Author Games: Brave New World

Task One Entries: 1-12

Natalia "Olive" Amber

Olive shifted and stared down at the fabric covering her lap. It was easily identifiable as a fitting shade of olive green. She wasn't so sure about the fabric. Velvet, perhaps? She's never known much about fashion in general. That was Chanel's department.

Olive cast a glance down the table at her sister. Chanel's mouth was moving in effortless trivial conversation. This kind of thing, so called high society social affairs: this was her forte, just as scientific pursuits were Olive's.

As if she felt Olive's gaze, Chanel turned in her direction. Chanel smiled slyly, like she sensed Olive's discomfort and wished to add salt to the wound.

It would be a lie for Olive to think that this situation did not discomfort her. The muscles in her belly that refused to unclench were proof enough of that. But she could take solace in knowing that this was only a temporary distress, Chanel's inability to comprehend scientific pursuits was a lifelong disability.

The ring of a spoon against brought all babbling to a gradual halt. Olive moved her gaze around until it landed on the source of the sound: her father, champagne glass raised high in the air. He beamed. A few of the weed knots in Olive's stomach untangled.

"Please be so kind as to lend me a few minutes of your attention," Alvaro Amber called. His audience, of course, was politely silent.

Olive straightened out the napkin next to her plate. This was it. Her ears strained in preparation to hear every syllable her father uttered. She looked up and watched him speak.

"As many of you," Alvaro said, "already know, the reason we are all gathered here is my daughter. My third daughter, Natalia Amber, is about to participate in something amazing, incredible...and out of this world." He smiled at his own pun. "I would like to take a few moments to speak about her."

Olive smiled tightly. Her gaze dropped down to her plate and her cheeks heated up pleasantly at hearing herself spoken of.

"I've never quite understood her," he admitted. "While her sisters were learning to sing and dance and play instruments, while her brothers learned to play sports, she stared at flowers." He gave a chuckle. "As you can see, I didn't realize her interest ran so deep."

Polite spouts of laughter and chuckles were heard around the table. Olive's cheeks heated up again, but the sensation wasn't quite so pleasant this time.

Alvaro continued, "Over the years, Natalia's school life became full of science classes, all passed. She's a brilliant girl like that. I never believed science was more of a hobby for her, myself. After all, isn't science more of a boy thing? I always thought girls were more musical and creative, but Natalia proved me wrong."

It was phrased in a way to sound like a compliment, but it sent Olive's cheeks blazing. If they had been heated before, they were on fire now. She stared down at her plate. If the heat she felt in her cheeks could be transferred to her eyes, she would be burning a hole into the white glass.

Her hands dropped to her laugh and twisted the unknown material. All around her socialites were laughing, chuckling. She was no laughing matter. She was smarter than all of them, wasn't she? But they were all laughing. Why did they always laugh?

"She's never been much like her sisters," Alvaro went on. "Chanel and Ysabel are both nothing short of musical geniuses." A small spattering of applause followed. Chanel and Ysabel both put on modestly flattered faces. "As for Natalia, I can't say if she inherited this talent as well, because she never tried."

Olive sunk down in her chair. She was being foolish, wasn't she? This was supposed to be praising her. It was praising her, right? People were so confusing in their social interactions. If only they could be more like flowers, who only occasionally passively interacted with one another to cross pollinate.