James catches the motion, and asks, "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know how you got the idea for this. It's beautiful, and must've taken forever to paint, but it's definitely worth it."

Adam beams and points a thumb at himself.

"Wait. You came up with this? How old were you?"

Adam ticks three fingers in the air.

"Three?!" I exclaim. He just nods proudly. How can a three year old come up with a beautiful painting on the wall?

James senses my confusion. "People age differently in Glezentine. In the normal world, we were an age and a half. So he was actually 5 and a half."

I nod. Five sounds better. "Wait a second." I say, an idea hitting me like a punch to the gut. "That means-"

"Yep." Interrupts James. "We are 19."

I groan. "I'm even younger than you guys, then I thought!"

He chuckled. "Not anymore. The moment you stepped into Glezentine, you started to age just like we do."

"Which is how exactly?"

"I don't exactly know how to explain it. Basically, you're now an age and a half. Which is 18."

I sigh. "Still a year younger."

"Would you rather be seven years younger?"

"Good point. But what happens if I leave? I'll be way older than I'm supposed to be."

If. I don't realize I've said it until James gives me a small smile. He knows what I said. Then something hits me. The fact that it's true. If. Not when. Once I finish, and I will finish, I'm not sure if I actually want to go. Life out there, on the run, or life here, with friends.

"This place just feels right." I don't register, I've said it, until James nods.

"Glezentine is pretty wonderful." I raise a skeptic eyebrow. "Okay," he amends, "except for some things."

"Yeah. Like the killing. But that's only minor." I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"None of us are killers."

"Jury's still out for you."

"Do you think I did it?"

I tilt my head considering I've been thinking about that, and I've decided he couldn't have."No. I don't think you'd have it in you."

He gives me a smile.

Just then Caroline walks in. I hadn't realized she was in the house. She hands me some PJs and pushes James out, closing the door behind her. She turns back to me and her expression told me she wasn't exactly gentle when she shoved him.

I sit on the bed and pack the spot next to me, inviting her to join me. Her anger deflates, leaving just sadness as she settles down on the bed.

"Are you all right?" I ask gently. I've never been good at comforting people, and now isn't any exception.

"Fine." She says stiffly. I haven't known her for that long, but I can tell she's lying.

I slowly put my arm around her, and it breaks the thin shell. She covers her face and starts crying. I pull her to me, and she rests her head on my shoulder.

I wait a minute before asking, "What's the matter?"

She slowly stops crying, then sniffs and wipes her eyes. "It's James." She says between sniffles.

"I figured that much."

"My father said that there's a chance he'll be disqualified. That means it'll be almost impossible for him to get a good job. People don't really like disqualified people. Honestly, that would've been fine. But he also said that the more powerful people say they want him up against the toughest person. And the last challenge is the one that people die the most." She takes a deep breath and rubs her eyes again.

She slowly lifts her head and stands up, walking towards the wall. She opens the door I didn't notice was there. A bathroom.

She goes in and I quickly put on the PJ pants, and hear Caroline sniffling die out.

I feel the pang of sympathy. I've never seen Caroline cry and before this, I would've thought that princesses have the easiest life. With all those servants, and the whole kingdom is theirs.

Now I see it's not just the James situation making her cry. It's everything. She'll never have the whole family together again. Christopher will get married, and so will she, while Carl stays with their father.

Then there's the whole competition thing. She's going to get married, but not out of love. There have been many deaths, so she might feel like it's all her fault. It isn't.

The door opens and Caroline steps into the room. It's hard to tell she was crying, unless you look for it.

She smiles. "You should get some sleep." I nod and get under soft covers and lay my head on the pillow. When Caroline reaches the door, she turns and adds, "Thank you."

I nod again, about to say something else, but the warmth of the covers in the softness of the bed makes me drift off into sleep.

I dream that I stand in a field of flowers, by a bench someone is on the bench. I don't think I know who it is, considering I don't know anyone with dark skin and brown ringlets flowing from their head.

I sit beside the person.

"Hello." She says, still not looking at me. But her voice strikes a chord in me. I've heard it before. Somewhere. But where?

I think about it more, but the memory only reminds me of being scared.

"Hi?" I say it more like a question. "Who are you?"

"Don't we all ask ourselves that question at one point of time or another? All of us, wishing to know the reason behind our existence. Why were we placed on this earth." Her voice is melodic and her words make questions appear. Some that I haven't thought about in a while.

"What's your name?" I clarify

"I go by many names. But you can call me Bee."

"Hello Bee. Where are we and why are you in here?"

"Those are two very different questions, both of which I cannot answer."

"Then what can you tell me?"

"I can tell you those flowers smell very good for being in a dream."

I feel my frustration rising. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Well, if you want a specific answer from me, You yourself have to be more specific."

"Fine. What can you tell me about Glezentine?"

"You mean it's history?"

"Yes and no. I mean about past competitions."

"Ahh. I knew you were smart. In the past, competitions weren't as common, but the rules were the same as nowadays. Five years after one of the royal parents die, the children, minus one, are put up as prizes."

"Yeah. Caroline said that."

"Did she say that there has never been one single physical competition where no one died?"

"What?!" I say in astonishment, running a hand through my hair, just like I used to. I've never been able to do it in Glezentine because of that stupid hat. I've never taken it off. I even slept with it on.

"It's crazy, right? Most don't even realize how many people die. Did you know that one of every seven people had a relative that died?"

"That's just disturbing. But back to the point. How do I complete the next challenges? The first one was mostly self-explanatory."

"Well, if I tell you that, it would be cheating. And that's not fair."

"Fine. Could you at least tell me what I should wear? It's a beauty pageant, right? So does that mean a dress?"

"All I am going to tell you is don't be afraid to wear your hair down, but only once you get there. Okay?"

I nod.

"Good luck." She says solemnly. She fades in her seat, disappearing from view.

School is almost over!!!!
Is anyone excited for the last day of school?