AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Whelp!” she said with a grin. “I guess this is it. I’d better go dig in my dirty clothes pile and find something for the dance. Are you drinking tonight?”
“I don’t think we’re allowed,” I replied. “I heard it’s being monitored quite heavily.”
“That doesn’t mean a thing,” she said. “I’ll bring a bottle. Nobody needs to know.”
“Sounds good,” I smiled and stood up with her. “I guess the next time you see me, I’ll be dressed in gold and look like a prized racehorse.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” she replied, pushing through the hedge as we left our hideaway. She had to turn left to make her way to the lowest of Lower dorms, and I was heading right.
It felt poignant, leaving her like that. She was the one person in the world I’d want to get ready with, and I couldn’t bring her back to my room. It felt unfair, like a million other things in this stupid place, but I couldn’t risk her getting in trouble by insisting she follow me.
I managed somehow to get to my room with only a few annoying interruptions from the giggling screeching girls in my dorm. Everywhere I looked, there seemed to be a gaggle of them like they were reproducing somehow.
It was worse on my floor. When I got off the elevator, they were streaming out of Victoria’s room like it was a runway stage and not the hallway.
I pushed past them, the nameless, faceless Lowers and Uppers all vying for Victoria Layton’s approval, and got to my door at last.
I slipped inside and slammed it shut, made sure it was locked, and flopped on my bed, exhausted already. I lifted my fingers to the scar in my hair where my head had been torn open, I’d been told. It throbbed and felt hotter than usual today. Being surrounded by all these people messed with me for some reason. It might be something I bring up to Norris or Flora the next time I would see them.
Finally, it was too close to the dance for me to ignore the inevitable. I pushed myself up, had a quick shower, and worked on my hair before doing my makeup.
I slipped into my dress and hung a chain of diamonds around my neck to accessorize, picked out a clutch purse so I could carry Harlow’s bottle if need be, and finished up just as Victoria knocked on the door.
“Hurry up!” she complained when I opened it. “We’re all waiting for you.”
“I’m sorry,” I said and felt somewhat defeated that not a single one of them said anything about my dress. I thought I looked beautiful and wouldn’t mind hearing it for once. “You look gorgeous, for what it’s worth.”
“Oh, I know,” Victoria said and took my hand in hers as she turned. “Okay, everybody must use the stairs. There’s only enough room on the elevator for the two Uppers who deserve it.”
The girls scattered in a cloud of expensive perfume and the hush of equally expensive fabrics as they clattered down the stairwell to meet us on the first floor.
We traveled in a flock, as noisy as geese and just as organized. They all trailed out behind their queen Victoria as we moved across campus. I was just lucky enough to be by her side because of my connections, not because of my stellar personality or my adherence to Upper woman rules and regulations.
Once inside, I looked around for Harlow and slipped my hand out of Victoria’s while she was busy talking to an older student. One of the seniors who was going to graduate from Crimson in the spring. A tall, handsome guy Victoria had set her sights on.
The Great Hall was decorated beautifully with scented lilies and dahlias everywhere I turned. Great bushes of them, thousands of flowers taking up space anywhere they would fit. It was almost like a jungle of blossoms, with greenery hanging and tiny fairy lights twinkling among them all.
There were large round tables set up around the outer edges of the dance floor and at least a hundred uniformed wait staff rushing back and forth carrying trays of food and drink.
At the head of the dance floor was a stage with a string quartet gently playing elegant and beautiful music. Over that, I could hear the sounds of excited students talking and laughing and generally having a good time. It didn’t seem to matter if you were Upper or Lower, everybody mingled, and everybody was there to have fun.
“Hello, you magnificent beast!”
I turned to find Harlow running towards me, her eyes bright and her face flushed red already. She’d been drinking.
“Hello to you, too,” I laughed and accepted her hug when she threw her arms around me. She was wearing what she said she would. A skirt, white shirt, tall leather boots with silver buckles, and a jacket was thrown haphazardly overtop. She also smelled of alcohol once her breath was close enough, confirming my suspicions.
“I brought you something,” she said, patting her breast pocket. “A little treat to loosen up.”
“She brought you vodka,” Luke said over my shoulder, joining the two of us. “Bad news, though.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“Not for you, but for her,” he said and raised his eyebrows. “Adams saw you sneaking in, you owe her an hour of volunteer work, and she wants you now.”
“Ah, fuck,” Harlow swore. “Double fuck.” She realized what she was holding, and now she had to go do her community volunteer service, something the Lower students had to do in order to offset the cost of their room and board.
“I brought this,” I said, opening my clutch purse. “I had a feeling it might come in handy.”
