Changing Times

Chapter 3--The Ball

I'm ready to get this stupid ball over with. After dressing up for 5 hours it's hard to get excited over anything. I'm wearing a red silk ball gown which hits the floor. I hate it. I bet you're thinking I look good in it, well I don't, in general I do not look good in anything. My mom even told me this while we were getting ready. She said, “Oh Addie, I wish we could find you something to wear that doesn't make you look pale and sickly.” Yes, she told me I look sickly. I do look sickly though, I've had people interviewing me in the past who have asked me what I'm dying from. Yes, I look like a dead person. I once lied and said I had malaria and the person who was interviewing believed me, shows how stupid they were, everyone in this world gets free health care and we've discovered a cure for malaria. My dad found it hilarious that I told them I was dying, my mom didn't she just sighed and made me apologize to the public.

Before entering the ball we were given safety whistles and told that if we see anything suspicious we should blow on them. Stupidest idea ever, if someone saw me blowing on a whistle in a ball they would think I've gone crazy.

Right now I'm waiting to be announced into the ball. We always have to enter big events like this, by being announced, like people don't know our names already. I'm always last because I'm the youngest. This ball we are going to right now is in celebration of the “Stepladder Method,” it's been 400 years since it was created. Oh, I forgot, you don't know about the “Stepladder Method.” It's not really a “method” it's more like a way of life. Everyone in our world has a job, a job that allows them to give back to the community, if they do their job well they get rewarded with food and shelter, but if they do their job poorly.... Well come to think of it, I don't actually know what happens, all I know is you do not want to do your job poorly. If everyone lives in the same style house, has the same number of vehicles and eats the same amount of food there are no differences in anyone, this means no war. If everyone's the same no one would fight against themselves.

“Here enters your royalty princess Addie,” says the announcer, in an energized voice.

I walk down the stairs that lead into the ball room and wave at the crowd, like I've been trained so well to do.

Once I enter the party begins to start, the music blares and some people are dancing. I would never dance. I just sit in a corner and watch. I bet you're wondering who gets invited to these balls, if everyone's equal do they all get invited? Technically no, they do not all get invited, but they all have the chance to be. Everyone's name is entered into a computer and it picks randomly 400 people to attend. These lucky people get to be filmed at the ball, which is broadcasted to the entire world.

“Come dance with me,” demands Lauren. She's rocking out to the music and singing loudly.

“No thanks, I'd rather not,” I say.

“Come on, you're never any fun,” she replies. She grabs my hand and tries to drag me onto the dance floor.

I don't think you're able to understand how much I hate dancing in front of people. I'm just not that kind of person. I would rather jump into a pit of snakes and trust me snakes are not my favorite things.

I pull my arm away from Lauren, trying to get away. Her grip is tight and I'm pulling with all of my strength, Lauren is a lot bigger than me and it's hard to make her let go. Her grip finally loosens and I'm free. I stumble back trying to regain my balance and I fall onto a waiter who is carrying champagne.

The champagne falls to the ground with me and shatter. Some of the shards I land on stick into my skin, sending pain signals to my brain and blurring my eyes.

Everyone is looking, all the cameras are on me and all of the eyes. I had this mishap in front of the entire world.

“Addie, are you alright? You're bleeding all over the place,” says Lauren.

I look down and see the pile of blood I'm sitting in. My mom rushes in and yells to the crow, “There's nothing to see here.”

This is a lie, there is obviously something to see.

“Jeromy, take Addie to the washroom to clean up.”

Jeromy comes, he looks upset. I had seen him flirting with a girl and he obviously does not want to leave the part.

“I'm good,” I say. “I'll just clean myself up.”

I leave the ballroom a mess. My blood, champagne and shards of glass are on the floor.

Personally I think this party was one of my best.

You see, I'm not actually the most balanced of people and this happens often to me. I once fell down the mansions stairs and ended up concussing myself. I was in the hospital for a week.

I walk past my dads study to get to the washroom. The door is shut. I often let myself in and just smell the room. It smells like him. It helps me remember him. My biggest fear in life is forgetting my dad. I loved him more than you'll ever know. He was the only person I could rely on. He was always there for me.

I enter his office and to my surprise there is a boy my age rummaging through his draws. He's tall and has a muscular build, very handsome. He looks up at me startled, then he sees the blood and the champagne and his eyes widen. His eyes are green and they go perfectly with his dark hair. He has a piece of paper in his hands.

“What's going on?” he asks.

“Nothing,” I murmur, “I just had an accident.”

He goes silent, obviously waiting for me to ask what he's doing in my dad's study. I don't, I just stare at him. Finally I say, “Who are you?”

“I'm Brendan Smith,” he replies smoothly.

“What gives you the right to tear up my dad's study?” I ask.

“I'm doing research for a magazine, you know how paparazzi can be.”

I know he's lying, he's to young to be in the press. So I bluntly say,

“You're lying.”

“Am I really that bad of a lier?”

“Yes, now tell me what you're doing here.”

He sighs,

“You're so naïve,” he says.

He then throws what looks like a ball on the ground. Everything goes black and I'm unable to see. When the light finally returns he's gone and so is the paper he had in his hands.

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Authors Note: Sorry about the spelling mistakes, I thouhgt I'd put this up quickly and not edit it, I'll go back later and reread it. I would love to hear what you think, sorry for the slow start it is only going to get more exciting. I promise!!!