Kaden | ✓

part eleven ♚ geriatric

The girls were dismissed before dinner, and the announcement was made that night on the Report. Sasha didn't even look sad as she left. She hugged me and said good luck, and I promised to keep in touch. She said she'd hold me to it.

It wasn't until the next Wednesday that I picked again. After getting pictures and such, I spent the afternoon with my parents, the Woodworks, and the Legers searching through the Angeles basket for Emmaline's form. It was my mother that found it, holding it up triumphantly and grinning. We resealed it and set it in the pile. No one would know.

Much to my surprise, I found that Eadlyn had become good friends with Esther and Autumn. So had Josie, and she wasn't quite so insufferable anymore. In fact, Josie had decided to help spy on the girls and was getting information to me when Autumn and Esther couldn't.

After the announcement was made, I received a note from Emmaline. It was short. You sneaky bastard, she had said. She told me that her mother just about fainted. If only she knew that you picked me on purpose.

James was not surprised. He and Dustan were constantly hanging out with Sasha, who had seemed to take a liking to Dustan. He seemed quite happy about that.

The girls were brought in the Monday after the announcement. I was introduced to them before lunch, and Emmaline gave me a shy smile. Her gown was a pale, grayish pink, with many thin layers. I knew the second I saw it that Eadlyn designed it, and I assumed that all of her dresses would be designed by my sister.

"Lady Emmaline," I greeted her, trying hard not to laugh.

"I am going to kill you." She said flatly. "I hate you so much."

"Why?"

"Dustan and James." She grumbled. "They've been mocking me since the announcement. They even got my brothers in on it!"

I laughed. "Yeah, they'll do that for a while."

"More like the rest of my life." She mumbled. She glared hard at me and leaned close. "Kaden, did you really rig this so that I ended up coming here?" Was she doubting it?

I shrugged. "You did ask what we were going to do. I found a solution." I smiled at her. "On the bright side, I'll get to see the process of your songwriting."

"I'll make the worst noises possible with the violin until you go away."

I gaped at her. "Do you want to be kicked out of this competition already?"

"Getting sent home would not fix the mental and emotional trauma you have put me through by drawing my name, Kaden Schreave." She paused. "I just realized I don't know your middle name. And weren't you blonde during Eadlyn's Selection?"

"The blonde hair got darker as I got older. Now I only sort of look like my dad and Ahren." I grimaced. "The middle name is something I don't plan on letting you find out."

"Does James know it?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I've never told him."

"Does Eadlyn?"

"Of course. She's my sister."

"And Osten?"

"He's under oath. You won't be getting anywhere with him."

She eyed me curiously. "Is it a nuclear launch code, by any chance?"

"Potentially. Now, stop hogging up my time. That's not very ladylike, Miss Levitt."

She made a face at me and climbed to her feet. I stood as well, and she curtsied. "Your vocabulary is quite unbecoming of a young lady, Mr. Schreave. Perhaps you should invest your enormous and practically endless wealth in a thesaurus." She pretended to think about it. "Actually, don't. That can be your Christmas present. Or your birthday present. Whichever comes first."

"Yes, because every man wants the knowledge of synonyms and antonyms for his birthday." I chuckled. "Go back to your seat."

Unfortunately, the other girls weren't nearly as fascinating. However, they were all nice enough and they all seemed to get along well.

My mom looked around the room during lunch and leaned over to me. "Keep a close eye on Emmaline, Kaden." She said quietly. "They won't do it when you're around, but they'll tear her apart the second you leave. Try to downplay her being your favorite." There was a shadow in her eyes. "It was that way during your father's Selection. He never saw it, but I experienced it. These girls are no different. They will not be an exception. If she gets distant, there's something wrong. Do you understand?"

My eyes followed hers to where Emmaline was seated between Esther and Autumn, laughing at something two other girls said.

I nodded. "I'll watch her."