Uglier

Chapter 5 Potluck

Chapter 5 Potluck

Quincy opened the door to his apartment with stacks of food.

Ella waved an article around. "The board loves it." She mimicked Quincy's voice.

Beauty and the Mark

By Quincy Course

Josh Mort, whoever he is, has been mocking my writing for months.

He has called me a spineless swamp worm and lies that I don't have an opinion about the Mark Badges.

He blabbers about love and forgiveness, and shouldn't that love extend to the Mark Board, or me?

We should remove the Mark Badges because no women compare to the beauty of the female Mark Board members.

*

Half an Hour Later at Janice Kind's House

Quincy and Ella walked around Janice's four-story mansion. They arrived first. Elaborate paintings and sketches hung on the walls.

Handmade and thrift store furniture filled the dining party area.

Janice Kind glided on the vibrant, mismatched tiles.

Her home appeared expensive, but it was a facade, like her. The woman was a revolutionary. She turned former enemies to her side by treating them with kindness. "Canceling people doesn't change hearts." Janice mingled with the board members.

Guests piled into the dining/party room.

Ella placed platters of takeout food on the sizable buffet table, and she munched on a slice of pizza. "Quincy, I need to talk with a friend, but I'll catch up with you later. Don't worry, I texted Alana-Hope and she and her date will show you around." She walked off and mingled with the other guests, leaving Quincy alone.

Men and women who resembled Humans, Elves, Pixies with feathered wings, and Anthropomorphic races, chatted with the Mark Board.

Female Mark Board members wore purple uniforms or dresses to signify that they were the elite, the most beautiful and perfect. Male members wore black and purple uniforms with matching suit coats.

Quincy placed bread, popcorn, and cheese on the table.

Alana-Hope waved and ran to him. "I wouldn't have come if Ella didn't text me you'd be here. She said we could keep each other company if you don't mind. I hate attending these potlucks." Professor Alana-Hope Cross wore a flowing beige dress over her skin. A purple streak ran through her hair, a sign she once dated a board member, but it became a sign of her rebellion. She left a tray of mini pizza rolls, a jar of apple butter, and fancy skillet cornbread on the buffet table.

"I'm thrilled to see a friend," he said.

"Potlucks are part of our culture." Her date-tossed bacon-stuffed prune poppers into his mouth.

Professor Alana-Hope scrunched and contorted her entire face. "I don't hate potlucks, but this reminds me of the tacky white trash parties people invited me to when I left West Virginia. These potlucks are designed to be rude. Not that Professor Janice is mean."

Quincy groaned. "I can't wait until my school contract ends."

Her date grabbed a pizza roll and ate it. "These potlucks are a remaining tradition when Crystal Alpha was full of generosity, but I could see how you might take it that way."

Professor Alana-Hope adjusted her bracelet. "Before I moved to this planet, I've never seen poverty this extreme."

"Most of their girls are Marked, so at least they receive housing," a Mark Board member said from behind.