6. Chapter 6 (1/1)

i'm really sorry this took a while and it's so short. i've just been really busy lately. i'll try to update again really soon.

thank you to tiedietruth and arianna w for reviewing. you guys are both fabulous. all of my readers/followers are fabulous.

9 days and 10 hours later, caraline, sarah, daniel, nick, ethan, melani, and i are all sitting in front of caraline's tv, waiting for the illea capital report to start. and at precisely 7:00 pm, it does. after the national anthem and some useless budget announcements, millon fadaye takes the stage. or, set, i guess. i don't think there's an actual stage. anyway, he walks across whatever it is he walks across and says, "and now, the moment you've all been waiting for . . . the ladies of the selection will now be revealed! but first, a few words from queen savannah."

queen savannah smiles at the camera. "well, i just think that kindness is so important. be kind to foster, and especially be kind to your fellow selected. it will take you far in life."

"excellent advice, your highness," millon says. "princess rin, would you like to say anything?"

"okay, well, i say: please do not judge foster based on what he looks like on tv. when i started my selection, i honestly expected both robin and armin to be total snobs. but . . . they weren't. they were -are- amazing."

"well said," millon says. it might be my imagination, but i think i see princess rin roll her eyes. i like princess rin. sarah says she really hasn't changed much by being a princess. and i think that's a good thing.

the camera cuts away, revealing a table with 35 huge baskets overflowing with envelopes. prince foster stands on one side of the table, preparing to draw the envelopes. he looks confident, excited. huh. i guess i expected him to be nervous. he clearly is not. either that, or he's very good at masking his emotions. my immediate instinct is to compare him to michael. they both have

own hair, but foster's is lighter. michael had

own eyes that i always felt like i could fall into. remembering his eyes, i almost start crying again. i remind myself to focus on the prince. foster's eyes are blue. i guess he's cute, but he's not michael. i'm not sure i can ever love anyone but michael.

foster calmly walks to the first basket, pulls out an envelope, and announces, "from kent . . . miss zayley gardener!" zayley has

ight eyes and a great smile, but the most noticeable thing about her is the pair of cat ears she wears on her head. i have to grin at that. "from sota . . . miss isolde chalet!" isolde smiles flirtatiously. i immediately dislike her, then remind myself to give her a chance. "from bankston . . . miss ava kowalski!" ava looks like she's so excited she might explode. "from zuni . . . miss shilo marks!" shiloh looks at the camera from a kind of side angle. she isn't smiling, but she's not frowning either. she just looks . . . thoughtful. "from waverly . . . miss ember storme!" ember stares straight at the camera and scowls. i wonder what she's angry about. i guess her names- both first and last- suit her well. "from allens . . ." please be melani, please be melani, i chant to myself. " . . . miss allysa workman!"

everyone around me is screaming, melani is squeezing me so tight i can hardly

eathe, and the phone is ringing off the hook. my only thought is: wow, i really do look ridiculous in my picture.