7. Chapter 7 (1/2)

i have a question: do you guys prefer that i write longer chapters and update less often or short chapters and update more often?

btw, i have no idea what flowers go to each province. i just chose a flower i like.

thank you tiedietruth for reviewing. i'm glad you like the chapter. :)

sunday night is when i discover i've been selected.

monday i spend trying to avoid the paparazzi and reporters.

on tuesday, i pack. i don't really have much to

ing, since all my clothes will be provided by the palace. i decide to

ing the jeans and shirt melani got me, a notebook, and some colored pencils. i stick it all in the backpack i used through middle school. it's the same bag i packed my stuff into when i ran away from my old house.

on wednesday, a man from the palace comes with tons of paperwork and nosy questions, along with vitamins and a check that i give to daniel.

on thursday, we decide to lock the doors and disconnect the phone so i can enjoy one last undisturbed day with my friends. there's a lot of laughing and crying and goodbyes.

on friday, it's time for my send-off. i wear the black pants and white shirt that were provided, along with a forget-me-not (my province flower) in my hair. at 10:00, a woman knocks on the door. she introduces herself as lisa and says she's my aide. she'll help me with my sendoff, and when i get sent home, she'll help me adjust back into my old life. well, she said "if" i get sent home, but i know i won't last a week.

the town square is close enough to walk to, so we do. when we get there, lisa shoves a microphone in my hands. "do you want to say anything?"

i look at her. "do i actually have a choice?"

"no, not really," she says as she pushes me onto a platform that's been set up in the middle of the square.

"um, okay," i say. "listen, there are lots of people here whom i've never met. and i want you to know who i am before i leave. because for better or for worse, i will be changed by this experience. so i want you to know who i am now. right now, i'm not one of the selected. i'm not 'that girl from the orphanage'. i'm allysa. i love kids, i love blowing bubbles, and sometimes i have a temper, but when i calm down, i'm usually pretty understanding. i don't know who my mom is and i hate my dad, but i do have a family and i love them with all my heart." i stare straight at sarah, daniel, melani, nick, and ethan, all standing together in a group. "i'll miss you guys." i will. i'll miss sarah's fantastic hugs, daniel's good advice, ethan's incredible acting, nick's sarcastic comebacks, melani's enthusiasm. i'll miss rachel and her stories. rachel told great stories. i wonder where she is now.

and michael. i'll miss michael more than anyone. but i can't think about that, i remind myself, trying not to cry. i fail miserably. before i'm even off the platform, tears are blurring my vision. i fall into sarah's arms. "i'll miss you so much," i tell her. she just hugs me harder. when she releases me, i turn to daniel.

"i love you, allysa," he tells me. i cry harder and pull him towards me. my "real" father never said that to me unless he wanted something. "i know you'll do great." he pushes me towards melani, who immediately throws her arms around me.

"i'm gonna miss you so much!" she exclaims. "tell the prince i said 'hi', okay?" i push out a laugh that turns into a sob halfway through.

"oh, relax," nick jokes. "it's not like you're never going to see us again."

"oh, shut up!" i playfully punch him in the arm. before he can retaliate, i pull him and ethan into a weird sort of group hug. these two are like

others to me. i know they'll support me no matter what. melani and daniel and sarah will, too. they are my family. after about 5 million more hugs, i finally pull myself away from them. and i would step into the limo(yes, limo) right now, but i see ellie standing at the edge of our little group. she looks like she wants to tell me goodbye but she doesn't want to interrupt. i meet her eyes and step towards her. "hey," i say, "i'm going to miss you." she grins at me, tears glistening in her eyes.

"yeah," she says. we hug, and she whispers in my ear, "don't tell anyone, but you're my favorite. i mean, of the six- or four- i don't know- of you guys. you're a great listener. you're my role model."

"you know what? you're my role model, too." and it's true.

"i don't think you can have a role model who's younger than you."

"are you kidding?" i exclaim."you've stayed strong and kind even when life treated you like crap. you could have turned out to be a jerk, and i honestly wouldn't blame you after everything that happened to you. but you didn't. and i'm not sure i've ever told you how much i admire you for that. if that doesn't make you worth being my role model, what does?"with that, we hug again, and this time i do get into the limo.

lisa explains that we'll meet 3 other girls at the airport. when we arrive in angeles, there will be some time to meet some fans before heading to the palace in another limo. it only takes lisa about 5 minutes to explain all of that. we still have another hour before we'll arrive at the airport. i pull my notebook and pencils from my bag and attempt to sketch the view out the window. there are so many people out there, holding sign and cheering names. most of them are for me, but that's probably because we're still in allens. these people must really care about this thing, to stand on the side of the road for hours just to hold up a sign i might see.

before i know it, we've arrived at the airport. standing there already is ember stormed, once again sporting her signature scowl. "well, it took you long enough," she grumbles at me and another girl who just walked in.

"sorry, i just needed to say bye to my family," i explain.

"i don't think it takes an hour to say a one-syllable word," she retorts. i'm about to say something else when another girl walks in. she has wavy blond hair with blue highlights that