Hey everyone! Thanks again for the reviews! I'm glad that everyone is really liking to the story so far. I really appreciate all the kind words. =) I've got a bit of a crazy week coming up but I will try to update as often as I can!
-Carly.
There was blood, so much blood. It was all over the floor and all over Schuyler. The heart monitor behind her slowly beeped, and her mother's face was silent and cold in death. A long continuous beeeeeeeep echoed through the room.
Schuyler shot up out of bed at the sound of her alarm. She reached over and slammed a fist down upon it. She threw off her sheets and sauntered into her on suite bathroom. Today was the day. It was the day she had been dreading. Graduation.
She looked in the mirror and saw that her pale face seemed paler than usual. She really wished that she could back out graduation but Trinity had done almost everything to prevent it. Her white tea dress had been bought and so had her gloves. They stood hanging in her closet ready to go for this afternoon.
Schuyler walked back into her room and sat down on the bed. Noticing her phone on the bedside table, she grabbed it and decided to check and see if she had any messages. She had none. Oliver hadn't called once. Strange.
Her stomach growled but she stood up and ignored it, instead choosing to go look at her tea dress in her closet. As she turned on the light she thought about perhaps wearing it to breakfast and "accidently" spilling some coffee or some juice on it, making her unable to attend the ceremony. There was only an empty hanger where the dress should have been. On the hanger was a note.
"The dress has been put away for safe keeping. I know you too well. –Trinity."
Ugh!
Schuyler flopped down on her bed again. She curled up with a pillow and started at the ceiling. She heard a knock at her door and saw it open. She propped herself up on her elbows as Jack entered the room in blue pyjama pants and a white t-shirt. He was rubbing his eyes – an obvious sign that he had just woken up.
"Good morning," He yawned sitting down next to her on the bed.
"Good morning yourself."
"Mimi went to the salon this morning," Jack said groggily.
"Oh?" Schuyler wondered why he was telling her this in the first place. "It's only eight."
"She left at six."
"Wow."
"Mhm. So you and I can spend the whole morning together without the glares, unless you're planning on going to some salon too."
"No plans to do that whatsoever, She said rolling onto her side.
"What do you say we get ready and walk up to Starbucks?"
"Sure, sounds good," She said smiling.
He leaned in and kissed her forehead, then got off the bed and left her to change. Schuyler threw a pillow over her face. This was all going to hurt her so much later. As she thought about it more, she decided that she should just let everything happen as it should and enjoy her time with Jack while she could. When he was bonded maybe she could leave New York and explore Europe. That sounded like a good plan. For now, she would just live in the moment because she knew Jack was doing the same.
She got dressed and ready in ten minutes and met Jack at the front door.
"You look gorgeous," He said taking his hand in hers.
"Thanks," She smiled "I didn't even have to go to the salon to look this good."
Jack laughed and off they went.
"The Graduation ceremony is tonight. Do you know what you need to do?"
"Yes," Bliss smirked.
"Good. You must not fail us."
Bliss nodded, putting on some large aviators and tying her vibrant red hair up in a colorful headscarf.
The Silver blood accompanied her to the elevator and rode down the hotel lobby with her.
"Do not mess this up," The Silver blood warned.
"I won't." Bliss replied. She got out of the elevator, crossed the lobby and pushed open the door, stepping out into the busy streets of New York.
"But whyyy," Mimi whined. "Why can't you do it?"
"Trust me, I'm just as pleased as you are," muttered Schuyler.
"That's enough. Not one more complaint from either of you," Charles said adamantly. "Madeline you are to keep a close eye on Schuyler. You both need to stay together. There may be an attack at any given moment; you need to watch each others' backs."
"Fine," Schuyler said rolling her eyes. "Can I leave now?"
"Leaving the country would be nice," Mimi muttered.
Charles shot her a look. "You can leave Schuyler. Mimi, I still need to speak with you."
Schuyler marched out of the room and slammed the door behind her.
Mimi crossed her arms and pouted.
"You are to keep her away from the Hazard-Perry boy. Do everything you can," Charles saw Mimi's eyes light up."Within reason."
Mimi muttered something under her breath.
"What was that?" Charles said raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing."
"If you fail to keep them apart, there will be consequences."
"Like what?" Mimi snorted.
"4:00 pm curfew, no more Barney's, you'll have to clean your own room... shall I go on?"
"You can't control me."
"Yes I can. I can until you're bonded which won't be until you are 21."
"You said 19."
"Well, I changed my mind."
"Fine. I'll keep the Princess and Hazzard-Perry apart," Mimi spat.
"You better," Charles warned.
Mimi stood up to leave but hovered by the door. "Why do you want them apart so badly anyways?"
"He is going to try and tell her everything," Charles said rifling through some papers.
"Why don't you just let him?"
"Her safety would be in question. She'd try to find out more about this and inadvertently walk right into the Silver Bloods' trap."
"Do you really have to go this far to protect her? Why are you even doing this?"
"I promised Gabrielle I'd watch over her daughter. I want to stay true to that promise."
Mimi rolled her eyes and walked out. What a stupid promise.
Schuyler picked at her black nail polish. She was sitting in the sweltering heat in a white tea dress and white gloves that she desperately wanted to rip off. Mimi sat beside her, her eyes darting everywhere. She seemed like she was on the lookout for a pack of angry bees.
There ceremony was held outside in the back garden of Duchesne. There were chairs set up in rows, covered in white seat covers. A stage had been set up and the graduating students sat on chairs that were placed on it. There were brightly colored flowers decorating everything insight. Schuyler thought it all seemed more like a wedding than a graduation.
So far the ceremony had been dreadfully long. The principal had spoken about each individual student graduating. Then each student was called up onto the stage and received their diploma and sat down in one of the chairs on the stage. The girls sat on the right side and the boys on the left. Schuyler had made many attempts to talk to Oliver but every time she tried, Mimi would grab her arm and drag her off to talk to someone she hadn't met from the committee.
She looked over to where the boys were sitting and saw Jack smiling at her. She smiled back and turned her attention back to the principal's speech. Out in the audience, Trinity was snapping pictures of everything and anything while Charles sat looking rather bored. Oliver's mother was crying and dabbing her eyes with a Kleenex, and his dad was intently filming the Principal's speech. Other people sat fanning themselves with the graduation programs that has been handed out at the start of the ceremony. It made her sad to not look out and see her own mother sitting there.
The principal finally concluded her speech and the audience clapped their hands politely. The grads all stood up and took a bow. The audience then stood up and made their way inside for refreshments.
Thank god.
You're not kidding. Jack answered her thought and took her hand. He gave it a light squeeze. The both made their way inside the throng of people entering the school.
Mimi pushed through the crowd and grabbed Schuyler's arm.
"You absolutely have to meet this guy from the committee. He is like, a legend," Mimi pulled her away from Jack and pulled her in the direction of some guy from the committee that she already knew.
"Mimi, I already have been introduced to Elliot," Schuyler said pulling her arm back.
"Oh well what about him," Mimi said pointing over at another committee member.
"Yes, I have. I think I've met everyone already. Why don't we just go inside like everyone else?"
"Why? It is soo much nicer out here."
"Mimi, it is like 95 degrees out here. Inside there is air conditioning."
"Pssh, it's not that hot out."
Schuyler rolled her eyes. "I'm going inside."
"No! You can't. We have to stay together."
"Since when do you listen to what Charles says?" Schuyler snapped.
"When he threatens to ban me from Barney's!"
"That wouldn't be a bad thing. You should be part owner, considering you own almost everything they've ever sold."
"WE ARE STAYING OUTSIDE."
"Okay, no need to get snippy."
Trinity came over and gave Mimi a hug. "Congratulations, Sweetheart," she said sweetly.
While Mimi was talking with Trinity, Schuyler slipped away in the crowd. There was something she needed to do. She needed to visit her mother.
Gah. I don't think this chapter was that exciting but the next one will be. Sorry for any mistakes, my spell check doesn't seem to be working. Reviews would be lovely. =)
