Panic

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

            I was trying to breathe.  “Try and breathe a little quieter,” Theodora suggested.

            “Honestly, I don’t know what you are so nervous about,” Celina said.  “It’s just dinner.”

            “And yet, twenty minutes ago you were spouting about how it’s a first impression moment,” I retorted with a fire I didn’t know I had.  I thought I was putting all my energy into breathing.

            “Oh, please be quiet,” Celina said.  She looked me over one more time.  “You look stunning.  There is no reason to be nervous.  You actually look prettier than I do.”

            I looked at Celina, who was wearing a peach dress covered with frothy lace.  Her blonde hair was curly, and a crown of light pink roses sat on her head.  “No, I don’t,” I said.

            “I think you look lovely,” Theodora said.  She touched my hair, which was plaited and then coiled into a bun.  “Celina did a lovely job.”

            I looked down at myself.  True, my waist was small, my dress did complement me, my hair did look beautiful, but I felt different.  Like if I touched anything, I would shatter like a porcelain doll. 

            “Stand up straight,” Celina said.

            “That’s a bit difficult,” I said, “seeing as I can’t particularly breathe, and this necklace weighs about ten kilograms.”

            Theodora looked at the ornate ruby necklace that she had lent me.  “It looks very nice,” she said.  “Just don’t be nervous.  It’s only dinner.”

            “Come along ladies!” Blair said.  She looked as if she was trying to look pretty in a burnt orange dress, but she looked rather severe.

            “It’s fine,” Celina said, taking my arm.  “A boy escorts you in, and you talk to him, and you don’t eat.”

            We began walking out of the room and into the hallway.  “Sounds simple enough,” I said.  “My corset it so tight, I doubt I’ll be able to put anything into my mouth.”

            “That’s the way it’s supposed to be,” Celina said with a grin as we walked down the grand staircase.  I could see the main hall below, and a large group of male students were standing at the bottom of the staircase.  One of them saw us, and the rest of the boys turned around and smiled at us. 

            “Smile Wendy,” Theodora hissed.  “You look prettier that way.”

            I tried to put on a pleasant face, but it only felt as though I was grimacing.  Celina was still holding onto my arm, and I turned to her.  “Which one is my partner?”

            “They volunteer,” she said.  “Penelope usually fetches the most, as her father is rich, and her figure is very...” she lowered her voice, “developed.”

            I nodded, and we reached the bottom of the staircase.  “Ladies, lovely to see you again,” one of the boys said.  He was tall with sandy coloured hair.  “Miss Keys, if you please?”

            Blair blushed, and took his proffered arm.  “It would be my pleasure, Mr. Beech.”

            The other men began pairing up.  As Celina had predicted, Penelope did have a number of boys volunteer to be her partner, but Celina had a great deal of admirers as well, it appeared.  I smiled to myself, thinking about how silly Peter would find this.  He would have picked me up, twirled me around, and kissed me right in front of everyone.