Of Royal Descent Read Online Free Page A

young and too direct.  That's not a good combination," I said. 
    It was quiet a moment before Chuck continued.
    "Doyle, in all seriousness, I haven't seen you with anyone since you went out with Katie Jacks a couple times senior year.  What's up?" 
    We had arrived at the elevator , and I leaned in to press the button.  I sighed as the metal doors slid open, and we stepped inside.
    "Why does something have to be up?  I'm just not interested in anyone I've met recently, that's all."
    "You get hit on all the time.  ALL the TIME.  It's kind of disgusting, actually.  But my point is, surely, out of the number of girls who approach you, there must have been one that kind of interested you." 
    I considered this as the elevator slowed to a stop and the doors again slid open. 
    "No, not really," I said, exiting the elevator.  "And I think it would be completely selfish and quite douchey to pursue a girl I'm not truly interested in."
    A small smile tugged at the corners of Chuck's mouth. 
    "Okay, that's cool, man.  I'm not judging.  Well, I mean, I am... but only inside my head.  That just leaves a wider selection for me to choose from."
    I rolled my eyes at my friend , and slid my key card into our door lock.  The green light flashed, and I turned the handle, allowing us passage into the room.
    "I'm exhausted , so I'm just gonna crash," I said, laying the key card on the bedside table and pulling out a dry change of clothes to sleep in. 
    I made my way to the bathroom and did a quick change.  On my way back to my bed, I noticed Chuck must have also changed.  He was now sitting on his bed, flipping through TV channels with the remote. 
    "Will it bother you if I watch TV?" he asked.
    "Nope, I'll be dead to the world soon."
    I crawled under the comforter, not bothering to first check for blood, urine, or insects, as is my general custom in hotel rooms, and turned to face the wall.  I truly was exhausted but somewhat anxious about falling asleep.  My dreams had been so vibrant lately, so real.  I really didn't want to wake up in a couple hours, drenched in sweat with monsters right behind me.
    I listened to Chuck's televi sion surfing for a little while before he rested on the movie Elf , starring Will Ferrell.  I took this as a good sign.  Maybe I would soon be deep in sleep, dreaming of a land of candy canes and gumdrops.  I willed my body to relax and my mind to be still.  In the foggy distance of twilight sleep, I heard Chuck laugh quietly when Buddy the Elf began to provoke a midget to violence.  And then I departed the conscious world.

 
    3
     
     
     
     
    The first soft shades of blue were beginning to filter in around the blinds when I awoke the next morning.  I blinked, trying to clear the residue of the dream world I had left behind.  I could hear the low hum resonating from the fan on the air conditioning unit and Chuck's soft snoring from the other bed.  I continued to lie still for another moment, making sense of the previous night's dream. 
    I wouldn’t say I slept peacefully per se, but I didn't wake up screaming for my life.  That's always good.  I remember I was floating down the lazy river, trying to navigate around huge, revolving gumdrops while Popeye and a Sasquatch were throwing down poolside.  The Sasquatch was the clear winner until, lo and behold, and somewhat unimaginatively, Popeye pulls out the old, reliable can of spinach.  But this time, when he tipped back the can, Nutella came pouring out instead.  It didn't make him any stronger, which was apparently upsetting to Chuck, who watched from the sidelines yelling, "I had money riding on you!", and throwing yams at Popeye's head.
    I withdrew quietly from the comfort of my bed and padded into the bathroom. 
    Today may be the day I meet my grandfather , I told myself, staring at my reflection. 
    I set about my morning routine which consisted of toileting, showering, cleaning my ears, brushing my teeth, and shaving - in