“Ugh, the first one is always the worst.” Ms. Thorne says as she brushes hair out of her face and stands up from her seat on the throne.
“Where exactly are we?” I say trying to hide the rising panic in my voice.
“Lancaster.” She is already moving about the room.
“Ma’am, how are we in Lancaster?” the panic has fully entered Frankie’s voice at this point. I look over to see him rubbing is eyes ferociously and readjusting his glasses like that might somehow fix this.
At the same time, Milo leans over to whisper to Margot, ‘Hey, I think we are okay now, you can let go of my arm.’ She drops where her hand was resting on Milos arm, and I see a blush appear across her face. Note to self to discuss that later.
Ms. Thorne whips open a door in the back of the room that wasn’t a part of the original classroom. ‘When all the lights are on & one of you read aloud while I am in the throne, we will be transported into our book. This is why you are not permitted to read ahead or outside of the classroom space.’
‘But how or what we are supposed to do?’ Wyatt questions.
‘Oh darling, we will know our journey soon enough, but we will miss it if we don’t get a move on. We are running late.’ She begins messing around with something on the closet door and slams it shut with her inside of it.
This allows all of us to take a second collect our thoughts.
After a minute of silence, ‘Am I the only one still confused?’ Milos offers up.
‘How are we supposed to figure out the book while we are in it?’ Wyatt adds.
‘There has to be a way we can just go back home.’ Frankie manages to squeak out.
I know in my core there is no way we are getting out of this that easily. Ms. Thorne doesn’t seem like she has any intention of telling us how we are able to get out of this either. I take an extra minute to collect myself before responding so I don’t sound as panicked as I feel.
‘I hate to say it guys, but I really think that the only way we may get out of this is just by going along with it. We need to stick together and work to figure out the fastest way out.’ I manage to get out before Ms. Thorne opens the closet door again wearing a small tiara atop her head with her hair still in its braid crown. She has ditched her glasses so there is nothing to deter from the sharp green of her eyes. She has swapped her navy-blue jumper for a similarly colored long dress with the same flowy long sleeves but the ones on the dress have a slight poof at the shoulder. The dress falls all the way to the floor where instead of brown boots she is wearing brown flats.
‘Alright, Wyatt you’re first. The closet has everything you need. Please quickly change, we are running late.” She reiterates that we are running late, yet as I look around the room, I don’t see a single thing that could be used to tell the time.
Wyatt gets up from where he is sitting gives me as quick look as if to make sure we are doing this. I respond with a slight nod. He sets his shoulders and walks into the closet.
‘Ms. Thorne, what exactly do we have to do?’ Margot asks.
‘Our first task is to make it out of this classroom in one piece & make it to this gathering on time.’
‘Do you know what or who we should be helping at least?’
‘Yes, but it’s not my story to tell.’
“Oh perfect.’ Milo huffs under his breath.
It’s at this moment Wyatt steps out of the closet wearing a dark long outerwear jacket that has a gold thread design in it with a white poofy button down underneath. His pants are a similar dark green to his jacket and stop around the knee, but the white socks have on cover up the rest of his leg and he’s wearing a black loafer type shoe. I have never seen him look so uncomfortable. It takes everything in me to not laugh out loud.
‘Oh, so handsome!’ Ms. Thorne sings with a giant smile as she claps her hands. She makes her way over to adjust the sleeves on Wyatts jacket. ‘Frankie you’re next.’
Frankie moves so slow towards the closet and is looking at it like something might come out and bite him. Gingerly, he opens the door and walks in, softly closing it behind him.
Ms. Thorne has taken to shuffling around the room touching up the space around us.
‘Okay guys, so what’s our plan?’ Wyatt starts while still messing with the sleeves of his jacket and moving toward the desk.
‘You look fine.’ I tell him and he looks up at me like I grew six heads & proceeds to drop the sleeves.
‘So, I’ve been brainstorming.’ Margot chimes in.
‘Of course.’ Milo says with a small laugh.
Margot gives him a look and continues, ‘I think we need to split up at wherever she is taking us so we can cover more ground to hopefully figure out what it is we are doing here.’ She rushes out nervously and waits for a response.
‘Okay, that sounds like a solid start. Should we pair off or is it solo missions?’ Milo responds, to which Margot gives a small smile.
Oh, we are for sure talking whatever this is, later.
‘We should probably stay together because we really don’t know what we are walking into.’ Wyatt throws out.
Before I can give my input, Frankie meekly steps out of the closet with an identical outfit to Wyatts but instead of green he is wearing a red jacket with the same gold detailing with dark red pants.
Ms. Thorne jumps in from across the room, ‘Frankie you look picture perfect! Milo, you’re up!’
Once Frankie joins us, we quickly fill him in and he jumps in once we are done, ‘This makes sense but how are we doing this with Ms. Thorne around with us?’ Margot, Wyatt, & I look at each other like this just occurred to us.
‘Okay…. I guess that we need a backstory for ourselves. I mean we are a group of kids just showing up at, and I am basing this off of context clues, a royal court event.’ I begin.
‘Well, we can always say we are guests of the court and are here with our chaperone. We can all be from a place called Gloucester.’ I offer.
‘Sounds good. Who are we going to be a guest of in case anyone asks. I mean clearly if we are in a court with a chaperone one of us must have money.’ Wyatt piggybacks on.
In this moment, Milo steps out in an outfit that matches Frankie & Wyatt except that his jacket and pants are a midnight blue borderline black.
Margot’s mouth literally hung open. Even I must admit he looked like royalty. Apparently, Ms. Thorne agreed because she spots him and says, ‘Milo you look the part.’
“Well, I guess that answers our question.’ Frankie says.
‘Margot, please go ahead and change.’ Ms. Throne says as she goes about the room readjusting the curtains along the windows.
Margot hesitantly goes toward the closet and readies herself before walking in.
‘Milo, you’re going to act as our leading man if people ask us.’ Wyatt fills him in.
‘Sure, that’s fine but have we decided who we are pairing up with?’ he replies nonchalantly as if hearing that playing a son of someone in high society was no big deal, sliding into the bench next to me.
‘I think maybe just boys and girls would be easiest right?’ I butt in.
‘Yeah, considering the time period we are in, this will help draw less attention.’ Wyatt contributes and we all nod in agreement. Frankie & Milo looking confused how he knows this. I forget how much he secretly loves history, we bonded over it growing up, so for him to catch on that we should be mindful of something like that makes sense.
Margot steps out of the closet with a shyness I am not used to seeing from my best friend.
She is dawning a similar style dress to Ms. Thorne except Margot’s dress is a light pink and it matches her hair and eyes perfectly. She has managed to corral her hair into a braid that flows over her shoulder.
If Milo was fit to play that of a member of high society, Margot looks like she could be the princess of our story.
‘Oh Margs.’ I gasp.
‘Absolutely breathtaking.’ Ms. Thorne adds. She walks over to Margot and gives her a spin and the bottom of the dress flairs up just a little. At this, Margot gives a small laugh.
Clearly, the boys by me have forgotten all words because they are just looking at her in complete awe. I laugh to myself at their reactions.
‘Sawyer, my patient girl, you’re our last one.’ Ms. Thorne states as she fusses over Margot.
I get up from my seat that the boys are crowded around and make my way to the door all my classmates had already entered and exited. I take a single deep breath and center myself and walk in.
The light inside the small space is brighter than I would have thought. It reminds me of the lights my mom got me and my siblings for Christmas that supposed to mimic natural light. Across from the door is a floor to ceiling mirror and next to it is a single hook that has a dress that I assume is identical to Margot’s except it is a beautiful shade of lilac. There is nothing else in the room. I look around to check if maybe there is other hooks or maybe a railing that could have had my friend’s clothes. Nothing. Just the mirror and hook.
I quickly change out of my Lincoln Academy crewneck and black leggings and into the only dress the closet had in it. Once I shrug the poofy sleeves into place on my shoulders I take a moment to look at my reflection in the mirror. I feel like I am missing something. Maybe a necklace or earrings.
As if it could read my mind, a clip appeared on the floor near my brown flats I have yet to put on. It was a green jeweled tulip clip. I pick it up off the floor and clip it into my wavy brown hair in a hair up half down style.
I reassess myself in the mirror and smile. I feel like a genuine princess. I square my shoulders and take a deep breath as I step back into the classroom.
Clearly there must have been a lull in the conversation because they all turn to look at me. Suddenly, this dress is extremely tight.
I take in their faces, all various shades of surprise, different reaction than that of Margot. I turn toward Ms. Thorne who is beaming with pride.
‘Oh, Sawyer!’
‘Does it look okay? I didn’t see another dress in the closet. Maybe, if this doesn’t look good, I could try another?’ I word vomit out, suddenly very unsure of myself fumbling with the sleeves of my dress.
‘Nonsense! You look magnificent!’ She waves away my doubts. She comes closer grabs my hands and bends down a little, so we are eye to eye.
‘I don’t know about that.’
‘Well, I’ll be sure enough for the both of us.’ With that she lets my hands go and turns to face the others. ‘Okay, it’s time children. We must go now before we miss everything. Come here so I can get one last look at you.’
Margot, Wyatt, Frankie & Milo come join me by the door and we form a small line like the one we made in Mrs. Baileys class which feels like days ago not hours.
Margot leans into me and whispers, ‘You look like a princess.’
‘You too.’ We share a giggle.
‘Okay, ladies remember to curtsy and boys you are to bow at the waist. You all look quite handsome and beautiful so now we must go. Please follow me.’ She hooks her arm in Frankie’s and his eyes widen as he looks back at us and she drags him out of the room.
Margot freezes in her spot when Milo even so much as glances at her. I elbow Wyatt and he lets out a soft ‘ow’ and looks at me with a what the heck look on his face. I give him a shut it look and gesture discreetly over to Margot and Milo and he quickly understands.
He steps in front of Margot and offers his arm to her. ‘My lady.’ He says it in a goofy accent with a matching grin. She snaps out of it with a slight laugh and shake of her head. She takes his arm, and they start out of the room. Wyatt looks back at me and offers a smile to which I offer one back as a thank you.
‘Looks like it’s just you and me.’ I say as I turn toward Milo.
‘We got this.’ He says in a way that seems like he’s trying to convince himself that we do in fact have a grasp on whatever is about to happen.
‘We got this.’ I echo with a lot more confidence than I am feeling.
He takes a deep breath that I mimic. Feeling more calm & certain of ourselves, he offers me his arm and we follow everyone else out into the corridor.
