ALL THAT GLITTERS...

16.

"This is so exciting."

Selene giggled from her seat as she drove behind a black SUV that her mother and brother were in. We were on our way out of town to someplace I had never heard of but I trusted Selene's words that I would like it.

My nerves were on the edge, I was travelling across the country with people I barely knew, people with a not so clean reputation. I didn't know whether to completely disregard all the bad talk that clouded the Blackwells name, but I wanted to trust that I would be safe this weekend.

"You have no idea how much I had to beg my mother to let you drive with me. You were supposed to ride with my brother."

Wait. What?

"Wh- what do you mean?"

What did she mean by that?

"My mother wanted you two to get to know each other a bit. You're going to be his date at the ball." Selene dropped that bomb on me nonchalantly, her eyes focused on the road ahead.

His date? What the hell had I gotten myself into?

I felt ambushed. We were already halfway through our journey and I couldn't turn back now.

"Why am I only hearing about this now?"

I couldn't hide the panic that laced my voice or the weird sensation that stirred deep in the pit of my stomach.

"I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have accepted it. Besides how else do you think you are going to enter such an exclusive event?" She glanced at me with a questioning look before her eyes went back on the road.

"I honestly don't know what my mother is doing. She has never extended such an invitation to anyone before, and for her to do so when she barely knows you worries me. I don't think you're in danger or anything of that sort but I'm positive there is some role you're going to play tomorrow night."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, perplexed.

I didn't know Mrs Blackwell's intentions but I was grateful that Selene was honest in regards to her mother's behaviour, she didn't sugar coat it. She knew her mother was up to something and I wish I could find out what.

Find out, why me? Where did a new girl in town fit in whatever plans she had?

I felt like my head would explode with all the thinking, on one hand; I had all those questions about my mother and on the other, there was all this mystery with Mrs Blackwell.

A few moments later, I found myself thinking about Seth.

Was he aware that I was going to be his date to the ball?

Was that the reason he had showed up at my house last night?

Did he even want me to be his date?
How was I was supposed to act around him tomorrow?

It was all very confusing.
I lifted my fingers to rub my temple, I could feel a headache coming on.

"Did Seth not have a date already? What if we're inconveniencing him?" I blurted out to Selene who just laughed in turn.

"Mmmmh, so that's what got you so worked up, my brother." She said, releasing a laugh at the end.

"No. He didn't have a date. Seth barely attends these kinds of events but he didn't have a choice this year."

Of course, because his mother needed a way to have me attend.

"Let's listen to some music instead." I muttered, deciding that I had had enough of the depressing talks for one day.

Two hours later, I was drying tears from my eyes, my hands on my sides, trying to catch a breath.

"What do you mean you've never heard of Taylor Swift?"

I asked after my fit of laughter had died down. We had been trying to listen to the radio, a Taylor Swift tribute was on. The music made the long road bearable, for me, that is, Selene on the other hand looked miserable. At first, I thought she wasn't familiar with the old bops but when the new and most famous tracks that everyone knew played, she still wasn't familiar with them.

"It's not the kind of music I grew up around."

I couldn't help but laugh again as if she couldn't get any more of that 'rich girl' cliché. I was fairly confident that she was into that classy music, like ones played by large orchestras or opera music. I just found it funny that someone from my generation didn't know Taylor Swift or any other famous pop artist, not even the addictive K-pop artists that had gripped the world.

"Then at least allow me to refine your musical tastes. You won't regret it." I told her as I reached for the cable to plug in my phone. I listened to various genres, my top two being pop and country, I knew all the hits and hoped Selene would like them too.

One thing I liked about Selene was that she wasn't closed off. She didn't think of herself as better than others, she admitted that there were things she didn't know and allowed herself to be corrected whenever she got something wrong. I had half expected her to be a bit offended at my offer to introduce her to some good music, she wasn't. In fact, she welcomed the idea well till she found her own beat in some of the songs by the British girl band; Little Mix. It wasn't long before I had created a playlist for her with all the songs she had loved and finally, the journey didn't seem to drag as much.

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"We're here"

Selene spoke excitedly bringing my drowsy self back to the present. I had been in and out of sleep for the past hour and was extremely relieved to know that we had finally reached our destination.

My eyes looked around half-closed, trying to adjust to the brilliant lights of the enormous skyscrapers that surrounded us. Selene followed slowly behind her brother, who had turned to park in front of what looked like a very fancy hotel. A valet appeared out of nowhere to help both Selene and me out of the car.

"Good evening miss, Welcome to Palm Meadow Hotel." He did a little bow before taking the keys and driving off.

"What about our bags?" I asked as we walked towards the entrance. I had never travelled out of my home town so I had never stayed in a hotel before so I didn't know how things worked, it was embarrassing, to say the least.

"Don't worry, they will be delivered to our suites." She waved it off.

"Miss Blackwell, welcome back. Your suites are ready and your bags have been taken up, please enjoy your stay."

A tall woman, dressed in a burgundy uniform directed as she hands both me and Selene room keys.

I scurried behind Selene who had begun walking towards the elevator. My eyes were heavy and all I wanted to do was sleep, I was too tired to take in the luxurious hotel lobby, a little bit of touring would do tomorrow morning.

Turns out my suite was next to Selene's, something I was extremely grateful for. We didn't talk much, just wished each other a goodnight and went our separate ways. My feet dragged my exhausted body to a huge queen-sized fluffy bed.

Taking my shoes off, I threw myself on the softest bed I had ever slept on and drifted off into a sweet abyss.

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