The Pretty Games (#WATTYS2016)

Four ♔ Kiss and Tell

Lydia, falling for the challenge, flipped her long hair over her shoulder and nodded.

"I choose Truth."

"Which boy in this school do you have your eyes on?" Rory asked, her voice sharp.

Lydia stiffened but soon, she sighed and smiled confidently. That was not in Rory's agenda. Even the girls doubled over to catch her every word.

"Oh, I'm thinking . . . Noah Cobain."

While the girls burst into shrilly and hyper whispers, Rory turned to stone. Her eyes fluttered to Lydia's which glinted with bitter pleasure.

"Don't you think he's a bit too . . . regal?" countered Rory.

"Not at all." Lydia cooed innocently. "If anything, that is what I adore about him. He reminds me of a king, you know what I mean, Rory? His hair is like white gold and his eyes sparkle whenever he smiles. It happens a lot when I'm with him."

Rory scoffed cynically, folding her arms across her chest. Only for his looks? How pathetic. They actually talked to each other, too? Whatever.

"But I wouldn't expect you to understand," continued Lydia. Her eyes looked vengeful. "After all, you've always sparked me as an independent queen, Aurora."

Rory blinked. Lydia had found a chink in her silver armor, and the wound was bleeding fast.

The other girls agreed naively with the witch, their eyes turning glassy as they thought about Rory in muse.

"That's true," A tall girl with wild orange hair nodded. "I think Rory is just fine without a guy weighing her down."

"Too beautiful to be loved." Another one giggled.

Rory flashed artificial smiles, drinking in the lily-white comments like poison. If only they could realize the crone in their midst. And she sat directly across from Rory, victorious.

♚

"Daddy?"

"Princess, how is school going?"

Crouched outside the Commons door, Rory wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing her phone to her ear. It was almost midnight and the girls grew quiet, probably passing out on their fluffy blankets as she spoke. Of course her father would still be up. He was a heavy workaholic.

"It's good."

There was a small silence and Rory heard the shuffling of papers.

"Did you need anything? Do I need to send Godfrey?"

"No," Rory answered, breathing softly. "I just missed you, I guessed."

There was another moment of peace but this time her father couldn't convey the words. "I miss you too, Rory."

Quietly, Rory thought about how dark and still the manor must have been right now. Only the sound of her father's pen scribbling down white sheets in countless black letters and paragraphs. Rory guessed that the snowy moonlight shining into his office was the only comfort he had.

"How's Mom?"

"In Peru," Ezra Valentine answered with a deep chuckle. "Sent me a postcard about last week." And another silence. "Your mother looked happy."

"Yeah."

Rory had gotten the same postcard. On the back was an explosion of natural colors, green forestry, archaic ruins and coffee mountains. She could just imagine her mother now, blonde hair whipping in the wind, blue eyes behind a pair of local sunglasses. Carmen Valentine never liked being tied down to one place. Especially corporate rooms full of suits and heels. She was like a blitzing storm, free and tameless.

Though Rory could never understand how her father tolerated her restless spirit, she guessed that's why he truly loved her mother.

"You know, Aurora." Her father continued with a sigh. "She really wishes you'd talk to her more."

Rory didn't say a word. Missed calls, new emails, unopened messages . . . Rory had seen every single one of them from her ghost of a mother. Why should she care to answer her anyway? It wasn't as if she loved her or her father to actually be around them.

"She really loves you, Rory."

"Yeah - um, Dad, I'm kind of sleepy." rushed Rory. Then, she lit up in a smile. "Oh, wait. I forgot to tell you something. The Homecoming Ball is coming up soon."

Rory could hear the smile in her father's voice. "Is that so? I just know my babygirl will look stunning. Are you planning on going with anyone?"

"Maaaaaybe." Rory sang. And her father laughed once again.

Finally, Ezra Valentine sighed. It rippled to static in her ear. "Your father still has a lot of work to do. I'm sorry, princess. I love you, Aurora. Sleep well."

"I love you, too, Dad."

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!! Next chapter will be posted next Friday, May 6th!!

And the call ended.