Turning Point

¢нαρтєя тняєє

"What about this one?" Mom pulled out yet another dress, a long, gauzy sundress patterned with vibrant, colorful flowers. "Isn't it pretty?"

"Mhm." To be honest, I didn't like the dress at all. It was too bright, too eyecatching, and too not me. I preferred lighter colors and more subtle styles. Not that my mother ever paid any attention to that.

We had been at the mall for at least two or three hours now, and I was not having any fun at all, contrary to Mom's earlier promise. Those three hours had consisted completely of her bombarding me with dress after dress after dress, heeled shoes, and more pieces of jewelry than I could count. What I found strange about it was that I hardly ever wore dresses, never wore heels, and the most jewelry I ever wore was the locket I got for my fourteenth birthday. Mom knew this, so why on earth was she forcing me to buy all this stuff now?

I couldn't help wondering if there was another reason she'd brought me here, other than to ask people about the Selection -which she had, many, many times, much to my embarrassment. A lot of people said that yes, the age limit had been lowered to fifteen, but most people said it would be confirmed on the Illéa Report tomorrow night. My parents would probably camp out in front of the TV until then.

"Lyla, look at these sandals!" Mom gushed, jolting me out of my thoughts. She dangled a pair of rhinestone-covered sandals in front of my face. "Aren't they absolutely gorgeous? They're in your size too-"

"Mom," I said, cutting her off. "What's this really about?"

She blinked at me, and for a second, I saw her expression waver. "What do you mean, sweetie?"

"We're here for something else, aren't we? Something other than having a good ol' time at the mall and asking people if it's true that I can sign away my life to the royal family?"

She frowned. "Now, Lyla. Don't say it like that. You know the Selection is a beloved tradition that's been going on for years, and is one of the most important things in the country-"

I let out a sigh. "I know, I know. But I also know it isn't all sweetness and light. What if I'm not fit to be a lady, or being a princess isn't what I want out of life?"

"What do you want out of life?" Mom countered, her eyes narrowing at me. "Tell me, Lyla. I'd really like to know what you do want. All you seem to do is say no to every suggestion." She was angry now, and I knew I'd driven her to that point. She had a headstrong personality and didn't like being challenged, but I had to mention it. I couldn't just let her drag me along this path that I wasn't all that excited to go down. I mean, something like this is a major life decision. Shouldn't I be the one making it?

At those words, though, I faltered. The truth was, I didn't know what I wanted out of life. I didn't know if I wanted to be an author, or a teacher, or a doctor. Whenever I tried to envision my own future, I couldn't see myself doing anything. It was just a haze of questions and confusion. Would doing what my parents wanted clear up that confusion? Would it open up a new road for me to follow?

I didn't know. But I did know that my mother had won this argument -and when I looked at her face, I could tell she knew it too.

I stayed silent for the rest of the mall trip.

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heyyyyy. So I finally decided to update this, even though this chapter is super short. I've deleted all my other stories except this and my newest book, Bleeding Heart, because these are the only two I actually want to work on. I'll be trying to update this regularly along with Bleeding Heart, maybe once a week. If you haven't read Bleeding Heart yet, I would be reaaaallly happy if you did (:

I felt so bad for Lyla in this chapter :( I always screw with my characters' emotions and lives in my stories and end up feeling bad for them later. Sigh.

Anyway, bai for now!