The Forgotten

Brace Yourself

Mr. Bristill coughs. "You should get ready for the dinner."

"Will you tell me who's coming?" I inquire.

"It's a surprise," he replies. Ironically, his statement surprises me. He's not the type to surprise someone. Everything is plotted, planned out, connived. Nothing is spontaneous.

Except Cardinal's disappearance. And Raven's death. No one plans for those types of things.

"Fine," I agree grudgingly, "but if it's the Cromwells, I'm not socializing with them." He grimaces. I groan dramatically.

"Oh no,' I mutter.

Mr. Bristill hurries to salvage the situation. "Alright, multiple wealthy families are coming over. This dinner is a very important, annual event. Every year--"

"Because, naturally, I didn't know what annually meant,' I mutter. He continues as though he didn't hear me.

"--one family hosts the event. It's for charity and is a rather big deal. Therefore it is a great honor to be the one hosting it."

"Please tell me there won't be dancing," I complain. Dancing is a weakness of mine, and not in a good way.

"No," he says, "there will not be dancing." I sigh with relief. He smiles, as if relishing what shall come next.

"There will, however, be dancing at the End of Year Cotillion your school always has." I moan loud enough people in other countries probably heard.

"Are you trying to torture me?" I ask. He rolls his eyes.

"You and Raven share the same thirst for drama," Mr. Bristill notes.

"I had to do something whilst locked away."

"It doesn't matter about the Cotillion right now," he states. "Go upstairs and change. Dinner is in an hour."

I do as he says, thinking on my way that no heart to heart between us can replace the bad blood in a second. This will take time, time I probably don't have.

For the occasion, I choose one of Raven's most atrocious gowns. It is a pink (of course) knee-length dress with more tulle (yuck) and more sequins (oh joy). I wear black sandals and white tights. I curl my short hair, which, to my astonishment, doesn't look so bad. It might even look nice, by some stretch of the imagination.

I apply light gray eye shadow and pink lipstick. I check my reflection in the mirror. Now I look like an aristocrat. Problem is, I don't look like myself. I know I'm not supposed to, but I'm still not used to it.

While waiting for the guests to arrive, I occupy myself by making a list of suspects.

Shain

Janessa

York

Jersey

Unknown person

I have a feeling unknown person is who I'm looking for. If so, what is their motive? Revenge? Jealously? Lust?

I shiver at the last one. I'd rather die than that.

Once I'm finished with this list, I decide to brainstorm for motives.

Shain-Raven knew she was cheating on her boyfriend. Maybe she wanted to cover it up.

Janessa-she hated Raven. She also was probably jealous of her, being as she wasn't chosen at birth.

York-basic motives any Forgotten could have. Plus, he and Janessa tried to kidnap me. Maybe they thought they have simply failed to kill me the first time.

A thought occurs to me. What if their theory is that they killed Eris, not Raven? Everyone at the Forgotten Compound knew about her late-night excursions. They might think I'm the one who's dead.

As if they'd be able to kidnap me.

The sound of a doorbell signifies I have to end my investigation for now. I hope this party isn't a waste of time. I think it is.

Better than going to some Cotillion though.

To my horror, The President and his wife are the first to arrive. Tabitha is the only of their three children accompanying him. I didn't expect Rubin and Shain to come. Shain should still be in jail End of the week, I believe Jess said, is when she's getting back. As for Rubin, I don't think he's ever going back to his family.

I freeze when the President's eyes fall on me. He stares at me for a few minutes. He whispers something to his wife and they walk over.

"Thank you," Lindor says, surprising me.

"But...but I got Shain...your daughter arrested," I stutter. I went from never being surprised to constantly tongue tied.

"You taught her a lesson," the President corrects. "And I hope it is a lesson well learned." I swallow and nod.

Fortunately I don't have to make conversation. Another family I don't recognize enters. After them is the family of Lance Goldheist.

I make a split second decision. I march up to him and confess.

"Lance, Shain and I are the ones who vandalized your locker. Your relationship with Miss Jenkins is wrong and disturbing, and probably illegal, but it wasn't our place to humiliate you."

"She quit," he tells me. "You and your delinquent friend made us realize there would be consequences. Once I graduate, we're going to move to New York. She's only twenty-two, and she's always wanted to go."

Mr. and Mrs. Goldheist look uncomfortable during their son's conversation. I imagine they aren't too happy about his choices. Because naturally their reputation means so much more than their only child's happiness.

I'm beginning to realize that the snobbish children are only what their parents make them. They reflect what they see. Their parents are the petty ones. It's not too late for my fellow adolescents.

Over the next hour, many more people file in. Among them are the Hampshires, Cromwells, and Banks.

I try to avoid my classmates. Raven didn't make many references to people unless she hated them or adored them. It'd be too easy for me to slip up.

Finally Mr. Bristill announces it's time for the dinner portion of the evening. Oh thank the Lord!

Jess sits down next to me. I'm tempted to ask if he would be so friendly to me if Shain were here. This isn't the place though. Otherwise, I would so turn on him.

"So, Raven," he whispers, "do you think York and Jersey are on to us?" I scowl.

"You, on to you," I remind him. Jess grins.

"Whatever, Rave. Are they?"

After huffing, I reply, "I haven't spoken to them."

"Ah, so that stuff does matter to you." I roll my eyes.

"Not everything is about you, Jess," a girl's voice teases. We both look over and see Jersey and York sitting down on Jess' other side.

"What are you talking about any way?" York inquires.

Jess glances at me.

"Nothing," he says a little too quickly. I roll my eyes again. It's hard not too when in such obnoxious company.

Jess isn't as bad as some people. He's okay. If he were a tad less condescending, okay, a lot less condescending, he would be a great guy. I can see why Raven, who wasn't used to the idea of equality, admired him so.

"It really was nothing,' I tell both the twins and Jess. Jersey and York dig in to the salad. Jess glances again at me before also beginning the course.

Suddenly the door to the dining room is thrown open. One of the male servants is escorting a tall, skinny woman wearing a chain necklace and a simple dress. She seems to be in her late twenties. A man is at her side. He wears a uniform that signifies his position in the United States Army. There is also a boy behind them, but I'm not paying attention to him. I'm too focused on his father.

Lieutenant Brace of the Forgotten Compound.