Selcouth

I glared at Esclados. “Don’t talk. She doesn’t know about my powers and I’m keeping it that way.”

He rolled his eyes. I smiled as I approached her. “Kara, hey.”

She looked at me. “Rapunzel! Hey, who’s this?” She pointed to Esclados.

“This is my new chameleon, Esclados.” I showed him to her.

She grabbed him. “He is so cute. Oh my gosh.”

I laughed a bit. “He is but he doesn’t like being called cute.”

She looked up at me. “Why?”

“He just doesn’t.” I shrugged. I sat down with her. “I wanted to talk to you about Roman.”

“What about him?”

I looked at my hands. “I want your help deciphering something. Last week he said that we might get married someday. We also danced, and we were extremely close. I think he may return the feelings.”

“Now that you’ve tried to move on. It’s just like men to do that. They are such morons.” She shook her head. “And what have you said?”

“Nothing. I haven’t said anything. I don’t know what to say. I’m nervous. I don’t want to talk about it if it’s not true but if it is, I wanna give this a shot. He’s been so nice to me. I like him a lot.”

She asked, “Well, how can I help?”

I thought about it for a second. “Help me be attractive. I want you to teach me the ways of being attractive to a man. I want to just wow him.” I used my hands to throw them out like a firework exploding.

She moved her lips to one side. “Hm. Okay. I have a good way. Dress nice for him. Look pretty. He also likes independent women. I suggest mentioning something that makes you look independent.”

I thought to myself. “Well, I’m very uh... I don’t know. I cook for myself and stuff but I don’t have a job or my own place.”

“Oh, that’s it. Tell him you’re moving in with me. See how he feels about that.”

“That’s not going to make me independent. I’m depending on you now. Besides, what if he tells me to go ahead and do that? I actually have to move in with you. That gives me way less time to spend with him. We hang out because I do live with him.” I nodded, sitting back and sighing.

“I’m just trying to help.”

I slumped down. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Kara gave me Esclados. “It’s fine.”

I had no idea what I was going to do. But I was going to use her idea for sure, just to get some kind of reaction from him. “So, what now?”

She shrugged. “I’m not too sure.”

“I’m going to head back. I got so much to do.” I didn’t but I was too tempted to use her idea already.

Kara turned her head to me and nodded. “Alright.”

I got up and took Esclados with me.

I stopped when I spotted Bors. “Oh, Esclados, you must meet Bors. He is absolutely great.” I walked in that direction.

I reached Bors and smiled big. “Bors, I want you to meet Esclados. He is my new pet.” I showed him Esclados.

Bors looked at him and neighed. “You replaced me.”

“What? How? You’re not my pet. And he’s a chameleon if you can’t tell.” I gestured to Esclados.

Esclados stuck his tongue out. “You’re not too appealing to the eye.”

“Hey, hey. You guys need to be nice. You’re both my friends now.”

Esclados turned his head to me. “I cannot be nice to this idiota.”

Bors looked away from us both. “I guarantee he just called me something insulting.”

“Esclados, apologize. Now.”

Esclados spoke, “Yo no voy a disculparme con este idiota.”

“Esclados, now. In English, please,” I said with a firm tone.

He looked at Bors. “I’m sorry to you’re an idiota.”

I gasped. “Esclados! Why are you so mean to Bors?”

“Why am I not mean to him? He’s a large horse and I’m a small chameleon. Insults are all I have.”

“He has never hurt you. Never. He is a nice horse. You better be nice or else. That is rude and you will not get away with this.”

“Mírame.” He jumped climbed down my body and tried to run away.

I started laughing, unable to control myself. “Oh my gosh, the way he runs!” I pointed at him.

Bors made some horse noises as if he was trying to laugh alongside me. He laid down and continued. “He looks like an idiota.”

Esclados stopped and looked at us. “Excuse me, are you really going to insult me in such a way?”

“Of course. You insulted Bors,” I argued. I wiped away a tear, finally calming down.

Esclados came back and climbed up my body and onto my arm. He mumbled, “Ustedes dos son un par de idiotas.”

I looked at him and smiled. “You’re so adorable.”

He put his arm up. “No me pruebas.”

“I don’t understand you but you’re so cute.” I looked at Bors. “Both of you are. I feel complete. I have friends and animals in my eyes make the best of friends.”

“Of course, Rapunzel.” Bors came over to me.

“I must go now. I have some other things to do.” I nodded. “I’ll see you again, and I want you to realize that you two are going to get along, for me, okay?” I pointed to both of them.

They both mumbled but nodded their heads.

I left Bors and took Esclados home and put him in his tank. I looked at our room. “Time to put Kara’s plan into action,” I told Esclados.

“Buena suerte,” he said.

I smiled and went to our room and grabbed the first dress I wore. It was still ripped at the bottom. I frowned and sat down, trying to figure out what I could do to fix it. I grabbed another purple dress that matched the colors. I ripped the skirt of the torn dress and sighed. “That isn’t right. Shit, what do I do now?” I crossed my arms. “Janet.”

I grabbed the gown and took it with me to the hospital. I asked the girl at the front desk where Janet was.

Janet was called and looked at me. “Rapunzel, I haven’t seen you in a while. Roman told me you live with him.”

I nodded and showed her my dress. “I do. I wanted to ask for you to help me with this gown. I want to feel like a princess again. This was ripped during that bridge accident. It’s ugly.”

Janet frowned. She grabbed my hand and pulled me to a room that was empty. “Let me see what I can do.” She grabbed the gown and sighed. “Why Roman?”

“What do you mean?”

She grabbed some needles and fabric from the drawer. “I mean that you moved in with him. I told you he wasn’t a very nice guy.”

“Janet, I appreciate your concern but Roman is sweet. I’ve known him over these past months and he’s taking care of me until I can fend for myself. He’s teaching me self-defense and helping me learn things. He’s really nice.”

“He’s nice to you?”

I nodded and smiled. “Very nice. Sure he’s honest but I don’t mind it. He still cares about me. That means so much. I never had that growing up. I couldn’t ask for more.”

She didn’t say another word about it. She fixed up the dress with more fabric, making it look long and pretty again. “There.”

“Thank you, Janet.” I gave her a hug and took my dress.

I left the hospital and went back home. I put the dress on and smiled at how well it fitted now. I had finally grown meat on my limbs and it showed. I spun around and went to the living room.

Roman came back from work and looked at me. “Rapunzel, what’s going on?”

“I’m a princess. Sometimes a girl wants to feel pretty.” I spun around again, smiling.

Roman put his stuff on the counter. “You’re always pretty.”

The heat rose to my cheeks so fast and I looked away from him. I shivered and crossed my arms. “Let’s dance right here, now that I know how.”

“I’m in my scrubs.”

“I don’t care. You’re dressed as a hero. You save lives. The hero and the princess.”

He laughed a bit, shaking his head. “Alright.”

I grabbed his hand and shoulder. I moved with him, feeling content where I was. It was silent but the silence was beautiful.

Roman spun me around and smiled.

I laughed and spun more. We danced like this for a while, before Roman sat down on the couch. “I’m so ready to relax now.”

I wanted to sit next to him and cuddle in his side. I couldn’t do that. “I’ve decided to move out.”

Roman’s head snapped in my direction. “How? Where?”

“Kara offered me a place to stay. I don’t want to keep depending on you anymore. I think it will be better this way.”

“Why? She let you drown. She left you when you were drunk and on the streets. I don’t trust her.”

“Roman, I’m an adult. I make my own choices. You don’t trust a lot of people. I want to move in with her.”

He stood up. “Rapunzel, I don’t think she’s a good influence.”

“Why?”

“She got you drunk and left you alone.” He grabbed my face.

I pushed his hands off me. “She doesn’t know I have a stalker. It’s not a big deal.”

He begged, “Rapunzel, please.”

I watched him continue to give me puppy dog eyes and beg for me to stay. He really didn’t want me to go.

“Fine, I’ll stay,” I said.

He let out a breath of relief. “Thank you.”

I chewed on my lip. He didn’t want me to leave. Why was it that a man who was so honest couldn’t be honest with me about his feelings?

He had to like me back. He had to. That’s what all of this meant, right? Why was he so afraid of telling me? I liked him and it was obvious.

I walked over to Esclados and whispered, “He’s not admitting his feelings. He has to like me, right?”

“It seems to be that way, Señorita. I would suggest you make him confess. This waiting game is getting tiresome for everyone.”

“Excuse me, don’t tell me what to do.”

“I suggested it in a polite way.”

I took a deep breath and looked at Roman. “How do I make him confess?”

Esclados rolled his front arms. “I don’t know anything about romance. I just know that you need to make him confess and stop waiting around.”

I nodded my head. “Okay.”

I stood up straight. I went to the room and sat on the bed. “Think, Rapunzel, think. How do you get him to confess? I need to make him talk.”

I groaned. I was so lost in this situation.

I fell back onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling. I would come up with a plan somehow, someway. I knew it. I may have been stuck now but something would come along.

I was determined to do anything to get Roman to confess. I wanted to make this happen. I wanted to be with him. I refused to give up now. We were so close, yet so far. He was just shy about his feelings for me. I didn’t know why. I wasn’t that scary.

I heard something outside the window.

I got up from the bed and open the blinds. I looked at the man who stood at the bottom, watching me. I narrowed my eyes, showing him my ball of light. I wasn’t afraid of him. I couldn’t show him fear.

I was going to win this war, for myself and for Roman. I was going to get my happy ending no matter what it took. I had just entered the world and I wasn’t about to leave it now.

Our eyes stayed in a locked position, neither of us moving a muscle. I didn’t know how long it would be until he made his move but I was positive it would be soon. I was going to be prepared. I didn’t train to lose. I was a princess but I would always fight back. Mother Gothel taught me that.