The President's Daughter by David Dower (best ebook reader for ubuntu .txt) 📖

the morning I wasn't surprised.

*

"Can we get all the nominees for king and queen up on stage please?" Andy asked, speaking through the microphone.

I yawned as I watched as some boys and girls got up on stage. The only people I actually recognized from the crowd of six was Ashley.

After my nap in the limo, Andy and Sarah kept teasing me about how I snored and my stomach kept growling as I slept. And the only one that I believed was the story about my stomach because if you have been surviving on a slice of bread your stomach would be making whale sounds too.

I felt a nudge on my bare arm as I turned my head, "Yeah?"

"What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to go?" Sarah questioned, nudging her head to the direction of the stage.

I raised my eyebrows, "If you haven't noticed I am trying not to draw attention to myself." I said, gesturing my hands to the tons of people who were whispering and staring. "And anyways why should be going on stage? It wasn't like I was nominated."

I heard Sarah let out a weird sound. "Oh, did I know tell you?"

I turned back to face her slowly. "Tell me what exactly?"

"That you were nominated for queen," Sarah said, gently.

"I was what?"

"You were nominated-"

"I know what you said!" I snapped, "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, frustrated.

"Well I knew if I told you, you wouldn't want to go because of all the attention it might bring to you."

I opened up my mouth to speak when I was cut off by Andy's voice booming through the banquet room. "Is Ali Clair or Gavin Storm in the building? Or should I say Alice Montclair." Andy said, chuckling into the microphone.

Everyone was now turned around facing me, there was a circle of people around me and Sarah just staring at us-well mostly me.

I was debating on whether to book it or not and judging by the shoes I decided to wear I was pretty sure that I would not have gotten far.

"I know you both are in the building because I saw you. So, now you have five seconds to make your little asses to the stage or you deal with me."

"Go Ali," Sarah whispered, into my ear. "You don't want to deal with Andy when he is mad." She said, giving me a gentle push towards the stage.

The crowd of people soon made a gap, a walkway leading up to the stage stairs. Right then and there, I felt like I was in a re-enactment of the Mean Girls Movie. The scene when Cady was nominated for queen and everyone made a walkway for her leading up to the stage.

In this case I was Cady, but instead my parents weren't here looking for me. Instead they were on entirely different continent most probably have tea with the queen.

Once my feet finally remembered how to move, I quickly walked towards the stage. Keeping my head down and trying not to look at all the eyes that were silently judging me.

Once I made it on stage it was clear that I was the center of attention.

"Thanks for finally making you way up here to join the rest of us commoners Alice." Andy said, joking.

I pressed my lips into a thin line ignoring all the laughs and chuckles he had gotten from the audience.

"Now all we wait for is Mr. Gavin Storm." Andy said, "Gavin you there?"

My eyes searched the crowd but I couldn't see that far. I had seen Gavin walk in with Ashley around his arm, I don't know what compelled him to come here but he did and I was kind of glad. I made sure that he wouldn't see me so I hid behind the crowd of people who watched the come in.

He was in a black suit and had a black tie that matched Ashley's dress. So it was positive that they came to prom together, he didn't bother combing his hair because he was still rocking the bed hair look which I loved on him.

My eyes widened, as I began to realize what was going through my brain.

"Just announce who won, already!" A guy from the crowd yelled, interrupting my thoughts about Gavin. Followed with multiple agreements, "We want to go back to dancing for the love of God!"

"I know that was you West and your definition of dancing is grinding on some poor girl. And trust me when I say nobody wants to see that." Andy said, firing back at this West character.

There was laughs and cheers from the audience, it was probably because they agreed with Andy. "Now, you all have voted and you picked one girl-" Andy said, stopping midsentence to gesture at us girls. "And one guy-" He said, gesturing at the boys. "As your king and queen. It was a tight race. Oh who am I kidding? It was a landslide victory for the boys. Because you have chosen as your prom king the only one who isn't on this stage. Gavin Storm." He said, stuffing the card that held the names into his pocket.

"Now for the girls. It was a tough one, this girl won only by a few votes compared to her opponent. You have chosen as your prom queen Ashley Rome!" He said, his voice booming throughout the room as applauds also began to fill up.

I clapped for her too as Ashley stepped towards the girl who was holding out a tiara.

Rolling my eyes, I began to head to the stairs leading up to the stage with the rest of the nominees. What I didn't understand is why Andy would force me up here if I didn't win.

"Now, I know I shouldn't be doing this but Alice can you come over here?" I heard, Andy's voice call out to me. I stopped midway, my back was turned to him and I was kind of afraid to what was going to happen if I went over there. "Please?"

I slowly turned my body around as I made my way to him. Everyone else was off the stage including Ashley who I expected to make her big thank you speech for being crowned.

Andy was exactly like Sarah he wouldn't do something he didn't mean and especially if it hurt someone in the process.

"A lot of you know Alice as Ali. She was talked about constantly and not only for the fact that she started school in January. But, because she was known to lie about who she really was. But, that is not the case. Alice didn't lie about anything other than her name, and in my opinion is completely understandable if your dad was in charge of running one of the most powerful countries in the world." Andy spoke, into the mic as I debating in my head on whether to thank him or throttle him.

"Many of you are either talking shit about her or praising her for leaving. But, it honestly should stop because I don't blame her for leaving the way she did. You all heard rumors or read articles or even saw the trending hashtag on twitter. But, none of you even bothered to think what her side of the story was and what made her do what she did." Andy said, looking at me. "And I for one want to hear her story, Alice?" He said, softly stepping aside and gesturing me towards the microphone.

I was hesitant on whether or not to speak to my fellow classmates but when Andy nodded his head toward me I knew that what he said was coming from the heart and that Sarah was God damn lucky to have someone as great as he was.

"Hi." I said, into the mic. "I don't think I need to introduce myself judging by the way you all are staring at me or well the ones that I can see." I said, I couldn't see the people farther back due to the spotlights.

"I don't know what to say other than sorry. I know I wasn't as close to all of you other than my own group of friends but I do know that you all deserve an apology. I am sorry for a lot of things but I am not sorry for why I did it. I did it for my safety and when you have a father who is wanted dead sometimes it is hard to say that I am not scared and that I do not care about my safety because I do." Nobody uttered a word, everyone's eyes were on me not saying anything.

"Three out of the six people I actually conversed with only knew my secret. Two of them were family and one of them found out on her own." I said, my eyes searching for Ashley. "The other two took the news gently and understood why I did it and did not judge me. The last one refuses to be even in the same room as me or well the same stage as me." I said, knowing that Gavin was somewhere in the crowd and even though I couldn't see him I knew he was listening.

"Gavin I know you are listening and I know that you're a pissed at me. But, don't act like you are the angel in this situation. You are just as wrong as I am. The only difference is that I am willing to admit my mistake, you aren't. Everything that you told me and shared with me, I didn't once take for granted. I cherished those moments and I would do anything to have those moments with you once more." I said, pouring out my feelings to the entire senior class. "I am sorry and I love you." I admitted, as hushed whispers filled up the room. "Thank you." I said, turning away from the crowd and walking off the stage.

A few seconds later the music was back up and running and everyone was having a good time again.

"Hey Alice?" I heard someone call out to me. I turned my head and saw my face looking at a bunch of boys, right away I knew they were the jocks of the school just because how built they were. "Nice speech out there and I am sorry for tripping you on the first day. But, if it doesn't work out with Storm you know who to call." A blonde guy said, to me winking.

I gave him a tight smile as I walked away, shuddering. I knew he looked familiar, the boy who tripped me with the big mouth was what I called him because I hadn't bothered remembering his name.

I pushed myself through groups of people dancing. A lot of people stopped me to say that they forgave me and how they wanted me to come back to school. Some even said, I had nothing to apologize for because if they were me they would have done the exact same thing. Which I was thankful for.

When I finally reached Sarah she was dancing with Andy. They were an adorable couple but there dancing was something else.

"Hey guys," I said, tapping on Sarah's shoulder.

"Ali!" She said, throwing her arms over my shoulder.

I hugged her back, "That was a great speech you did out there. I am glad Andy forced you to do it."

"I didn't force her, you forced me to force her." Andy said, pointing the finger at Sarah. "You said, if I didn't rig the box with nominations for queen with Ali's name you would never kiss me again."

I raised my eyebrows, as the truth spilled out. "You did what?"

"I got Andy to get you nominated for queen so you can be right with the world again," Sarah said, with wide eyes as she waited for the impact of my frustration.

I looked at her with sincere eyes, "Thanks. Because someone had to help me."

She smiled, "No problem. Now all you have to do is fix your relationship with Gavin, Ashley, Ben and Holly