Popularity War
Chapter 5
"Eva!" The all too familiar voice resounded across the village square making Eva stop in her tracks. She had hoped to have a pleasant stroll by herself, but that prospect quickly faded as soon as Cassandra called out her name. Unable to avoid her, she simply waited for her friend to trek the large space that separated them. When Cassandra was a few feet away, she finally uttered her acknowledgment.
"Good afternoon, Cassandra. How fares you?" Despite her urge to make up an excuse in attempt to avoid a cumbersome conversation, Eva held her tongue. Until that moment, her day had been pleasant; she woke up in bright spirits and decided to get some fresh air after performing her meager morning chores and eating a light lunch. The day was not overly hot or humid, excellent conditions for an afternoon walk.
"Good afternoon? That's all you can say? I have not seen nor heard from you in weeks," Cassandra complained. "You do realize that by birthday celebration is next week. I had hoped that you would help me plan the event but you have been missing. What have you been up to?"
Eva felt her heart become heavy as she listened to her friend, darkening her mood a little. Unwilling to confess the struggles she had been facing, she decided to change the topic, hoping to distract Cassandra. "I do apologize for my prolonged absence, but pray tell me more about your birthday. Despite what you might think, I have not forgotten. In fact, I have already purchased your birthday gift." She stretched her lips as far as they could go in order to make her appear pleased with herself.
"Well, I am delighted that I have not been forgotten," Cassandra said, returning the smile. "Oh, Eva, my birthday celebration is going to be wonderful!" Suddenly ecstatic, she began to divulge all aspects of the party, much to Eva's delight; her plan had worked. By the time Cassandra finished talking, she realized how late it had gotten. The sun was no longer directly above them as it leaned against the western sky. "Oh my, listen to me ramble on once again," she giggled lightly.
Acting surprised, Eva glanced up at the bright yellow orb. "Goodness, it's later than I thought." After, she issued a polite dismissal.
"Must you leave already? I was thinking that we should have some tea together," Cassandra said. "Besides, you have not explained what you have been up to these past few weeks."
Eva's smile immediately faded as her almost successful plan plummeted into disaster. Still, she was clever enough to deduce an excuse that did not make her look anxious to leave her friend. "I am sorry Cassandra but I must decline your offer. When you stopped me, I was headed over to Old Lady Kismet's for a luncheon." Old Lady Kismet was a widow who enjoyed the company of the young ladies who entertained her with gossip, distracting her from her loneliness. Eva's excuse was sound.
Cassandra's eyes rolled in response. "Eva, I do not mind her company, so let me come…"
"No!" Eva shouted before she could restrain herself, cutting off her friend. The look upon Cassandra's face expressed her shock at the sudden outburst. Taking a deep breath, she apologized for her rudeness and the said, "It's just that Lady Kismet invited only me this afternoon and it's not my place to invite others into her home without her permission. Surely you understand?"
Cassandra still looked upset afterward. Having been friends with the girl for a long time, Eva knew how stubborn she could be, and how she can hold grudges. Upsetting Cassandra was never a good idea. So, in one last attempt to smooth things over, she uttered, "Perhaps we can have tea tomorrow if you are not busy?"
With a sigh, Cassandra finally relented, allowing her friend to leave. Once she was sure her friend was not paying any more attention to her, Eva changed course. The sight of her house was welcoming after her recent encounter, so once inside, she began to breathe normally again. Her entire being was nervous as soon as Cassandra disrupted her afternoon stroll. Still, she was grateful that Cassandra had spotted her properly dressed instead of in her servant's attire.
Clara appeared carrying a basket of dirty laundry, and upon seeing her mistress she said, "You are just in time miss, I was just about to wash your clothes." she winked afterward.
Eva groaned.
Her father was making Clara teach her how to do some of the more difficult chores, like washing, since her servant would be leaving soon. In fact, Clara would be gone the day before Cassandra's birthday celebration. The sudden realization made Eva even more distressed; now she would have to dress to impress all on her own, and any mistake would surely be noted at the event.
Noticing her mistress's ill mood, Clara placed the basket on the floor and carefully approached Eva. "I can't imagine how you feel but you must cheer up. Think of how knowledgeable you will be once I have taught you some household basics. Hmm?"
"It's not that, Clara." Eva kicked at the ground, sighing. "I am just tired is all."
"Well, I guess I can save this laundry for later," Clara said with a sympathetic tone.
"No, let's just get it done and over with." Before Clara could respond, she picked up the laundry basket and headed towards the washroom.
Much to Eva's dismay, the days progressed quickly. All too soon the dreaded morning of Clara's departure had arrived. The servant did not even need to wake Eva for she was already up and dressed well before Clara. The poor girl could not sleep knowing that her truest friend had to leave in matter of hours. Before the sun began to rise, three solemn figures stood at the entrance way of the once boisterous household.
With tears running down her cheeks, Eva tightly embraced Clara. "I wish you did not have to go," she choked.
Beside them stood Lord Whikim, who looked about as distraught as his daughter. He hated to dismiss such a charming and loyal servant, but he had no choice; his business had not improved at all as he lost two more ships that month. Lord Whikim actually needed to have another serious talk with his daughter because he had to dip into her dowry since all his savings had been spent trying to keep himself out of debt. At the rate his business was going, they would be penniless in a matter of weeks.
Shaking his head to focus on the present situation, he clasped his hands over Clara's and said, "I am sorry that we must let you go; I hope that you will have a safe journey to your sister's house."
Clara managed to hold her composure as she responded. "There is no need to apologize sir. I thank you for allowing me to work in your home for many years, and although I am sad to leave, I am also excited to see my sister again." She then paused to look at Eva.
"My dear, I know this is difficult for you, but remember that you are young and have you whole life to live yet. This is not the end; this is just the beginning of a new chapter in your life. You will be happy again, that I guarantee. Keep your chin up and you will be all right."
All Eva could do was nod. Her eyes were red and puffy from the tears she had shed, the dried residue sticking to her hot cheeks. After giving Clara one last hug, the woman picked up her travel pack and exited the gloomy house. She would travel by foot to Therinsford where she would meet up with a cousin who had agreed to take her to her sister's house in Narda.
Utterly bored and tired of being cooped up, Eva decided to travel into the village that afternoon. She did not want to be seen as "herself," so she dressed in her servant's outfit. The busy townsfolk ignored her as always allowing her to walk in peace. The fresh had lifted her spirits a little, but the sight of Eragon made her crack a small smile.
Throughout the past few weeks, she had been chronically purchasing goods from his family's farmer's stand. They only set it up two to three times a month, so she always made an attempt to stop by whenever he was in the village. The two have been on friendly terms as of late, and after having a mournful morning, she knew she could talk to him without fear of being exposed. Also, she did need some more fresh fruits and vegetables, so that factored into her final decision to head towards the wooden stand.
"Eragon, I did not know you were going to be in town today," she said as she approached. The young man looked up from re-stocking a basket to acknowledge her.
"Yeah, it was a bit of a last minute decision in my Uncle's part," he chuckled. "Anyways, how have you been?"
Eva let her false smile to fade away to expose her tired and sad visage. She did not even have to say anything for him to catch on; during her fourth visit, she had briefly told him about her father's failing business. He had made a point that he was keeping her shopping sprees a secret and that he would not give her the goods she had purchased until she explained to him what was going on.
Extra quiet, he asked, "Did he lose another ship?"
Eva shook her head no. "We had to let Clara go this morning."
"Oh no." He never knew what it was like to have someone wait on him, but he knew that Eva was fond with her servant. After getting to know the young girl better, he was no longer as judgmental about her and her livelihood; it's not her fault she was born into a wealthy family. The fact that she was losing almost everything was indeed heartbreaking. Eragon had tried to imagine losing all that he had, as meager was it was, and even he was almost in tears. The point of the matter was not losing just material items, but friends as well.
"You know, I still have no idea how you have been able to keep your secret for so long. Your servants have all been dismissed with little notice and I am not sure how your father has been able to keep up the rich façade even though almost all his wealth is gone."
Eva shrugged and said, "I have been wondering that as well. I guess it just proves how clever my father really is." The prospect alone made her feel a sense of pride.
They discussed her situation for a few more minutes until Eva finally said, "Well, enough that. I did not just come here to update you—I need some food as well."
"Of course," Eragon nodded. "What will you get this time?" When Eva struggled to decide what she wanted, Eragon could not help but chuckle. "You're hopeless." Glaring at him she took an abnormally small blueberry and chucked it at his face. "You're gonna have to pay for that you know," he joked.
"Then I might as well throw another on at you," she said as she picked up a normal sized blueberry. Before she could throw the blue fruit, her greatest fear had presented itself. Dropping the blueberry and staring helplessly at Eragon, she listened as Cassandra's footsteps and booming voice headed towards her.
"Eva, is that really you? What are you doing here?" Cassandra marched up to the girl and crossed her arms, ignoring Eragon.
Eva took a deep breath before addressing her shocked friend. "Cassandra, I can explain."
"Explain what, the fact that you missed our tea outing, or you dressed as a commoner and taking to Eragon?"
At the mention of tea, Eva gasped, mentally slapping herself that she had forgotten about the plans she had made with her friend. She was supposed to have tea with Cassandra a day ago and with Clara preparing to leave, she was preoccupied and forgot. "Oh my goodness, Cassandra! I am so sorry! I promise that I will make it up to you."
Cassandra scoffed and said, "Promises, promises. You know, you have not been yourself at all and I want to know what is going on. I talked to Old Lady Kismet the other day, and you know what, you never did have tea with her that one afternoon. You only said that to get rid of me and I want to know why."
Feeling cornered, Eva sighed and gave into her friend. She took a deep breath after glancing at Eragon for support and admitted what had been going on. "Cassandra, my father's business is failing. Each day we are losing money and it has been impacting us significantly. Already we had to let go of all our hired staff, and with them gone, I have had to help around the house. I have chores now and they have been consuming a lot of my time. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry, and, I was scared to. I didn't know how you would react." She held her breath once she finished talking as she waited impatiently for Cassandra's response.
"Eva, I…I mean I had no idea that you…you are poor now?" Cassandra was unsure what to say to her friend's confession, so she simply rambled the various phrases running through her mind at once, and that is what came out. She was stunned to learn about Eva's troubles and needed time to sort out her feelings towards them before she could really say what she felt.
Eva nodded, "Aye, I think poor may be an understatement. We may be destitute by the time his business is finally dissolved. I am hoping for a miracle, but that seems foolish…" she tailed off as he cheeks began to burn. Now that her friend knew about her secret, she was utterly ashamed.
"Quite…" Cassandra said, barely audible. She cleared her throat afterward and began fidgeting with her dress, a sign that she was uncomfortable with the current conversation.
"Right, so now you know what has been going on. I am sorry I kept it a secret from you." Eva tried her best not to notice her friend's discomfort, but she could not help but stare, giving her a pleading look. The fact that Cassandra was uncomfortable was not good at all. In fact, the word, uncomfortable, could be replaced with the phrase, "you disgust me." Eva had seen Cassandra act that way towards the people she did not like, and now she received the same treatment.
"It's fine, I think, Eva, this is a lot to take in. I am sorry to hear about your unfortunate situation, but perhaps we need to continue this conversation another time. I actually need to be somewhere; you know, getting ready for my birthday celebration tomorrow." Her excuse was a classic, reminding Eva of the excuse she had given her friend not too long ago. The fact that Cassandra repeated the same courtesy only meant disaster.
However, Eva forced a smile and said goodbye to her friend. When Cassandra was gone, she was finally able to breathe normally again. She looked at Eragon and asked, "I think she took the news quite well, what do you think?" In her eyes, Eragon could see that she was trying not to cry.
Since it was a rhetorical question, Eragon simply shrugged and said, "I guess so." After he asked, "Are you still going to her party tomorrow?"
Acting offended by his question, Eva bellowed, "Of course I am going. Why would you ask such a thing?" Eva was deeply hurt from Cassandra's response and yearned for her friend to accept her again, no matter the cost. She would show up at the party to prove her loyalty.
Taken aback by her outburst, Eragon raised his hands to show that he meant no harm, saying, "No reason, I was just curious."
"Right, well, I never asked for your opinion." Before anything else could be said, she stormed off.
The next day, she had her father help her get ready. The dress she picked out needed to be laced in the back, and since she could not do it herself, she begged her father to do it. Giving into her pitiful face, he took up the task. When he was finished, he had her turn around so that he could look at her. "You look beautiful, but don't you think you are trying to hard?"
Eva sighed and shook her head. "I do not expect you to understand, father. Now, please leave so that I can finish getting ready. I will call for you when I am done." In silence, her father took his leave. He did not like the way his daughter was acting, but he said nothing of her behavior as he exited her room.
An hour later, he helped his daughter down the stairs and out the door where a carriage was waiting for her. Even though the hired help was gone, he still made sure to have a carriage waiting for his daughter on special occasions. He knew that Cassandra's birthday celebration meant a lot to her, so he made sure she had a comfortable ride to the event.
"I will see you a little after midnight then, eh?"
Eva grinned and kissed her father's cheek before stepping into the brown carriage. "Have a good night, father."
"You too." He waved her goodbye when the carriage began to roll away. On her way, Eva began to feel her stomach twist. She had a feeling that she should have stayed home, but she wanted to prove that she could face her fears. Perhaps Cassandra would commend her for her efforts and be nice to her again. After all, they were supposed to be good friends, and friends forgive and understand one another.
She knew Cassandra would have a hard time adjusting to her situation, but that did not mean that they were no longer friends. It was just a bump in their relationship that they needed to work through, and she hoped this would be the night to do so. As the carriage came to a stop at the grand house, she looked out the window and swallowed past the lump in her throat; it was too late to turn back.
The path leading up to the front door was lined with torches decorated with pink and white ribbon. As Eva trekked her way up to the door, carrying a small package in one hand and her invitation in the other, she recited what she wanted to say to her friend. A short, burly, man stood at attention at the door, opening it when he showed him her invitation. A garish yellow light entered her line of vision immediately after and it took her a few seconds to adjust.
"Eva, darling, you look splendid!" The words came from a stout red-headed girl named Vicki who had a nasally, and annoying, voice. She crossed the room to escort Eva to Cassandra. "Look who finally decided to show up." The girl beamed, as if hoping for some reward.
"Hello, Cassandra. Happy Birthday," having been put on the spot, Eva's entire speech plan was thrown off forcing her to improvise, and shoving the gift in her friends face suddenly seemed like the right move. "I hope you like what I got you."
Cassandra stiffened at the gesture. When she did not take the gift, Eva felt herself become hot from embarrassment. Those gathered around were going to witness her social downfall and she was unsure if she could handle the pressure.
"Cassandra, why won't you take the gift?" Vicki inquired, not helping the awkward situation.
After giving Vicki a harsh look, Cassandra addressed Eva. "Thanks, but that is not necessary. I am sorry, Eva, but I have to ask you to leave." The girls who were gathered around them gasped and began to listen intently to the conversation.
Although Eva should have known this was coming, the words still hurt her and left her stunned. "I don't understand, we're close friends."
"Oh Eva, we were friends, weren't we, but things have changed recently. You have been keeping things secret from me and telling me lies and that is not what friends do. Also, you are no longer one of us, as far as status, and I cannot associate myself with one of your class, especially at a gathering like this. It's unseemly." Cassandra flipped her hair nonchalantly as she finished speaking.
"Unseemly? Come now, just because my status has changed does not mean that we cannot be friends. I am still the same me. I already apologized for keeping my family situation a secret, but surely you understand why I did so?"
Cassandra's forehead crinkled when a frown crossed her face. She crossed her arms to make her look and sound forceful when she said, "I am not sure that I do." After she said that, she seemed to have a lapse of kindness, or at least that is what Eva had thought and hoped for.
Cassandra's eyes softened a bit and she was not as tense, making Eva believe that there was still some of her friend inside. Yet all her hope was dashed when she said, "You look nice, for a pauper, like a princess. Princess Pauper. Hmm…" She reminisced on her new title for Eva for a few seconds and then said, "Please leave before I have you escorted out."
Eva's eyes began to water when her friend completely cast her out. The girls who had witnessed their conversation seemed to give her sympathetic looks, but they did not speak up for her. They simply went along with the status quo and that made Eva feel utterly alone. There was no one there to support her and the pain in her chest was too great to ignore.
She threw the gift on the floor and ran off as her tears began to fall from her eyes. She had lost all her friends and she had no idea what to do except cry.