you’ve got a friend in me ; max
“Unless those kisses come with cupcakes, I’m too old to be babied!” he declares. “But, today’s my turn for spoiling you. I made you a present, but you can’t have it until all the cupcakes have been eaten!” He finishes his exclamation with an unintentional hiccup. It makes him giggle at himself. Fitting, giving how he’s as harmless as the smiling sun-baby from Teletubbies.
Well, he’s harmless until his lack of anger management gets in the way. The mere thought of the morning’s outburst has him covering his face in embarrassment. What on earth is wrong with him? The tail that was wagging in excitement only moments ago now drooped lifelessly, just like his mood.
“It’s been more than just a few bad days,” he whines. “Dad told me that he didn’t want anymore calls from the academy. He’s going to eat me alive! You know how he gets! We yell at each other, then throw stuff for awhile, then yell some more, and slam our doors.”
Samuel whines in protest, kicking his feet against the ground as he feels himself getting all worked up again. It’s been easier and easier for him to get angry lately; he worries what it could mean for him or what his moods are hinting at. “He’s such a jerk sometimes,” he huffs. “Maxiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine, he hates meeeeee.”
“No presents until we finish the cupcakes?” She asks, voice obviously dripping with amusement. “We better get to work on those cupcakes then, at least, if I want to open the present you made for me.” Truth be told, Maxine is just as excited as Junior is but they both that one of them needs to stay levelheaded and mature about the whole situation– a role that the princess doesn’t mind playing at all. She takes out another perfectly iced red velvet cupcake and holds it up to her best friend’s lips lovingly.
Sensing the drop in his mood, Max is quick to pull her best friend into the warmth and comfort of her embrace. She doesn’t need him to explain because even without words, she already understands what he feels– a testament to how strong their friendship really is.
“And I’m telling you that I’m going to handle it. You believe in me, don’t you?” Soft palms cup his chubby cheeks to soothe away all his worries. Her eyes shine with sincerity as she reassures him that she will handle it. No harm will ever come to Samuel for as long as Maxine is around; it’s a promise she made when they were kids and she’s fully intent on keeping that promise all their lives.
A soft kiss is pressed on his forehead and then another set of kisses on each of his cheeks. She hopes that the onslaught of affection would calm him down and hold him back from another bout of his temper tantrums. “Don’t be silly, baby, he doesn’t hate you. He just loves you a whole lot that he ends up worrying too much. Trust me, okay? I’ll handle it.”
The affection soothes his rampant emotions, although some frustration remains. He tends to physically lash out – slashing, throwing, ripping, biting – when he feels like this, but he refrains. It’s safer to stuff his face and be coddled by Maxine than risk expulsion.
Samuel makes a face at the term of endearment, but let’s be real: he still collects action figures. He supposes that he can be rather childish at times, especially for a future king. Plus, he had the emotional maturity of a four year-old if one were to look at his permanent record. But, he likes to think that he can be regal and professional when the situation calls for it.
Nevertheless, his best friend had a way of calming him down that the castle staff believed to be magic. He melts into her arms with a sigh, then licks frosting off the corners of his mouth. Even though she promises to handle the situation, he can't help but be a worrier. He frets over everything from mismatching socks to thinking he forgot to turn off the lamplight on his desk. Lately, all his worries had been centered around Arielle and her perception of him. "Of course I believe you, it's just that I can't help but worry," he says.
"How do you make these cupcakes taste so good? Are you cheating and using magic?" he asks. "I swore off sweets a month ago because prom season is coming up! But here I am, gulping down a batch of cupcakes. Do you think if I ask Arielle months in advance, she'll say yes? If I ask too late, she might agree to go with someone else. And...you're going with Adriel, right? You'd make a cute couple!"
