The Contest

Chapter 2

"Evander." I said, running into his arms. He chuckled.
"Hey Ber. How are you?" He asked, holding onto my shoulders to get a good look at me. He had always been the big brother I never had.
"I'm good!" I said, trying to sound like I actually was. He squinted his eyes at me.
"What's wrong Ber?" He asked. I looked at his soft green eyes. Evander was 18, tall, and handsome. I wondered why no girl had picked him up yet. Maybe because he in Workers. The section below mine. His family was so close to being in Manual Labor. Any girl who married him could have to move down to that title.
"Nothing! I said I was good didn't I?" I asked. Looking down.
"Amberlyn. What's wrong?" He asked me. He sounded stern. I had never heard this side of him before.
"Evander..." I caught sight of something in his pocket. "What's that?" I asked. He glanced down.
"It's nothing." He said. I glared at him, and reached into his pocket, pulling out an envelope. It had my name on it.
"Nothing, hm?" I asked, opening it. I pulled out a piece of paper.

Dear Amberlyn,
I've never told you this because I was sacred to. We've been friends since we were young. 5 years old, wasn't it? Remember when I told you I was going to be held back a year because of my math? I couldn't do multiplication. You taught me that. You took it upon yourself to tutor me, because you didn't want me to not be learning more. We came to this spot every day. This playhouse and we studied multiplication every day. Now of course I passed, because you're an amazing teacher, and remember I kissed you and asked you to be my wife. I asked you to marry me, but you laughed and told me that we were too young, and that I'd have to wait. To ask you again when I was 18, or even older. Well now I'm older. I'm 18, and now I must tell you. I like you. More than you know. I've liked you for longer than I can remember. Reach into the envelope again.

I reached into the envelope and wrapped my hand around something small. I pulled it out. It was a ring.
"Amberlyn Baylock, will you marry me?" He asked, getting down on a knee. I looked at the ring. It was a small simple stone. He must have been saving up for years.
"H-how long?" I asked.
"3 years worth of my pay."
"Evander..."
"You're saying no." He said, turning away.
"No...its just...I had a question for you."
"Yes?" He asked eagerly.
"Well...the letters were sent out today." He sighed.
"You want to do it. I never thought that you would have wanted to." He told me.
"I didn't want to at first, but Harmonia is, and my mom thinks I would benefit from this. Who knows if I'll even get in!" I said. Evander sighed. He looked at the ring I was still holding.
"I think you're going to get in Amberlyn, but if you want to do this, I'm not going to stop you. Keep the ring. If you don't get in, or if you decide otherwise please come back." He begged. I nodded.
"I will, but for right now...It's a no." I told him.
"Why Amberlyn?" He asked me.
"Just because."
"No Amberlyn. Why?" He asked again, more forcefully this time.
"Evander..."
"Amberlyn!" He shouted. I recoiled. I turned around, blinking my eyes as they filled with tears. "I'm sorry Ber." He said, trying to touch my shoulder. I shoved him off, crossing my arms.
"Because I'm not enough for you." I said quietly
"What?" He asked.
"You're too good for me. I don't know the first thing about being in your section."
"You're good enough for me, Ber. Why do you think I asked you to marry me?"
"I'm not the girl you want to marry Evander."
"Why not Amberlyn? I love you. Isn't that enough?"
"Evander, I'm not sure what to feel. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to feel."
"You're supposed to say yes." He told me.
"I can't say yes. Evander I can't marry you right now. I'm not even 18 yet, and I'm going to the Contest. I'm going to do it." I said, making up my mind right there.
"You don't have to be 18 to get married." He retorted.
"I'm not going to make my parents go through this again this soon."
"This is so bad? Getting married to me would be so terrible!" He said, raising his voice.
"That's not what I meant Evander!" I said, raising my voice back.
"Then what did you mean Amberlyn? Because to me it sounds like you could never be happy with me!" He yelled. I froze. I hadn't meant that at all. I had been talking about my sister and he marriage.
"I'm going to go." I said quietly. He grabbed my hand.
"Wait." I pulled away.
"No." I got out of the playhouse. "I would have been happy with you." I quietly said, and went back to my window. I climbed in and closed it, looking at the dark playhouse in the distance. I climbed into my bed and began to cry. I felt the small ring on my finger.
Was I doing the wrong thing? Evander loved me. He wanted to marry me? That is something I wanted. I wanted to settle down with someone, maybe have a kid or two. I also wanted to do the Contest. Maybe even if I didn't get in, at least I had tried. The door creaked open.
"Amberlyn?" Amethysts voice traveled in.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"I saw you coming in. Everything okay?" She asked. I showed her the ring.
"You're engaged?!" She whispered.
"No! Well kind of. I told him not now but if I didn't get into the Contest I would think about it."
"Who's the lucky fellow?" She asked.
"Evander." I said.
"He bought this!?" She asked.
"I was just as surprised as you. He said it took him 3 years to buy." I handed her the letter. She read over it quietly.
"This has been a long term thing then."
"Yeah." I replied.
"Evander's a nice guy Amberlyn, but not someone I can see you with." She told me. "Sign up for the Contest. I think you'll make it pretty far."