Free Wonder Never (The Fairytale Diaries #2) by Amanda Gatton Page B

princess?"
    Alice sighed, looking uncomfortable. She shifted about nervously, her cheeks coloring slightly. "Well, she… Um, that's just a term of endearment she uses when she meets a nice girl. She's always hoping her son, my cousin, will meet a nice girl and they'll hit it off."
    Julienne frowned. "Um. O… K… What test was she talking about?"
    Alice shook her head becoming more uncomfortable. "Oh, nothing, don't mind her. She's just eccentric is all. She'll put us up together in a nice room so you won't be frightened your fist night, alright? And tomorrow, I'll show you around."
    "Uh, yeah. OK, sure," Julienne hesitantly agreed.

Chapter 14
    I n a matter of moments, the spaztic woman led the girls up a marvelous winding staircase, down an extravagant hallway, and into a giant bedroom. In it were one normal looking bed, and another bed that loomed more than ten feet up. It wasn't a bunk bed, but rather seemed to be a tower of mattresses.
    Alice's Aunt Melanie made Julienne even more tired with a long stream of nonsensical chatter, and then abruptly told her to climb a ladder propped against the tall bed and get in.
    "W… What?" Julienne asked aghast.
    Alice looked even more uncomfortable and a quick look of dark aggravation crossed Melanie's face. "I'll be right her in the other bed, OK, Julienne?" Alice's slightly pleading tone suggested Julienne should not ask questions.
    She shifted from foot to foot looking around the room and back and forth between Alice and Melanie. A million questions were on her mind. She peered up at the bed and decided that despite the odd setup, it did look inviting. Exhaustion overwhelmed her. Her brain began to slow against her control. So, she relented. She sleepily dragged herself up the ladder and onto the mountain of mattresses.
    As soon as she made it, Melanie removed the ladder.
    "Hey! What are you doing?" Julienne demanded, glaring down over the edge.
    "Oh nothing, dear," Melanie said in a sing song voice that implied she was being ridiculously dishonest. Julienne sighed, too tired to argue. After all, ten feet wasn't so high she couldn't just down if necessary.
    After Melanie delivered a round of boisterous goodnights, she flurried out of the room leaving them with nothing but the remnants of her obnoxious floral scent.
    Alice stood gazing up at Julienne, who scurried under the silk quilt and settled back against the pillows.
    "Are you comfortable?" Alice asked politely.
    Julienne squirmed on the bed. "Actually, no!" she cried. "Ouch! I feel like there's something poking me!"
    The sound of Alice's forlorn sigh brought Julienne back to the edge of the bed to peek down. The look on her friend's face revealed that there was a lot she was keeping from Julienne.
    "Listen," Alice said. "Please just try and go to sleep, and everything will be fine tomorrow. I promise."
    Staring into Alice's eyes, she frowned sadly. But she agreed because she did not know what else to do.
    ***
    Alice's busy body aunt blustering into the room, flicking on the lights, and thunking the ladder back against the mattress roused Julienne from a restless, nightmarish sleep. She felt as though she'd only just closed her eyes.
    "Rise and shine!" Melanie said in her detestably cheery way. "Come down princess girl."
    "My name is Julienne," she grouched as she hauled herself out from beneath the covers. She grudgingly made her way down the ladder, noting Alice climbing out of her nearby bed as well.
    "Did you sleep well?" Melanie asked.
    Once her feet were firmly planted on the floor, Julienne replied. "Actually no. That was the most uncomfortable bed I've ever slept in!"
    Melanie gave a gleeful hop and clapped her hands. "I knew it!" she exclaimed. She grabbed Julienne's arms and examined them. Small cuts were visible up and down that hadn't been there before. Melanie appeared ecstatic over the discovery as she jumped for joy. She swept Alice into her arms and danced a jig, even though the girl's body was like a rag