Chapter 4: Blue Sapphire Fairy

After four days incognito Princess Livianna had been outed, her picture plastered all over the news.

Since the news broke Jerry blew up my phone like mad.

Either he texted blurry candids of possible sightings, lookalikes or other fans having a laugh, bits of her schedule, links to all sorts of tabloids, and his own kinda creepy fantasies for her. I tried my best to temper his crazy. Not easy to do. Poor idiot. What would it be like to be so ridiculous? Jimmy had to wonder, annoying as it was to witness. Jerry was happy. His friend had no worry in the world.

Didn't hate any of his thoughts or any of the things he did.

Jimmy didn't judge, didn't say a word about the subject really, since they were just thoughts. Just thoughts.

I was still low-key interested enough to peruse said pictures and articles. What was a princess doing here?

Of all the articles and news stories such a question had only vague answers. Hardly one at all. The King and Queen were overprotective, and their strong willed daughter would have none of it. She wanted a taste of the real world.

Still life went on. Peck and I did our shows, traded and pawned valuables, and moved our Mom to happy tears when the money covered the bills.

I should have been happy. Everyone around me was, and I helped make that happen. I had done wrong. I let Peck do wrong.

I wanted out. Peck promised a way out. "'When Dad gets better.'"

When he got better, so we wouldn't have to scrape money together for treatments. That was the real issue.

If we pawned off something valuable enough we could pay off Dad's treatments easy.

Something came to mind. In one of Livianna's photos was a hidden pearl necklace with a sapphire sparkle figure.

Except it was so wrong. I'd be slammed with grand theft, to a princess no less.

All the same Peck's arguments rang true. Livianna was plenty rich, not without problems, but money wouldn't solve them while money was critical for us. My aim wasn't selfish. Saving a life certainly balanced out with nicking a piece of jewelry, right?

My musings morphed into a plan. With time I'd learn her schedule and get her alone or find some way to get the escorts off her. Then distract her or otherwise find a way to explain away being near the necklace's clasp.

As I did I went deeper into myself. I don't know why I didn't tell Peck. It wasn't like he'd talk me out of it.

Then the day arrived. Livianna had been sighted just ten minutes ago going to the public pool. With a quick goodbye I raced out of the house, boxers hidden under my shirt.