Princess and Trouble (girlxgirl)

Chapter Eight - Interrupted

Dakota's Point of View

The day of Daddy's party arrived. When I left for school that morning, Mrs Wilson was doing her final tidy ups before she could go home for the day. Daddy had hired a catering team for the party.

I was nervous to say the least. A part of me was worried that Alex wasn't going to show up, even though she'd agreed to come. And I was worried about what she would think if she did show up. I'd seen her house, it was quite simple. And they were the kind of people to have barbeques. We were nothing like that. What if she thought it was all too much?

When I arrived home that afternoon, the house was abuzz with people setting up for the party, and the air was filled with the smell of delicious foods cooking. I headed straight upstairs to my bedroom. I didn't want to get in the way. I changed out of my uniform into something more comfy, and started on my homework.

About half an hour later, I snuck downstairs to grab a snack from the kitchen. As I was making my way back up, a packet of biscuits in my hand, the doorbell rang. I made my way over to the front door and opened it.

Alex was standing there. She looked – not surprisingly – out of place outside our house. Her ripped black jeans and faded flannel shirt did not belong in a house like ours – even if she looked quite good. It was then that I came to an almost horrifying realisation.

"Where's what you're wearing to the party?" I said instead of a greeting.

She looked down at what she had on.

"This is what I'm wearing." She said.

"Oh, that'll never do." I waved her inside. "But I'll find you something."

"Who's there, baby?" Mummy's voice came from the sitting room. "Is that you're friend Alex?"

"Yes, Mummy." I said.

"Can I meet her?"

!@#$%^&*

Alex's Point of View

I was not prepared for the sight that met me when the door was opened. Dakota was standing there in a frilly tank top and short denim shorts. Her metal leg and the scar up her arm clearly on display. I had never seen her without long sleeves and stockings before. I knew she had a fake leg, but I guess the saying 'out of sight, out of mind' applies. There was quite a big difference between knowing and seeing.

And then she led me into a sitting room, where an older version of herself sat in a wheelchair. Seeing the damage my father had caused these two, innocent people broke my heart.

"Alex, this is my mother. Mummy, this is Alex." Dakota introduced us.

"It's lovely to meet you." Her mother said with a smile.

"Likewise." I said. "You have a lovely home, Mrs Springson."

"Oh, please, call my Ebony." She said. "And I hardly keep the house in order myself."

I didn't know how to respond to that. Thankfully, I didn't have to.

"I've got to go find Alex something to wear tonight." Dakota said.

"Okay. You girls have fun." Ebony waved us off.

Dakota grabbed my hand and dragged me up the stairs. She was moving so fast, I doubted I'd've kept up if she wasn't holding my hand. I knew she could move quickly, I'd seen her play Frisbee. But that was before I knew who she was. It was quite strange watching her run up the stairs with a fake leg. She moved as if it were real.

Her bedroom was massive. Against the wall to the left was a large bed with a nightstand on either side. Directly across from the doorway was a large window with a desk under it. The wall to the right had a bookshelf of DVDs and CDs in the near corner and one of books in the far corner, with a wall mounted TV in the centre. Either side of the bed was a doorway. Both were open and I could see that the near one led to a walk-in wardrobe and the far one led to a bathroom. Another thing that stood out was how tidy it was. The only thing out of place was the notebook open on the desk.