
Just outside, Eliza dribbled a basketball in a one-on-one game with Conner. She swerved around him and shot the ball upwards. It fell through the hoop with an easy swish. Eliza put her hands into fist and pulled them inwards. "This is the best!", she cried. "I've been shooting hoops for thirty minutes straight, and not once have I heard 'be a lady' or 'proper princesses don't play sports'!"
Conner laughed as he went over to Helen, who was pushing Aurora and Mary on the swings with one hand each, all while they cried, "Higher! Higher! Push me higher!" He got her attention. "Hey, I'm gonna go get a drink at the bar across the street. Can you watch Lizzy and the boys while I'm gone?" She nodded, smiling. "Of course." He turned around to walk to the bar. "And Conner?" He turned back to see her smiling brighter than the sun, childish joy sparking in her sea-green eyes. "Thank you so much for bringing us here." He smiled at her before heading off.
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The bar was crowded and noisy, due to a football game going on today. It was full of men of all ages shouting at the dozens of jumbo TV screens installed everywhere and guzzling down beer and alcohol like there was no tomorrow. It was messy, loud, and not very civilized at all. That was why Conner loved it so much. After two years of being constantly reminded to hold in his farts and stick out his pinkie while drinking tea, he was more than ready to loosen up and be himself.
Conner squeezed through the crowd and towards the counter as he reached into his jean pocket and pulled out his ID. Finally, he came to sit down in front of a petite bartender waitress wearing a white blouse and black miniskirt, with long red hair pulled back into a low ponytail with a red scrunchie, her back turned as she rubbed the inside of a glass cup with a moist towel.
He smiled as he put his ID out in front of him. She must have heard him sit down or something, because without turning around once or even looking over her shoulder, she asked, "What can I getcha?" Conner shrugged. "Whatever you think is good." The moment he spoke, the waitress stopped what she was doing and froze in the middle of her cup cleaning.
Slowly, she turned around to face him. She had peach-colored skin with a light dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks, with her red lips on the shape of an O and her rust-colored eyes wide with mixed emotions as she gaped at him, like she couldn't believe what she was seeing and didn't know what to feel. Conner's ice-blue orbs were just as wide, if not wider, as he stared at a face that he hadn't seen in over two years, and didn't think he would ever see again. "M'gann?" "Conner?"
YOU ARE READING
The Prince & Me
FanfictionTwo years after being adopted into royalty, Conner finds himself missing his old hero days. Keeping his identity a secret, he and all his new brothers and sisters sneak off to the United States, reuniting him with his old friends-and with M'gann...
