The Contest

Chapter 19

I went to Harmonia.
"Great party!" I said, trying to sound cheerful.
"Thank you! Dance with anyone nice yet?" She asked.
"Yes, but you know I really want to dance with my best friend." I said. She bit her lip hesitantly, trying to hide a smile.
"Do you think we could?" She asked.
"It's your party you can pretty much do anything you want." I said, holding out a hand. Nothing, not even Kelsey, was going to stop me from having fun. Harmonia took my hand gingerly, and I pulled her onto the dance floor. I nodded to the conductor, and started up a fast paced song. I took Harmonia's hand and placed my other hand on her waist. She smiled and we began to dance around the room. I spun her and pulled her around. We both stepped on each other's feet, laughing together. A few other girls, Shaeleigh and Tink, Jessica and Marlowe, and Charlotte and Rylan. We all knew that today and tomorrow could be the last chance to see each other. We traded off, and I ended up with Marlowe.
"How are you enjoying the party?" I asked.
"Good!" She said.
"You mean well?" I asked. She shrugged.
"My English is not the best, and sometimes I give up completely." She said, shaking her head.
"I see." The music ended and Marlowe and I walked off the dance floor as more girls joined in the dancing. "I've mean meaning to say, your bracelet is beautiful!" I said, taking her hand and inspecting the bracelet. She jerked her hand away.
"Ah, sorry." She said. "Thank you very much. I got it from mon père." She said. I rose an eyebrow. "Erm..My papa?" She asked. I nodded.
"There you go, I understood that." I said. "Could I look at it?" I asked.
"I would rather not. I do not want it to break, for it is...how do you say?" She asked.
"Fragile." I said.
"Ah, oui oui." She said.
"I totally get that." I answered as a cake was brought out. A chorus of Happy Birthday started up, and I began to sing as well. Jaxon came up to the front and blew out the candles.
"What did you wish for?" Archer asked.
"Well I would tell you but the universal laws of wish making say I can't. Sorry though!" Jaxon answered. Everyone laughed, and I swore I saw Jaxon wink at Harmonia. Jaxon cut the cake, and was given out. The bottom of my dress was tugged on slightly. I looked down to see Isabel, holding two pieces of cake.
"I was instructed to give this to you." She said.
"By who?" I asked, taking the plate.
"No one!" She exclaimed, and ran away. I smiled at her child-like attitude toward life. I looked up and caught Archer's eye. He gave me a small smile. I looked back down at my cake. I didn't want this. I didn't want Kelsey to be his first kiss, I wanted to be his first kiss. I WAS his first kiss.
"Amberlyn?" Tink asked.
"Come here." I said, dragging her by the arm.
"Oh, okay." She said. I took her out to the hallway.
"No matter what Kelsey says, I was Archer's first kiss." I said. Tink looked at me confused.
"Okay?" She asked.
"Archer decided he didn't want to "publicize" our first kiss, so in case it happened again, he kissed Kelsey to make it seem like I wasn't his first. I want to be his first."
"But you are, so what's the difference?" She asked.
"I don't know." I sighed, sliding down to the floor against the wall. Tink sat next to me.
"What are you wanting to do about this?" Tink asked.
"Is sit here and cry an answer?" I asked. She smiled.
"Nope. You can either leave it the way it is, or fix it on the News." She said.
"Do you think I could do that without getting in trouble?" I asked.
"No, but that's the fun of it." Tink said. I thought about it.
"My party is tomorrow, and the News is the day after. Maybe I can get in a few more kisses with him before that. Talk all about them, and maybe "accidentally" reveal that I was his first kiss." I said.
"Sounds like a good plan to me." Tink said. We heard shouting.
"What's that?" I asked. Tink shrugged and we ran back to the ballroom. A boy with buzz cut blonde hair was being dragged away by other guards. Jaxon was dragging Harmonia away from the commotion as she looked onto everything with horrified eyes. I went around to Harmonia.
"What happened? Are you okay?" I asked her.
"He tried to attack me. He didn't want me to dance with Jaxon." She said.
"He's being thrown out tonight." Jaxon said.
"Good. He hit my maid. There's no reason he should be here." I said.
"I agree with that." Archer said. I looked up at Archer, smiling. He gave me a confused smile back.
"Why don't we keep dancing?" I suggested.
"Sounds like a great idea to me." Archer said, holding out a hand for me. I took it, and passed it to Tink.
"Dance with some other girls. Give them a chance too." I whispered. He nodded, but looked sad. I watched him go off and dance. He said something and Tink laughed, saying something that was equally snarky back. He smiled and spun her. I watched as the she fell into him after she was spun, and they both laughed it off. I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"May I have this dance?" Someone asked. I turned. It was Evander. I decided to make my voice sound lighter, more airy. I tried to pretend it wasn't me.
"Why of course." I said.
"Don't even try with me Amberlyn, I know it's you. I would recognize that beautiful hair anywhere." He said. I fought a blush.
"Shut up and dance with me stupid." I said, taking his hand. He ginned, and took my waist. I placed my hand gingerly on his shoulder. He took my hand and I felt a shiver go up my spine. He pulled me close to his chest, and I felt the warmth of his body on mine.
"I've been wanting to talk to you. About...what happened." He said. I looked down.
"I don't think there is anything to talk about. It was wrong and you know it." I said.
"But you can't deny you liked it." He said.
"Even if I did, it was wrong." I said.
"Amberlyn, please. I love you, and I want to be with you." He said.
"I can accept that, but I told you, I don't think I love you the way you love me." I said.
"Why not?" He asked.
"I can't explain that!" I exclaimed. He looked out across the dance floor.
"Come with me." He said.
"Wait, what?" I asked. He didn't answer me, but instead pulled me to the corner of the room. "Listen. What would have happened if you hadn't come here? Would you have said yes? If you don't like me now, would you have said yes then? What happens when you lose the competition?" He asked.
"If I lose." I said. "I don't know Evander. I can't answer any of these questions. I wish I could. I wish I could answer everything and know exactly what's going to happen in my life but I don't. I can't control the things in my life, and I can't control my feelings. Love is something you can't force, and true love is the hardest to find." I said. He looked down. "Evander I'm sorry." I said.
"It's fine." He said, and walked away.
"Evander, wait!" I said. He didn't wait. I was left standing in the middle of the room. Archer came up to me.
"Amberlyn?" He asked.
"Will you take me back to my room?" I asked, my voice breaking. He nodded, and held out and arm. I linked my arm around it, and he began to walk with me. As we walked out of the ballroom he looked down at me.
"Want to talk yet?" He asked. I shook my head. "Okay." He replied, and we continued on down the hall. Once we ended up at my room, he looked down at me. I looked at him, my eyes beginning to well up with tears. He opened his arms and I ran into them, beginning to sob. He rubbed my back.
"Shh, shh, it's going to be okay." He said.
"No, i-i-it's not. I messed up. I messed up s-so bad." I said.
"Why Love?" He asked.
"I c-can't tell you. I c-c-can't explain." I said.
"Why can't you tell me? You can tell me anything." He said.
"Except this. You would be mad." I said, crying into him.
"Okay." He said, kissing my hair. "Do you want me to come in with you?" He asked. I shook my head. "Are you sure?" He asked. I shook my head. He chuckled. "You have to tell me what I need." He said.
"Come in. Just for a moment." I said.
"Okay." He said. We went in. My room was in shambles. My pillows were thrown all over the floor, my desk contents were everywhere, chairs and tables upended.
"What...happened...?" Archer said. I looked around the room at the disaster. I saw a note pinned to the wall with a knife. I pulled it down.
'Give up and go home. You don't belong here anyway.' Archer took it out of my hand.
"No Archer it's just a note." I said, trying to move forward into my room.
"Lynnie, I don't think it is." Archer said, pulling me back. I fought him, but he was stronger. He pulled me out into the hallway. "You're sleeping somewhere else tonight." He said.
"My mom's journal, I want my stuff!" I yelled at him.
"It will be there tomorrow. I'll have someone clean up your room. Amberlyn, it's going to be okay." He said.
"No, no, no." I said, barely making a noise.
"You're tired, you've had a long day. You need some rest." He said. I nodded.
"I can sleep with Harmonia. She will understand." I said. He nodded.
"Why don't you go there? I will let her know you're in there, and tell your maids to get started on your room, okay?" He asked. I nodded. He hugged me tightly, and then gently kissed the tip of my nose.
"Goodnight, Love." He said.
"Goodnight Archer." I said, and went into Harmonia's room.