The Contest

Chapter 3

I woke up the next morning, I was woken by a loud scream. I jumped out of bed in my pajamas and ran to the living room. There was my sister and her husband hugging.
"Amberlyn! We got the papers signed! I'm moving out!" She told me.
"Oh my gosh seriously!? Congratulations Amethyst!" I said, and I gave her a big hug. My sister would be leaving the nest. Would I be next? Would I too be moving out to a different section? Would I be going higher or lower?
"I'm leaving on Monday!" She told me. My heart dropped.
"That's the announcement for the Contest." Amethyst but her lip.
"I'll meet you at the parade if you get in." She said. I nodded. She came up to me. "Amberlyn, please don't be upset with me. You know how much I've been working for this. How long I've wanted to be with Darren."
"I know Ammy." I said, using the little nickname I had given her when we were little girls. "I just don't want you to miss this. I'm doing this for you, you know." I told her gently punching her arm.
"You're doing this for Mama and I know that for a fact. I heard you two in the kitchen yesterday." She said. I looked down. "I'm not mad Amberlyn. I just know you don't want to do this. I know you're doing it just to get away from here. To get a little more time to think, hm?" She asked. I nodded.
"Though I don't want to admit it, yes." I told her.
"I know. Here, how about I help you get ready for that picture?" She offered.
"But Darren's here." I pointed out. My brother came into the room.
"Darren!" Ashton exclaimed.
"Hey little dude!" Darren said, going over and giving him a high five.
"Im pretty sure he's good." Amethyst said giggling. I grinned and nodded.
"Okay Im all for it." I said.

~~~

After my shower, Amethyst stuck me on a stool in front of the bathroom mirror. She trimmed my wavy hair and put make-up on me. We didn't have very much, so what was in our drawers is what I got. Blush, mascara, and a light red lipstick.
"You know, I think Jess gave me back the bridesmaids dress because she said she wouldn't have any other place to wear it. Let me go look." She said, and left the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror. I was actually...pretty. I had never considered myself pretty, in school I never really had friends, but today I actually looked nice. My red streaked hair was wavy, but fell perfectly over my shoulders. My long eyelashes looked pretty with my amber brown eyes, and my face was smooth. I looked ready.
Could I do this? Mama seemed to think I could, and so did Amethyst, but the words Evander spoke last night kept echoing in the back of my mind.
"You want to do it. I never thought you would have wanted to."
"I love you. Isn't that enough?"
"Getting married to me would be so terrible!"
I took in a quick deep breath to calm my nerves. I didn't need to think about that right now. I couldn't think about that right now.
I grabbed a tissue to blow my nose just as Amethyst came back into the bathroom.
"Okay, I found it and-Amberlyn!" She cried, seeing my bloodshot eyes. "What's wrong?" She asked, hugging me.
"It's nothing Ammy." I muttered.
"It's not nothing. I've lived with you for seventeen years, I know when you're upset. Is it about Evander?" She asked. I burst into tears.
"Ber no...shh." She said, stroking my hair. She slid the ring off my finger and took a ribbon off the side of the sink. Addie still wore ribbons in her hair when she went to school. She slid the ring onto the ribbon and tied it around my neck.
"Not on your finger, out of sight, out of mind. You need to look happy for this picture Amberlyn!" She playfully scolded. I giggled, and she smiled, dabbing my face with a tissue.
"Thank you." I said.
"What are big sisters for? Now I have the dress. Try it on!" She said, clapping her hands. I undressed and redressed, putting on the dark plum colored dress. It was knee length, reaching the top of my knees, it had sleeves that rested just on the edge of the shoulder. The sleeves dropped low into a V-neck. It had a sheer fabric over top of an opaque cotton skirt. The top of the dress was made out of the same material. It was tight around the waist and then came out over my hips. I looked amazing.
"Amberlyn! You look stunning!" Amethyst exclaimed, fixing little pieces of the dress like a mother would.
"Thanks." I replied, smiling. I felt strong. I felt like I could do this.
"Can I take you to the picture? You know, since I can't be there to hear them announce your name?" She asked me.
"If they announce my name. More like when they don't announce my name. I'm probably not getting in, I'm in Performance, and there are only 32 girls getting chosen. I guarantee you that no one in Performance, Working, and Manual Labor are getting picked. We just aren't good enough." I shrugged.
"I don't want you thinking negatively of yourself, when you are clearly amazing!" Amethyst said. I laughed lightly.
"Thanks. Ready to go?" I asked, and she nodded.

~~~

The line was long. The longest line I had ever seen in Orion. My sister gave a low whistle.
"Well, I guess you'll be waiting a while." She said.
"Understatement of the year." I muttered. I spotted a girl with black curly hair a few places ahead of me in line.
"Harmonia!" I called, waving at her. She looked back and spotted me.
"Amberlyn, hey!" she called back. "Come over here!" She suggested. I moved up in the line to stand with her. Amethyst followed.
"Are you excited? I'm excited! You look amazing by the way. So much better than me." She complimented. Harmonia's dress was a simple royal blue, down to her knees. The cotton sleeves were down to her elbows, and the neckline was squared. This dress also was form fitting. Harmonia had a slender body, a few inches shorter than I. Her black hair was pulled into a half ponytail. She had on a little bit of mascara and blush. She looked amazing.
"Oh hush, you look just as good as I do, if not better." I said. She was about to say something, but then spotted the ring around my neck.
"This is beautiful! Where'd you get it? Is it real?" She asked.
"Uh yeah. It's real." I admitted.
"This...this is an engagement ring?" She asked, sounding like she hoped it wasn't.
"It is, but haven't said yes yet." I explained.
"Well you...you can't do the Contest if you're engaged." She said.
"I know I can't. If I don't get into the Contest I might say yes. If I get in I have to say no."
"Well of course you have to say no. Who may I ask?" Harmonia inquired nervously.
"Evander." I told her.
"That makes sense." She said.
"What do you mean?"
"Evander was talking to me the other day and saying he was going to see you and was excited. I wondered what could make him so excited." She told me.
"Being married to me would be so terrible!" My eyes began to water.
"Harmonia why don't we change the subject." Amethyst suggested.
"Of course." She said. "So I hear Jaxon is jealous of Archer. He wants a Contest of his own. Also rumor has it that Archer has already chosen one of the contestants. The daughter of one of his mothers old friends. Just a rumor though." She told me. The daughter of on of his mothers old friends? That would be me, wouldn't it? Mama had said the Queen was excited to meet me. 
"Does anyone know what section she comes from?" I asked, trying to sound just curious.
"Performance I believe, but who knows." She told me. During the time we had been there we had made it to the front of the line.
"It's my turn! Wish me luck!" Harmonia squealed. She ran into the room where they were taking pictures. I nervously waited for her to come out.
"Don't be nervous Amberlyn. It's just a picture." Amethyst smiled. I nodded, but this wasn't just a picture. This was an opportunity. Harmonia came out as quickly as she had gone in.
"That was the most nerve wracking thing I've ever done." She told me. Great. That didn't help. I walked in, and was greeted by a blank faced woman behind the camera.
"Papers." She lazily asked. I handed them to her. She glanced at it.
"Baylock?" She asked, suddenly becoming interested in me.
"Yes ma'am." I nodded.
"I've heard your name before. Your mom, Allison Heartford?" She asked.
"Yes ma'am." I answered again, sitting up in the seat.
"I've been around long enough for this to be my second Contest. Your mother was my favorite contestant. I'm sure you'll be a favorite too." She told me.
"If I get it." I reminded her.
"When. I'm Tesla. Smile." She asked. I gave my best. I had some hope now, but Evanders proposal was still in the back of my mind.