Chapter Two

I awaken this morning, a beautiful Friday. The eve of my eighteen birthday. We only have a half day of school today for preparations for exams Monday and Tuesday. I get dressed and head down for breakfast. I meet my parents and brother in the dining hall. The servants start bringing out our meal. We have some very good cooks. I eat my breakfast and tell my family bye. I head out the front of the palace to the suv that will take me to school. I have two guards that stay with me when I'm out of the palace.

Jacob and Joseph take turns on who does the driving. But both are trained in special driving maneuvers just in case it is required. They are some of our highest qualified security. Both have served in our kingdoms military and were chosen by my father to special detail. My parents and brother all have their own guards.

We arrive at my high school and I head to the entrance where Katie is waiting. Joseph follows me as Jacob parks the suv. He will join us shortly. Katie and I hug.

"I can't believe Tuesday is our last day of school", Katie says.

I know this year has flown by. We walk to our lockers and start pulling stuff out that we won't need anymore. Then throw it in the trash. I only need my books and notes that I will be taking home to study before the final exams. We gather the books we need for classes. Each semester we had four classes. So, for the year we took eight classes. We were on what they called a block schedule. It made it easier not having all the classes each day. We only had four at a time.

I arrive at my homeroom and take my seat. All the classes are being cut short today since we are getting out at one o'clock instead of three. Our instructor calls roll and then hands us all a booklet of English/Lit. questions. She says it is to help us study for the exam. We are to use our textbooks to answer the questions and then after each question we are to write the page number that we found the answers. She tells us to bring it back completed Monday. She is going to go over them while we take our exam and if will have the answers correct and completed in the booklet, we get extra credit on the exam. So, we all get to work on it. It isn't long and the bell rings for the next class. Everyone rushes out.

Katie doesn't have the same second period as I do so we part ways. My next class is at the other end of the school so I have to hoof it to get there on time. I get to my Psychology class and take my seat. My teacher hands us all of the tests back that we had taken this semester. She says that we call use them to help us study for our exam Monday. We will take our homeroom exam Monday morning then go to lunch. After lunch we will take our second period exam. Then go home. On Tuesday we go to our third period class first and take that exam. Then we have our lunch break. After that we have fourth period for our last exam. And then we are done.

Since the way they scheduled our classes for the shortened day today we will go to third period before lunch. So, I head to the Science wing for my Advanced Biology Class. I love science and my teacher Mr. East is so much fun. He has decided to split the class in half and ask us all questions. Competing with the other half the class. The half that gets the most questions right will get extra credit on the exam. Yes, my half wins.

Finally, lunch time. I get in line in the cafeteria to get my food. I just get a salad. I plan on filling up on hamburgers, hotdogs and cake tonight. I go take a seat with Katie at our table and some our friends. Everyone is talking about my party tonight. Everyone is supposed to be there at six o'clock. We are going to eat and then go swimming. We start talking about the swimsuits we are planning on wearing. I haven't decided on one yet. The bell rings that lunch is over. Time to go back to class.

I enter my last class Calculus. This one is a tough one for me because I really don't like math. I love accounting, but just math bores me to death. The teacher I have in this class doesn't help much. And of course, nothing to help with studying. He just tells us to use this time to study and sits back down behind his desk. So, I don't even open my textbook. I just go over my notes. Finally, the bell rings. It's one. We can go.

I walk out the school with Jacob and Joseph right be side of me. We get in the suv and head back to the palace. I know they were bored out of their minds in my classes. I bet they we be so happy once I graduate. No more having to take me to school and stand around all day waiting on me to finish. Then driving me back to the palace. Oh, it would drive me insane if I had to do that.

We arrive at the palace and I run up the steps. There are pink and purple balloons everywhere. I love it. I followed the path of them down the main hall out to the patio. Wow, they put pink- and purple-colored lights in the pool and more balloons. There are table clothes in pink and purple and grills set up to cook the food with table to hold all the condiments. And one table set up to hold the cake. We aren't having a fancy cake tonight. Just a caramel sheet cake. Tomorrow night there will be a tiered cake for the formal event.

I go upstairs to my room and freshen up from the day. I put my books on my desk and sort them out. I figure I'll study over the weekend for English/Lit and Psychology. Then Monday when I get home, I'll study for my other two classes. I don't have much time available to study this weekend. I go to my closet and look for a swimsuit to wear. I pick out my black bikini. I go ahead and put it on and pull my hair up in a ponytail and redo my makeup. I put my flip flops on and head back down stairs. Its about six o'clock so everyone will be arriving soon.

I go out on the patio and Katie is already here. She wore her purple bikini. It is a really pretty color. A few more of our friends have shown up. I go over and welcome them. Samantha, Karen thank you for coming.

"We wouldn't miss it," they said together.

I see Jennifer, Mary and Bethany come out on the patio. Katie and me go over to them. I'm so glad you all could make it.

"Happy Early Birthday, Erica." They shout.

My parents sit at a table just watching everyone. My friend's parents are conversing with them and each other. Everything looks to be going well. Everyone stops talking when two guys come walking out with my cake and place it on the table. Then the two cooks announce that the food is ready. So, everyone lines up to get their food and finds a seat. I'm glad we didn't have to wait much longer it was smelling so good. Once everyone has their feel of hotdogs and hamburgers, they ask me to come up to the cake. I go stand in front of it while everyone sings happy birthday to me. After they finish singing, I blow up the candles. Then the two cooks start cutting the cake for everyone. I got a pink rose on mine. It is so good. All the food was good.

The band starts playing music and we sit around and talk about our classes today. While our food settled before we go swimming. We all laughed and joked about the different teachers and which ones were our favorite. And a few that some the girls had crushes on.

We figure that we have waited long enough. So, we all take off to the pool. It looked so pretty lit up like that at night. We usually only have teal light in it. The pink and purple lights looked really good with my black swimsuit. I enjoy swimming once the sun has gone down. With my fair skin I burn easy. So having an evening pool party was perfect. We have a volleyball net across the pool and we hit the ball back and forth. We aren't keeping score so we have no idea which side is winning. It's just fun play in the pool.

It is about ten and everyone is starting to change back into their clothes in the changing rooms. I thanked them all for coming and my gifts which I didn't get around to opening. So, once I do. I will send thank you cards out. I go over and hug my parents and brother. I thank them for putting this party on for me. So, my friends could come celebrate with me. Tomorrow's party will be for our council members and family. But at least Katie will be there as my brother's date.

I go on up to my room and get my shower. I put my robe on and go back out into my bedroom. The servants have brought my gifts up to my room and some thank you cards I had asked for. So, as I open my gifts I go ahead and fill out the card for it. I got some books and gift cards to some stores I like in the village. I see some shopping in mine and Katie's future. I go climb into bed and fall asleep.