Author's Note: I just wanted to say how truly astonished I am that after only four days, my story has 140 reads, thank you all so much! I'm sorry if my story sucks, but it means so much to me that you all are reading it! And I also wanted to add in a quick request, please correct me if there's a typo, like fr, this is my first fanfic and I really want my story to be as good as possible for future readers and it's super helpful when you guys comment thoughts and corrections. Also actual story note, Im probably not gonna change POV so often...maybe like a change every few chapters With love, Frankie (:
America's Point of View
I'm officially going mad. I watched from down the hall of Celeste's restaurant of choice, as Maxon and Kriss sauntered to our table. Was this actually happening? I thought, of all the restaurants in Paris, he had to come to ours? Tonight was a disaster, sure I distracted myself, but now reality's rolling back in like storm clouds on a perfectly breezy day. Doing my best to avoid any glares from any of the three, I crouched behind a plant. Was I seriously crouching behind a plant? What was I doing, I'm a mess. I don't even know why I was hiding, I was better than this. I got up, arched my back slightly, tilted my head up softly with confidence, and advanced back to our table. Kriss, Maxon, and Celeste were just making casual conversation, I heard only snippets of it,
"How are you?" and "So how long have you been living here?" Nobody even noticed when I joined the table and caught Maxon's confused and somewhat anxious eye. I smirked, in a way that I doubt even seemed like a smirk, I'm not entirely sure how to smirk, but I had vague idea of how it worked.
"Oh my gosh, America, how are you, we were all so worried when you ran out the other night," she said rather excitedly. I tried my best not to grimace as she spoke.
"Oh I'm grand," I emphasized the word,"and I was only feeling unwell that night, but I feel much better now," I smiled, this time an overly sweet, but slightly sickly smile.
"Well, I'm glad you feel so much better now, we have so much to catch up on," she went on,
"How does tea at the palace tomorrow sound? Perhaps Princess Fleur can join us," she said gesturing to Celeste. Kriss was toying with me, I realized, she was trying to get my temper to rise, but I wouldn't let her. I was going to stay this sweet, sickly girl. I looked over at Maxon, whose eyes were now darting rapidly between Kriss and me, looking immensely confused. Kriss returned sickly smile and took Maxon's arm as they strode back to their table. I rolled my eyes behind their backs and twirled around to face Celeste, who's mouth was gaping slightly, and who's face was just as confused as Maxon's.
"I hate that bitch," she said under her breath. I let out a laugh and she returned it until we were both impolitely laughing at the level of hatred we shared for Kriss. Maxon looked back at me as he took his seat, but I was careful not to show I was watching him. Celeste and I actually ended up enjoying our evening, our food was delicious and warm, and comforting in the best way possible.
We ended up reaching our flat around eleven, and after that we stayed up for a few hours gossiping, laughing, and talking about the Selection. We never really had talked about the Selection before. For the first year after we moved, my heart had still been too broken to talk about it, and after that we had been so busy with our jobs to really talk at all about anything that wasn't work or apartment or food related.
"Did you hear that Elise is pregnant?" Celeste said.
"Elise? Seriously? With who?"
"That's the thing, she refuses to tell anyone who the father is!"
"Wait actually? Her parents must be fuming," Elise had always been so focused on honor and her family to ever be involved in such a scandal, I couldn't believe it.
"Oh they were!" Celeste purred, I think Celeste seriously enjoyed gossiping, it seemed like her brand of melodrama and it appeared that she knew just about everything about everyone.
"That's insane," I wasn't really in the mood to give her a reply that actually took up thought.
"Oh, oh and then Natalie's getting married next month, I totally forgot to tell you, I got the invitation last week, I didn't recognize the name of the man, so he's probably not very important, Natalie always did seem like type to marry for love, I'll bet he's a eight," she said. I ignored the comment about marrying for love, too tired to argue a point.
"Did you RSVP?"
"No, I was meaning to ask you first," she yawned. And then I yawned.
"I'm going to bed, turn the lights off before you go to your room," Celeste slinked into her room and shut the door, leaving me sitting alone. I hazily got up and shut off the lights.
Author's Note: this was just a quick chapter because it's not my usual posting time, but I just wanted to get this part out of the way, love ya -Frankie (: