Dancing in the Rain

I.b

Kriss wasn't terrible, I told myself. She was kind, caring, and reliable. She was the one who made me that card after what happened with Marlee. She understood what I was going through. Most importantly, I reminded myself, I could trust her, and I knew that she loved me and would be devoted to me.

So why was I so unhappy? America couldn't be trusted. She'd gone behind my back even after she told me she loved me. The thoughts made my heart ache.

I shook my head, trying to get ready for the celebrations. I walked down the hallway slowly, taking my time in arriving to the Great Hall. A door opened further down the hallway, and I saw my mother exit through it. She smiled as she saw me, and waited as I walked towards her. "Are you ready?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know what I want anymore," I whispered.

"Well, only you can know what you want," came my mother's calm reply. "Listen to your heart, and be honest with yourself. "

"What if my heart wants the wrong thing?"

My mother laughed. "Who says it's wrong?" She sighed. "The celebration's starting soon. You should go. I'll meet you there."

"See you soon," I said. I resumed my slow walk to the Great Hall, my mind spinning. I had already made my decision. I couldn't let myself get hurt again. I was going to marry Kriss, and I was going to have a comfortable life with her. And I would never have my heart broken by someone I loved again.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the Great Hall. I entered through the back and made my way to the raised platform where I was supposed to sit during the celebration. An ornate table with three seats filled the platform. Kriss was already seated at the far left, so I took the seat in the middle. The room was packed. There were the Selected, some Northern rebels, diplomats, and advisors. My mother sat talking with my Aunt Adele, and my father was conversing with his advisors. Everyone seemed happy as they talked amongst each other.

As I sat down, I forced a smile. "How are you, Kriss?"

"I'm quite well. How are you?" she asked, concern filling her eyes. She had seen America with that guard as well, and she probably was worried about what had happened.

"Fine." Another forced smile.

Just then America entered and lowered herself into the seat on my right. "Hello," she managed. Her eyes were slightly puffy and her voice a bit scratchy. Probably from the crying. As soon as I saw her all of the anger and hurt I'd been trying to keep down threatened to rise to the surface. I barely cast her a glance as I turned to Kriss, asking her what she thought of the Hall. As Kriss gushed about how beautiful it was, my eyes wandered around the room. I found that guard, Officer Leger, on the perimeters, contemplating the people in the room. I turned my head to the right and saw America staring at him.

"Trying to arrange a time to meet later?" I asked coldly.

America turned quickly to look at me. "No, of course not."

"It's not like it matters. Kriss's family will be here this afternoon for a small celebration, and yours will be here to take you home," I said. "They don't like for the last loser to be alone. She tends to be dramatic." My words came out harsh.

I kept going, hurting America even more with my words. She hurt me first, I reminded myself. "You can keep that house if you want. It's been paid for. I'd like my letters back though."

"I read them," she said quietly. "I loved them."

The thought of her reading those letters, the letters where I'd poured my heart out for a girl who lied to me, made me sick. "Don't know what I was thinking," I huffed.

"Please don't do this. Please. I love you," America begged me, her face beginning to crumple.

That was it. The lie that hurt me the most. "Don't. You. Dare," I ordered, unable to keep the anger out of my voice. "You put on a smile, and you wear it to the last second."

America smiled weakly, but it did nothing to cover the sadness in her eyes.

"That'll do. Don't let that slip until you leave the room, do you understand?" I waited until she nodded. "I'll be glad when you're gone," I spat.

I turned back to Kriss wearing my fake smile, and she opened her mouth as if she were to ask me something.

Then I heard a gunshot. I saw Celeste on the ground, a guard with a gun in his hand next to her. Suddenly, more guards took out their guns and began to fire into the crowd. My jaw dropped as I realized what happened to all of those guards who had abandoned their posts.

A sob next to me brought me back to reality. Kriss was crying earnestly, scared out of her mind. "Get on the floor," I told her. "We're going to be fine," I added, remembering America's advice that crying girls wanted to be comforted. America just stared at the chaos playing out in front of us, her jaw slack with shock and horror.

I turned my gaze back towards the room and saw a rebel with his gun aimed at me. I looked to my right at America, and a thousand words passed between us within a single glance. America looked away and turned her attention back to the guard. I watched, horrified, as the guard moved his gun from me and aimed it towards her instead.