The Contest

Chapter 20

Harmonia opened the door late into the night.
"Amberlyn?" She whispered as the light from the hallway spilled into the pitch black room. I sniffled.
"Hey." I said.
"Why are the lights off?" She asked.
"They were hurting my head." I muttered.
"Okay. Do you want me to keep them off?" She asked.
"It's okay." I answered.
"I'm sorry about what happened." She said, flicking one of the lights on. She came and sat next me on the couch. I shrugged, playing with the bottom of my dress. "Do you want some pajamas?" She asked. I nodded, and she stood, going to grab something I could wear. I looked around her room. She had pictures of her and her friends, me, Shaeleigh, Tink and Marlowe. It was sweet. Thinking about it made me wonder who hated me enough to do this to my room. I didn't think Evangeline had it in her, but Kelsey certainly did. I felt my eyes well up with tears, and they streamed down my face. I buried my face in my hands, sobbing harder than I had before. Harmonia ran out of the closet, and sat down next to me, pulling me into her.
"Ams, it's going to be okay." She said.
"N-no it's n-not. W-who hates me t-t-this much?" I sobbed.
"Someone who is obviously getting thrown out as soon as Archer knows they did it." She said, trying to console me.
"B-but until then?" I asked, looking at her. She bit her lip.
"I don't know. You can always stay with me." She suggested.
"But I want to feel safe here. I don't. Not after the raid and this, I feel anything but safe." I said, wiping a tear from my face.
"I know. I feel like I have to have someone with me at all times." She said. "I heard some gossip in the hall on the way back here that the King thinks it was an inside source that notified the attackers of the entrance." She told me.
"That makes me feel even less safe." I said, looking down.
"Go get dressed. We can talk when you're done." She said. I nodded and took the pajamas. I went into her bathroom, and closed the door, breaking down as soon as I heard the click. I didn't cry for too long, but it was the kind of crying you only did when you were alone. The kind you only let yourself see, because if anyone else saw it, they wouldn't know what to do for you. I didn't know what to do for me. As soon as my stomach started to hurt and my head began to pound was when the crying slowed. I grabbed some toilet paper and cleaned my mascara smeared face. I put on the shirt, which fit fine, but the pants were a little too small. I waddled out into the main room, and Harmonia took one look at me and cracked up. I laughed at little. Her happiness was contagious and I was glad for that.
"You look like a penguin!" She laughed, doubling over. I came and flopped on the bed, sticking my arms tight to my sides.
"I am a happy little penguin." I said, wiggling around like a gleeful slug. She laughed harder, and flopped forward too, squirming around with me.
"We're slugs!" I exclaimed, rolling over onto my back, laughing as hard as possible. Harmonia laughed, and rolled over, sighing.
"Anything you want to talk about?" She asked. I shook my head.
"How are things with Jaxon?" I asked.
"I don't know. I don't want to get in trouble...he's run from me twice. Whenever he smiles at me I feel sick to my stomach because it feels wrong. I can't hurt him, and I can't hurt Archer. I don't know what to do." She said.
"I think Archer knows how you and Jaxon feel about each other. He's not going to keep you from him if you really love him." I said.
"I do...I told him so tonight, but I know we can't be together. I can't live days knowing that it could be my last, or that it could be his last. I can't lose him if I love him. I couldn't live with myself if I lost him." She said, looking down.
"I feel the same way." I said.
"That's the first time you've ever admitted that." She said.
"It was so terrible. I mean I've kissed him so many times and I still don't even like him." I said sarcastically. Harmonia giggled.
"Wait, how many times have you kissed him since this morning?" She asked. "Cause that's when he kissed Kelsey, and she is his first kiss..." She trailed off seeing the look on my face. "When did this happen?" She asked, sitting up excitedly. I blushed.
"A few weeks ago." I answered.
"A few weeks ago!?" She exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Does Kelsey know?" She asked.
"No, as far as I know, you and Tink are the only ones who actually know. I don't want anyone finding out either. It would be bad for me and Archer." I said, not revealing the plan I had made with Tink. Although, after tonight, I wasn't sure it was such a great plan. She may have been the first, but I had a chance to be the last. Patrium didn't need any more drama, with attacks and what happened tonight which would surely be in the news by tomorrow, there was too much going on already.
"That makes sense. How does Archer feel about this?" She asked.
"He's the one who decided to kiss her. He thought it would be good. He didn't want me in the News again, so he thought it would be a good idea to put someone else in the spotlight." I said, flopping down.
"But this is a huge thing to be in the spotlight about." Harmonia said.
"And that is why I hate it. It's fine. I'm willing to play along." I said.
"No you aren't. What's your plan?" She asked.
"Well it WAS to accidentally slip in that Archer and I had shared a kiss weeks ago, but after all that's happened tonight and attacks going on in the sections, I don't think it's such a great idea." I explained.
"I really don't think it would matter." Harmonia offered.
"Really?" I asked.
"Not really. It will prove the media wrong, and lower Kelsey's rank in the contestant's poll. You do know about that right?" She asked.
"Um, no." I said.
"Well it's in a bunch of magazines and newspapers, but basically it's a list of the country's choices, from best to least. You're like 3rd or something." She said.
"Who's first?" I asked.
"Um...well...I am, actually." She muttered.
"Oh..." I said, thinking.
"You know I don't like him like that Amberlyn, he's like a brother to me."
"I know. How much time have you been spending with him?" I asked.
"Not much. I've been on a couple of dates with him, mostly just to see if I could ever have feelings for him. I thought I did, but Jaxon is who I love." She said.
"When you got your letter, you were screaming and begging me to come and join you, and now I'm the one who likes the Prince, and you like someone else." I said, giggling.
"Whoops?" She said. I giggled, peaking at the clock.
"It's two in the morning." I said.
"You need sleep. Your party is tomorrow and after tonight you need some rest." Harmonia said. I nodded. "Want to sleep with me?" She asked. I shook my head.
"I'll sleep on the couch. This thing is comfortable." I said. Harmonia giggled, and I laid down.

~~~

Harmonia's door crashed open the next morning.
"Wake up, both of you!" Tink yelled. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "What in the name is this?!" She yelled, throwing two magazines in front of us. The covers showed a split picture. The top half showed Harmonia and Jaxon, mid-kiss. The bottom half showed my bedroom, in shambles.
"Someone came into my room last night and destroyed everything. What I want to know is, how are you going to live this down?" I asked, looking at Harmonia. Her face was stunned, and she looked like she was about to pass out. I looked at the headline.
'It may look like him, but that's not the right Prince!" Harmonia threw the Magazine onto the floor, and went into her closet to change. She came out, in a pair of pants and a fancy top, grabbed the magazine and left the room, slamming the door closed. Tink looked at me.
"Go get her, I'll be right there." I said. She nodded, and ran after Harmonia. I went to my room. Everything was back in its place. I quickly changed into pants and a shirt, and left my room, running in the direction Tink had gone. I heard yelling down the hall, and ran towards it.
"Archer, what am I going to do about this?" She asked him, throwing the magazine at him.
"Harmonia, I don't know! Maybe you should have just stayed away from him like I told you!" He said to her.
"I did you idiot! I stayed away! It was your stupid brother who kept coming back. I kept telling him no, but did he listen? No! So maybe you should have warned him more!" She yelled at him. She didn't look like she was going to cry, she looked fierce, and it was terrifying.
"You let him kiss you!" Archer yelled back at her.
"What's going on down here?" Jaxon asked from his doorway down the hall. Harmonia turned and glared at him.
"You said you loved me, and now I see this. Was it all for show? Did you know those cameras were there? Did you do this just to prove something? It's not proving anything!" She said, getting into his face.
"Darling..." He muttered.
"DON'T call me that." She said to her, her voice dangerously quiet. He stepped back, looking at her with hurt eyes. She walked down the hallway, not looking back, and I didn't see her for the rest of the day