Dear Elise

Chapter 1 - a few months earlier.

"If I have asked you to remain behind, please stay in your seats. If not, please proceed with Silvia here into the dining hall. I will join you shortly."
Those few sentences were all it took to set off a train of worries in my mind. Were the girls asked to remain behind special in some way? I look at their makeup, clothes, jewellry - nothing seems that drastically different to me, does it? I shake my head, trying to to keep the anxious thoughts at bay, as I follow Silvia with the other girls.

Last night I didn't talk much to the girls either side of me at the table, but I vaguely remember their names being C.C. and... and... As I sit down she smiles at me, starting to speak immediately. "Good morning! ...It's Elise, right?"
The ghost of a shiver runs down my spine as I realise something.
She's talking to me, and at the worst possible moment... I've forgotten her name.
"Yes, that's me. And you're... " She cuts me off. "Samantha Lowell - but you can just call me Sam."
Under normal circumstances I'd be offended by someone cutting me off in such a way, but right now... it's all I can do not to let out a sigh of relief. "Oh yes, Samantha. Good morning." Her grin doesn't fade at my short answers. In fact, I'm almost sure it widens.

"So... how're you finding the palace so far?"
I fiddle with my fork, trying to think of something to say. "It's lovely. ...opulent."
Thankfully, Samantha seems to agree with me. "Oh, yeah!" She sounds more excited, and it's obvious how happy she is to be here.
"It's like a dream. The clothes, the jewellery, the food... everything is so much better than anything I've seen back home."
I nod, deciding to try to stretch out this conversation. Though we're competing, it would be nice to make at least a few friends. "Yes... I've never seen such a beautiful place, either. I hope I get a chance to take a walk in the gardens soon."
Samantha looks at me with an expression that almost seems curious, in a way. "...by yourself, I'm guessing?"

"Well... that's what I was planning." I say cautiously, put on edge by her sudden change in attitude. Is she trying to figure me out? ...maybe just unnerve me? "Why?"
She pauses for a second, before replying in a thoughtful tone of voice. "Well... you just don't seem to like being around people very much. Almost every time I've seen you, you've been alone, and you only talk to people when they talk to you."
I stop, slightly taken aback by the accuracy of her observations. "I'm just not that good at making friends..."
My own honesty shocks me a little - I don't often admit things this easily. "I haven't spent much time with girls my age, apart from a few family friends."

Samantha smiles at me again. "Oh, well that makes sense. And it's already a bit tense between everyone here, since we're competing and everything..."
Ah, the Selection itself. I knew it would appear somehow in our conversation. But to my surprise, instead of beginning to talk about Prince Maxon, she bypasses the topic entirely.
"So anyway, if you end up wanting company on your walk... you can always ask me."
I look at her. Her smile seems sincere, and I find myself smiling hesitantly back at her. Perhaps I really could make a friend here. But as I open my mouth to answer, Prince Maxon speaks up.

"Lady America?" Samantha and I look up at almost the same time as everyone else.
Lady America... all I remember about her is her red hair. And I think she made Prince Maxon laugh when she was talking to him this morning. There's a pause before she answers. "Yes, your Majesty?"
I glance over at her as she speaks. Her style seems much simpler than the rest of the girls' - she's barely even wearing any jewellery. Still, at least she stands out.
I look down, suddenly worried about my own appearance.
Is it too much? Maybe I should simplify tomorrow's outfit.im probably overthrowing, but I can't help it.
I tune out all of the conversations and comments around me for the rest of breakfast, but as we're all standing up, I remember something.

"Samantha?" She turns to look at me. "Yeah? What is it, Elise?" I take a deep breath before speaking. "...do you know why those girls stayed behind?" She looks a bit surprised. "Oh, didn't you hear? They're gone... they got eliminated."
I feel a rush of relief at her words. So they weren't better than me in some way... "...oh. ...Thank you." I nod politely to her before making my way out of the dining hall.