The Invited

Chapter 1 - Introduction

A soft thump slowly drifted into Evie's consciousness, gradually getting louder and louder as she tried unsuccessfully to make it go away so she could slip back into a deeper sleep.  Suddenly, the lights flooded the room, and her eyes slowly blinked, trying to open carefully.  

The soft thump was suddenly a loud abrasive knock at her bedroom door.  "Evangeline, this is the last time I will tell you, GET UP!"  

Evie rolled her eyes and groaned.  "I'm up, papà, I'm up!"

The phone at her bedside buzzed and notifications flooded the screen.  A group chat with all the girls in the village was booming with excitement.  Evie groaned again and opened her phone, scrolling through the endless messages.  

Today's the day, bambine! -Bella

Oh my god, I can't believe it!  Invitation day! -Capri

OMG - I can't wait!!!  Maybe this will be my year... -Lucia

Evie smirked as she typed out quick message, sure to drive them all crazy. 

What are you all so worked up over? Who cares about the invitation?  I bet none of them are that cute anyways ;) 

She put her phone back on her nightstand and strolled over to the small vanity that sat in the corner of her quaint room.  Even if she wasn't thrilled about it, she still had to get ready for the invitation ceremony, and today was the day.  Every ten years the Rossi family sent out a small handful of invitations to the most sought-after young women in the village, hoping to find a suitable partner for one of their many heirs.  Evie didn't understand what the hype was all about.  The Rossi's owned much of Italy and had for several centuries.  Nobody could ever quite answer why or how the family had gained so much wealth and power, but nobody seemed to care either.  

This year was the year that Luca would find his wife.  Evie rolled her eyes at the thought of marriage.  Nobody even knew what Luca looked like.  Nobody knew what any of the Rossi children looked like until their engagements were announced.  Yes, it was true that so far, all of them had been fairly attractive, but looks didn't matter to her.  The buzzing of her phone against the marble nightstand became overbearing and Evie powered it down before returning to the vanity to get ready. 

Most girls spent weeks if not months in preparation, but her papà had only just managed to get her to start preparing herself three days ago.  Evie turned to the garment bags hanging in front of her closet, and sighed as she crossed over to them.  Evie generally preferred to wear jeans and a graphic tee, but papà would never allow that.  After much deliberation, Evie agreed to buying several dresses, as long as she could pick the color.  Her papà wasn't very happy with her choices in color, but agreed as long as she would actually wear the dresses.  

"What to wear, what to wear..."  Evie pondered as if she actually cared.  She didn't.  She knew exactly what would happen today, no matter what she was wearing.  She would show up to the town center, dressed in her black gown, and she would watch as Capri, Bella, Lucia, and a few of the other girls she had grown up with received their invitation to the gala to try to win Luca's heart.  She rolled her eyes again and sat at her vanity to work on her hair and makeup.  It really was a mystery to her as to why these girls were so daft.  None of them had any aspirations.  They all wanted to carry the Rossi name, but Evie was different.  She wanted nothing more than to leave her home and travel to the United States to perform on Broadway.  

Ever since she was a little girl it was the only thing she cared about.  Her papà and mamma spent all their free time taking Evie to theatre classes and music lessons as they thought it would just be a hobby for her.  Much to their surprise it was the exact opposite.  Evie never had any interest in the great Rossi galas, only pursuing her dreams.  It was something her and her mamma often fought about...  

Evie blinked back tears remembering her last conversation with her mamma.  

"Mamma, I don't care!  I don't want to waste my time learning how to sew and set a table.  I want to practice my music.  They will never choose me.  They won't want someone like me.  I will never follow their rules!"  Evie stormed out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room, slamming the door.  

"Evangeline, amore, please.  You know that isn't what is best for you."

"For me? You only care about what is best for you! You just want the riches and the fame.  If you want it so bad, mamma, you marry one of them!"  Evie left her room and plowed past her mother in the kitchen, not able to reach the front door fast enough.  

"Evie, amore, you don't know what you are saying.  This is the only option there is."

Evie stared at her mother, one hand on the front door, slowly twisting the knob.  "If you make me go through with this, I will never forgive you.  I hate you."  With that, she left, running down the cobblestone streets to the marina nearby.  

She sat on the dock for hours, singing her favorite songs, crying.  After a few hours, she returned home, only to find sirens flooding her street, lights throwing shadows across the houses.  Evie ran to her house, only to find her papà crying on the doorstep.  Looking up she noticed a white sheet covering a stretcher being loaded into a dark van.  

"Papà, what is it?  Where's mamma?"  With those words her father sobbed harder, his big frame shrinking before eyes.  

She shook her head and tried to clear the memory from her head.  That night was only six short months ago, and they still had no answer as to why someone gunned her mother down in their living room.  Evie looked at herself in the mirror, and slowly began applying her makeup.  She would do this for her mother.  

"Amore, its time," her father called from the staircase.  

She slipped on the black velvet dress and regarded herself in the mirror one last time.  Her usually wild and unruly curls were pinned back around her face, and a dark smoky eyeshadow coated her eyes.  She applied a neutral lip, and spritzed herself one time with her favorite scent, and took a deep breath before descending the staircase, unsure of what was awaiting her.