Truth Or Fiction

Chapter Ninety Six

Alexandria grinned as she grabbed her scroll. Though there was a small part of her that hoped she'd get a good scroll and not a depressing one.

Mal sighed as she looked at the calendar.

"Why are you sighing now?" Hadie groaned.

The day had finally arrived—Cotillion.

"Oh! Wait...that's a good thing right?" Hadie asked.

Malinda chuckled. "Yes Hadie, that's a good thing."

"Then why are you still sighing?!"

After tonight, the buckets of stress she had been dealing with would be over and she could finally relax. It was a massive check on her to-do list.

"Good," Hades and Persephone said at the same time.

That wasn't to say she wouldn't be dealing with any stress. She'd be a Lady of Ben's court, and would deal with all the responsibilities that came with it.

"At least we'll be able to get through it together," Benji said, holding Malinda close to him.

But for tonight, at least, she'd be able to relax and simply enjoy time with her boyfriend.

"Which, honestly, seems to be a rarity for you two," Emir said.

That's if I don't trip over the dress or make a fool of myself in some other way, she thought as she made her way to her shared dorm.

"You'll be fine Mal," Emma said.

"So, just double checking that we're not going to keep Natalie in our employ?" Phil Jr asked, looking at his parents. "I mean, if her impact was so great that Mal's still echoing her words even if they're just in her head, what could she be doing to Audrey?"

The dress was beautiful and, thanks to Uma, it would at least look decent in that it was one color. But...it still wasn't her.

"I'll drink to that!" Harry nodded before pausing from a look from Harriet, Persephone, Hades, James, and Mliah. "I meant metaphorically!"

I'll suck it up though. This is Ben's night just as much as it's mine. Besides, it's a dress. Your coronation dress was much, much worse and you survived that.

Malinda shook her head. "The coronation dress was beautiful...though I could have done without the high collar."

"I'll...I'll make sure I remember that for this go-around," Evie said softly. "That is...if I still make your dress."

Besides, stop thinking you'll make a fool of yourself. Okay? That's Natalie talk and tonight's your night. You don't need her words clogging up your brain.

"Attagirl!" Harry, Hades, and Hadie cheered.

"Hey Mal," Uma said, pulling Mal out of her thoughts and Mal couldn't help but smile as she saw her cousin in her own Cotillion dress.

"Gods it's a shame there's no video," Audie said. "The dress truly was stunning in my timeline, at least it was in the viewing. Though where Uma got it still perplexes me."

"Wouldn't Evie have made it?" Dizzy asked and Audie realized she'd said a little too much.

Sure it might have been a bit early to be getting ready but Uma would take the longest. Just because of all the arguing she'd do to try to avoid anything remotely 'prissy'.