The Virginity Pact

5 - escort me not

I'd never say it out loud, but the last part kind of hurts my feelings. So what if people assume we're dating? I may not be Lydia or Becca, but he couldn't at least walk me down a flight of stairs and do a dance or two? But he expects me to sleep with him?

I stand, crumbling up my hamburger wrapper and dropping it in the trash can.

"Here," I say shoving the rest of my fries at him. He takes them with a confused look on his face setting them down beside him. "My breaks over; I need to get back to work."

"Are you mad?" He asks, his thick eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "You understand, right? I'll still try to help you find a good escort."

I have to remind myself that we're only friends by default. In the end, he just wants to fuck and I just want to get into Yale. Holden couldn't care less about my feelings, or Yale, or me. He was raised by a businessman, seeing the world through the eyes of a capitalist. Life is one big business deal to him.

"Yeah, no, I get it. It's cool," I smile before walking off to reenter the building, leaving him behind.

I shouldn't care about Holden's disregard for my feelings, but I should care that he's not doing everything he can to make my cotillion perfect to catch attendees attention--which would include him as my escort.

I groan, running my fingers through my hair as I make my way to the supply closet, slipping my keys out of the pocket of my satin white apron.

Cotillion is in a week, and I don't even have an escort.

This is so not cool.

+++++++

"Lydia, would it kill you to stand up straighter," Lydia's mother, Elizabeth asks disapprovingly as she looks Lydia over.

Lydia rolls her eyes, already standing up as straight as possible, her shoulders back in a perfectly poised position.

"She'll have plenty of time to get it right during rehearsal later," adds in Melanie, referring to the portion of today's rehearsal where the girls walked in heels while balancing books on their heads.

Melanie, Lydia's older sister, was home from Princeton for the next week or so, assisting her mother in preparing Lydia for cotillion.

Though Lydia had done it once before, it wasn't nearly as perfect as Melanie's first cotillion, according to everyone else.

"However, what she won't have plenty of time for, is to drop a few pounds. That dress is looking a little tight, Lyd," Melanie states.

Lydia shoots Melanie a wicked glare. If looks could kill, Melanie would be 6 feet underground.

Elizabeth sighs.

"You know, I heard Ainsley is back in town," she informs.

Lydia feels a rush of annoyance, anger, and...nervousness?

She had relished in Ainsley's absence, and now she was back again. For what? To steal her shine at cotillion? Most likely. Lydia practically bursts into flames from within at the thought.

"Ainsley and I are not friends anymore, mother," Lydia rolls her eyes.

"Well she--"