Some time while I was bawling my eyes out, Nathan left home by himself. My mom decided it was best to keep dad at the hospital while she set something up in the city for him. I didn't know if she meant a permanent roof over his head or dumping him in another nursing home. For the time being, I returned with Jo and his mom back to Arcadia. They still needed my car so they just dropped me off at the school. November ended and December came in with the first snow on the third. Things somehow went back to normal. Nathan still wasn't talking to me, Victoria rarely did, but then Rachel took an interest in me and started approaching me more. Perhaps it was that charming loner aura I had on me. Whatever the reason, I ran into her a lot more often than usual. Thankfully, most of those times weren't with her dragging her blue knight around. Victoria noticed us talking one day, though I don't think she minded all that much. It was on a Wednesday when Rachel came up to me during lunch period. I didn't have any savings at the time so I had to settle for some yogurt drinks my mom stocked up on at home. She approached me casually, sitting across from me and speaking as if we were just in a conversation two minutes ago.
"I honestly don't understand why this school thinks a PBJ and veggie sticks can be considered lunch!" she said. Setting down her bag of lunch. I already knew there were fancier lunches than that, I didn't understand why she chose the simplest thing on the menu.
"It's probably to appeal to the scholarship students," I joked. She chuckled as she opened the bag for the sandwich. I'm sure at this point people already knew about my scholarship.
"Well, I guess even scholarship students can't afford the simplest meals," she said as she stared at my little plastic cup. It was mostly empty, but I was still hungry. I was making sure to save up money on gas for the winter holidays. I wasn't going to spend more than two weeks by myself in a cold and empty building. I was also trying to find a temp job or a seasonal job to get extra cash. Mom was still busy taking care of things in Portland. I already told her I didn't have anything to help out with expenses. I wasn't planning on letting her know about me getting a job. That was when Victoria passed by us. She didn't come over to sit with us, but she still eyed us 'til she reached a different table. Rachel paid her no mind while I glanced over to Victoria.
"Sometimes I wonder if she hates you or wants to be you," I spoke nonchalantly. She smiled as she chewed but didn't say anything else.
Later that night I ran into Victoria in the dorms and she invited me to her room. We didn't talk about much of anything else. Though she continued her questions about Jefferson. I was so uninterested I had nearly forgotten I was still stuck in his class. Victoria understood this and I guess this was probably why she kept me around. Someone in his class that could inform her of the class but still not be interested in him to the point of becoming her rival. I guess I was also glad I was on her good side.
It was a week until midterms, everyone in the scholarship program was cramming for the final exams. Including myself. Only those from rich families had the luxury of relaxing and preparing for the holidays. White elephant gift exchanges and company holiday trips to warmer climates. I walked to the school on a powdery snowed pavement. It hadn't snowed a lot since winter began, but the freezing temperature more than made up for the lack of snow. I took a deep breath out, watching as my hot breath clouded around my eyes. They felt tired, but the restless nights I'd have been having prevented me from getting a good rest. I needed to be in tip-top shape for the day of the exams.
As I thought about the items I still needed to study for, someone stepped in front of me. I blinked rapidly as I recognized the figure in front of me. His hair was a little shorter and he wore a jean coat with fur lining, Still dressed in his slacks as always. It felt nice to see Nathan in blue. It was oddly inviting.
"Can I help you?" I asked as I held back the urge to run the other direction. Whatever it was that he wanted to talk about, I wasn't ready to have. It still felt like only a day ago when he had seen such an awkward scene at the hospital. Especially since I had gone to Jo for comfort and not stayed with Nathan. Though I think it still would've been damned if you do, damned if you don't.
"You busy on Christmas?" No hesitation, I see.
"I don't have plans yet, no," I spoke cautiously. Wanting to get this over with, I glanced around, hoping to see someone familiar. Sadly it seemed all students were waiting in the school for classes to start or were hiding from the cold in their dorms. No one passed and Nathan continued to talk.
"I know it's out of nowhere, but… my… dad is having a Christmas party for his corporate goons and some family 'friends'. So you have to come." He finished off quickly. The last bit definitely sounded like an order. Before he could turn to walk away I held out my hand and tugged at his sleeve. When I realized what I did, I quickly pulled my hand back. Luckily though, he didn't seem to mind and turned to face me.
"If it's a party, how fancy do I have to dress up exactly?" I asked, trying to guide the conversation to a gentle no.
"They're all white-collar workers so… I guess pretty fancy. Why? Don't tell me that out of all the mountains of clothes that you have you don't have a dress to wear?" he asked, crossing his arms with a smug expression.
"No, I have plenty of dresses for such an occasion-"
"Then you'll be fine." He started for the other direction again. This time I didn't hesitate to completely hold onto his arm.
"Listen here, Prescott! I'm not from the same world as you and Victoria. I don't dress up because I have the luxury to, I dress up because it's the only comfort I have that I can be proud of! The last thing I'd want to do is dress down at such a formal event with a bunch of snobs." I pressed my lips, unable to stop the frown from forming on my face. He gave me a bewildered expression. His eyes were wide for a moment before they settled on my hand that was still gripping his arm.
"If you let me go I'll help you get a wardrobe that you, 'can be proud of'." He nodded to my hand again and I finally released him. I held my hands together, to prevent them from moving on their own again. Meanwhile, Nathan reached for his backpack and brought out his wallet.
"Ah, no no-no-no-no. That's not what I meant-"
"Listen, Thorne, " he brought out a card from the wallet, "if you don't wanna end up dressing down, then you'll have to get something that screams extra. If I see you with any of your shabby clothes on, then I will personally remove you from the premises before you can get humiliated by the snobs." He finished by handing me the card in his hand. I took it carefully and examined it. Immediately, my mouth fell agape. My hands trembled and I looked at Nathan like he was crazy. In my shaky hands was a platinum card.
"You can't give me this!" I shouted. He raised an eyebrow and held my shaky hands.
"Relax, just use it for what you need to buy and then return it at the party. So you better not lose it." He spoke sternly as he pushed the card towards me. This time, he briefly turned and headed towards the school. Without pause or hesitation, he really was leaving me with his platinum card.
After carefully putting the card in my wallet and in a hidden pocket of my backpack, I headed to class. With 15 or so minutes to spare, I got some more studying done. Though it was hard to maintain focus since every few minutes my mind would wander back to the card; I would have to fervently check again that my wallet was in the pocket of my backpack and that the card was stowed away. This dilemma was giving me more anxiety than the exams. As soon as lunch hour rolled around, I dashed to Victoria's class. If I remembered correctly, she had finished her chemistry class at this hour. Of course, she was freaked to see me dashing through the halls like a madwoman. She must've already seen me as a madwoman but to see me acting out? She probably almost had a heart attack. To my surprise, Rachel also had this class and I had to spill my guts to the two of them. I expected nothing less from their reactions when I mentioned the platinum card.
"So you're actually gonna use it?" Rachel asked, a little enthusiastic. Victoria had her chin resting on her fingers as she thought.
"I don't know, I'm not sure if I wanna use it! What if they think I stole it? Hell, I don't even know what I'm gonna wear," I spoke in exasperation, "Victoria, you've probably been to one of the parties, is there some sorta dress code or…" She finally came out of her trance and responded.
"Not a dress code, but some of his family's friends always go all out to one-up each other. How about we go for a shopping spree this weekend," she picked some lint from her cardigan sweater, "I could always use an update on my look." Then she looked at Rachel. I was confused, I thought they were friends. Now it looked like Victoria was being brash towards her. I decided to ignore it since it wasn't my business and continued with the matter at hand.
"So my only options are go with my cheap clothes in my closet or buy something uber expensive that I'll have to pay him back for?"
"You make it sound like he's some sort of loan shark when you put it like that," Rachel commented with a giggle. If only she knew.
"By the way, didn't he give reason to why he's suddenly invited you?" Victoria asked, ignoring Rachel.
"No, I wanted to ask but I couldn't find a way to bring it up. Besides, he'll probably tell me at the party." I explained, leaning onto one of the lockers. I was trying to hide my discomfort from my hunger. Victoria hummed as she walked away, then stopped and turned towards Rachel and me.
"Then I'll see you on Saturday," she beamed and walked away again. I sighed, trying to run through my planner in my head of what I had to do for the next couple of days and adding the shopping date to it. Then, Rachel patted my elbow, gaining my attention.
"You look starved, wanna come with Chloe and I?" she asked. Her friendly smile was dazzlingly bright. I felt my eyes strain from looking at it.
"Loved to, but I'm on a diet," I responded quickly. She pinched my shoulder with a grin.
"Oh, come one. You look like you're about to wither away. Plus, it's on me," she put her hands on her hips, confident in her offer. I usually didn't like being in debt, especially after recent events. But my stomach made it hard to refuse. After I left my things in my locker I walked with Rachel over to the front of the school. Parked on the fire lane was rusted, beat down old truck sputtering; barely able to keep its engine from dying. I looked skeptical at it. Rachel noticed and held my shoulders, pushing me closer to a definite death machine.
"Oh c'mon. It's not as scary as it looks." She spoke in between her maniacal giggles. Maybe the truck would break off its wheels on the road, but Chloe would most definitely break some bone in my body. She gave me a death stare. Not losing focus from my figure being shoved ever closer to the door. When Rachel stopped right at the window, Chloe immediately locked the door. Rachel popped up behind me, giving her a pouty look.
"Oh c'mon babe, it's not a big deal!" she exclaimed behind me, going for the door again. Chloe rolled her eyes and unlocked the door. Rachel then pushed me into the middle of the seat, to Chloe's apparent annoyance.
We headed to the Two Whales, Chloe and Rachel chattering about something I really didn't care about. As we entered, one of the waitresses looked at our party, specifically at Chloe. A hand on her hip as she carried the coffee pot on the other.
"Chloe, I don't suspect you're going to eat while actually paying now are ya'?" she spoke. Seems like they were regulars here.
"Actually, Ms. Price, it's my treat, we're here to treat our new friend," Rachel responded, pulling me in front of her by the arm.
"This is Maddie, she's a senior at our school. She couldn't pay for lunch so I so generously decided to buy her a bite to eat," she continued with her little charade. That was probably why they brought me along. A reason for Rachel to pay for Chloe's lunch. Even still, I smiled at the older woman with a small wave.
"Well, let's hope your generosity isn't wasted on Chloe," she retorted, more towards Chloe. I heard Chloe click her tongue before leading us to a booth. Rachel sat next to me eagerly as we looked over our menus.
"Go ahead and choose whatever you want, I'm gonna splurge today," she said, absentmindedly. This, too, annoyed Chloe. I pretended to not notice her small reactions and continued to look at the menu. Finally, she spoke.
"I'm honestly surprised you wanted to join us," Chloe began, "I would've thought you'd be at the school sucking face with the Prescott kid." Rachel gave her a look I couldn't read from her profile.
"What?" she said this to Rachel more than me, "you can't tell me she's not clinging on to his coattails now."
"Actually," Rachel snapped her menu closed, "you should've seen it. Right after the game, Nathan went right over to her and drove her all the way to Portland!" she spoke eagerly. Of course, Chloe didn't share that same enthusiasm. I rolled my eyes, feeling the embarrassment from that moment finally seep through my skin.
"But it's still weird that you'd want to kiss Prescott ass," she continued to my dismay, "I thought students at Blackwell had to be top tier rich to get in?"
"C'mon Chloe, you know that's not true," Rachel retorted. Chloe only rolled her eyes.
"I mean, besides me, every student there is to have an allowance of at least 10K?" she spoke, a mischievous smirk rising on the corner of her lips. She was trying to get a rise out of me. For what, I didn't know. Maybe to test me, maybe a sort of hazing from her. I kept a poker face.
"I'm guessing you got in with a scholarship," I responded calmly. She looked taken aback, then put on her own poker face.
"Aww, did little miss Maddeline have to also get a scholarship cuz daddy wouldn't pay for your textbooks?" I bit my lip and gripped the end of the table. I held back the memories in my head from flooding out. I imagined a large double door, made of oak and carved with intricate spirals of ivy. I held the doors down and pressed firmly. Rachel changed the subject, sort of.
"Ah, speaking of which, I overheard that the trip to Portland had to do with your dad," I could almost see the sweat running down her forehead, "did everything turn out alright?" I looked at her with a little confusion. I didn't know how to respond. Or even if I should. It wasn't like I knew them well or hung out with them regularly. I could see myself telling Nel or one of the other juniors before telling these two. Luckily, walked up to our table, putting my answer on hold.
"Alright, you girls better order something or I'm gonna have to kick you out," she brought out her pad and pen and looked at me first, "What can I get ya' sweetheart."
"A monte carlo with sweet iced tea," I responded. The other two ordered the same thing with a different drink. We stayed in silence; I still wasn't ready to reply to them. Though it didn't help my situation as Chloe glared at me with the subtlety of a growling tiger. Rachel only observed with nervousness, at least that was the feeling I was getting from her.
"Alright," Mrs. Price arrived, "three monte carlos with a sweet Iced tea, a cola, and a lemonade. By the way, Maddeline was it?'' She spoke to me. I raised my head and corrected her.
"It's Matilda, but Maddie is just fine." She tucked her trays under her arm as she rested her arm over her chest.
"Oh, my apologies, Maddie, I just wanted to ask, what does your mom do? I think I've seen her around these parts a couple o' times," she continued.
"Perhaps, but we live in North Arcadia and she works from home, so I think it was on rare occasions that you saw her…" then something ran across my mind, "or you might've been one of her customers?"
"Ohh! She's Mystical Patrice, right? No wonder you looked so familiar. You're the spittin' image of her," I set my jaw, she continued, "I remember when I went to visit her, you see I lost my hus-"
"Mom!" Chloe yelped out and shook her head fervently while looking at her mom.
"Don't be rude Chloe, if you know what's good for ya'," she looked back at me, "Anyways, I wonder when she's coming back, I heard she's in Portland right now." My throat caught, but the words still left my mouth before I could think of them.
"She's getting ready for my dad to die." All three looked at me in three phases: surprise, regret, and pity. A fourth phase stayed on Chloe after her mom left with an apology. After a few minutes, she left saying she was gonna use the toilet. From the corner of my eye, though, I could see her go up to her mom. I continued to eat my sandwich in peace, Rachel quietly looking over her phone. Now and again, I would see Chloe and her mom look over in our direction, though I knew their concern wasn't about Rachel.
After we finished eating, Chloe dropped us off back at the school. This time, Rachel graciously let me sit by the window. I pulled it down a little to feel the cool air on my face, oblivious to whatever conversation Chloe and Rachel were having. We then parted at the school entrance as I left to get my things for my next class.
Saturday finally came and Victoria woke me up bright and early with a few ferocious knocks at my door. Without a word from me, she quickly popped in and skimmed through my clothes.
"Ugh, no wonder he gave you his card, all this crap is sooo-" she glanced at my over-it face and pursed her lips. She then picked a simple pair of jeans and a white t-shirt with a logo of a band I used to listen to. Then grabbed my jacket and boots and threw the outfit on my bed.
"Get ready, we'll be waiting outside," she said, leaving no room for protest. I got ready as she ordered and decided to halfheartedly put on some make-up. Something that would say I was gonna enjoy the day. Outside, Victoria, Taylor, and Courtney stood in a v-formation waiting for me. I took my rightful place behind Taylor in the formation. We headed to the teacher parking where a luxurious silver Lexus waited patiently. As we approached, the car lights flashed and Victoria took the passenger seat, while Courtney went to the driver's seat. I glanced over to Taylor, hoping she would explain.
"Victoria doesn't have her license yet," she said as she opened the door for me. As we left the parking lot, something on the radio began playing and Victoria quickly changed it.
"Totally ew," she muttered and spun the knob until she hit something she deemed better. Which seemed to be a Daughter song. I could see a smile forming from her cheeks as she turned up the volume. Once we hit the highway, I started leaning against the door, getting ready for a car nap, then Taylor tapped my shoulder and showed me something on her phone. It was a photo of a pair of red rhinestone sandal heels. I gave her a small smile and responded.
"They're cute."
"We should get them for you at the mall," she responded eagerly. Victoria raised her hand, indicating for Taylor to pass her the phone. After a single glance, Victoria responded immediately.
"Ugh, no way. Rhinestones on your heels will look so tacky. We're gonna get you ones like this." Using Taylor's phone, Victoria brought up a picture of a pair of red velvet shoes. Simple and sleek. Taylor slightly pouted but winked at me when she got her phone back. I didn't understand so she typed something out into her phone.
ill get you the other ones when Vic isn't looking
I gave her a half-smile. I doubted that she could sneak those shoes into our shopping bags but I kept some faith in her.
After a two hour drive, we arrived at a mall just outside of Portland. Like the leader she was, Victoria got out first and led us through the store. Of course, she didn't at all look like this was her first time doing this. We followed her to the formal wear side of the store. While my eyes wandered over dress shirts, slacks, and cocktail dresses, Victoria and Courtney quickly moved through gowns. A lot of them made me think of prom. Blackwell doesn't have anything like that because of the Vortex Club being the managers for the school parties. Soon enough, Taylor's arms were weighed down by different types of dresses to the point where her head couldn't be seen and she had to tilt half her body to the side to see where she was walking. I glanced over the dresses. A one-piece suit was amongst them, my thinking that Victoria wanted to see what would suit me best.
"Alright, Taylor, go with her to the changing room and hand her the dresses. Courtney, you give her some pointers for each outfit. I'm gonna go look for shoes," she quickly ordered, and without a moment's hesitation, the other two followed her commands.
The first dress handed to me was a small emerald dress with a v-neck that went to my abdomen. The hem was a little above my knees while my back was bare and opened. It was cute if it weren't for the fact that I'd be freezing my entire back off. I gave Courtney a look of impassivity. She had a finger to her chin.
"We could get you a coat but then you'd be really hot inside the house. And if you were to leave it behind we won't know what would happen," she said. I glanced over to Taylor for her verdict.
"It's pretty but I don't think Nathan likes green," she responded. I sighed and walked back into the room, carefully stripping the dress off of me. After handing it back out, Taylor handed me the next contestant. A dusty pink, halter neck dress. It was a soft polyester with a sash to tie around the waist. The hemline folded to the side of my leg, going below my knee. It was a little more modest but felt too casual. I stepped out and Courtney immediately frowned.
"You don't like it?" I asked, picking up the side of it. She shook her head and pointed to her neck.
"The covered neck doesn't allow much room for jewelry. And even if we could find something to go along with it, it won't be noticed over your covered neck," she responded. She tilted her head slightly. I looked at Taylor and saw her doing the same thing. I dropped my arms to my side in defeat and returned to the room. Next was a tulle gown with a high neck. The color was a taupe with a slightly darker lace pattern. I stepped out and the girls looked a little more optimistic. However, the problem with the dress soon became noticeable when I lifted the hem. It was too long. Even if I were to wear 6-inch heels, I would stand out like a sore thumb lifting my skirt up.
"It's way too formal," Taylor broke the silence.
"Yeah, the party is formal, but not like prom or something. There's gonna be a lot of office monkeys wearing suits and ties," Courtney looked over the dress one more time with a disappointed look on her face, "what a shame, it's such a pretty dress." I finally retreated and removed the gown. The next couple of dresses came with the same set of problems. A light blue cami slip dress was too informal; a gold sequin cocktail dress was too flashy. Over and over again: too modest, too flashy, too formal, too casual. It was like going through a revolving door and seeing the scenery change but never stepping out. After another failure, I returned to the room to see one of the last dresses. It was a red off-shoulder satin dress. It didn't have any other embroidery or sequins. It was a simple color and a simple pattern. After putting it on, I looked at myself in the mirror, lifting myself to my tippy toes, already imagining the shoes that would compliment the dress. Perhaps those rhinestone sandal heels Taylor had shown me earlier. Or, hell, maybe whatever Victoria was bringing me. I stepped out to the other girls, my back straight and a bright smile on my face. Victoria had joined us finally with a pair of red heels. They were similar, but not exactly, to the ones she'd shown earlier.
"I knew that one was gonna be so you," Victoria comments, handing me the heels. I carefully put them on with a disappointing result. They were too small.
"What size did you get?" I asked, perplexed.
"Wha- I thought you were a 5!" she yelled back in shock.
"I'm a 7!" I snapped, a laugh ready to break in my throat. A smile cracked on her face and she bent over to pick up the shoes I had thrown back to her feet.
"Fine fine, just go change and meet me at the shoe's side," she ordered. I carefully removed the dress, and put it back in its hangar, looking it over one more time. I tried to imagine what Nathan would look like when I arrived with this dress. I hoped it would be a positive reaction. After leaving the other dresses behind and carrying what we needed, we joined Victoria in the shoe section. There she stood not in front of the red ones she'd handed me earlier, but instead to a pair of silver sequin low heeled pumps.
"These'll be perfect to compliment the jewelry I'm getting you-" I gave her a look and she corrected herself, "that I'm suggesting to you." She handed me a box of size 7s. After trying them out and getting accustomed, I put them back in their box and we headed to the jewelry section. After a few minutes of Victoria sweet-talking the lady behind the glass cases, she displayed a few options she thought would go well. I didn't wear such complicated earrings, so I didn't know what to look for. That being said, my eyes couldn't leave a pair of diamond long chain earrings. I tapped Victoria and got her to convince the woman to let us see them closer. I could already picture my hair styled perfectly to show them off. Although we wanted to choose a necklace as well, the four of us couldn't decide on what kind of cut or if it should be a gold chain or silver. So we decided to just go with the earrings alone. We paid for them there and continued looking through the store, finding a warm light brown wool long coat. To not draw attention to me before I got there and to surprise Nathan when I saw him again. Finally, a red clutch to finish everything off. We or I should say I, paid for my things, struggling not to tremble during the transaction with the platinum card. It'd be one thing if I were to drop it and lose it. It'd be another if the clerk found it suspicious that I was nervous about using such a high-value card. Outside the store, I took a deep breath and calmed my still rapid-beating heart. However, Victoria wasn't done with me. We stopped by the beauty store nearby and picked out a few other things. Victoria was especially particular about skincare products. Though she allowed me to pick a new eyeshadow palette.
We went back to school after 3 p.m., stomping our sore feet to my room. Victoria picked out a hangar with a dress shirt from my closet, then removed the shirt and placed my new dress.
"I'll see if I can get a cover for the dress," she mentions as she smooths out the folds of the dress. Courtney leaves the box of the shoes underneath and then stands next to Victoria. I feel compelled to thank her for gracing me with her knowledge of upper-class fashion. However, already feeling awkward with the lot of them in my room, I opted to just give a simple thank you.
"Thanks for taking your time to help me out," I say, leading the three to the door.
"Yeah, well, maybe now you'll know how to dress yourself appropriately," she responds then leads the girls to her room.
"See you at the party!" she cheers into the hallway before closing her door. I roll my eyes, unable to help the smile cracking from my lips.
The days walk by slowly. They pick up pace on the last day of the exams. Stressed and relieved all at once, I dumped my limp body to my mattress, letting out a sigh I had been holding in since the beginning of the week. The exams were one hurdle I was finally over, now it was time for the next. I glanced over to my closet where the red dress hung, protected by a clear garment cover. It made my heart race for the upcoming event. With the adrenaline pumping through me, I stood back up and rushed to my dresser. My face was greasy and wet from both sweat and the cold. Bags under my eyes showcasing my last couple of over-night studying. My hair was jumbled and tangled, unwashed from the last couple of days to save time for studying. I frowned at my reflection and headed to my closet where I grabbed my shower basket, towel, and a change of clothes. I stopped at the door, noticing the unopened packages of the skincare Victoria had recommended I use. I quickly swiped them, hiding them underneath my washcloth. I took my sweet time cleaning myself, getting every nook and cranny I had missed from the quick showers I had taken so far. I felt disgusting but with the hot water running down my back, I felt like I had shed old skin. Outside, I quickly rolled my hair into my towel and began rubbing the different products on my face. Carefully reading the instructions and looking this way and that to make sure I got every inch of skin. After I was done, my face felt like it'd been stripped completely naked, possibly to my muscle and tissue. One look over reaffirmed that it was better that my pores didn't look so huge anymore. I lightly dabbed some face cream, piled the rest of the things into my little shower basket, and headed back to my room. Maybe it was my imagination, but it almost felt like the other girls were staring at me. I chalked it up to it being the fact that I had come back to the dorms early enough to clean up after such a difficult week. During the rest of the week before the party, I would repeat this routine, feeling a little lighter as I saw my skin glow after the day. Long day or not, it felt like I was shining.
On the 23rd, I dedicated most of the day to come up with new hairstyles. Especially ones that would look good with the dress. I was scared of taking the dress out and putting it on so early, somehow thinking it was bad luck to do so, and opted to close my eyes and imagine myself in the dress. It was difficult to choose something, thinking that anything with my hair up would look best, but also thinking that it would require a lot of work with some maintenance afterward. At one point, I thought about chopping my hair with my school scissors and giving myself a bob. In the end, I decided no to since it would be such a drastic change to my upper half that it could throw the whole outfit off. After deciding on a hairstyle that I thought would suit me best, I went to take a shower and get ready for bed. Walking through the hallways of the empty dorms felt weird though. Like a scene from some horror movie. The lone girl left behind while the other students went to their family homes or vacation spots. After leaving the showers, I felt like one of those protagonists, those scream queens. Looking ominously down the long hallway, anticipating something to come. A feeling in my gut told me, it's not gonna go perfectly, it never does.
I fell asleep soundly, somehow. But as soon as my alarm went off, I could hear my heart beating rapidly in my eardrums. I wanted to have a smoke first, but my mind immediately went to the smell of tar getting stuck on me no matter how many showers I were to take. I got dressed in some jeans and a turtle-neck and headed out to the two-whales. To no surprise, there was little business going on at the diner. With only the usual cop and trucker sitting at the barstools. I sat alone at the end of the diner that overlooked the parking lot. I was hoping to avoid Mrs. Price, to no avail. Immediately after seeing me, she bee-lined to my booth to strike up a conversation.
"You know, after you and the girls left, I realized you were familiar. You always came in with that boy, the one with long hair," she spoke cheerily, hoping to draw something out of me I bet.
"Uh, yeah, he's an old friend of mine," I decided to respond, the uninterest blatantly in my tone of voice. She ignored it.
"I thought you two were a thing, but then I've seen him with a different girl and it got me kinda confused," she continued. Realizing she wasn't going to take my order unless I interacted in the conversation, I decided to indulge her. I figured that being a waitress in such a small-seaside town could only get better with the spectacle of the people you served. I told her as little about Jo as possible, telling her that I could only tell her what I knew from an outsider's point of view. She ended it by finally taking my order and serving me a hot breakfast. I paid with cash, not wanting to bring up the topic of the platinum card into such a public area. Hell, the cop would've thought I'd stolen it. After finishing, I headed out. Though I still didn't feel ready to get back to my dorm and put on my armor, I decided to head to the library and figure out the route to Nathan's house. Finding a road that led to the gated area in the mountains where their house was. I thought for a moment how I would get past security, hoping that maybe Nathan had included me in the guest list. Unless that guest list included people already living in the gated area. I quickly dialed Victoria's number, nervous fingers trembling as I held the earpiece up. Impatiently telling the phone to hurry in getting picked up.
"Hello?"
"How the hell am I gonna get into his house if I don't have proof I was invited?"
"Shut up idiot, you have any idea how suspicious that sounds?" she retorted, I pursed my lips.
"Right, this is Maddie from school-"
"No shit I know it's you Maddie!" she sighed dramatically, "you are so lucky I pick up my phone. What if it'd been my maid or my parents!"
"Okay okay, I'm sorry. I just couldn't help but panic," I responded, the knot in my stomach becoming more twisted. I heard another exhale before she spoke again.
"It's whatever, anyways, didn't he give you an invitation?" she asked, her annoyance no longer there.
"No, he just told me to go… can't we carpool together. I mean what if they ask why I'm there and they don't let me through because my story won't hold any water an-"
"Calm down, dumbass!" she cut me off, I held my breath and let out a sigh. She continued.
"Listen, I'll get ready soon here and I'll come pick you up maybe an hour before the start of the party," she spoke again, sounding like she was moving around.
"Ok, ok, I'll wait for you then. Call me when you're here then…" I finished the call and headed back to my dorm. After taking a shower, I headed to my room and finally changed. Finishing my makeup and hair, I briefly contemplated wearing boots on the way to the party and changing to heels, that way they wouldn't get scuffed or scratched. I decided not to though, considering I still needed to get adjusted to wearing the heels. It was a small sacrifice to make to have less to carry in Victoria's car.
Just like she promised, an hour before the time, she called to signal her arrival. I took another look at the mirror, hoping that my hairdo didn't look too fiddled with. My nervousness had caused me to mess with it and restart a couple of times. I dabbed on some highlighter powder that Victoria had lent me and headed out. Arriving at the car, I immediately noticed it wasn't the Lexus she drove around in. Not to mention, an old guy walked out from the driver's seat and came around to open the door. Which didn't produce Victoria. I hesitated and backed off, only stopping when a voice from inside called out my name.
"Maddie, don't tell me you're getting cold feet now," the voice said… it was Victoria's.
"Victoria?" I poked my head in and saw the seats as empty as the first time.
"I'm on the phone."
"What?! I thought you said you were gonna come pick me up!"
"Right, about that. Turns out a flight from Cabo back to Portland is about 4- 6 hours. Plus the extra drive from there to Arcadia. So I just decided to call my chauffeur and asked him to take you. Don't worry, I trust him and he's memorized the fastest route to Nathan's house," she finished off but didn't hang up yet. I was baffled, speechless. This didn't help the nerves that were rising from my stomach.
"Victoria! I can't go it alone! What if I have to do fancy talk or worse, I have to meet his parents-" I gasped, hitting my head on the door frame, "yeesh Victoria what if I have to meet his parents!" She sighed and responded.
"First of all, I doubt anyone there's gonna wanna talk with a kid about business. Second of all, I'm sure Nate came up with something to cover you, that's if…" she mumbled the rest and the feedback wouldn't let me hear the rest.
"Anyways, just go, you're running late and Nathan can only stay out to greet the guests for so long," she finished and hung up.
"If you please, Miss Madeline," the chauffeur spoke, putting out his hand to guide me into the car. I obeyed and flopped in. After he got into his seat I spoke up.
"By the way, Maddie's just fine." He nodded and responded.
"Very well, Miss Maddie, there's a blanket back there and a mini-fridge if you feel peckish. The Prescott mansion is quite a drive away." He turned his attention back to the road and drove off. After a couple of minutes, I decided to take water from the fridge. Didn't want to end up dehydrated at such a fancy party.
During the drive, I tried my best to stay awake, not wanting to end up smudging my makeup on the exquisite leather. Though the amount of mascara and eyeshadow coupled with my grogginess made my eyes burn. After passing hillsides and cliffs, we made it to a path where cars were entering. It felt ominous, like a murder mystery novel taking place in a fancy house.
"Prescott Mansion Miss Maddie," the chauffeur introduced. It was a massive stone mansion that looked like a castle from Scotland. The front had a paved driveway that led to the front doors of the house and circled to either the exit or the parking area set aside next to the forest of trees. A beautiful marble fountain, with a statue of Apollo- replica I'm guessing- was the circling point at the front. It was off right now, though the lights inside the basin were turned on, illuminating Christmas colors on the statue's visage.
"Here are the rules," the chauffeur turned to face me, handing me a card, "I will be parked off to the side and wait for the party to end with all the other workers. But if you wish to leave early or you plan to stay, call this number and I will make the proper arrangements. You can leave anything not necessary inside and also call me later if you end up needing it. The party officially ends at 12 but I will be waiting at the car half an hour before that. So let me know early if you have a change of plans. Understand?" I nodded my head, keeping the card in a hidden pocket inside of the clutch.
"Very well, Miss Maddie, we have arrived," he pulled up next to two men standing on either side, one opened my door while the other reached in. I took the hand and was reminded of a period drama.
"Welcome Miss," the man holding my hand spoke, "do you come alone?"
"She's with me," a voice spoke up. It was Nathan. He was dressed in a reddish-brown wool coat with a gray cardigan over a dress shirt and gold necktie. His hair was styled the same as always though a little sleeker today. In the darkening light, I could see the shine of a chain just creeping out of his collar.
"Nathan," I finally spoke, he reached out his hand and the man let me free, returning to his work.
"I almost didn't recognize you, Thorne," he teased. I huffed but didn't feel annoyed. The wasted months of not seeing each other, never speaking, melted away as if they never happened. My mind then wandered to my coat. It was still covering up my real showstopping outfit, I hid the smile that was trying to creep into a grin. The show hadn't started yet.
Inside, after handing our coats to the employees in the foyer, Nathan reacted just as I hoped. His eyes lingered and ran down my figure before snapping back to my eyes.
"What, didn't think I could actually clean up, Prescott?" I gave him an impish smile before folding my elbow and directing him to guide me. He smiled back with an equally mischievous smile as we headed towards the salon- that's what I guessed it was called. The room was full of little circles of men in grey suits or formal-casual wear. Some more seemingly playful women wore "ugly" sweaters with Santa hats and reindeer headbands. I could hear the sound of children playing by the tree on the other side of the room. It looked like it used to be a detached room before they decided to tear down the wall. But Nathan was leading me to any of those places, instead, he was spearheading towards the fireplace where a man in a full blue suit stood, leaning slightly towards the mantle.
"Is that-"
"My dad," we whispered. I swallowed the metaphorical ball in my throat and tried to keep my chin up and shoulders back. It was ironic that such a stern-looking man stood next to a very cheerily decorated fireplace. The garland and stockings couldn't ease the tense atmosphere around him.
"Dad," Nathan began, nodding quickly to the other guys that surrounded his dad, "I wanted you and mom to meet someone, this is that friend I told you about." He patted my hand. I smiled as elegantly as I could imagine myself doing.
"Hello sir, pleasure to meet you," I didn't raise my hand to shake his, the look in his eye clueing me in on what his impression of me was.
"Son, I don't have time to amuse your friends, go find your mother, she's the entertainer for the evening after all," he said stiffly. Nathan only nodded, giving him a, "Yes Dad" instead of the "Yes Sir" I was expecting him to respond with. He dragged me out of that room and led me to a different one, what I imagined they called the den as they had a t.v and a large area to sit and stand in with a mostly empty bookshelf. The room was mostly filled with women with a couple of men singing karaoke.
"Some company party," I whispered to Nathan. He kept a smile from forming, but I could see the corner of his mouth twitch up.
"Mom!" he called out in the noise of the woman currently singing. Then, to my utter surprise, the woman singing turned towards us and grinned.
"Oh Naty, is this your friend you were talking about, come here, come here!" she hooted, waving her hand towards her. I hesitated moving forward, but Nathan had no problem guiding me forward. I tried my best not to tense up my shoulders, opting to squeeze my clutch a little harder.
"Hi honey, nice to meet you," she looked towards me, she held out her left hand while her other still held the microphone, "My name's Caroline, I'm Nathan's mom. What's your's?" To my increasing woe, she moved the microphone towards my mouth. Here I thought Nathan's dad was gonna be the bigger obstacle.
"Um, Maddie," my voice echoed in the stillness.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Maddie and my sweet boy Nathan," she announced and tapped the microphone lightly as if to clap. Everyone followed suit.
"Naty, why don't you and your friend go help out your sister, she should be getting the presents together now." she shooed us out of the room as the music began again. In the hallway, we could hear a voice continue to sing Madonna. I sighed in relief, using my clutch to fan myself.
"I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes," I joked, I breathed out again, feeling a blissful sense of relief wash over me.
"It's okay," he let go of my elbow and pressed me against a wall where he lifted my hair, "it means she likes you." A gentle smile formed on his face and I could feel his breath brush against my skin. It smelled of fresh mint and nicotine. I glanced at his lips, but stopped myself, remembering that he hadn't given me the signal that we were back together or whatever else comes next.
"Well," I began, to distract myself, "I still have your sister to face." He dropped my hair and leaned on the wall across from me.
"Eh, it's fine. I already told her about you," he said nonchalantly. My breath caught in my throat and I coughed a couple times to clear it.
"What?" I asked, perplexed at his response.
"It's fine, she's more chill than my parents anyways." My heart started beating faster and my mind raced in circles. It couldn't mean what I thought- what I hoped it meant.
"Then, what uh do we do now then?" I asked, trying hard not to stammer.
"Well, I planned the rest of our evening so we could," he stood straight and walked towards me, playing with a strand of hair that was on my shoulder, "talk. Uninterrupted." He drew his hands to his pockets as he finished. So, it was time. I kept my voice crisp and unwavering.
"Where to then."
He led me to their indoor pool in the back. At first, I thought it was in a basement, but after realizing the house was on an incline, I realized it was just the lower lever. He wasn't holding my hand or anything, instead just guiding me then ordering me to stay by the door as he turned the lights and pool jets on. If he was planning on swimming, he should've told me to bring swimwear. After the roar of the jets settled to a low hum, Nathan headed towards me, removing his cardigan.
"I had to do a lot of thinking after your little stunt in October," he began. After removing his cardigan he then rolled up his pants and then sleeves.
"Umm," I stammered, "you know you could've just forgotten about that." I stood still, avoiding his gaze and staring at my shoes. He began to stir the water in one area of the pool and sat down, letting his legs dangle on the edge.
"I tried to, believe me, but-" he turned his gaze to the water, "I kept thinking, 'Why?' Our relationship up to that point had been based on a business. Mutual gain and all that. I wondered what else you wanted." I stepped a little closer, he turned to look at me, daring to keep going.
"You think people only want to get close to you to get something out of it?" I asked, already knowing the answer. It was one of the classic tropes about rich people.
"When you have money and your family has powers, you can't help but think everyone that approaches you wants something out of you," he reached out his hand for me to take. I leaned over to remove my shoes and sat next to him, letting my legs rest in the cool water.
"What about Victoria?"
"Her family wants a connection to me, what better way than to set us up to become fiance's."
"Is that really a thing?" I asked with a shock in my tone. He threw his head back as he laughed.
"I'm pretty sure they accomplish powerful marriage contracts by making all the rich kids go to the same school," he joked. The smile he had slowly faded and he spoke seriously again, "anyways, there was a lot to think about, but I ended up thinking you were after something by 'confessing'. Then, the homecoming game happened. Not only did you show up, but you even got Victoria to drag me into some problem you were having."
"Wait, I wasn't-"
"Let me finish," he spoke sternly and stood outside the pool, pulling me up as well, "That's what I thought at first. When you asked me to take you to Portland, to go to the hospital. I just kept thinking about how I should handle it when you asked me for money or some sort of connected help." I was biting my lip, holding in the sobs that were stinging to come out. He continued.
"Then when we got there, not only was your friend there too, but you began to cry. I thought it was more of the plan to guilt me into paying for you. But then," he stopped and looked at me, with eyes full of confusion, "you forgot I was there."
"If all you wanted was a thank you or something you could've just said so at school," I responded, prepping myself to end this.
"No, I thought that's what I wanted, too. But like I said, I did a lot of thinking. I was angry and confused and I just kept circling back to the hospital. Why drag me along to get more favors out of me, only to forget I was ever there. Inviting you was to see how I would react during the wait, and today," he walked towards me, grabbing my hands, "I confirmed it." My hands shivered- from the cold, from the news, the revelation. My mouth opened and closed as small squeaks passed through my throat.
"You mean you…" I began, scared to finish the sentence.
"I don't know yet if that is what I feel, I just know that I was excited to see you today, that I couldn't stop looking at you and how much I never noticed before." A giggle escaped from my throat and a grin formed from my lips.
"Geez, I never thought I would get to hear the Nathan Prescott say such sappy things." He chuckled too and responded.
"Yeah, don't ever make me repeat things like that again," he pulled my arms around his shoulders and held my waist.
"Okay okay, I'll just have to learn your love language," I held my face closer to his, only to be surprised as he lifted me up.
"Then here's the first lesson," with one quick motion, he tossed me into the pool. After surfacing, only one word escaped me.
"Prescott!" He laughed hysterically, holding onto his side. My heart froze over, preparing for the ", haha you actually thought?". But it didn't come, instead, he cannonballed in and I swam closer as he surfaced.
"If bullying is your love language then I'm gonna guess there's more than just me that you like," my mind went back to Sammantha and her apparent history with Nathan's violence. I splashed him as he approached me, a grin and on his face and a chuckle escaping his throat.
"Sorry sorry but it was just too easy," he held onto my arms and pulled himself closer. I pouted and decided to mess with him.
"What part are you really sorry about?"
"For leading you on and doing things in the wrong order," I inched closer, he was still holding onto my arms. I wasn't expecting that kind of response.
"So you're sweet when you want to be?" I asked. His face was only centimeters from mine. I could feel the droplets of water falling from his nose land on my lips.
"No, just when the situation calls for it." Then, finally- finally- he pressed his lips to mine. The chlorine kept me aware, but his insistent movement pried my mouth open and I let my wall down. He no longer had a hold on my arms, instead, pressing my back as he half swam and half walked over to the wall of the pool. I could feel one of the jets pulse next to us.
"I can learn that... love language then.." I said in between kisses. My hands wandered up to his chest to the back of his neck. I didn't mind how wet we were. I didn't mind how we would smell of pool cleaner and the dress would be ruined. I just felt excitement in this moment. Suddenly, from afar, we heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. Nathan was first to break away and turn to face the person. I could see a hint of annoyance before it turned to that of sheer terror. The man standing by the entrance was Nathan's dad.
"I see you invited your friend just to mess around," he nodded towards me. Nathan changed his expression to something emotionless.
"You have your guest and I have mine. I brought her over here to stay out of the way, just like you always ask," he responded. Nathan kept a hand to my stomach, keeping me pinned behind him. I felt a surge of embarrassment wash over me so I decided to lower myself into the water to hide. As if that would do much.
"I still expect you to act appropriately during such an important party," he retorted, crossing his arms. Nathan scoffed and reached for my hand.
"Fine, I needed to go help Kristine anyway," we swam towards the ladder and got out, the whole time keeping me out of sight of his dad. He grabbed a towel for each of us while I grabbed our things. He then led me to a staircase near the kitchen. I guessed that this was the servants' only back staircase. He dropped me off in a room and ordered me to shower.
"I don't have anything to change into," I replied, eyeing the room. I wanted to make sure it wasn't his so his parents didn't get any sort of idea about us.
"I'll get my sister to lend you something," he replied, leaving the room. Left to my own devices, I found a bathrobe in the closet and quickly showered. There wasn't anything to wash myself in so I just stood in the warm water, hoping it would take away the smell. Idly sitting on the bed I decided to phone the chauffeur. Whatever came next, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to leave when the party ended. I dared not lie down on the bed, the fear of ruining the mattress or sheets keeping me awake. Just as I was losing my battle with tiredness, a knock came from the door. I first thought it was Nathan coming back, to my surprise, it wasn't. A woman- younger than his mom but closely resembling Nathan- walked in with a towel and a set of clothes. For a brief second, I thought it was a guest that was supposed to have this room. My heart started beating fast as she approached me.
"Woah, you look like you saw the ghosts of Christmas past," she remarked as she dropped the things by the foot of the bed. She opened her mouth to say something before falling into a smile and giggling. She had the same gentle smile that Nathan would sometimes display.
"It looks like you already took a shower… or just changed out of your wet clothes," she continued with a giggle, dropping the things on the foot of the bed. She patted them before continuing.
"I tried to find something comfortable and warm, so I hope you don't mind the sweats." I kept my gaze on the clothes, words escaping my mind. She spoke so gently and gestured with almost every word she spoke. It was amusing to see, like a puppet show.
"Umm… thanks- I mean, thank you kindly I'll just," I quickly got off the bed and reached for the things, afraid of meeting more of her curious gaze.
"Woah, I'm sorry, I think I scared you. I promise I don't bite, not as hard as my brother anyways," she took a seat on a chair in the corner. I soon realized what she wore. A simple jean skirt with a knitted sweater and a white blouse underneath. She looked so humble and I felt so overdressed seeing how her and her mom had dressed. Why did I ever listen to the girls?
"You're fine," I finally responded after realizing that I'd been standing there silently, "I'll just go change now." I let out a quiet sigh as I entered the bathroom.
"Oh, right! Pass me your dress so I can get it fixed real quick," she called behind me. I searched the bathroom for a place to leave the borrowed clothes. The dress was still dripping from the hem, smelling of chlorine and a discoloration that was quickly spreading. I gently lifted it off the towel rack it was hanging from and handed it to her.
"Oh poor thing," she clicked her tongue and shook her head slightly, "I promise I'll try to revive the dress for you," she took another look at it, "or perhaps even compensate." I couldn't help but chuckle.
"It's fine, it did what I intended to use it for, so now it's time to say goodbye," I replied, brushing my fingers through the fabric. It no longer felt soft, instead, feeling frayed and coarse. It was a shame though, I had hoped to wear the dress to other things, but I guess somethings aren't meant to last.
"Anyways, I'm keeping you from getting into warmer clothes so I'll head out now. If you need anything, Cece's downstairs on standby," she finished and walked out the door. Between the clothes and towel was a small bottle of shampoo that I happily used in a third shower. It smelled of pears and flowers. Feeling refreshed, I layed on the bed, keeping my hair rolled in a towel. The shampoo bottle didn't have enough to completely wash out all the products I had used to style my hair, but it had gotten a decent amount out. Eventually, my sleepiness caught up to me and I passed out on the bed. Though it wasn't long before I woke up. Nathan walked through the door, he walked gently over to the bed. In my half-awake state, I noticed his change of clothes. How long had I been asleep? I sat up but was pressed down by Nathan's hands.
"Don't worry about anything else right now. Just go back to sleep." It wasn't Nathan's voice. It was softer, for a moment I thought it was his mom, but it was his sister again. I looked up at her, my drowsiness wearing off.
"What's-" She cut me off before I could finish. Then I realized, there was another voice out in the hall. A man's voice. It wasn't Nathan's voice either.
"Yeah, I think I'll sleep here instead. It's a little warmer here," she called out. She stood in front of me, blocking any sort of action happening behind her.
"Fine, do what you want," the man replied. It was at this point that I realized it was Nathan's dad.
"Okay!" she called one last time before closing the door. She sighed and spun around to face me.
"So, I guess this'll be a girls' night."
"What's going on?" I replied with my whole voice.
"So, dad got really pissed that Natey invited a stranger to the house and we all tried to defend him that you were no more a stranger than all the people invited today but… my dad is quite the stubborn man," she walked closer and sat on the edge of the bed, "so we had to convince him you had left after he met you and that you weren't going to show up here after today." She finished with a proud smile. I slumped my shoulders in disbelief. Even worse was the remorse I felt for putting Nathan through that kind of situation with his family.
"I'm sorry, I seem to just be causing trouble," I tried to repent, Nathan's sister only shushed me, holding my shoulders.
"It's fine, mom and I are here for you two," she pushed me back down on the bed, snuggling herself next to me under the bedsheets.
"I never had a sleepover- well not in our house- this is nice," she sighed. Somehow, she was able to fall fast asleep before me. I simply kept sighing, turning over the one thought in my head.
The worst was behind me, or was it all just about to begin?
So this took quite a while. I'm glad I was able to publish this chapter before the end of the year. I don't think I'll be working on the next chapter before January starts, tho. I'll mostly be working on fixing any grammar and spelling errors in the previous chapters. Thanks everyone for reading, happy holidays and a prosperous new year!