25 Chapter 24

After a few more hours of training, we decide its almost dinner time and should call it quits while one of us is still alive. After grabbing a shower and changing, him doing the same in the other guest room, we head into the living room to chill out.

"That is some power you have Acadia" I smirk at him.

"Yeah, your lucky I didn't kill you, but I know you were pissing me off on purpose to bring it out, so I can learn to control it" as we sit on the couch together.

"So, does this mean we can't be friends" he laughs and I punch his shoulder.

"Yes, we can be friends if you promise not to be mean to me again, or I will sick Zaline on you next time" at the mention of my best friend's name, I believe I saw a quick blush rise on his cheeks.

"Whatever you say my queen" as we start laughing the front door opens, with Buford and his mother coming in.

With an almost relieved look at us, he says "I'm assuming everything went well today, seeing as your alive Kelvin" He looks around at the house "and my house is still intact" Kelvin and myself bust out in even louder laughter.

"What is so funny?" he asked us, we both reply at the same time "Nothing" with the last chuckle.

Claudette eyed us curiously and then went on "Ok, now that we are over that, everything is settled for the ball, except dress shopping, which Buford will take you, as I have other things to attend to"

I look at her "Oh and we will not have training for the next few days as you need to get ready to receive your crown" Oh shit, now there's a crown, and I'm assuming I need a gown to match it.

The next day I get up early and call Zaline to come shopping with us, I'll need a girl to help on all this fancy-dress stuff, as I never had anything expensive in my life, dressed or acted fancy either. She tells me she will have to meet me after lunch, she has to cover the store until then.

This will be the first time that I have to spend time with Buford alone in a long time, and well I'm nervous. Making sure my hair is straight, and putting on some eyeliner, I look at myself in the mirror.

I'm still slender but my muscles are more tone now, seeing my hair has grown further than my waist, my eyes filled with hope and anxiety, I'm ready for today.

Buford is downstairs waiting for me, as we both head out on foot, no sense in driving when it's so close to downtown. "So, um what kind of dress do I need to be looking for?" I ask him.

"It will be a formal ball, so being the guest of honor and our queen, you will need something that stands out" he says in a clipped tone. I'm so over his distant attitude and about to ask him about it, but we came upon our first shop.

We continue on to two other shops in silence, not finding anything, and it's almost time for lunch and Zaline to meet up with us. We stop at a little sandwich shop and take our meals outside, eating still in silence.

That's it, I've had enough "What is wrong with you?"

He looks up quizzically "What do you mean? Nothing is wrong with me".

Glaring a hole where his brain should be "You have been distant ever since we kissed and had that little fight, but since the meeting, you barely speak to me! Did I do something that I'm not aware of?"

He takes a long breath "I apologize, you turned me down that night for Remey with understanding, I sprung it on you. I shouldn't have done that; things shouldn't have gotten that far" I look at him with a bit of shock.

"Shouldn't have gone that far? Are you telling me that I imagined your feelings for me?"

He then stared at me with a masked face "This is something we shouldn't discuss right now, there are still a lot of things for you to learn as queen, and whatever I was feeling is irrelevant at the moment, please drop this" with one last sigh from him. It seems this discussion is over, for now.

Thanking the voodoo spirits that Zaline shows up, it's time for more shopping. I tell Buford that we will take it from here, and he is more than welcome to leave, he doesn't hesitate to take the offer, and I'm silently glad he did.