Sarah walked out of the bedroom and saw them sitting around the dining table. Max was on his phone and his parents were talking. Sarah sat down between Max and Jenny. When Jenny noticed her sitting there she said, "Sarah, darling, what do you want for dinner? The hotel sent us a notice saying that free room service will be provided, courtesy of the palace."
Sarah picked up the room service menu and looked at all the options, finally deciding on a steak and mashed potatoes. She told Max's mom her order and picked up her phone. Before Sarah could even open an app, her phone was snatched out of her hands. She looked up to see Jenny waving both her phone and Max's phone in front of them when she said "No phones until you beat me in a game!"
Max smiled and said "Oh yea? I always win against you! What makes you think that you can beat me this time?"
"Just a feeling." His mom said with a smile.
"Alright, what game then?" He asked
Jenny gave a golf clap and said "I choose Uno!"
"Deal!" Max responded
Jenny pulled a pack of Uno cards out of her back pocket and slammed them onto the table. Max turned to his mom and said "How did you fit a whole deck of cards in your pocket? Also, what if I had said no to your challenge, you would have been sitting on a deck of cards until the food came."
"I just knew you would." Jenny stated.
"How?"
"Pride."
"Pride?" Max asked
"Yes, pride. Your pride is very precious to you." She said back.
"Alright, whatever. Just deal the cards and get on with it."
"Yes boss" His mom said back
As Jenny was dealing out the cards, she noticed Sarah's face. Doom. The look Sarah was giving to the cards sitting in front of her was utter doom. "Sarah? What's wrong?" Jenny asked.
Sarah glanced up at her and said "how do you play Uno?"
"Your kidding, right?" Max said.
"No" Sarah said back, "I'm not kidding. I don't know how to play uno."
"How have you never played Uno before?"
"I don't know Max! I just haven't! Don't make fun of me!"
Jenny said, "Pity, I didn't bring any other games with me."
"That's ok" Sarah said "I can still play, you just have to teach me."
"Alright Sarah, here's how you play…"
Max, Sarah, and Jenny played Uno for the rest of the night. Never even taking back their phones from Jenny. It was 11:00 when Jenny said, "Time for bed! We don't want bags under our eyes when we arrive at the palace, now do we?" She then shooed them off to bed.
-
Sarh woke up to the sound of singing and laughter and to the smell of bacon. She was practically drooling. She got up and got dressed. Quickly running out of the room to see Max's parents singing along to the music coming out of the speakers hidden in a wall. They were both in their pajamas, Jenny had her hair pulled into a messy bun, gery headband holding back the hair that was trying to fall into her eyes. A black sweater hung loosely off one shoulder and her shorts were just barely visible under the sweater. She was holding a spatula, using it as a microphone. Sometimes she held it up to her husband to sing into it.
Mr. Fredrickson would have to bend down to reach the 'microphone' because he was so tall. He wore army green sweat pants and a baggy, grey t-shirt. His hair tousled from sleep. He grabbed the small, black glasses off his wife's head and began to use them as his own makeshift microphone. Sarah watched them have the time of their lives when all of a sudden she heard a voice behind her say, "I wish I had a relationship like that."
Sarah was barely able to stifle a scream of surprise when Max had silently come up behind her and spoke. "What the heck Max! You scared the crap out of me!"
"Oops sorry Sarah, I didn't mean to scare you."
"Whatever. But what do you mean? Don't you have a girlfriend?"
"Yes but…" Max hesitated.
"But what?"
"Well, my relationship with Vanessa is complicated. Vanessa would never do anything like that. She's too stubborn and we're dating each other for the wrong reasons."
"Wrong reasons? What do you mean?"
"Well… I will tell you eventually." Max said as he walked into the kitchen.
When Max went to sit down at the table, Sarah expected for his parents to stop fooling around. Instead, Jenny went up to her son and handed him a whisk. She began singing more of the song "The stars at twilight, twinkle as bright as your eyes…" She pointed at Max and said "Take it my friend". Max grabbed the whisk and began to sing "But your smile, could never compare…" Together they sang off key for the rest of the song.
Jenny noticed Sarah standing in the corner, watching and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the kitchen with her. Jenny reached over the counter and grabbed the first thing she saw. It was a green pepper. She handed the pepper to Sarah and said "I found another mic just in time, it's your turn Lilah!" Sarah looked at her confused, she had just called her Liliah. Max leaned over to her and whispered "Just go with it." Sarah took the pepper from his mom and began to sing nervously. Sarah had never sang in front of anyone before, not ever since they were at the christmas pageant in 5th grade. Sarah had gotten a solo part and all the other kids had teased her for showing off her voice because she had no other talents to show off.
Sarah gripped the pepper harder, almost making it snap when she began to sing… "To the stars, as they are not worthy, of being.. Compared… to you." Max and his parents stood there, open mouthed, the rest of the song ending without them bursting into song. "Sarah, you're so talented!" Jenny praised.
"I've never heard you sing before Sarah, why don't you ever show off your gift?" Max said "You're very good." Mr. Fredrickson chipped in.
"It's a long story," Sarah replied. "But basically, I was bullied for having no other talents so I stopped singing and started studying."
"Oh darling… you have a beautiful gift, you should share it with the world! Don't let a few jealous people stop you! You do you and others will deal with it." Jenny said encouragingly.
"In all seriousness, we need to get ready to leave. We have to head to the palace soon. Sarah, I brought something that will be more appropriate for you to wear there. Follow me to my room when we are done eating breakfast." Jenny reminded.
They all sat down to eat and Sarah inhaled the heavenly smell of freshly cooked bacon, eggs and pancakes. The eggs had peppers, cheese and ham folded into them, they were a rare thing for Sarah because she usually just ate eggs plain. The pancakes were light and fluffy, she was in paradise. Unfortunately, paradise was over all too soon. Sarah cleared her plate and followed Jenny to her bedroom.