The Crown I Didn't Want (A Sokeefe Selection)

The Palace

I was in a luxurious limo with 3 other girls. We were on our way to the palace and I was squealing with excitement. The palace! Seriously, the palace!!!!

I don't think the girls next to me liked my craziness, though. At least, Stina didn't. She just turned her nose at me, puffing her frizzy brown hair.

Marella and Linh seemed fine about my ecstatic shrieks, however.

"You're weird, aren't you?" Marella muttered in a teasing way.

"Of course!" I went right on freaking out.

"You must love Fitz, then, huh?" Linh asked, a little sadly, in my opinion.

"Of course!" I repeated. Then added quizzically, "You don't?"

"Omg, he's the cutest!" Marella exclaimed.

Stina finally turned her attention off her hand mirror to squint at us. "Obviously. Why else do you think we're here?"

"Not really," Linh admitted.

Now that got all our heads turning.

"WHAT?" I shouted. "Then why'd you enter?"

"I didn't. My parents did. They were always ashamed of being 6's. Now, I'm a 3, and they may be soon, as well."

"You're a 6?" Stina scoffed. She turned her nose up at Linh. "Well then, I suppose we know who is to carry my things, later in the competition."

"I'm a 3, now," Linh reminded her. "And I honestly wouldn't mind. Carrying stuff is fun."

"So you don't love Fitz?" Marella asked. "But Linh, he's dreamy!"

"On camera. On the outside," she pointed out. "But what about on the inside? None of us really know."

That had us all stumped.

"Like, my twin, Tam? He looks grumpy and moody and dark on the outside. But on the inside? He's a wonderful person!" Linh pulled a picture out of her pocket. "See? That's Tam. He's the only one who really knows me."

"Ooh," Marella breathed. She grinned like a sly cat. "Tam, is it? He's hot."

Stina ignored all of us, reapplying red lipstick.

The limo arrived at the palace.

When we got out, I inhaled a huge breath. "Omg," I sighed. "It's absolutely breathtaking."

Everyone else was speechless. Even Stina had gone silent, in awe of a place that was nicer than her own home.

We all went to the Great Hall, which was bigger than my house.

"Hello," a tall lady with an exquisite cape said imperiously. "I'm Lady Cadence, your guide to all things lady-like and royal."

"Why hello," Stina purred. "I'm Stina of Sonage. I love your cape."

"Thank you!" Cadence beamed. "It costed a small fortune."

"That thing probably costs more than my entire house!" Linh blurted. Stina and a couple of girls who had come earlier than us snickered.

"Of course," one of them—Florida, I think, a 2—whispered to a friend. "She's a 6!" They giggled in what I thought was an evil way.

"No caste discrimination!" Cadence scolded. But I caught the way the suddenly looked down at Linh, like she was nothing but a peace of dirt. It was all so disgusting, when Linh was an extraordinary person, just living in hard circumstances. Linh should be looking down on all of the spoiled brats, since she was much better than them, inside.