The Contest

Chapter 31

It was maybe three in the morning when I got a knock on my door. My eyes opened, and I looked around the dark room sleepily.
"Coming." I grumbled, my voice scratchy. I sat up zombie-like and pulled my white cotton shirt over my head, yanking it in place. I stood, and opened the door.
"Mother?" I asked, blinking sleepily as the light flooded my room.
"Archer. We need to talk dear." She said.
"Should I get dressed?" I asked.
"No, no." She said fixing my rumpled brown hair. "Let's turn on a lamp though. I want to talk."
"Okay." I said, and we sat down. I flicked on a lamp, and she looked at me.
"You promised Amberlyn her family could live here, yes?" She asked.
"If she needed it, yes." I replied. When I saw my mothers face, I knew something was wrong. "Mom...what happened?" I asked.
"Honey...Amberlyn's Mother passed about an hour ago, and-" I didn't hear what more she had to say. I stood and left to room, making my way down to Amberlyn's. I knocked gently.
"Who is it?" Called a voice. It wasn't Amberlyn's.
"Archer." I answered. I heard some whispers, and a bit of silence. I waited in the silence. The door opened. Harmonia stood there.
"Is she okay?" I asked quietly. She nodded.
"Or at least she will be. It's going to take time. No one else here really knows how she's feeling at the moment." Harmonia told me.
"Can I see her?" I asked. Harmonia glances back into the room. I heard a small voice.
"For a little." She said. I swept past her, and locked eyes with Amberlyn. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, her dress that I had thought she looked lovely in earlier today, tear stained and wrinkled.
"Lynnie?" I said. Her face fell, tears welling up in her eyes. I went to the bed and gathered her in my arms, and she began to shake. "Lynnie no." I whispered, listening to her muffled sobs. I stroked her hair, and tried to sooth her.
"Lynnie, everything will be okay." I said, knowing things were not going to be okay for a long time.
"I-I know." She sobbed. I pulled her into my lap, and she cried into my shoulder, as I wrapped my arms around her, trying to make her feel safe.
"I'm here. I came over as soon as I found out, and I'm not going anywhere I promise." I said.
"Th-thank you." She said, and I placed my chin on her head. I waited a while, as she calmed down. I felt her breathing slow down. She had fallen asleep.
"You get her in bed for me?" Harmonia asked quietly from the couch. I nodded.
"She's pretty peaceful." I said. Harmonia smiled.
"I love her to pieces. If it weren't for her I would still be the young naive little girl I was when I first came here." She said.
"What do you mean?" I asked, setting Amberlyn's head down gently on her pillow. I got off the bed and pulled the covers up.
"Well, I was very naive going into this. I didn't think I was going to get in, but when I did, I wasn't prepared for what it meant to be a princess. I was a sweet little 16 year old girl who only knew Section 5. When people were eliminated on that first day, I really got a sense of what this competition was going to be like."
"You didn't expect this, huh?" I asked, sitting next to her on the couch.
"Not at all. I completely lost it at Amberlyn that day. She took your side when I said eliminating those girls was wrong. I had no idea how deep this Contest was going to go. Amberlyn helped me see the other side of things. Jaxon helped me too in some ways, always being there for me and loving me no matter what, but Amberlyn was there from the start."
"Why did you think my elimination was wrong?" I asked.
"You barely got to know the girls, so I thought it wasn't fair. Amberlyn talked me out of it." She said. "I've learned more about myself, what I stand for, and what I believe in. I'm not the little girl I was when I arrived here." She said. I looked at her, trying to take in her face. She was tried, but she was happy.
"You look so confident in yourself. You've grown a lot. I remember meeting with you the first day...I was considering letting you go, but I'm so glad I didn't. You've made such an impact on everyone here. We all need you so much. I need you." I said. She smiled at me.
"I used to be crazy about you, and don't get me wrong, you're amazing. I used to get jealous when other girls talked to you and about you. I don't anymore, and it's not just because I'm with Jaxon. I don't really know how to describe it." She said, a small laugh on her breath.
"I know. I understand what you mean. Harmonia, as long as you've been here, I've known you were going to be part of my life. That's why I didn't let you go when I thought I was going to. I could feel something telling me to keep you. I could feel your soul asking me to give you another chance."
"I would call that God." Harmonia said.
"If there is even such a thing, I think so, yes." I said. She smiled, and placed her hand on mine affectionately. "You're exhausted. You should sleep." I said. She nodded.
"You too, okay? She'll be fine until tomorrow." She said. I nodded, and we got up, quietly exiting the room. As we walked down the hall, I said goodnight to Harmonia as she went into her room. I walked to my room, where a girl was standing in front of my door. She turned. It was Taylor, and she was sobbing.
"Darling, what's the matter?" I asked, as she ran to me, falling in my arms.
"I had the most awful nightmare." She cried, looking up at me with big bloodshot eyes.
"What happened?" I asked.
"I dreamt someone horrible came into my room, it-it was Amberlyn's father!" She cried. "He came and killed me! And then I woke up, and oh Archer I was so scared! I can't be alone without being frightened!" She said, and sunk deeper into me.
"Well, would you-" She interrupted me.
"I could sleep in your room!" She said, looking up at me with big eyes.
"I-I guess." I said. She smiled.
"I knew I could trust you to make me feel safe!" She said, hugging me again. I brought her into my room, and she went to the bed and sat down.
"Will you lay with me until I fall asleep?" She asked, her big brown eyes wide.
"Uh, sure." I said, and sat on the bed. She stood, and untied her robe, letting it fall to the floor. Her nightgown was short and had thin straps. The cut was low on her chest and left barely any to the imagination. I was regretting my choices, but I had promised her I would say with her. I didn't want her to feel unsafe.
"Thank you again Archer." She said, and sat on the bed. I nodded. She scooted closer to me, and pressed her lips against mine. While I was regretting my choice to let her sleep in my room, I was not regretting this. I took my hand and placed it in her hair, and she climbed on top of me, wrapping her legs around my waist. As she kissed me, without my even realizing it, my shirt went over my head, and on the floor. Her hands gripped my back, and pulled me into her. Someone knocked on the door, and we sprang apart.
"W-who is it?" I called, and Taylor backhanded my arm.
"Archer? It's Evangeline...I want to talk to you." She called.
"Uh...one sec!" I said, and Taylor hit my arm again. "Ow!" I hissed.
"Archer? I-is someone in there with you?" She asked.
"Dammit." I muttered. "We're fine!" I said.
"We?" She called. "I-I'm coming in." She said, and the door opened. Taylor threw a blanket over herself, but it didn't do much good. I knew Evangeline, as dumb as she was, would be able to tell immediately that she was there.
"Archer, I've been up all night thinking about this, and deciding if I was going to tell you or not." She said. "I just want to talk to you, and-" she spotted the lump under the covers. "And clearly we're not alone." She said. Taylor peeked our from under the covers.
"Hey Eva." She said.
"What the hell, Taylor! I thought you were on my side!" She exclaimed.
"Well I was, until I decided that your side was terrible. I was getting no action!"
"Continue to talk like that, and you won't get any more." I said. "Taylor, you faked the nightmare just to...what? Get in bed with me?" I asked, standing up.
"No! Of course not!" She said.
"She's lying." Evangeline muttered.
"Shut up! I am not!" Taylor hissed at Evangeline.
"Taylor, I'm done. Get out of my room." I said.
"W-what?" She asked, appalled.
"I said get out of my room! Whatever you wanted from me tonight, you are not getting!" I shouted. I hated raising my voice. "And Evangeline, I'm sure whatever you want to talk to me about can wait until tomorrow, hm? What if you had come to me tonight and I had been sleeping?"
"I-I don't know." She muttered.
"I'm sure, so please, both of you go to your own rooms." I said.
"But Archie-"
"Stop Taylor!" I shouted. She took a step back. I sighed.
"Please leave. I've had a long night." I said. Both girls scampered out. I shut my door, and sighed. Taylor was going to be the death of me.

~~~

I woke the next morning to the sunlight streaming in through the curtains. I got up and hastily put some clothes on. Nothing fancy, something I would be comfortable in all day. I went straight to Amberlyn's room. I knocked. The door opened and Amberlyn peeked out.
"Hey." She said. I looked her over. Her face, her stance, her voice, everything, was dull. She was dull. She had lost all her hope, all her spunk, everything that had made me fall in love with the girl I was standing before, was gone.
"How are you doing?" I asked.
"That's a useless question to ask." She said. There it was. Even after everything, she still had an attitude. I knew she still had it.
"You're right, but it always makes me feel better to know someone cares enough to ask." I said. She nodded. "May I come in?" I asked. She stood out of the doorway, and I walked in. The room was the same as I had left it last night.
"Do you want to talk about anything?" I asked, as she closed the door.
"Not really." She said. I nodded. I sat on her bed, and she came over and sat next to me. I took her hand, and she looked down at it.
"To think I was actually happy yesterday." She muttered. I looked at her appearance. Her dress was the same as what I had left her in and her long hair was messy and in waves down her back.
"I need you to do something for me." I said.
"What's that?" She asked.
"I need you to take a bath. Clean your hair, change your clothes. Get yourself somewhat together." I said. She didn't answer me. "If you don't go I will be forced to throw you into a bathtub fully clothed because I'm not undressing you." I said, reflecting on what had happened last night. I was hoping that it didn't end up in the paper. She didn't answer again.
"Okay then." I said, and picked her up, throwing her over my shoulder. She gave out a tiny scream and kicked her legs playfully.
"Archer! Stop!" She said, not resisting the giggles. I chuckled, and spun around. The door crashed open, and there stood a guard. I didn't recognize him, but Amberlyn did. She dropped down to the floor.
"Oh, you're okay." He said. He brushed his short blonde bangs out of his green eyes.
"I'm fine." Amberlyn said, looking at the ground. She didn't want him here.
"Everyone is fine, you may go." I commanded, hoping it would discourage him.
"I was hoping to speak with Amberlyn." He said.
"What is your name? What business do you have with her?" I asked. He blinked, but didn't answer. He didn't have one.
"I'm Evander." He answered.
"And an answer on why you need to see Amberlyn?" I demanded. He looked down.
"That's what I thought. Please leave." I said. Amberlyn stepped up next to me.
"Archer, it's fine. I want to talk to him." She said.
"Lynnie-"
"Archer, let him stay." She said. I sighed, and nodded.
"Fine. Lynnie please take care of yourself." I pleaded. She nodded.
"I will." She replied, and kissed me. I missed her warm touch, her soft lips, but the kiss only lasted a split second, and then she pulled away. I sighed, and left, my head a mess. Thoughts swirled around my mind, but all I could think about was Amberlyn. She was going to be okay, and I was going to help make it so, if it was the last thing I did.
"Archer?" Someone called. I turned to see Evangeline. She looked like she had been crying.
"Evangeline, hello." I said.
"H-have you seen the paper?" She asked quietly.
"No. Do you have if?" I asked. She handed me a copy. On the front of the paper was a picture of Taylor and I. In the corner of the larger picture, a photo of Taylor and Evangeline arguing in my bedroom.
"Sleeping with contestants?! What happens when other contestants find out!?" Screamed the headline. I sighed, and handed her back the paper.
"Your father is furious. He yelled at me during breakfast." She sighed.
"That's awful! It's not your fault!" I said. She shook her head.
"Are you going to kick me out?" She asked.
"Of course not!" I said, and pulled her into a hug.
"Oh good." She sighed into my chest. "By the way, the thing I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to apologize for the trouble I've caused. I really was awful, and I feel terrible." She said.
"You'll want to talk to the other girls too. Before the next elimination." I said.
"When is it?" She asked.
"Tonight." I replied, and she looked up at me panic stricken. "You won't be leaving. I promise." I  reassured her. She nodded.
"Will you give me a chance? Please?" She asked.
"I always have, Evangeline." I said, and she smiled up at me, blue eyes glittering. I kissed her softly. She wrapped her arms around my neck. She was considerably shorter than me but not by much. Her lips were soft and warm, comforting even.
"Thank you." She muttered.
"Of course." I replied, placing another kiss on her lips.