The Only-Live-Once Society | Book 2

Chapter Fifteen

The dining hall is buzzing with excitement.

Mr. Goldsmith has just announced at breakfast that we are going to be having a ball tomorrow night. This, obviously, caused Vince and I to throw a look at each other which Elijah noticed. He's now hunched so far over his plate in annoyance, he looks like he's grown a hump.

"A ball!" Grace is spitting. "I'm to be fitted for a gown! One of those disgusting, girly, strappy things!"

"Yes!" Tessa is grinning from ear-to-ear. "This is amazing."

Grace looks panicked. "I wouldn't know how to pull off a ball gown if it was sowed into my skin!"

"Why don't you just wear a tux?" Vince asks.

She looks at him. "I can do that?"

He shrugs, "All the guys are being fitted for one, why can't you be too?"

Grace nods at him. "Yeah. I should be allowed to wear a tux. Right?" No one answers so she says more forcefully. "Right?"

"Right." We all agree. Except for Elijah, who is glaring at Vince.

Vince leans across me and picks up a bread roll, tearing at it and putting a piece in his mouth. He leans back in his chair, looking cool and casual and he slowly stuffs more bread into his wide gob. 

Grace, oblivious to the tension between the two boys, says, "I'd be interested to know if there going to be a test? Do you think it has anything to do with that other school from
the other day?"

Vince and I look at each other again.

Elijah straightens. "What do you two know?"

"Nothing!" We both protest.

Quickly, I add, "nothing we're allowed to say, anyway."

"Seems to be a lot of that lately." Elijah grunts.

"God," Vince gives Elijah a despairing look and then turns to me. "Has he always been so miserable?"

"Vince!"

"What?" He's chewing with his mouth open and it's making me feel queasy. "He's always got something to moan about." Vince lobs a bit of bread at Elijah, which Elijah fluidly catches and throws back.

Laughing, Vince says, "I don't want your girlfriend. More importantly, your girlfriend doesn't want me. Get over it."

"I'm over it." Elijah mutters.

"Yeah," Grace says, giving Elijah a sideways look. "Seems like it."

"Maybe the food will be poisoned?" I say, trying to draw the conversation back to the ball.

Tessa nods. "Maybe we'll be attacked by a large terrorist group."

Vince laughs, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time."

"Maybe the test is to just... to have a ball." Grace says.

There's a pause, then we all laugh at absurdity of that... except, of course, Elijah, who is glowering at Vince so hard he may as well be vibrating with hatred. So much for trying to trust him.

I have to admit, Elijah has started to suck the life out of everything. He's become an energy vampire and I have no idea how to snap him out of it. I don't know what else I can do.

I'm glad when the bell goes and we exit the hall, I slip away before either boy can accost me and I can take a break from being piggy-in-the-middle.

By the evening there's a stream of girls waiting to get into the sewing room, giggling and laughing and talking about how they're going to have their hair and makeup. I stand behind Jenny and Lily, their heads are pressed close together as they talk in hushed tones. Lily lets out a little cackle, like a witch, and I decide some things are better not hearing.