Behind Gilded Masks

Chapter 14

A thousand different memories swirled around Ayla's mind as she took in the approaching girls. None of them good. They weren't necessarily overtly malicious, but that still didn't make the words sting any less.

"Ayla Westford coming to a party? What a shock."

"Look what the cat dragged in."

"Will that girl ever focus on something else? Tch. She's always got her head in the clouds."

"Maybe you'd have more friends if you weren't so obsessed with the stars."

They weren't the only ones who said things like that. She didn't even know if they knew they were doing it most of the time. When they'd met the girls had been very friendly and welcoming, but as time went on they seemed to grow more frustrated with her.

Not wanting to go to parties all the time or wanting to work on her thesis instead of going on dates. Not having any interest in those things when there were other things she'd rather be doing. A part of Ayla agreed that it might be unusual to be so avoidant of those things.

Hell, she'd heard similar words from her parents and brother. But when these girls who she had thought were her friends said them, it somehow made the sting worse. Ayla could still remember the day she figured out they didn't like the subject as much as she did. The day it became clear to her that they found it annoying.

She had gone to one of their parties in an attempt to understand what the big deal was, but had had to leave due to the excess of bright lights. It hadn't taken long for her to understand that although the experience could objectively be considered "fun", it simply wasn't for her.

The problem, however, was that the girls had taken it as a more personal attack than a difference in preference. Their friendly demeanours changing into ones lined with frustration. It wasn't that they started to avoid her, but that Ayla could sense they didn't really understand her. And people had a tendency to make fun of things they didn't understand.

Ayla didn't know why it had bothered her so much when they had started doing the same. Friendly jabs that soon didn't seem so friendly. She could never bring herself to call them out on it. It felt like she was making a big deal out of nothing.

"Who's your friend?" Georgina asked as she and Aminah walked up to them.

Aminah's eyes were glued to Eileen in a way that Ayla wasn't quite sure she liked. As if feeling the weight of her gaze, she turned around to give Ayla a questioning look. "Is she going to attend the academy too?"

Trying to make her mouth open proved to be a difficult task. Ayla couldn't make her throat work to clear the dryness, no words coming to mind. The only thing keeping her from bolting was Eileen's reassuring presence next to her. One that brought her out of her paralysis when she spoke.

"Hello!"Ayla blinked out of her stupor at the sound of her voice. "My mama told me it's rude to not address a question to the person you're asking about."Ayla could see a mischievous gleam enter Eileen's eyes for a moment before it was gone.

The girls glanced at her in confusion before turning their attention to Eileen. Their eyes flicked over her, faces scrunching at the innocuous look on her face. They seemed to not know how to answer that.

"What are your names?" After not having gotten an answer, Eileen had moved away from the piles of clothes and moved to stand beside Ayla. It was a casual stance, but the way Eileen had positioned herself was more protective than would seem to the girls.

Amirahseemed to hesitate, glancing at Georgina for cues but quickly turned her head back to them. "Aminah. Aminah Jacobs," she glanced towards Georgina before continuing. "And this is my friend Georgina."