Selected: Part 3 - Love and Lace

8. THE FRIEND

JUST AS ETHAN HAD TOLD me, Mai was gone within two days. I wasn't supposed to know about this, so I couldn't go talk to her before she left, but I trust she is smart and capable of accomplishing anything. Otherwise, this week in the palace was uneventful, considering how hectic the past few weeks had been. The only things that kept us occupied were the occasional lessons with Miss Nicole, and magazines to read. There was a lot to catch up on when it came to those, as the public was very vocal about their opinions on our presentations. A lot of people liked mine; the papers said I seemed eloquent and of kindhearted nature, which were very sweet compliments. Critiques I'd received stated mostly that it was as if I was trying to get the public's pity, which hadn't been my intention, but I kept it in mind in order to avoid it in the future. They also said I was too nervous, but that wasn't anything I couldn't fix with practice; I just hoped Ethan would keep being patient with me.

Gwen was moping around, as the critics had said she was she was smart and poised, but "dreadfully boring". They were being harsh to her, and I wished I could help her get through that, yet I figured perhaps she was still wanting distance from me. In fact, it seemed as though she had distanced herself from every other girl, too. From reading the magazines, something I'd noticed was while the public raved about Taylor in the beginning, her popularity was dwindling; at this point, people were saying she should go back to singing. Unlike Gwen, though, she seemed unaffected by what others thought of her. Illéa enjoyed most Naomi and Agatha's presentations, and, coincidentally or not, as Ethan started going on dates again, they were the first to be invited. I wondered what I could've done to be one of the public's favorites, too, but I really had tried my best.

With Hazel gone, no one to talk to, and nothing to do, I wandered around the palace. Though it wasn't something I normally did, I paced the halls nervously, trying to occupy my feet rather than focusing on my overflowing mind. In hindsight, I wished I had stayed in my room or in the company of the other girls if it meant I could avoid stumbling across Officer Reed. I froze; I'd never seen him in the empty halls before, only in the ballroom with plenty of other people around. He nodded at me, and he had a sick grin on his face. "Shouldn't you be on a date?" He asked me, inching closer. I shook my head. I wanted to scream, but he hadn't actually done anything yet.

"The prince is a lucky guy..." The guard was too close, and I tried to back up, but I was already against the wall. "I'd take you on dates all the time if I were him." I looked around, searching for someone else, but it appeared no one was coming to my rescue. "I don't think this is allowed. I don't want anything to do with you." I said, trying to sound stern through all the nerves. "Oh come on..." Somehow, he was right in front of me now, and he managed to grab a strand of my short hair before I jerked away. "It's gotten longer in the months you've been here." He noted. "You're looking sexy like this..." I was about to make a run for it, when we heard footsteps, and Officer Reed immediately backed off, resuming his post.

No one noticed anything. I spent the rest of the day in the women's room, and no one noticed how fast my heart was beating from the stress. At dinner, no one noticed how I barely ate any of my food. I'd never been faced with something like this. I was always just the seamstress, and no one looked at us down there. I wondered if I should tell Ethan, and whether he'd think I was overreacting or not. I didn't want to get anyone in trouble, but I had a really bad feeling about that man that I just couldn't shake. I told myself that if another encounter like that happened again, I would have to tell Ethan.

Turns out I wasn't the only one with things to worry about. By the next evening, it had somehow come out that Naomi wasn't a virgin, as we had to swear we were in order to be part of the Selection. This was just one of the many nonsensical laws of our great country; nonetheless, it was something so private, no one could've ever really known that about her. That is, no one but her best friend, whom she told everything to, could've known. Scarlett didn't seem phased by the elimination of her best friend, but I suspected she had been the one to tell the King about this. 

I made it to Naomi's room while she was still packing. She'd always been kind to me, and I sought to get her side of the story. "You're getting eliminated over a rumor?" I asked. "It's no rumor, I'm afraid. I mean, I could've kept it a secret, but when Ethan asked me directly about this, wanting to hear me out, I couldn't lie to him." Naomi, who was always so strong, started to tear up. "I really liked him you know?" I went to comfort her. "Ethan?" I wondered aloud. She shook her head. "I liked Ethan too, might've even started to love him. But that's over now, and I meant the man I slept with. I thought he was the one; it was just a mistake." I couldn't relate to her situation, as I've never loved anyone like that, as I love Ethan. It all seemed incredibly unfair though, and had I the power to, I would change that law. I dawned on me then that, if I became Ethan's queen, I could change a law.

"I should've been friends with you." Naomi said, almost too quietly. "We are friends, remember?" I smiled, thinking back at our talk when there were rumors being spread about her. "Back home, I'm friends with girls like Scarlett. She felt familiar, so I naturally gravitated towards her. But shes only out for herself, and I shouldn't have trusted her." It was no surprise. "So she was the one who told?" Naomi nodded, and there was nothing left to say. We hugged, and she thanked me for seeing her off. Her being gone means there are only six girls left in the Selection, and for some reason, that thought made made me incredibly sad. This competition had been strange and tiring in many ways, and all I wanted was to be Ethan's and his alone, but I wasn't ready for it to be over, not yet.

As I rounded the corner leading up to my room, I was intercepted by a maid. Except, it wasn't a maid; it was Maria, my former co-worker who'd help make the Selection possible for me. She bore a note, and a confused expression.  "Lady Luna," She started, addressing me by my new name. "Forgive the interruption, but there's a situation downstairs. I've prepared a note for you; please read it carefully and take action if you can. If you do not come in half an hour, I'll understand it is not possible and will deal with everything myself." She curtsied, and gave me a smile for the sake of our past friendship. It was odd to see her after all this time; the life I led before all this seemed so far away. When she left, I unfolded the note, wondering what could warrant her personally delivering it to me.

There's someone here to see you.

We've pleaded with him to leave, but he just won't.

He claims he knows you, so I thought it would be best for you to decide whether or not you'd like to speak with him.

Please come to your former bedroom, if you wish to fulfill his request to speak with you.

I stiffened. My first thought was maybe it was my father, or my former foster father. I had thought the other day that they might have recognized me on the Report by now. It didn't make sense though, and as I walked the last few steps towards my room, I felt more and more confused. This was risky, but Ethan already knew about my past, and whoever was down there, I would tell him about everything if it mattered. In the end, I decided I had to know what this was all about.