The Virginity Pact

7 - the haves and have nots

A small, sad smile starts to form on her lips.

"I'm no good either. I'm trying to do better this year, though," she sighs smoothening out her plaid school skirt. "That's why I'm dropping out of cotillion."

My jaw slacks and I look at her in confusion. When she came home, the first day I met her, she told me she only came back so she didn't miss her last cotillion.

"Why? You said--"

"You're not the only one that's been making deals with the devil," she laughs dryly and I just look at her, wondering what she means.

"I'll be right back," Ainsley tells me, before quickly running out of the room, returning within the minute, carrying a hanger with a long, floor length cover over it.

"This was my cotillion dress," she explains, unzipping the long plastic cover halfway, exposing a beautiful floor length champagne dress, covered in intricate metallic detailing.

"It's beautiful, Ainsley," I tell her truthfully as I admire it. She zips it up and reaches her arm out to me.

"Here. I want you to have it. Wear it to cotillion."

I shake my head. I don't have a dress yet, but Ainsley's dress was expensive. She brought it all the way from some designer store in France.

"Harper, really," Ainsley walks over to my bed and lays the dress across it. "I'm not going, you need a dress, so why not."

I sigh. "Thank you, Ainsley. Really."

She nods. "Come on. We need to get to school."

+++++++

"You're up early," Vincent states as he sips his coffee, taking note of Holden's presence but not letting his eyes leave the morning news on the flat screen ahead.

"I have school," Holden mumbles, slipping on his jacket.

"That's never stopped you before," his father replies condescendingly.

Holden scoffs and begins walking towards the door, grabbing his backpack on the way.

"I'll send someone to pick up your suit for tomorrow. I'd tell you to stop by and get it after school or during lunch but you're not that responsible."

Holden ignores the last part of his fathers words. He's been thinking of ways to prove himself to his father, so that his share of the company wouldn't end up given to Tyler, but every time he opened his condescending mouth, Holden just wanted to leave the room.

"Suit for what?" Holden asks boredly as he continues walking.

"Cotillion."

Holden stops and turns around, looking at his father incredulously.

"What?" He asks, his voice beginning to raise. "I'm not going to cotillion. I never go."

"Well you're going this year. Find a nice girl without an escort. Someone like Lydia. You will be attending cotillion, Holden," Vincent says sternly, still not bothering to look at his son for longer than a few seconds.