"You're waaaaay out of that peasant's league," Ashley agreed.
Ashley suddenly felt the ground shake. No, it wasn't actually the ground, she thought. Nothing in the school had physically moved. It was more like time itself had quaked, or maybe reality. Perhaps both. Ashley shook her head to clear it; she was starting to think crazy-person thoughts. She turned back to Jill to listen to more of her gossip.
Ashley nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned to face Jill. She had completely changed clothes in the short time Ashley had looked away. Instead of her red and white cheerleading uniform, Jill was dressed from head to toe in preppy, old-money clothes that looked more at home in a prestigious boarding school in Britain or the Massachusetts countryside than in their Los Angeles public high school. She wore an immaculately tailored beige jacked over a crisp button-down shirt, a pleated kilt skirt that went down past her knees, and boat shoes. He makeup looked subtler, but more carefully maintained. Gone was Jill's ponytail, replaced by a Dutch braid updo that had not a single hair out of place.
Jill's entire demeanor had changed as well. She stood up straight with flawless posture, never slouching once. Jill's expression radiated a poised confidence that bordered on haughtiness. Just looking at her made Ashley feel tiny and insignificant. Was this regal girl really Jill Fraser? She certainly had Jill's facial features.
"You are right, Ashley," Jill said, her voice accented. "Vhy should I care iff thuse seelly Imerican peesant boys zeenk zeey hafe a chance vit me? Zeey vill geefe up iffter faileeng inough times. Caring is beneet zee Preencess, dun't you zeenk?"
Ashley blinked in shock. "You're talking funny, Jill. What gives?"
Jill scoffed. "Hunestly, Ashley! I thought you vere better than zee beeguted fools hoo meke fun ouff mein iccent. Meybe insteed ouff laugheeng, you could teech me hau tu sound mure Imerican su I can blend een better."
"But you ARE American, Jill," said a very confused Ashley. "Why would you need to practice an American accent?"
Jill rolled her eyes. "Dun't be stoopid, Ashley! You know perffectly vell zeet I am zee preencess ouff Friesenburg. Und you can stup vit zeet 'Jill' nunsense. Ve're alone, und I vould preffer you called me Preencess Juliana. I'm soh seeck ouff pretendeeng!"
Ashley felt overwhelmed. What the hell was Jill going on about. But the more she thought about it, the more Ashley realized that "Jill" was completely right. As Ashley consulted her memories, she discovered that "Jill" was actually Princess Juliana Wilhelmina Maria Magdalena Amalia von Friesenburg, the daughter of the king of the tiny Kingdom of Friesenburg in the Alps. The princess's father had sent her to study abroad incognito under the false name of Jill Fraser. Ashley had befriended Her Majesty when she arrived in town a week ago, and she was the only person Princess Juliana had shared her true identity with. Princess Juliana was poised, haughty, and refined, but she was relieved to have Ashley to help her navigate the twists and turns of American high school.
No, wait! That was pure bullcrap, Ashley thought. She also had memories of Jill being a ditzy cheerleader at her school who'd been born and bred in southern California! She was also pretty sure those memories had been there much longer, as if the princess memories had just been uploaded into her brain. Had she just... changed reality?
Ashley figured she should apologize to Princess Juliana, who was looking at her expectantly. "Sorry if I offended you... Your Majesty."
Princess Juliana sniffed impatiently. "Zee tu eet you dun't act stoopid igeen. Now I reelly need tu study een zee leebrery. I hefe much tu leern iboot your cuntry's heestury. You shell iccumpany me und carry mein books fur me."
Unable to hold her thoughts in, Ashley said something to Princess Juliana, something that left its mark on reality.