Chapter 7

My mind reeling, I sat in the training room for a few minutes. Why would he do that ? I mean, I know why people kiss other people. I'm not that innocent for goodness sake ! I had a boyfriend once. I thought Tobias and I agreed to be friends... Friends don't kiss other friends. I had agreed to help him out with the other girls, to try and scope which one was best for him. Well, this changes everything. I wrapped my knuckles in gauze to make sure no one saw them and left the room. It wouldn't be proper for a girl from the selection to have bruised knuckles, no letting them know I was training to fight is not an option. My body is covered with sweat as I start the long path back to my bedchamber to change and get ready for dinner. Thankfully my maids don't ask any questions as I walk ,my body glistening, into my room. I look through the closet trying to find a proper dress, when I see my maids have all ready laid one out on the bed for me. One of them knocks.

" Lady America, can we help you change for the dinner ? We need to do your hair," the loudest maid says. I invite them in and close the door.

Turning around to face them I say , " I can't believe I never even asked for your names. I'm sorry to be so rude. You have served for six weeks and I don't even know any of you."

They all curtseyed. " That's okay miss. You did not have to. My name is Tori,"the most outgoing maid said. She then pointed to the other two maids, one meek and the other a mute.

" They are Susan and Jeanine. " The name Susan gave me a uncomfortable chill down my spine. The maid looked nothing like Susan , yet I still loathed the name the same. I wonder is Robert has ever thought of me since I left Abnegation. The maids throw the slim blue dress over my head and pull it down over my body. Susan begins to tie up the corseted back as Tori starts to make my face look prettier with makeup. I grunt as Susan ties it up and knots it one the top. Nothing better than the feeling of having your lungs squeezed. I turn to my maids with a confused look.

" If it's just dinner, why do I need to dress so fancy," I ask. This had been on my mind for over a month, ever since that first dinner when I was forced to wear a puffy pink dress just to eat my food and then leave. This dress was a little more modest, fitted more to the body, but still just as fancy with intricate beading. Not as fancy as the Queen's though because it was not allowed. I still knew tonight Patricia would show up in the fanciest dress, beating all of us, trying to impress Tobias. Did she really want Tobias or just the crown ?


After dinner, all the girls, including me retreat to the Women's room. Queen Evelyn would not be talking to us today in there, so we all could just sit and chat. Christina and I sat on a little couch and watched as they all filed in behind us. Molly and Patricia were talking and shooting daggers at the rest of us as they found a seat far away from the crowd. Myra and Denise found a seat by the table and talked quietly, they are very shy. Alice approached us with a questioning and hopeful look and we let her sit with us. Eva and some other girls, their names I don't know, talked loudly and sat down in a big group.

" So what do you think of Prince Tobias," I asked the two girls, who had become my friends. Even though he kissed me, I will still try and help him find a soon to be queen that will really appreciate him.
Christina smiled, " he took me on a date the other day, to the movie center and burnt the popcorn ! He had to make a whole new batch but I loved it."

Way to go Tobias. Burning the popcorn, smooth. Tobias took all the girls on dates, that is how he finds out which girls to eliminate and which one he will want to be his future wife. So far he only took each girl on one date, though he had been with me three times. Even though some girls , like Christina and Alice, hid it well I could still feel the jealousy burning from Patricia. It wasn't like my times on the rooftop garden with him were private news...

Alice giggled, " he took me to the rooftop and held my hand. It was so nice and quiet, it felt so right ,you know ?"

The rooftop ! I thought that was our place to talk and be ourselves. I am proud of him for scoping the girls and they obviously were charmed by him. Why would he take Alice there ?

I forced a smile and said, " yeah I know. That's how I felt with my old boyfriend. " They knew about Robert. Not all the facts, like Tobias, but the basic idea that I had a boyfriend before the selection and now I don't. I left the room with haste not wanting to stay one more minute in the room of chattering girls all talking about their dates with Tobias. Tobias and I had this little secret sign we do whenever we want to talk. If either of us wishes to talk to the other person , we tug our ear, it is a sign to go to the rooftop and the other will shortly be there. To confirm that you saw the ear tug, however, you have to tug yours back, to show that you want to talk too. Tobias had tugged his ear during dinner. I never tugged back.


AN: I know I said I wouldn't update but here it is. I can't update Monday since Tuesday is my birthday. I will have two endings for this story like Charles Dickens for Great Expectations. One will have a character death and one will have a happy ending. I will post the happy one with the story and the character death as the original ending. Review !