The Princess Needs A Prince

[Chapter Twenty-Two]

I stop and turn around to find him against the wall. His shoulder lean against the flat surface of the wall and he has his arms crossed. His pointed shoes are crossed over each other.

"Uh, hey?" I say. Xavier smiles and begins to walk towards me. He passes me by a few feet, then stops. He turns back to me.

"Coming?" Xavier asks. I sigh and walk to him. Our footsteps are never in sync as we walk. His steps are too long. "What book is that?" He asks.

"The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson." I reply. He nods slowly. "Have you read it?" I ask.

"Nope."

"Do you read books?" I narrow my eyes at him.

"Nope." He lifts his nose up high to feign arrogance. I sigh and just smile.

"Alright then, what do you do?" I ask.

He touches his chin with his pointer finger. "Recently, my brothers have been pestering me. They call me over the phone to tell me how to-" He stops, looks away, and mumbles to himself. "Ah how to do stuff."

"Oh really now." I say, not satisfied with his answer.

"As I was saying, Elonzo, my brother, is fifteen. That little man adores books as much as you. Perhaps more. He calls to tell me of his next book he's been reading. I don't even know of them, yet he insists on telling me." He sighs.

"You said brothers?" I confirm. He nods.

"Now, Oro has a liking for soccer. He just turned fourteen." Xavier goes on. "He only calls to brag of his skills of course." He grins.

I laugh. They really do sound related. "And of your parents?"

"Oh they do well on their own." He swats a hand.

"Always good to hear." I comment.

"Mm you could say so." He says with a small curve of his lips. I smile. He cares for them, although he might not show it. It's written on his forehead. Big and bold. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Like what?" I ask innocently.

"Like that." He says. "I mean, I'm pretty used to those stares. The ladies just can't keep their eyes off me," he winks. Yeah, real smooth Xavier.

"Doubtful." I scoff. He bursts out a laugh. A bubble of laughter also blows from me.

"Of me? Nah." He grins. "By the way. I've been thinking of that date."

"Have you?"

"Of course." He says. "Now, you must say you have some spare time tomorrow night for dinner?" He asks. I think. I guess I could change my schedule around a bit.

"It's a date then. But what have you planned?"

"You'll just have to find out." He winks.

"Oh really?" I ask curiously.

"That's right."

***

I groan. Finally done with my papers. I had decided to finish off the reports from the orphanage. Calculating the amounts for next month's food stock and the basic necessities. Toothbrushes, blankets, clothes. Everything adds up.

School was also around the corner. That meant getting the children the supplies they needed and coats for the up-coming season. Not to mention getting knew teachers for the older children. So much to do.

I walked to my door and peeked out. Sure enough, Ian was standing right outside. "Ian, do you happen to know where Rose is?" I ask.

"Yes Princess. Rose in the kitchen. Is there anything I can do for you Princess?" He questions.

"No Ian, everything's quite alright. Thank you." I slip back through the doors and lay on the bed like a starfish.

Xavier's the first boy to ask me on a date. His sly grin somehow always seems to be plastered on his face. But, it's refreshing. He's the only one who always challenges me.

I smile as my fingers are a stained faintly from the paint. Cepos and his dimples that I can't seem to ever get enough of. His personality is always a blow to the face, but I can't seem to get enough of that either.

Jae-Hwa and his polite gestures make me wonder if he could be any worse than Ian. Although, it would be fun to see him...frazzled.

I close my eyes. In-Su, such a playful tease. His sweet words and flawless features.

I pull a pillow close to my chest and breath. Aala has his trademark lopsided grin and uneasiness of everything. Oh how handsome he is. His toned skin and soft blue eyes always stand out.

I squeal at my daydreams and squeeze the pillow impossibly closer to my chest. I should go see Kate! She'd love to hear everything.

I take a mental note to visit Kate and the children soon. For now, I'll go find Rose and find out her favorite boy, if possible. If not, mission abort.

"Ian, I'll be back. Have fun er, standing there." He nods and I leave to find Rose. My eyes wander to the windows. I can see the garden from here. All of the colors mix so well with the vibrant green. I can also spot some gardeners. Their hats have large brims-

"Yes."

I stop. I was about to turn a corner.

"..If she suspected, why would she have picked me?..."

Someone was on the phone. I quickly pressed myself against the wall. He seemed like he was in a heated conversation. I didn't want to eavesdrop but...

"I need more time. I need to get closer to her." He waits for an answer. "Of course. I know that very well."

Father?

"Yes I understand." His voice has a mix of irritation and frustration.

The phone beeps and the call ends. I gasp and quickly scurries back to my room. What was that about? Better yet, who was that?

Now I really need to talk to Rose and Kate.

***

Ooooooooh.

Bum

Bumm

BUUUUUMMMM!!!!

Have a guess on who was talking on the phone?