The Barefoot Princess
Kelsey felt like a princess, high up on her thrown, garbed regally in her blue silk gown. You had to excuse her lack of footwear—some princesses went around barefoot, probably. She should have done her hair. Too late now. Her public awaited. It was so wonderful to be able to use her prom dress again. She was perched on the very end of a white platform—she had to sit on the edge so she wouldn’t hit her head, he had said. It was roughly two feet in length and textured like harsh gravel. It hurt her legs. It had better not pull any threads. She sat high above a tank of water, sloshing and splashing, stirred by the last passer through its waters. She waved to Molly and Amber, through the yellow netting that protected her from poor throwing.
Corey was such a stick-in-the-mud. He was always, “let’s stop this, let’s go home.” They’d each only been dunked once. He definitely needed to lighten up. He was the one in a wetsuit. It was freezing up there.
And what was with this kid throwing? “You throw like a girl!” she taunted. Her teeth were chattering.
He fastballed another one at the target to her left. Wide right. He had one ball left. “I let that one go,” he explained. His friends laughed.
Her dress had better not fly up when she hit the water. Which underwear was she wearing? This was gonna be cold. She had almost dried-off sitting there in the wind. Should she have taken her earrings off? Too late now. How was Rachel doing? Perhaps she should check up on her after this—
WHAM!
She hated that sound. It was always shocking when you first entered. Maybe this wasn’t good for her dress, either. Too late now.