Two days later…
Justin’s alarm went off at 2 AM. He turned on a small lamp next to his bed and rubbed his eyes.
“Justin, what are you doing?” came Olivia’s small voice.
“Nothing, Livie. Go back to sleep,” He answered. She rolled over and soon he could hear her light snoring from her side of the room.
Justin pulled a shirt on over his head and left his room, closing the door quietly. He walked into the living room, glad that his father was still at the bar.
Tonight was the night he and Ryan would switch places. They had met frequently the last couple days to make sure they knew how to live the other’s life. Justin hoped they would be able persuade everyone, and he had to admit they were pretty convincing.
::Knock knock::
Justin opened his apartment door to see Ryan there, holding a small bag. “Hey man,” Justin said, nervously.
Ryan yawned and smiled tiredly. “This is it.”
“Yep. You ready?”
Ryan nodded. “Be careful when you sneak back into the palace. We have two guards watching the North entrance, so take the back way I showed you yesterday. If any guards are there, wait until 3:30 when they all change shifts.”
Justin nodded, handing Ryan a piece of paper. “Here’s my schedule of classes. Me and Sam have most of them together, so just follow her if you‘re lost. Third period, we have assigned seating, and my seat is the one on Sam’s right.”
Ryan took it, and gave Justin a piece of paper from his bag. “Here are all the codes to the gates, and a map to the boathouse if you decide to use it.”
Justin led Ryan into his room. “You can go ahead and find something to wear out of my closet. Sorry there’s not much of a selection,” He whispered, trying not to wake Olivia.
Ryan shook his head as he stared into the closet. Many of Justin’s clothes were faded or had holes in them. The two had agreed that the only way people would assume Ryan was Justin was for him to wear the old clothes, even though Ryan was tempted to buy him a whole new wardrobe.
He found something to wear and quickly changed into it. He handed his clothes to Justin, who similarly changed into them. The two glanced at each other in amazement. Justin suddenly lost all doubt. He felt like he was looking into a mirror as he glanced at Ryan in his clothes.
Ryan smiled proudly at Justin wearing his clothes. “You have no idea how much you look like me. This is definitely going to work.”
Justin nodded and glanced over at his sister. He walked over to Olivia’s sleeping form and kissed her cheek. Then he looked at Ryan. “Take good care of her, Ryan. She’s all I have.”
“You have nothing to worry about, J.”
Justin awoke the next morning and stretched with his eyes closed. He smiled like he did every morning. Olivia must be sleeping, birds were chirping, the sun was shining… wait a minute… the sun was shining! He was late for school! Justin’s eyes popped open as he threw off his blankets and sat up.
It was then that he remembered where he was. He breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. He gazed around the giant room and suddenly felt like a child again, when everything was twice his size. The wood floors became like mirrors in the sunlight, reflecting the majesty of the room itself.
He pulled the satin sheets and blankets back over the enormous bed. Then he tiptoed over to his massive window and realized it was actually a set of doors leading out onto the balcony. Justin opened them and slid out onto the small balcony to see all of the royal workers scurrying around below him.
A few young women in the garden squealed with delight, witnessing the shirtless prince. Justin laughed softly at the attention and acknowledged them with a smiling wave.
He leaned against the railing. It had taken him a few tries, but eventually he had been able to get into the palace unnoticed last night. As Justin looked out, he could see over the entire city and resolved that he could get used to waking up this way.
He heard one of the young ladies whistle up at him, and smiled as he turned to go back inside. He heard a knock on his door and hurried to open it.
William and the other servants didn’t hide their surprise as Justin opened the door. “Prince Ryan!”
Justin smiled and welcomed everyone inside. “Good morning, William? What can I do for you?”
William stood near the door, still in shock. “Pardon my surprise, Ryan. It’s just that I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you so awake and cheerful in the morning. Usually, you’re still asleep when we reach your room, and I‘ve never seen you at your door.”
“Well, would you rather I still be sleeping?” Justin asked, innocently. “I can always go back to sleep in my fantastic bed.”
William chuckled. “No, Your Highness. It’s actually quite nice to see you in good spirits at this hour.”
