Chapter 12
Taylor was wearing a pastel blue suit and white dress shirt. He was wearing brown, leather dress shoes. It was quite bright for an early afternoon lunch. Jolene in turn was wearing a deep purple knee length dress with silver flowers embroidered on it. Her hair was in a fishtail braid over her shoulder.
The two made an odd pair visually, and Jolene had to admit the awkward silences during their lunch wasn't helping the matter. She cleared her throat, "So, Taylor, tell me about your family?"
No."
Jolene blinked, "Uh- okay, then, tell me what you like to do?"
Taylor frowned, "Read the Bible. Pray, think."
Jolene smiled awkwardly, "Well, that certainly sounds fulfilling. Did you always like that?"
Taylor was silent for a moment, "No…." he spoke softly, "I wanted to travel. But then- then I was shown the truth."
"Truth?" Jolene asked, setting down her glass of lemonade. By his tone it sounded strained, rehearsed.
"Yes. But that doesn't matter now, I'm dedicated, therefore I'm safe." Taylor replied, taking a quick bite of a sandwich.
Jolene slumped in her seat, "Alright then, well, if you ever want to talk about traveling, I'm sure Marcus would be more than happy to discuss!"
"Oh, I haven't talked much to Prince Marcus. I prefer to spend time by myself. Although Danny and I talk sometimes."
"That's good! I'm glad you have someone to talk to." Jolene answered, "I would hate to think my Selected were lonely."
Taylor only shrugged, "Yeah, it's okay."
Jolene smiled, taking a sip of her lemonade. "Taylor, don't be afraid to interact with the boys here. I promise they won't bite." She laughed, but noticed Taylor hadn't. She grimaced, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just not used to being so free around people. My family and then….my community kept me at arm's length from everybody, every guy around me."
Jolene's eyes narrowed. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Jolene certainly knew not everyone who was gay was out of the closet. But she was wondering if he had come out, and been scared back in. She sighed.
She wouldn't press for answers. But she honestly hoped she was wrong. It would also sadden her to know that her Selected were afraid to be themselves, anywhere, but especially here. She wanted to know the real them, and especially wanted them to discover things about themselves here as well. This was a journey for all of them.
At least she thought so.
"Just remember that you're safe here, Taylor. It's okay to be who you want to be. Whoever that may be, you can even explore new things! Try new activities, meet new people." Jolene spoke softly, but earnestly.
Taylor's eyes seemed to brighten a bit, and Jolene offered a smile. But the fog quickly rolled back into his eyes, and he only nodded. Jolene frowned, but continued eating her food.
She hoped he would come out of his shell. She would be glad to see him open up a bit, in fact, a few of her Selected could do with more open personalities. They were quite reserved and shy. Puzzling. She didn't like puzzles she couldn't solve. These boys were confusing her, all the while they insisted on getting her to open too. Maybe she should consider it...
She had to shake her head at the irony. She hoped for Taylor to come out of his shell, but Rustin was wildly outgoing and if anything wished he'd go back in his shell a bit. These boys were certainly keeping her on her toes.
Speaking of...
She glanced at a small clock on the table across from her. She noticed the time and cleared her throat. "Well, excuse me Taylor, it was….nice. But I do have other matters to attend to."
Taylor stood, giving a small bow, and Jolene walked quickly back to her room to prepare for her next date.
Jolene changed from her jumpsuit into a pair of jean shorts and a flowy white shirt. She let her hair down and brushed it quickly before throwing on black ankle boots and hurrying outside to her next date. Karim Mahendranath. He was awfully nice and she was curious to see if he was going to have a fun date. They were just going to spend the afternoon in the garden and he would take some photographs. She was quite interested in seeing the final products of his photoshoot.
She walked out the back door and stepped onto the patio. Karim was crouching over a blooming bush and was snapping shots. She heard the camera shuttering and smiled. She walked over, clearing her throat.
"Oh, Your Highness, I didn't hear you come out. How are you?" He relaxed the camera on the strap around his neck, offering her a bright smile.
"I'm doing well, quite a busy afternoon, how are you?" Jolene replied, shrugging.
"I'm doing great now that I'm outside. I always connect more with nature." He picked up his camera again, turning towards the pebbled path through the gardens. "Shall we?"
Jolene nodded, walking off with him right beside her. Jolene led him to a willow tree by a small pond lined with reeds and tall grasses. It was quite pretty, and Jolene felt he would appreciate it.
Karim smiled and began pacing around the pond looking for the best views and angles. Karim snapped a few shots, then came back to Jolene and showed her the screen.
"Look, you can have so many different angles. Facing into the water, up into the sky with the sun in the background. Personally, this is my favorite, because you're in it." Karim spoke, pointing to Jolene's hair blowing around her face as she stood beside the pond looking across at him. The sun made her skin look far more golden than it really was, and her hair looked brighter red.
Jolene couldn't help the smile that broke out onto her face, "Oh, wow. That's a good photo, thank you. Do you mind if-?'
"I can have it developed and given to you in no time."
Jolene nodded her thanks, looking at the camera as he continued to flip through shots. He had taken about 15. They moved onto the next location, a beautiful rose patch. There were mainly red roses, but a single yellow rose bloomed in the middle.
Karim grinned and indicated for Jolene to crouch by the yellow rose. "Like that, yes. Okay, now you should move the rose ever so slightly so it seems you're smelling it. But look towards me. No, not your whole face, just your eyes. Yes!"
Jolene held the pose, a slight smile on her face. She then changed angles and settled her face next to the flower, almost tangling it in her hair. She then looked at the flower and smiled brightly.
The camera clicked and Karim nodded, "Yes, I believe that'll do it for this area, thank you."
They moved on to another area, a small patch of violets. Jolene smiled to herself, she loved this patch of violets. They were so pretty, always the same shade of purple. It was so uniform, elegant.
Karim snapped some more pictures and finally they decided to head back into the castle. Karim was already sending his photos up to the printer in his room. He'd specifically requested a photo developer so that he didn't have to reach outside of the palace to print his photos.
They went back to his room and Jolene waited outside while he retrieved the photos for her. She smiled as she took the photos from him, all the ones containing her. She did appreciate that he found her so inspiring amongst the flowers and pond.
But she didn't feel a romantic spark with him, he'd been perfectly friendly, but she suspected her own feelings would stay friendly as well. She also needed to eliminate someone soon, the public was hungry for drama.
Jolene sighed, gently taking Karim's hand in her own. "Look, Karim, you're really sweet. But I'm afraid I'm not feeling a romantic spark on my end. I-"
"I get it. I'll start packing then." Karim frowned, but nodded. "Thanks for the afternoon."
"Thank you for the photos."
"Of course."
Jolene smiled, "I'll say goodbye then tomorrow morning."
"Thank you again, Your Highness, it was great here while I had the chance to hang around."
Jolene patted his hand, but walked away. She sighed, holding the photos against her chest. She may have had to say goodbye to another Selected, but at least this one was on good terms.
Jolene's final date of the day was with Leander. They would be going to an art museum in downtown Angeles. The whole thing would be quite formal, but Leander was a formal person. Jolene dressed in a black knee-length, long-sleeved dress. She wore a golden necklace and a matching gold bracelet. She wore black heels and Willa had curled Jolene's hair into tight curls framing her face.
Jolene couldn't help but frown at the formality. Yes she was a regal person, but she'd rather be wearing jeans and combat boots with her hair tied in a messy ponytail with a beanie. But art museums, especially such high class ones, tended to have dress codes.
Willa handed Jolene a black clutch purse to finish off the look. "There! Simply beautiful, Your Highness."
"Thank you, Willa." Jolene turned away from the mirror, looking towards the door. "Take the rest of the night off, I can manage on my own when I come back."
Willa nodded, dipping into a curtsy before leaving. Jolene took a deep breath then left her room as well. She walked down the hall, the click of her heels echoing in an unbearably empty way.
She finally made it down the stairs to the main entrance where Leander was waiting in a suit, minus the tie. He nodded to her in greeting and offered his arm. She took it gently and they made their way down the stairs outside to the limo waiting for them.
They climbed in and the driver took off once the door closed. Leander was silent, and Jolene cleared her throat.
"So, Leander, tell me about yourself. What do you like to do?"
"Draw, plan new buildings." Leander replied, shrugging, "I also like video games."
Jolene was genuinely shocked by that statement, she laughed, "Wait, really?"
"Yes."
"Oh, I just-" she laughed again, "you don't seem like the type to be a gamer I guess."
Leander grimaced, "Well, not all games, only strategic ones. No random shooting or senseless goals or anything like that."
"What about Minecraft?" Jolene asked.
"Minecraft? When I was younger, sure. It stemmed my interest in buildings and the natural aspect of the world." Leander replied, glancing out the window.
"Oh, you're into ecology?" This boy was full of surprises. Gamer and now environmental protector? Not a bad combination if she was being honest…
"Oh yeah, absolutely. Nature is important, we must protect it. When I become an architect my buildings will incorporate many environmentally-friendly aspects. Plants along the outside, artificial waterfalls falling into ponds, green energy."
Jolene smiled, "That's great, Leander! You could really make a difference. Well, if I ever need anything built, I'll know who to ask."
Leander smiled softly in return.
They arrived at the museum and stepped out of the limo and stared up at the building before them. The museum was made of sleek metal painted white and black. The designs clashed, but Jolene guessed it was on purpose. Art was strange to her, she much preferred music or written works. But Leander had a small smile on his face as he looked up at the building. Jolene smiled too, if Leander was excited then she could at least give it a try.
Leander and Jolene walked up the stairs, entering the museum. They presented their tickets and made their way to the first art piece. It was abstract, and from what Jolene could gather, almost every piece in the building was abstract.
They stood in silence for a bit, staring at the painting before them. Jolene eventually leaned in towards Leander, "What do you think it means?"
Leander barely showed a sign he'd heard, but he replied a moment later, "I think it's supposed to be the anger at a lost past."
Jolene looked at the painting. The lines of red and black seemed to match the anger. But she didn't understand where the 'lost past' came from. Leander moved on to the next work, a sculpture.
It was a series of squares and circles made out of clay overlapping. Jolene looked from the art to Leander, wondering what was going on in his head. She supposed she didn't have an artistic mind, she preferred more material things with logical solutions and answers.
"What do you make of it?" Leander asked, though his stare never left the statue.
Jolene grimaced, "A maze I think, it seems very confusing. Endless in the case of the circles."
Leander hummed, tilting his head slightly. It took a moment for him to say anything, "I think it's the creator's mind. Like you said, the circles might be the same idea over and over, representing creativity and passion. The squares could be a block, so passion and immovability competing within the artist's mind. So the artist decided to depict it here."
Jolene chuckled weakly, "You're much better at this than I am."
Leander shook his head, "It's all about how you view it. I'm not any better at knowing the meaning than you are."
"But doesn't the author have a meaning in mind while creating it?"
"Not always, but art never has only one meaning. You should know that, music is the same way." Leander replied, "It's all based on what each observer makes of the piece. While one thinks it's sad, maybe another thinks it's empowering and hopeful."
"But it's not the same, songs often have lyrics, or tones that tell us what the artist meant." Jolene replied, staring back at the mess of circles and squares.
"But it all depends on how it's heard. If you just read the lyrics you wouldn't necessarily think the same way as someone else reading the lyrics. These circles and squares are the lyrics, and we simply read them a different way."
"But-" Jolene sighed, "I guess I'm just one of those people who expect only one answer to things."
Leander shrugged, "I get that sometimes too, when I get stuck on one track it's hard to get off, believe me."
Jolene nodded, "Exactly."
They stood in silence again, staring at the piece before slowly moving on. They moved through the exhibit debating the meanings of the art around them.
About two hours later they finally left the museum, seeing the limo waiting for them out front. Leander extended an arm, indicating for Jolene to go first. She walked down the stairs, Leander a half a step behind her. When they reached the limo he opened the door for her, and she smiled at him.
They slid into the limo and sat in comfortable silence on the way back to the palace. After spending hours in practically silence together in the museum she found it wasn't awkward now as it had been before.
When they arrived at the palace they walked back in together, Leander bowing slightly to her as he said goodbye. Jolene dipped her chin, "Goodnight Leander, I'll see you later."
Jolene went back to her room, changing into pajamas. She was just going to have a comfy night in and no one could stop her. She opened her bedside drawer and pulled out a candy bar, and grabbing her computer, she settled into her pillows.
There were about a million articles popping up about her and her Selection. She laughed at some of the headlines claiming that she'd kissed every boy, that there had been fist fights among the guys, and that there had been a foreign spy already expelled from the Selection. None of that was true of course.
One article claimed they knew who the elite were going to be straight from Jolene's mouth. Jolene scoffed and opened the link. This was going to be interesting. As she read the names she scoffed, "I haven't even been on a date with them yet!"
As she reached the last name she shut the computer, shoving it across the bed. She didn't even know who her elite were going to be. It seemed so far away, and none of these boys seemed like marriage material yet.
She finished her candy bar, and stood, leaving her room. She knocked on Marcus's door, there was no way her cousin was sleeping yet. Marcus had a face mask half peeled, as he stared at Jolene.
Jolene burst out laughing as he slammed the door in her face, but she simply opened the door and stepped inside. Marcus went into the bathroom to scrub the rest off as he called out, "What do you want?"
Jolene shrugged though he couldn't see her, "I'm bored. Come to bother you and see if you have any tea to spill."
A minute later Marcus stepped out of the bathroom, drying his face with a towel and throwing it in the laundry basket. "Well, I don't have much. I've only been talking to a few of the guys. Max, and Danny. I think Danny doesn't like me though," Marcus snickered, "I annoy him I think."
"You annoy me too."
"Pfft, whatever, you love it or you wouldn't be here when you're bored." Marcus replied, "Do you have any tea for me?" Marcus waggled his eyebrows, laughing when Jolene shoved him.
"Not the tea you want, I'm sure. But, I saw an article online claiming to know my elite."
Marcus snorted, "How wrong is it?"
Jolene smirked, "Pretty wrong. I haven't even been on a date with half the guys on there. I think they just picked their names out of a hat."
Marcus cackled, "I wouldn't be surprised. But, not all of it was wrong?"
Jolene shrugged, "I'm not sure. Some of the guys were Rustin, Martin, Elias and Chad."
"Those aren't bad choices." Marcus replied, shrugging, "None of them are bad guys."
"Rustin?" Jolene asked, laughing.
Marcus rolled his eyes, "He may be a dumbass but he's not an idiot. Besides, you have to admit he's got a great sense of humor."
Plus he did rescue you when you were in that hole…
Jolene hummed, "That's true. See none of these guys are bad guys. How am I supposed to choose my elite when all of them could be?"
Marcus groaned, "Jo, we've been over this, stop listening to your head. It's not doing you any favors right now. Your heart has been too quiet, it's time it gets the spotlight. If you're on a date with someone and there's no butterflies, no happiness, no comfort, then boot 'em."
Jolene could only sit in silence as she thought that over. None of her dates have been bad, Jacob was the only 'bad' date, and he'd been eliminated immediately. Maybe she had to re-evaluate her interactions and see if there was any hint of a spark. She'd also have to pay attention to her future dates.
"Jo stop that!" Marcus scolded. Jolene was startled out of her train of thought.
"What?"
"I can see the wheels turning in your head. Don't think about your dates, just let them happen and enjoy the moment. You'll know if there's anything there." Marcus replied, hands on his hips. "You can't think about love, there's no such thing. Love only works when you place your heart over your head. For once just take a few risks, you don't need a 12 step plan for each boy in the Selection."
"But-"
"No buts!" Marcus huffed, "I'm not going to let you overthink your way out of love."
Jolene was about to retort but sighed, "Fine, but I can't tell who I like yet."
"That's fine, take your time. But for the love of god don't let time influence who you choose. You may let them slip right through your fingers if you take too long. I know you, you'll let the perfect relationship disappear because you find one little reason to let it slip away."
Jolene winced, she didn't want that to happen. But she knew herself all too well. The best she could do would be to keep that in mind. Not let any moment slip away if she felt it was worth it.
"Thanks, Marcus."
"Any time, Jo."
Hello everyone! So sorry this took so long. This chapter has been in production for like 3 weeks ugh. But I finally got it. Thanks for being patient! Let me know what ya thought.
See y'all in the next chapter~!
