THE LUNA CHOOSING GAME - Season 7 Episode 16

Elva and I dressed in our frumpiest clothes. Elva wore a hat with covers that went down over the ears. I tied my hair up and wore one of Anna’s wigs. It was darker than my own hair color, with bangs that hid most of my face.

I barely recognized myself in the mirror. I doubted anyone else would be able to.

Dressed in our disguises, Anna led us toward a familiar restaurant – the one I used to work at. I side-eyed her as we walked.

“I really don’t know about this,” I said.

I knew this event wasn’t being broadcast live. They had yet to even air the idea about the homecoming, so as to garner the biggest surprise, and the biggest reaction, of the unsuspecting being visited.

Even now, after Anna had revealed her plan, the camera crew asked for time to get to the restaurant first and develop a type of cover story for their presence. That way, the spotlight would not be shone on our mysterious arrival and identities.

The cover story? The camera crews were just trying to interview people about Piper at the restaurant where she used to work.

When we entered the restaurant, people were in a long line to talk to the camera crews. They didn’t notice our entrance at all, nor the second camera that was trained on us the moment we entered. The cover story and distraction appeared to be working.

Most of the tables were full, but we found a free booth nearer the kitchen.

“I’ve never seen the place this full,” I said. “Well, except during the lunch and dinner rushes.” It was late now, just after dinner. There shouldn’t be so many people.

“It’s always like this now,” Anna said. “Especially on nights were the competition is on TV,”

I didn’t understand. “Why?”

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Anna smiled slyly. “Listen to some of those interviews, and you’ll get it.”

I was confused, but did as she said, tuming my attention to where the producer was interviewing some restaurant patrons.

“I come here once a week,” the woman currently being interviewed was saying, “Sometimes more, if I can scrounge the money together, Anything to be here, where Piper worked and lived. She’s going to be our next Queen, you know?”

“You support Piper, then?” the producer asked.

“Of course!” The woman scoffed, like she was insulted by the idea that she could be supporting anyone else. “Everyone who comes here does. She’s our girl, for sure!”

A round of cheers went up around the dining room.

Theard what the woman said and I still struggled to believe. Everyone was here in support of me?

“This has become something of a fan club home base for you,” Anna said. “Everyone here is your supporter.”

The waitress came. She recognized Anna but didn’t know who I was. She must have started after I left, because I didn’t recognize her either. She brought a coloring book and crayons for Elva, took our order, and left.

I exhaled in relief when the encounter was done. Elva busied herself with her crayons, not seeming to pay anyone else any mind.

“You won’t find anyone here who doesn’t fully support Piper,” said the man being interviewed now. “The only argument you’ll find around here is whether or not she should select Prince Nicholas or Prince Julian to be her husband!”

At once, some rabble began, half the room uttering Nicholas’s name, while the other half spoke Julian’s. This, it seemed, was a point of contention among the regulars and newbies alike.

Anna lowered her voice. “Prince Nicholas has my bet,” she said with a wink.

This entire endeavor was still difficult for me to wrap my mind around. On one hand, I already knew through Charlotte and others that I was popular in the competition. But it was very different to be told you were popular and to actually be in a room full of people adamantly supporting you.

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It felt… surreal. Like I was living someone else’s life right now.

The producer slowly regained control of the room again. To the man, he asked, “What would you do if Piper dropped out of the competition?”

“Dropped out?” the man said with disbelief. “Why in the world would she do that?”

The producer tilted his head. “Some might say that she doesn’t have the proper experience to be a Queen…”

“Bullshit!” the man bellowed. Others chimed in their discontent as well. “Piper would be the best queen. She’s the only one over there who knows anything about what life’s really like. She wasn’t raised with some silver spoon, with servants waiting on her every whim. She’s a real person.”

“She’s one of us!” someone else added.

“That’s right,” said the man. “She knows what it’s like to struggle. She can actually advocate for us over there in that perfect golden palace.”

Something warm filled me, listening to his words. Susie had said something similar.

I didn’t want to let any of them down. They all put so much stock in me. What if I couldn’t live

up to it?

Surely someone else would be a safer choice.

Someone other than Bridget.

I sighed. Gods, there was no good answer to my predicament.

Much later, after we returned home and it became late, the camera crews left us for the night. Elva fell asleep. And Anna and I could finally speak privately.

I told Anna the abridged version of what happened, leaving out none of it, not even about Jane, or the oracle, or Bridget’s terribleness. An hour or two later, I wrapped up by telling her about the King’s demand that I back away from the competition and throw my support behind Bridget.

For the sake of the kingdom, he had said.

“Piper,” Anna replied. She was speechless for a long moment. It was a lot to take in. “You can’t actually be considering backing out? And for someone as terrible as Bridget?”

“I don’t want the country to lose the war because of my selfishness.” Anna considered my words. She shook her head. “It would be more selfish to turn your back on everyone now. You saw those people at the diner. You really think they would be willing to shift their support to Bridget? They’d know you were being coerced. It’d just make everything

worse.”

Maybe. I had to admit their words were compelling. But… I couldn’t be responsible for losing the war. If the King really thought it would help..

“You are running,” Anna said.

I blinked, startled. I looked up at her. “Running?”

“Things are tough, and you are hiding,” Anna said. “You’ve run from your destiny for so long,

you don’t know how to stop.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You, Piper.” Anna sighed. “You gave up your life to support Elva. I’m not judging you. But now, you have a chance to return to the path of greatness and you are shirking from it. You’ve given up for so long. I’m not sure you know how not to.”

Anna met my eyes again. Hers bumed with a determination I wasn’t certain I’d ever seen in

her before.

“You have always been destined for greatness, Piper. I’ve known that since the moment we

met. You can’t turn your back on it anymore. You can’t give up. You can’t hide. You have to

face the threat of failure and you have to overcome it.”

“Anna…”

“You need to be queen, Piper.”