4

- Solenn, we had to put the flour before the eggs, I told you! I exasperated myself.

She bursts out laughing before pouring a ton of milk into the bowl. I glare at her and she doesn't seem to care because she adds an egg that wasn't mentioned in the recipe. I sigh, running the back of my hand over my burning forehead. The two of us in the kitchen, it's far from over!

- Come on, Sarah laugh a little! she said, laughing herself.

I end up smiling and then imitating her. With her face strewn with flour, I am forced to relax a bit. After catching up with the damage somehow, we put the cake in the oven and then Solenn goes back to the living room. Our mother has been watching the news for six o'clock, her eyes fixed on the television screen. From where I stand, I sense his apprehension.

Today is Friday and it will soon be seven forty-five. In a little over a quarter of an hour, we will know the names of the twenty selected. We will know if Solenn and I qualified, which I highly doubt. The presenters who, for an hour, have not stopped talking about the royal family have announced more than two hundred thousand candidacies. It's just huge

“Sarah! a male voice whispers from the garden.

I frown as I glance outside. Am I dreaming or... No, it's him. Help! But what is this idiot doing here? I thought I would never see him again.

I undo my apron and lay it on a chair, then go through the French windows to the kitchen garden. Once outside, I exclaim a little too loudly:

- What are you doing here !?

- Have you registered? he said, hiding behind the bushes.

He may want to be discreet, he is too big and his head sticks out. It must be said that next to him, I am a dwarf. Her blonde hair is a little wet and her brown eyes are watching me intently.

— Yes, I signed up a few days ago. But what are you doing here, Aiden?

“That's good, Sarah. You listened to me. Finally.

My pride keeps me from telling him that it was for my mother that I signed up. That would be lying. I did it partly for him.

- Finally ?

“You never listen to what you're told.

It is totally false!

- Anything. Go away now.

He comes out of his hiding place and approaches me, frowning.

"Promise me that if you're qualified, you'll think of me."

What next ?

- We broke up. I won't have time to think about my ex.

- It was to encourage you to participate. I remove my rupture.

His smile seems too good to be true. He approaches me, seductively, still attractive, and I ask:

"Does this word exist?"

- Probably not. You love Me ?

- I loved you. But we broke up.

My pride takes over. Crossing my arms over my chest, I don't back away as he closes the distance between us.

“I love you too, Sarah.

"Sarah?" calls Solenn in the kitchen.

I turn around. From where we are, she can't see us but she won't hesitate to go out.

“I have to leave you, Aiden.

His arms then surround me and he places a kiss on my lips before whispering:

“You will come back to me, I know that. If you qualify, don't forget to take advantage.

Then he walks away after a quick wink, leaving me with my mouth hanging open, a euphoric look on my face. No chance of me qualifying, I'll get back to him sooner than expected. So it's very happy that I go into the kitchen humming.

- Since when are you happy? asks Solenn, suspicious.

“Oh, forget it,” I said lightly.

- What did you see outside? The bird of the other time?

- Yes, that's it, I lie.

The other day, we noticed a bird - a blackbird in particular - that often hung out in front of the house. Solenn and I renamed it Doli, a rotten name.

"And since when does a bird make people happy?" Solenn has fun.

She knows perfectly well that I saw Aiden, that's why she forces to get answers that she won't get from me. I glare at her as a victorious smile forms on her lips. She is jubilant, I see it.

- It begins ! cries our mother in the living room.

Solenn runs to the living room, asking to turn up the sound. I follow her, leaning against the wall behind the couch to stare at the screen. I should be calm, but I'm not. Basically, I feel like I made a mistake, I gave myself a chance to qualify wrongly.

I end up turning my attention back to the television, the ball in my stomach. The presenter, an old gentleman with a gray complexion and salt-and-pepper hair, who looks well dressed, then appears on the screen and exclaims:

— Good evening everyone! It is on this very special day that we meet to find out about the twenty selected who will compete for the title of princess and future wife of the prince! Surely you can't wait to see the results, aren't you? Before we announce the verdict, let's take a look at the royal family for...

The oven rings and I hasten to get our failed cake, which is burnt out. I take care to cut it up and put the portions on plates before returning to the living room to distribute the portions to my mother and my sister.

— Lila Grey.

- You missed selected, Solenn tells me coldly. This is the third her.

— Neyla June.

The names continue to scroll and my lump in my stomach ends up slowly fading. I cannot be selected, my name cannot be displayed. I have to find Aiden, I need him. The two hundred thousand inscriptions come to my mind and an imperceptible relief comes to me. More than six selected, it's good. There is no more chance.

— Solenn Crawford.

A photo of my sister appears on the screen and we all remain frozen. It's impossible... she's selected! Solenn jumped for joy as she suddenly got up, too happy to speak.

- My darling, you are selected! exclaims our mother, tears in her eyes.

I walk over and we hug each other. Solenn ends up crying with joy as she settles back on the couch. I sit next to her, congratulating her briefly:

“Well done, big sister.

She smiled at me, happiness showing through the features of her face.

—Calista McGregor.

I shred a failed piece of cake and chew slowly, my thoughts drifting to Solenn. She will meet the prince and have a chance to marry him... I can't imagine what she's going to experience. It's a dream for her, a dream come true.

- And finally, to close this selection, the last contender: Sarah Crawford!

Pause.

I spit out my cake, suddenly choking. My mother doesn't know whether to jump for joy or worry. She opts for the first option and exclaims:

- My God ! My two selected daughters!

I get up quickly to go spit my cake in the toilet.

I hope it's a joke.