"Mommy is she okay?" The young boy whines clutching to his mother's side as he watches me fall with a tray of there food in my hand. I slipped on the slippery wet blue floors yet again. The lady calms the boy down as the man across from them requests another waitress. I help myself up and apologize for the inconvenience and quickly pick up the tray and dishes along with the food with Raj one of the bus boys. Raj has worked here longer than I have so he is used to this happening since the manager doesn't mop up the floor or put down signs.

"Jamie, are you okay, you took a hard fall?" Raj asks as I quickly walk to the back to clean myself up. I grab a napkin wiping off the sauce that has fallen on my uniform as the manager approaches me angrily.

"That is the fifth time you have done that tonight, you cannot continue to do that, we will lose customers Jamie, you are out best on the staff so I can't let you go but for right now go home, fix yourself, your stressed, does this have anything to do with the pickings?" Susan states angrily coming to the realization, hitting her with tons of bricks. I nod my head and grab my bag from under the front desk and check the time.

"Goodbye beautiful, see you later." Raj smiles waving his hand as I put on my jacket and hood and walk out the front door, beginning my journey home. The street lights barely even light enough for me to see in the storm. The rain is pelting me in the face, honestly, the hoodie isn't even protecting my hair, let alone my face. The wind keeps pushing me back, nobody is out here, hell I wouldn't be either if my mother had a car, we barely have a home, after Dad left her for my nanny we lost everything and had to move to the south side since it was cheaper than living in the north. I try to make the best of it for her sake but I struggle just trying to make a living with her, I graduated two years ago, I wanted to go to college but we just did not have the money for that at all so I kissed college goodbye. Once I reach the steps of my small home I unlock the door and quickly take off my shoes and jacket once I closed the door behind me.

"Mom!" I yelled walking into the kitchen almost falling again due to my socks. I grab onto the counter and look over at her holding a Chinese menu in her hand, sadly smiling at me. I stand up straight and walk over to her and grab the menu out of her hand giving her a questioning look.

"I thought you finished your shift at 11, not 9?" She asks confused grabbing her phone and the menu out of my hand.

"Susan thought I should go home so she made me leave, rough night, I fell five times due to the wet floor that she did not mop up." She shakes her head and dials the number on the paper.

"How much did you make tonight?" She asks, I grab the role of money out of my bag and start counting while she gives whoever is on the phone our regular orders. I finished counting and split the money, half goes to bills and the other half is mine, I slide it to her and she smiles sincerely at me. Once she finishes the calls she slams the phone down and leans against the counter.

"Mom?" I murmur walking up to her, I tap her arm and she just turns and hugs me tightly. I hug her back and just smile.

"I made 700, 350 is there," I tell her once she lets me go and smiles at me, and puts the money in a drawer next to the door. I go upstairs and shower and quickly put on some pajama pants and a sweater, these winter nights are getting worse and worse here in Maine. I walk back downstairs as I hear a knock on the door, Mom already beat me to it and shut the door with her foot walking into the living room, she turns on the t.v. and the news pops up. We sit down on the floor instead of the couch and slide the coffee table towards us. Mom hands me my white rice and general tso chicken and my can of sprite and she pulls out her fried rice with sesame seed chick and a can of sprite too. She turns up the t.v. and the new anchor begins talking about the Kings picking.

"The letters have been sent to the young ladies who have been chosen from there profiles directly from the King himself, tomorrow morning the 20 chosen girls will be sent to Washington D.C tomorrow morning meeting the King himself along with our President, the King will pick one of those girls to leave with him through his portal and never return, we bless and thank the girl he will choose for saving her nation. More reports on the King will be followed through later on tonight." Clover Gates announces with a warm smile as she delivers horrible news. We never know when he picks but when he does the Country goes a little wild for the time being. I look at mom as she takes another bite and she looks at me shyly. I finish my food and continue to watch the news about the latest event in the country until Mom turns off the t.v and walk towards the mail holder and grabs a letter.

She sits down on the couch and points to the cushion next to me, I sit down and look at her hand shaking as she hands the letter to me. It has my name on it, I see that my mother opened it already.

"You know this is illegal, I could sue." I joke but notice she isn't laughing, not even a little smile like normal when I crack a joke. I open the envelope and pull out the paper, as I unfold it I notice the country's official stamp, I knew what this meant. But I continued reading just to be sure, my palms become sweaty and my heart accelerates as I am nearing the end of this letter, signed by the King himself. I look up at Mom as she silently cries in her hand covering her eyes, I look down at the paper and then back at the envelope and finally notice the plane ticket, it's departure time states 7 am tomorrow.

"This is a joke right mom?" I whisper with a shaky breath, she shakes her head and hugs me, I'm still in complete shock that this is actually happening, I didn't think my life could get any worse but my luck is proving me wrong.

"What are you going to do, I was your extra income?" I asked pulling away from her.

"I'll just take up more shifts, everything will be fine here, and don't stress you haven't been picked, He is just intrigued, look at you capturing a mans attention, a king at that." She jokes in a sad time, I laugh and hug her again.

"That explains why you ordered Chinese, I was a little confused, but now I know why I love you mom." I laugh trying to make the best out of this situation thrown at us. I check the time and notice it's late and I apparently need to pack a bag to Washington D.C I kiss mom goodnight and lock the front door and head upstairs. I pack a small bag of just one outfit and underwear and bra, with a toothbrush and toothpaste. I turn out my light and look out my window as the rain pelts my window harshly and I pray I'm not the girl for the King. Once I finish praying to whatever God that's out there I cover myself with my blanket and let my body rest for the time being.