And Nedley Started Saying,'shut Up!quit That! And

I Wished I'd Known Weeks Ago That We Didn't Have To Be Chaperoned. I Remembered My Old Daydreams: The Prince And I, Alone Together, Cuddling And Whispering... I Probably Would Have Wised Up And Brocken The Engagement Sooner.

He Looked At The Piles Of Food Again, And It Was Like He Was Seeing It With New Eyes. This Is Wrong, He Thought. Letting Food Rot While People Die Of Hunger. It's Evil.

Oh, Myr," He Chokes Out. "i Hate Having To Ask This Of You..." He Glances Towards The Car Again, And I Crouch Down In The Shadows, Hoping It's Too Dark For Him To See Whether The Window Is Open Or Closed. The Woman Pats His Arm, Cradling Her Hand Against His Elbow. "you Know I'd Do Anything For You And Hil," She Says. I Like Her Voice. It's Throaty And Rich. "you'd Do Anything?" My Father Repeats Numbly. "even Now? After -?" "even Now," The Woman Says Firmly.

And Yet, I Felt A Surge Of Exhilaration Just Thinking About That Night. Not Just Because I'd Met The Prince And Fallen In Love And Started On My Course Toward Happiness Ever After, But Because I'd Made Something Happen. I'd Done Something Everybody Had Told Me I Couldn't. I'd Changed My Life All By Myself. Having A Fairy Godmother Would Have Ruined Everything.

Sometimes I Can Spend As Long Revising A Manuscript As I Spent Writing It In The First Place.