“Don’t worry, Riley! It will be okay.” Alice almost pleaded with me.

“Famous last words. You forgot to mention that the girl who is playing the Beauty is actually a Beast.” I told Alice.

“Oh come on! I promise it will be okay. Let’s get to our afternoon classes. We can all meet again after school and talk strategy” Alice said seeming a bit stressed out.

“Alright! Sorry, Alice! I am simply feeling nervous about having to work with Madison.”

“That may not be the worst thing. I think you have been floating up in Care Bear Wonderland for a little bit too long. Sometimes a kick in the pants can work wonders.” Mary added with a big smile on her face.

“Hey! That’s not funny! I mean it.” trying to come across as super serious but not being able to hold back my own smile.

We all looked at each other and burst out laughing.

The afternoon classes were uneventful. They were interesting but nothing was as much fun as Philosophy. Mainly because a super cute little redhead was sitting right next to me. There go my thoughts. Drifting off to the topic of cute girls. I don’t think the day has enough hours to make it possible for me to fall in love with every cute girl in this school. I mean, I probably would have to show up for class sometimes, right?

When Alice, Mary, and I met in Cherry Blossom Hill’s beautiful library, I felt thrilled again about being Belle number two again. I couldn’t wait to try on that dress.

“Okay, Riley. Here is my plan. I will try to find out when Madison wants to work with you. If you want, I can try to be there with you during your sessions.” Alice offered.

“Yeah, that would be great.”

“Babe, sorry to have to contradict you again but I believe that you should do this alone. You have to master that challenge. It will be good practice for you if you learn how to deal with difficult situations and people. I’m not saying that asking for help is wrong. I’m trying to tell you that it is not all going to be the previously mentioned Care Bear wonderland.”
I felt a knot in my stomach. I didn’t like to hear that but I knew that Mary was right.

I looked my big sister deep into those beautiful blue eyes and nodded slowly.

“You’re right!” I said almost whispering. I felt humbled.

Mary nodded slowly. I prefer to live in Care Bear Wonderland but a trip to earth wouldn’t hurt once in a while. My Mary is the best!

The three of us made plans for tomorrow. Mary let us know that she was interviewed by the school newspaper about College life. She seemed to like sharing her experiences with soon-to-be College students. Mary also told me that Katie, the girl who gave us the tour when I visited the first time, told her to let me know that she wanted to interview me too since she worked for the school newspaper.

Alice and I went up to our dorm to do homework. Mary decided to meet with some 12th-grade girls she made friends with. I believe they talked about playing basketball.

It felt wonderful sitting with my new friend Alice in our dorm. She was a great and fun person to be around. We silently completed our homework. After several hours we were finished and decided to sit together on the couch, sharing a blanket. I could feel the warmth coming from her little body which felt fantastic.

We talked a little bit about school and then Alice changed the topic.

“I need to ask you something.” Alice said sounding serious all of a sudden.

The tone in her voice made me nervous.

“What is it, Alice?”

“Are you ticklish?”

“Well, actually…” I started saying but I was not able to finish my sentence. Alice jumped on top of me and started tickling the hell out of me. I laughed so hard that eventually, I got trouble breathing. I begged her to stop.

Alice stopped. My heart was beating fast. I was holding both of her wrists in my hands to stop her from tickling me. My tight grip loosened. We were deeply looking into each other’s eyes for I’m not sure how long. I could not wait any longer. I had to be brave and find out.

I closed my eyes and gently kissed her on the lips. Fireworks were going off. I opened my eyes again. Alice had a huge smile on her face and kissed me back. I felt butterflies in my stomach. We kissed each other for a while until I heard a knock on the door.

Before either of us was able to react, Mary walked in.

“Hey ladies, I wanted to ask you if you would like to go to dinn…” Mary tried to say while stopping mid-sentence when she spotted us on the couch lying on top of each other.

Alice and I were in shock and neither of us could utter a word. I felt like a deer in headlights. I looked at Mary’s face for any clues about her feelings.

Mary seemed shocked as well but soon recovered and started talking.

“Sorry to interrupt…whatever you two were doing. Riley, could I see you for a quick sisters conference in the Princess Suite?” Mary asked abruptly and walked out rather quickly.

I looked at Alice. She seemed confused and a bit upset.

“That was rude. I appreciate that your sister knocked but she came in before any of us could say Come in or anything at all.”

“I know. I will talk to her. I think I know why Mary is upset.”

“What about me? I’m upset because you stopped kissing me.”

“No worries. I’m sure we can find some more time soon.” I assured my roommate.

“Good. Now go talk to Mary and come back soon.” Alice almost commanded me while giving me a kiss on the cheek.

I nodded and walked towards the door. I took myself time to get to the Princess suite. Of course, I knew what this is about. I have a girlfriend at home but there are like a million cute and pretty girls here. I should have known better. I knew what I had to do.

I knocked on the door and Mary let me know that I could come in.

“Hey sis, I am sorry you had to find out this way.”

“I’m not sure what to say here. Even though it was easy to tell that you were falling in love with every cute girl you get to talk to.” Mary told me sounding annoyed.

“I mean, yes. I love being a girl and I love meeting new girls. I know that it seems a bit fast sometimes. I simply need to find my own way and that takes time.”

“It is not fair towards Sammy.”

“I know. All of the excitement of this school and all of those wonderful girls are overwhelming me. I still love Sammy but kissing Alice made it clear to me that a long-distance relationship with her won’t work.”

“Evidently.”

I started feeling tears streaming down my face.

“Look, Mary. I am sorry I made you mad and I don’t want to break Sammy’s heart. Especially after all she has done for me. She made me discover Riley and I would not be where I am today without her. However, my feelings are my feelings and I also believe that Sammy knew that this wasn’t very realistic. I wanted to hold on to something I simply was not able to.”

“I think you have a phone call to make.” Mary said still seeming angry and frustrated.

“Sis, please. Slow down! I will talk to Sammy. I will tell her the truth and apologize for my behavior. I want to be friends with her. I will never forget what she has done for me. I don’t want her to wait for me back home and miss out on making those experiences.”

Mary stared at me for a while and then nodded. She left me alone. I walked back to my dorm and decided to make that phone call right now. Before dinner and before I could kiss Alice some more.

I was almost back at my dorm when I started crying and shaking uncontrollably. Poor Sammy. Why did I do this to her? I hated myself in this moment. I calmed myself down and entered the dorm.

Alice was sitting on the couch watching TV. She heard me come in, turned her head, and smiled at me. After she looked at me her expression changed. Alice seemed concerned.

“Hey, Riley! Are you okay? You looked like you have been crying.”

“I have! I had a bit of an argument with my sister which we never had before. I mean, we had differences of opinion but this was on another level.” I let Alice know.

She came right over to me and gave me a big hug.

“I am so sorry, Riley. Can I ask what you argued about?”

We both sat ourselves back on the couch and got comfortable. Alice was holding my hand which felt nice.

“Mary is mad that I kissed you while I have a girlfriend at home. I completely understand where she is coming from. I don’t know how you feel about this. I mean we are not dating. At least not yet. I don’t want to break Sammy’s heart. I think I still have to do this because Mary pointed out correctly that it is not fair to her.”

Alice seemed deep in thought. We were both silent for a while and then Alice spoke.

“I agree with your big sister. You should at least talk to Sammy. She deserves it.”

“I will text her and see if she is able to talk.”

Only five minutes after I sent her a message she texted back. She had time to talk.

“Hey, Riley. How are you?”

“I’m okay. I guess. Listen, we have to talk about something.”

“Oh no! What’s wrong?”

“I am not sure how to tell you this…but…”

“Riley, what is it? You are scaring me.”

“I am so sorry but I don’t think I can be your girlfriend anymore. I am meeting a lot of interesting girls and it’s not fair to you to have you keep waiting for me while I am having a blast…and I…” I stopped mid-sentence. I heard a weird loud noise which was Samantha crying really hard.

I felt tears running down my cheeks.

“Sammy, I am so sorry! Can you forgive me?” I pleaded.

Sammy was crying a bit more but calmed down a little bit.

“I got to go, Riley. I will talk to you later.” Sammy said quickly and hung up.

I felt numb. I couldn’t cry anymore.

“Look at me. Making my big sister angry and my girlfriend very upset and heartbroken. All within 15 minutes on my second day at my new school. Go, Riley!” I said sarcastically.

“Oh, and not to forget. I ticked off the star of the upcoming musical. I can’t wait to see what I can do after a couple of weeks or a few months.” I added feeling upset with myself.

“Don’t forget. You also kissed your new roommate.” Alice said while smiling a little bit which made me smile a bit too.

Alice came close to me and gave me a big hug. She was just about to kiss me when I heard a knock on the door.”

“Come in!” Alice said.

Mary entered. She came forward but stopped after a short distance. She looked like she has been crying because her eyes were all red.

I got up from the couch and we stood still while looking at each other for a while. I took another step forward and that broke the spell.

We both ran into each other’s arms and hugged tightly. The thought of Mary being upset with me still scared me a lot but I felt a little shift. It didn’t feel as scary as it used to be and sometimes even the closest sisters can fight about something and still be okay.

Mary and I hugged for a while which made me calm down a bit. Soon all three of us were sitting on the couch making ourselves comfortable.

“Did you talk to Sammy?”

“Yes. It wasn’t pretty but it could have been worse. Sammy was very upset and ended the conversation quickly. I worry about her.”

“It’s understandable that you do. I hope she won’t be too upset with you.”
“I am glad you told her how you feel. Thanks, babe” Mary added.

“Sure. I feel relieved. Even though it was difficult to do.” I pointed out.

We all took a break from talking and decided to relax for a minute.

“So, what about that cute redhead from your Philosophy class?” Mary wanted to know.

“I don’t know. What about her?” I asked trying to sound ambivalent.

“You think she is hot, right?” Mary pressed on.

“Well, yeah! I simply got to get to know her a little bit more though.”

Mary had a skeptical look on her face.

“Is she hotter than me?” Alice inquired.

I didn’t say anything. I shrugged and tried to appear clueless.

All three of us laughed. Alice gave me a nice hug which felt great. Mary joined us as well.

“With all of the excitement going on, I just realized that I didn’t have any supper yet.” Mary pointed out.

“True. Should we go down to the cafeteria? I could eat.” I replied.

“Let’s go. I am super hungry.” Alice stated.

We almost ran into the cafeteria. Supper was great. All three of us giggly girls had a lot to talk about. We especially discussed the “Madison situation”. There must be a way to work with Madison in a civil manner. She doesn’t have to be my new best friend but I don’t want to fight with her all the time.

After dinner, we made our way back to the dorm. Mary asked me to join her in the Princess suite again. Alice said she wanted to pick up in our dorm a little bit. I was looking forward to spending more time with her again.

Mary and I got ourselves comfortable on the Princess bed. I laid my head in her lap while Mary was gently playing with my hair.

“Babe, sorry if I was a little harsh earlier. I felt strongly about being fair to Sammy. That’s why I pushed you. Also, I did feel a bit frustrated as well.”

“I understand. On some level, I felt frustrated with myself. The way I behaved was not fair to Sammy. I hope she is okay.”

“Maybe you can check on her tomorrow again? I hope we can all stay friends. We have to do more fashion shows when we are both home from school. Speaking of that, I talked to Alyssa today. It was actually really nice.”

“Wow, that is interesting. Are you ladies dating?”

“I think so. We don’t want to be too serious but we also want at least somewhat committed to one another. It’s strange. If you would not have met Sammy at Macy’s, you would not have become Riley and therefore we would not have gone to Allysa’s place when we tried to run away and so on…”

“True. I couldn’t be happier. Oh, and sis, can I ask you something personal?”

“Sure. If I will answer is a different question though but go ahead.”

“Have you and Alyssa, you know…done it?”

Mary blushed.

“Yeah, we did do it.”

“Wow, and how did it feel?”

“Wonderful. Hard to describe. Wait a minute. You are not thinking about doing it soon, are you?”

“Oh no, I know I am way too young but I am interested in learning about it. I want to be prepared.”

“That’s a good attitude. Keep up the good work. I think that Alyssa and I are a good fit. Even though we can’t be together right now since we are both in College.”

“I hope that Alice and I are too. I’m not sure what I want to do. I simply need to get to know her more. I think she is a great person. Very down to earth. I could learn from here and this might help me not spend so much time in Care Bear Wonderland above the clouds.”

“That is great, babe. You two look cute together. Nothing wrong though with taking a vacation in Care Bear Wonderland once in a while.”

“I agree. You are so smart.”

I looked at Mary for a while and she did the same with me. Suddenly I started feeling sad.

“Mary, I know you will leave me soon which makes me sad. I don’t want you to leave but of course, I understand why you must. I like having you here with me and we both hate good-byes.”

“I get it sweet little sister. I’m sad about that too. However, I’m sure that you understand now that you have to fight your own battles which you did very well when challenged to do so.”

‘That is true. I still can’t believe I was able to dribble and pass a basketball successfully in a game. Even though it was just a pickup game but my goodness was it fun.”

“Babe, I was so proud of you! I can’t wait to see what else you will do here.” Mary said and gave me a little kiss on my forehead.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed this time with my big sis. We eventually decided to call it a night. I went back to my dorm where I found Alice sitting on the couch reading.

“Hey, how did your sister conference go?”

“Very well. We had some good conversations. I am a little bit sad because she will be leaving soon but she has to go back to Oregon.”

“I understand. Do you want to join me on the couch for some reading or TV?”

“Absolutely, maybe we can find some Gilmore Girls?”

“Possibly. We can give it a try.”

It felt great to snuggle under the blanket with Alice. We watched silly TV, talked a lot and of course smooched a bit. Soon it was time to go to bed and I fell into a deep sleep.

I felt rested when my alarm clock woke me up. Alice, Mary, and I met in the cafeteria for breakfast. Mary will have another day of talking to soon-to-be College students and I was looking forward to Philosophy class when all of a sudden something was dropped right in front of me.

It was a note. I looked up but was not able to see who dropped it in front of me because there were just too many students walking by. It could have been anybody.

The note said:

“Hey, Princess! Meet me in the library right after school today. We need to start working together. Madison.”

I was not sure how to feel about this. I thought this was a rude way to contact me. On the other hand, she addressed me with “Princess” which made me feel good. I wasn’t sure if she meant it in a bad way but that didn’t matter to me. Maybe there is hope and Madison and I can work together?