The Virginity Pact

7 - the haves and have nots

In the complicated world of debutante balls, one must choose her dance partner wisely. You never know when a hand on the hip can lead to a knife in the back.

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"Chanel headband, knee socks, you really are one of them, huh?" Ainsley asks, leaning in my doorway as I sling my backpack on.

There's a small smile on her lips but I catch hints of condescension and disapproval in her tone.

I've had enough to of these people looking down on me without even knowing me.

I ignore her, other than an irritated glance, and begin to walk past. She moves, blocking the exit.

"Harper, wait," Ainsley's voice softens. "I'm just saying, you may not want to get caught up with Lydia. It may seem fun to be like, popular and all, and I know you're younger so this all seems really cool, but those girls can be evil. You're such a nice girl. They'll have you doing things that you wouldn't want to do. Don't loose your morals."

The last sentence makes me think about what Elijah said to me in the first day of school. He was waiting for me downstairs. Lydia was one of his friends, yet he had also tried to warn me the other day about being apart getting involved with the school's hierarchy.

I take note that Ainsley talks as if she's speaking from experience. Was she once apart of Lydia's group?

"It doesn't matter how much I hang out with Lydia and the girls. I know who I am. I don't even really like them. This is just for--" I stop myself, getting so caught up in venting I almost tell all about me using Lydia.

I sigh.

"Just for what, Harper?" Ainsley asks, with furrowed eyebrows. "It's okay, you can talk to me."

I find myself wanting to trust Ainsley. Needing to trust her. The only other person that knew about this was Holden and he's not really a friend. I know that now.

"You can't tell anyone, okay?"

Ainsley nods furiously, her eyebrows furrowed as she waits intently for me to continue.

"I'm trying to get a scholarship for college. I applied for one and I got it but it was," I stop and sigh, shaking my head to clear away the bad memories of who I was the previous years in high school. "It was revoked. Holden says the only way is to get into the Hamilton Ball and win the scholarship, but the thing is, no one here really knows who I am."

Ainsley nods everything, coming together.

"That's why you're hanging out with Lydia and doing cotillion," she states nodding slowly.

I nod in response.

"And Holden agreed to help you? Just like that?" She asks curiously.

"We made a deal," I explain shortly.

Ainsley raises her eyebrows but moves on when I don't bother going into detail.

"Be careful with Holden. He's not exactly one of the good guys," she says.

"So I guess you and Elijah are the only good guys around here, huh?" I ask smiling.