Voluntown, CT’s Young Writers Group

If you havent read any of this please go down to the bottom and read up. Thank you.

Dessika laughed, took one more look out the window and then joined them at the table.

 

*As they say* thought Tayla *the rest is history*

 

Tayla laughed to herself. By then Tayla had gotten used to having Shalie talk in her mind. When Tayla introduced Lyonna and Shalie, Dessika jumped about 4 feet in the air when Sahlie said *Hello*.

 

They had to explain that no, Shalie could read her thoughts unless they were projected to her, *Or just thought loudly* Shalie added.

 

Again Tayla laughed to herself. She had never understood how someone would think loudly until she met Lord Ashgood. Tayla had such a crush on him, she thought of him night and day. *Finnaly in one of our little get togethers, Shalie told me to *shut up about Lord Ashgood. Im tired of hearing about him* The thing was, Tayla had never mentioned her crush to the other girls.

 

“Tayla… Tayla… Tay!” a hand slapped on the table and Tayla looked up, startled. “What?”

 

“You trailed off and went to La La Land.” Dessika answered, rubbing her stinging hand. “Are you ok?”

 

“Of course. Im fine. I was just thinking about the day we met you and how you did a great impression of levitating when Shalie spoke to you.”

 

Dessika laughed. “I remember. I thought she was a witch.”

 

Tayla, Lyonna and Shalie looked at her, various eyebrows raised.

 

“Well,” she corrected, “an Evil Witch.”

 

Lyonna laughed at that “Shalie couldn’t be Evil if her life counted on it.

Now Tayla’s grandmother, now that’s another story.”

 

Tayla shook her head, “She’s not evil, just…controlling. She wants me to conform. You all know she’s not really Evil, right?”

 

“Of course” Lyonna nodded.

 

“Uh-huh” Dessika rolled her eyes.

 

*But what if her life counted on it?*

 

“Shalie!” they all shouted before collapsing in laughter.

 

~*~*~*~

 

It was ringing the last chime for 9pm when Tayla walked through the door.

 

“Is the Duchess still awake.” She asked the footman holding the door. He nodded at the parlor where the Duchess stood in wrapped in a silk shawl.

 

“Thank you” Tayla told him and went to greet her grandmother.

 

“You said a reasonable hour” Tayla said when she reached her. “9 o’clock

is the last reasonable hour.”

 

The Duchess nodded. “Fine. I still need to speak with you. Come.”

 

Once Tayla was sitting on the same love-seat she had earlier that day, the Duchess addressed her.

 

“Now, Ive spoken to your parents and your mother begged me to allow you to wear her dress on your Debut Night, the night you are to be presented to court. I don’t see why you cant wear my dress to another ball.”

 

Tayla rolled her eyes. “Grandmother. Do you honestly think that dfress would suit me, even a  tiny bit?”

 

The Duchess looked taken aback. “Why, of course.”

 

Tayla was silent for a moment, thinking on this answer. In the Turning Owl, she had told her friends that The Duchess was actually Evil and now it made her think.

 

“You honestly don’t know how horrible that dress is? It wouldn’t look good on the Princess of Norgrew, and you know she looks good in everything nevermind me!.”

 

“It would not! Madame Fraxien said it was the height of fashion and that you would look stunning in it! I believe her.”

 

Tayla shook her head. “Grandmother.”

 

Tayla sighed. She wanted to be extremely rude but her heart wasn’t in it. “Grandmother. I’m too tired to argue with you. I just wanted to say I’ll never wear that dress. Good night.”

 

She curtsied and walked upstairs to her bedroom. When she entered, she saw Emrea waiting for her.

 

“Did you have fun? What did your friends get you for your birthday?”

 

Tayla smiled wearily and tossed down a pink and yellow book on the bed.

 

“To be a Lady in the Times of Virtue” by Lauren Duggins.” Emrea read outloud. “Ok. Now what did they really get you?”

 

Tayla grinned and tossed two more books down. Emrea picked them up.

 

“Warlocks, Demons, and General Monsters and how to Defeat them. Protection spells included.”

 

She looked at Tayla. “Nice.”

 

She read the other one. “Sneaking, Spying and Lying. Why they are necessary and how to Implement each correctly.”

 

Emrea raised her eyebrows.

 

“Dessika got me that one. She said I’d need it. Court is all about that kind of stuff.”