Chapter 20 (FINISHED EDITING)

I've always had an obsession with princesses. Well maybe not princesses themselves but royalty, the hierarchy, the social ladder. How someone simply born into a particular bloodline can have authority over a whole nation. Or how someone can be so influential to society, such as Xavier, without even realising it.

But today, was princess day, the day where we all get to feel like princesses. In the big massive ball gowns, hair and makeup pampering but also how we had act like one. With perfect etiquette.

Today was the etiquette challenge.

I woke up around nine, trying to get as much beauty sleep as possible, I was able to catch the last of breakfast. Some girls were already getting ready for the dinner tonight, which we needed to be ready for by 5pm since the limo was arriving at half past to take us to some six star restaurant in California.

Jo found me stuffing my face with the remains of my bacon and egg and pulled me into the elevator up to my room.

She sat me down and got to work. While my hair and makeup was being done, which took ages, I watched The Mortal Instruments: The City of Bones on my laptop and admired the beautiful Jamie Campbell Bower and his flawless cheekbones and his British accent.

My hair was wrapped and braided into an elegant loose bun at the bottom of my head. Loose strands of curled hair framed my hair and I saw Jo thread flowers and jewels into the bun. She carefully did my make up, making my blue eyes stand out. She outlined my lips with lip liner before painting them purply red lipstick. Looking into the mirror once she had finished I almost didn't recognise the girl as me. I looked so mysterious, so hauntingly beautiful.

She clapped her hands, proud of her work, she grinned at me, "Now for the dress."

She pulled out a black dress bag which hid what I was going to wear. Jo smirked at me and said, "You're not allowed to see it till you put it on. Turn around and close your eyes."

Her assistant helped as they stripped me to my underwear and then I felt the silky smooth dress softly slide up my body hugging my curves around my torso and hips before falling gently in waves to the ground. My arms were pulled into short sleeves and I felt Jo button the dress up from the bottom of my spine and then tied a sash around my waist. Finally she told me I could open my eyes.

Blinded slightly, I saw Jo looking at me with pride and tears in her eyes, "You look gorgeous!" She laughed. Before I could turn around she handed me a pair of golden pumps with straps around the ankle. Turning around to face the mirror, I couldn't believe what I saw.

The dress was a soft lilac purple which highlighted the blue hue in my eyes. The top half of the dress had a golden embroidery stitched onto detailed with flowers and vines and embellished with fine beading a small amount of glitter. At my waist a purple silk ribbon was tied around with a slight golden tinge to the material. And the skirt simply flowed down to the floor with a light dusting of fine golden glitter over the lilac chiffon material.

I finally felt like a princess.

Carefully hugging Jo, I thanked her a billion times. Her assistant took a few photos of us which I would later put on Instagram. When it was time to leave Jo walked with me to the elevator, just to make sure I wouldn't fall on my face in the heels.

Just as the doors were about to clothes I stumbled my way in and found Rose in there looking stunning. Her hair had been straightened and then curled again into elegant waves, her eyes smoky and mysterious and lips covered in a dark red lipstick which matched the colour of her dress.

It was skin tight her dress, with sleeves and a high neckline which hugged the curves of her body to it became loose at her thighs. With a black clutch and heels matched up she looked perfect.

Giggling we made our way down to the foyer where ten other girls were waiting. I saw Lindsay in a hot pink floor length dress with silver sequins adorning the top half of the dress emphasising the sweetheart neckline. She looked pretty decent to, compared to what she might have normally worn but it was still 'Loud' and 'Lindsay'.

Once we were all ready to go the massive limo came and picked us all up. Trying to climb in as gracefully as possible with cameras surrounding the car was quite hard, especially with a bunch of competitive girls but we eventually got going and drove through the busy streets of Coastal California.

The long stretch limo came to rest outside the restaurant and through the window I could see a red carpet, paparazzi and fans screaming.

Wow I never thought it would be this big. This was completely and ridiculously insane.

Before we could get out of the limo, Elliot came on through a radio onto the speakers into the car, "Okay girls, I want each girl leaving the vehicle gracefully. Smile at paparazzi, wave to the fans make everyone happy. An escort will meet you at the door and lead you to your seat. Xavier will join once everyone has finished being seated."

One by one each girl climbed out of the limo with the assistance from the chauffeur. I was second last, before Rose. The middle aged driver held my hand as I stepped out of the car, and stabilised me as I was temporarily blinded from the flashing lights of cameras. I kind of felt I was already living my dream. Walking down red carpets at award ceremonies to receive recognition for the music I made. That was a part of my dream.

Smiling and waving I walked down the red carpet before a teenage waiter met me halfway and walked me inside the restaurant, De Bello Vino Restaurante,one of the most expensive dining places in California. You practically pay to breathe in the air inside.

The cute waiter walked me to my seat, even pulling it out for me and helping me sit down. The interior of the restaurant was incredible since the building used to be an old observatory. The roof was made of glass in a dome allowing people to see the moon and the stars shining brightly above. It was a candle lit restaurant with candles hanging from the chandeliers suspended from above. The carpet was red and the walls royal purple outlined with gold trimmings. The tableware was porcelain with silver cutlery lined neatly next to my plate. Bouquets of Roses in crystal jars ran down the middle of the table. It was made for royalty and romance.

Rose entered and was seated next to me as the cameras were being set up. There were two empty seats at both ends of the table, they were reserved for Xavier as he made conversation with half the girls during one part of the night and then the other girls the next half of the night with the cameras watching every mover, recording every word.

Soon, Elliot finally brought Xavier out who was dressed in black skinny jeans, a white button up shirt with rolled sleeves to his elbows, black leather Converses and a black tie which hung loosely around his neck.

His eyes flicked around the tables before he caught my eye, giving me a subtle smirk.

Elliot lead Xavier to the other end of the table, to the spot next to Lindsay. Soon the waitresses came out and we all ordered our entrees, Taliah, who learnt Italian at school helped translate the menu for me. While Xavier was at the other end, all of us were joking around and having fun. Taliah was trying to teach Rose how to speak Italian but she was failing miserably.

To be honest, I think there was a special way of eating, especially in this time of restaurant, with all the particular cutlery next to my plate and glass wear but I don't think I followed it the right way. With the deaths glare I got from Lindsay and Elliot, I don't think I was but the meal was too amazing to even care.

We were halfway through our main course meal, I had ordered lasagne and it was the best thing I have ever eaten, when Xavier was moved to our end of the table.

It was a little awkward at first but Rose soon broke the silence and we all got talking, although I stayed a little quiet kind of just watching everyone interact. Compared to the mysterious bad boy, Xavier here was carefree, open and one of those typical guys at school who everyone loved. The funny nice guy with a bit of cockiness. I don't know though because as soon as you tried to fit Xavier into a stereotype he broke it completely proving it wrong.

"So what about you Annabelle, who are your favourite bands?" Xavier asked, trying to bring me into the conversation.

"Um, I like The 1975, Ben Howard, London Grammar, uh all sorts of people." He knew this though, he knew how I liked having variety in music, we stayed up many nights in the music room discussing music. It was both of our passions.

My mind wandered to and from the conversation. I wondered if Xavier's dad had found the CD yet. I wondered how Xavier would react.

But my mind was brought back on track when someone mentioned dessert. Ordering a chocolate brownie with chocolate sauce and ice-cream I went a little hyper with that. I mean who doesn't love chocolate!? Ok, I know there are some people who don't but come on.

Once everyone had finished eating, music started playing, I mean groovier music than the classical music playing in the background. Elliot stood up and said in a fake cheerful voice, "Thank you everyone for this evening, I think after sitting through all that amazing food its time to dance."

Slowly girls made their way to the dance floor with each other. Rose dragged Taliah and I out to the floor and the jazz band began to play a jazz version of What Makes You Beautiful with the lead vocalist really getting into it; physically and emotionally.

It was quite to see a middle aged, well rounded man with stringy dark hair and a Hitler moustache and small eyes hip thrust and tear up while singing to all the girls how beautiful they are.

Ahhh, the power of music.

Most of us were having fun, trying to dance somehow to jazz pop music in a over fancy restaurant without breaking anything. It was pretty deadly to be honest, especially under the eye of Elliot, plus the cameras recording which basically meant all of the world was going to be watching and not to mention Xavier himself.

Rose found a temporary photo booth in the corner of the restaurant, like the ones you see people take photos in at award ceremony after parties. Or the one One Direction used at the after party of their movie premiere.

Following Rose we took heaps of photos in it, the three of us in all our dresses when the other girls figured what we were doing and joined in. Somehow we managed to squish ten girls in there. But let me tell you, we were all in each others laps and backs and there was a lot of contact. And I didn't like it.

But it was ok because it kind of felt like we were all bonding.

By sitting on each others faces. But that's irrelevant. Some girls got individual photos with Xavier in the booth and before I knew it I was shoved inside and sitting next to him. He smiled at me when I was shoved in and nearly fell on his lap. He practically had to catch me to keep him off him. Okay that sounded weird.

"Hello there," He smirked laughing a little.

"Shut up," I mumbled, he chuckled as I sat down, properly, next to him. Soon we were taking photos, the one where you get four in a square.

He pressed the button and he got so excited, just like a little kid.

"Quick, quick! Funny face!" we both stuck our tongues out at the cameras and it flashed!

"Duck lips!" We were both laughing so hard that the camera went off another time and he looked at me amused. I looked back at him still laughing a little before the flash went off again.

The machine spat out two copies of the four grid photo with each of our photos. He ripped the strip in half and handed it to me as I dragged out and another girl climbed.

I looked at the photos of all of us and I couldn't believe how happy we actually looked. My favourite photo was the last photo of us both just looking at each other with admiration in our eyes. I tucked the photo in my clutch thing to keep it away from prying eyes. Some of us went back to the dance floor and some remained taking photo.

I'm pretty sure we broke the photo booth by the end of the night.

The limo arrived back at the machine around 1:30 in the morning. Girls were all spread across the limo asleep, whether it was on the floor in the gowns or on the lined leather seating. The chauffeur rudely awakened us by beeping the horn, which played a tune when he beeped it. Elliot opened the door and hounded us out of the vehicle.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up and go to bed!" He shouted.

Grumbling, we made our way out of the limo, quite ungracefully as we walked into the mansion ready to get some sleep. As I entered my room, Jo was there looking quite tired but she asked me about the night and how it was. She helped me undress and took careful care of the dress before removing my make up and undoing the mass amount of bobby pins in my hair.

Slowly I crawled into an over sized Beatles T-shirt and climbed into bed as Jo said good night.

A/N: I AM SO FLIPPING SORRY!

Shout out to @cutiepieamy for editing previous (and going to be current) chapters which I still need to put up.

And to @amb1233! Check out her story! Yayy!

Question of the update: shoot, kiss and marry? Who, who and who? Anybody in the world.

pps. I GOT TICKETS TO THE 1975 WHEN THEY COME TO AUSTRALIA AND IM SO FLIPPING EXCITED AND HOLY CRAP THAT WAS THE MOST STRESSFUL MORNING OF MY LIFE.)