The Princess (The Selection)

Chapter Thirteen

The gray clay squashes between my fingers. It's cool and caused me to shiver when I first touched it earlier. I glance over at Flynn who has his bowl building up. As Just watch him, I squish what I was calling a bowl.

"Crap," I say to myself. Flynn looks up with written on his face.

"You weren't kidding when you said you were bad at this were you?" he asks. A smile finds its way to his face. This smile is different, though. Something about it gives me a weird feeling in my stomach.

"I wasn't. When I was little I would try to give my parents a special present for every holiday. I have no clue how many abstract bowls my mother has in her bedroom now," I say. He laughs and I walk over next to him.

"How are you so good at this?" I ask. He shrugs.

"My mother was a sculptor before the castes were eliminated. She taught me a few things about it when I was little but she hasn't really supported anything that I've wished to do but farm for the last 12 or 13 years," he explains. I pull a stool over next to him and watch how he handles the clay like it is a delicate child.

"Why would she do that? You need to do things other than working," I question. He shrugs.

"My parents only care about money and how well my family is doing economically. The second they had the chance, they got out of being fives. They sold almost everything we had and moved us out to the farmlands," he states.

"So, they really give you no free time?" I ask.

"Nope. They say that we can sit around and be lazy when we get to heaven," he says.

"Well, that is an interesting theory," I say. He nods and we are silent as he finishes his bowl. I look into his eyes and the weird feeling I got in my stomach returns. I look away but the knot is still there.

"I'm finished!" Flynn exclaims after a while. I laugh as he holds up a bowl. I starts to lean over, though, and falls out of his hand.

"Nice," I state. We both laugh at the ball of clay on the floor. He picks it up and sticks on the pile in one of the cabinets.

"Well, that wasn't it," he says as we're about to part ways at the door.

"It's okay. Maybe tomorrow we could try bow and arrow?" I offer. He accepts and I walk down the hall to where one of my favorite libraries in the palace is located. As I come closer, I see the door open. Ethan. He comes out and doesn't notice that I'm watching.

"What were you doing in there? That library is strictly for the royal family," I say as I get closer.

"Oh, I saw you go in there the other day so I thought I might take a look," he says.

"Um, there wasn't anyone out here when I went in the other day," I explain. He shrugs.

"I must have been blocked by a plant. I do apologize for my mistake. I do hope you will let it slide," he asks.

"Of course. I will see you later, Ethan," I say. He walks away with a faster pace than usual. I walk into the library to find a new book but I can't focus as I wonder what just happened with Ethan.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I hope you don't feel like I'm rushing into things. Please tell me what you think and leave ideas I'd you have any!

If you all haven't heard, the winner of my cover contest for The Addition has been picked so congratulations to @TheOneForever386

Disclaimer: Kiera Cass owns The Selection, not me.