Her & Him, liliana941 [book club reads txt] 📗

I was playing my flute when Haley cried my name. "What!?" I yelled. "Come here!NOW!!!" I ran up the hill. Clare,Sally, and Haley were watching me with big eyes, their mouth wide-open. "Whats going on?" I asked. Clare cleared her throat and said,when no one said anything, " well go on,Haley." "Um okay." Haley turned to me. "I,uhhhh, saw the prince...and he,uhhhhhh, had some sketches of you an-" "And she thinks he's looking for."Sally finished. I froze. "NO." Haley argued. "I know." "How do you know?" Clare asked. "Cause he IS!!!!!!HE LOVES HER!!" I spoke up. "He doesn't love me." "Uh-huh!" I shook my head. She got in my face." Why would he be looking for you then? Christal THINK!!!!!!!!!!" " Haley,he's looking for me cause.......he caught me stealing at the ball." "Oh." Haley and Sally frowned. Clare left. I walked backwards. "Sorry." I waited in the dark alley for Boa. He went to steal an apple or two (or ten) from a man selling them. Boa is an expert at stealing. Its been about 2 minutes since he left. I leaned on the wall and listened to the town people. I heard a cough and jumped. It was the prince. I suddenly felt weak. He smiled. "It's you. It's really you." I backed away. He walked closer. "I'm sorry if I startled you but I....." "What do you want?" He laughed. "I want.........I want you to be my queen." I made a face. "What?" He stepped in front of me and smiled. I was trapped between him and the wall. He grabbed my waist and pulled me to him. Our hips touching. He reached for my head and pulled me to his face. "May I kiss yo-" He cut himself off and kissed me hungrily. I froze.What am I doing?!

" What the h-" a voice said. The prince pulled away. I looked. Boa.

I started to chase Boa but I lost him. As I turned a corner,I bumped someone. "Oh!"a lady exclaimed. "Sorry." "Christal?" I looked at the lady. Mrs. Tiny. "Oh, Mrs.Tiny." She smiled." What are you looking for?" "Ummmm......" She grabbed my hands." I heard the prince is looking for you." I looked around her. "Soooooo,umm- I can't stand it!" I looked at her. "Stand what?" "You not paying attention." "Oh." I caught her eyes. They were dark green. I gasped. I've seen those eyes before but where?

She sqeezed my hand. "I,uhhhhhhh, gotta go." I ran away. I walked in the bedroom.Boa was already laying down. This is the first time I've seen him since this afternoon. I shut the oil lamp off. Boa's head went up. I slowly walked to the bed. "Boa." He didn't answer. I crawled over him to my side. He didn't move. I sat up." Boa." His head turn. I took that as a what. "Why are you mad at me?" He laughed but it wasn't his laugh. It was deep and creepy. When he stopped laughing he said, "seriously!" "Yes." His voice got serious." I thought you ain't like this kid." "Who? The prince?!

" "Yeah." "Boa I don't!" "Well letting him suck your face doesn't really show that!" "WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!?!" He laughed again." Nothing." I reached for his throat. He grabbed my hand before I could grab it. He threw all his body weight on me, making us fall back on the bed. His soft lips came to mine. I became dizzy. He let go of my hands and pulled me close to him. His tongue somehow found mine. I moaned. I could feel him smiling. I grabbed on tight to him. His warm arms tightly around me. All the shock was out of me. I didn't care about anything but him and me. When I thought Boa and me were getting closer,he pulled away. "Bo-" I started but he cut me off. "Next time he's sucking your face you'll be thinking of me." I was speechless. What the hell?!

Stupid!

I told myself. How could I be so stupid?! Of course a pretty girl like her

had a boyfriend. That's the reason she didn't want to dance with me at the ball. He was there. I seen him. I saw how his eyes lit up when she talked to him. He was so angry when he caught us kissing. Oh! That kiss...

"Hmm-hmmm."someone cleared their throat. I looked at my doorway and smiled. Penelope, my cousin was leaning on the door. " Oh did I interrupted you." She looked around and smiled." Long time no see, cousin." "I agree." I walked to her and gave her a hug. She grabbed my arm and squeezed it. "Have you been working out?" I laughed. " No they come naturally." She laughed. Her laugh was like a tiny bell. I watched her as she sat down on my bed. She looked at me. She looked different since the last time I saw her which was only a couple of months ago. Her heart shape face was the same, her eyes were the same brown eyes, her hair still framed her face beautifully. She cocked her head, making her dark brown curls cover her body showing only her head. She smiled. "What's funny?" I asked. She stood up and walked around me. "A little birdie told me you're in love." I licked my lips. "I am but it's-" "It's what?" She was really close to me. I took a step back. "I don't know." She frowned. "Oh......How does she look?" I looked down. "She has christal blue eyes, dark brown hair, she has soft pink lips.." It slipped out. I looked at Penelope to see if she caught it. Her eyebrows were arched. She caught it. I looked away. I felt her grab my hand. I looked at her, startled. "Do you have a picture of her?" She asked quietly. I pulled my hand away. "Errr yes." I walked over to my desk and grabbed a sketch of her.

I handed it to her. She observed it. Without looking up she asked, "you drew this?" "Yeah." She traced her finger against the picture. After a while something hit her because her eyes got huge, her mouth opened and she got stiff. "What's wrong?" I asked. She shook her head. "Where's you're dad?" "Why?" I grinned. Rolling her eyes, she said, " I need to tell him something." "His probably in his office." "I owe you." She smiled at me, telling me she had a secret that I needed to find out. I smiled back, assuring her I'll find out. She looked down at the picture and frowned. In a low voice she said," do you love her?" "Well......I like

her." She smiled and walked out my room. Curious,I followed her,careful to stay hidden. She walked in my father's room without knocking. She left it cracked. I looked inside. Penelope had her back to me. I couldn't see my dad. "Can I help you?"my father asked. Penelope slammed down her hand on his desk. "Explain this!"she said. "What?" He paused. "I-I don't know what you want, Penelope." "You know damn well what I want! This relationship between them needs to stop." "You- you can't possibly know." Penelope laughed coldly. My father said with fear in his voice," Penelope,do you know something?" Penelope laughed. "Maybe." "Penelope," my dad's voice boomed." What do you know?" "Calm down,uncle!"she said as if she was enjoying it. Then her voice went seriously. "If the people find out , you'll be in trouble. You need to stop them." "Penelope,you didn't answer me. What do you know?" "I know about Natalie and about Daniel." I creep closer.What about me?

I can hear my dad pace. "How? How do you know? Who told you?" "My mom. Now can we get to the important things. Like for instance, Daniel liking his fathers' ex-lov-" "Penelope, I will take care of that." "Well," she said in a bored tone. "I have to leave but I'll be back in a week. This mess better be fixed. I really do care for Daniel,I don't want him to marry that girl.

" "Don't worry. I'll fix this." "Good. Now, I'm going to get my beauty sleep. I'm leaving tomorrow"she said as if she was the king and my father was the villager. Penelope turned and walked toward the door. Where I was. I quickly ran behind a plant. Penelope stepped out the room and started walking down the hall. I couldn't help but notice her hips sway side to side. I swallowed and forced myself to look away. It was midnight and I was still up, wondering about my fathers' and Penelopes' conversation. I needed to find out. I stood up but stopped. I can't ask my father,he'll know I've been eavesdropping.....I should ask Penelope. It'll be easier to get the truth out of her.

I walked down the hall until I reached her door. I knock softly. No reply. I knock harder. I hear some noise and then a sleepy,"yes?" "Penelope, it's me,Daniel. Can you open the door, I need to talk to you." I hear her getting up and walk swiftly to the door. She opens it and smiles up at me. Even at midnight, she was beautiful. "How can I assist you?" She flutters her thick eyelashes. I smile. If I didn't know any better I'd think she was flirting with me. "Can I come in first?" "Hmmmm, I don't know...my daddy says I can't have boys in my room at night." I laugh." Well I'm your cousin. I don't count." She frowns. "Come in." I walk in and close the door. The candlelights were on.She pats at the spot next to her on the bed. I sit down. "Penelope, I overheard my father and you talking. I was wondering what you were talking about. Can you tell me?" "You overheard us?"she asks with her eyebrow raised. "Yes.... well sort of." She grabbed my hands." Lets not talk about that." "Why?" "Daniel, I know thats not the only reason you came here." "What?" I asked,confused. She slips her hands out of mine and puts them on my chest. She pushes me onto my back. "You know what I'm talking about." It took me a while to understand what was happening. " Penelope, w-what are you talking about? We're cousins!" "Oh, there's so much you don't know, Danny," she purred. I pushed her hands away. "Penelope,what are you talking about?" She laughed, harshly. "I can't tell you but I really do wish I could." She pressed her body against mine. Her hands made shadows in the dim room. I squinted to see what she was doing. I couldn't see anything but I felt her touch on my chest. "Penelope, this is not right." "Hush,Danny. You'll ruin the moment." I knew what was coming but I couldn't stop it. She kissed me. My body took forever to react. I jumped up off the bed. " PENELOPE! WE ARE COUSINS! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" "Daniel, lower your voice," she hissed. " What? No! Tell me wh-" " I'll tell you just quiet down!" I took a breath and walked to the far wall, near the door. "Speak." " I'm not suppose to tell you but it