Scarlett 'Arranged Marriage'

Chapter9

Sira's P.O.V.

I finally found my mother. "Mom," I said."Why didn't you tell me I was leaving with Chri-, that BOY tonight," I refused to say his name. "I would've packed my stuff." "I already did, sweetheart. I didn't want to give you the chance to change your mind and run away or something. I knew you weren't completely sold on the idea, and I didn't want to make it any worse by tempting you to back out on our arrangement." That was the final straw. I had had enough. "YOUR arrangement, Ma. Not OUR, YOUR. The seven of us never even had a say in any of this!! " I shouted. "You traded your CHILDREN, for YOUR freedom. And now, WE'RE paying the price. I would appreciate it very much, if you wouldn't keep information about me to yourself. I'd like to know what's going on in my own life, thank you very much." Suddenly, Owen appeared right next to me. "Looks like you get one more night of freedom, kid." he said." The prince has decided to go back alone tonight, and send a car for you in the morning. He didn't say much when I talked to him, but I could tell things definately didn't go smoothly when you two talked. What happened?" "Mind your own business, O." I snapped. "That has absolutely nothing to do with you." I flounced off, and behind me, I heard, "What just happened here?" I walked faster, so that I wouldn't have to hear the reply. I stormed off to my room, my face daring any one to stand in my path. I slammed the door behind me. Never in my life had I been so happy that daddy had had my room soundproofed. There was no way on earth I wanted anyone to hear my sobs. This was one pain I'd rather suffer alone. But no tears came, no heart breaking pain overwhelmed me. Instead, it was worse, the worst thing ever imagined happened to me. I felt nothing at all. I was numb. My racing thoughts slowed to a standstill, my beating heart, once pumping so hard I thought it would burst, was now beating feebly, as if it didn't care that it had a job to do, that it served a purpose. I sat there, on my bed, feeling truly empty for the first time in my life, wallowing in my self pity. I have no idea how long I sat there. It could have been hours, or even just a few minutes. Time, for me anyway, had stopped completely. Until a piece of paper came floating into the room from under the tiny crack there. It was written on Gavin's specially made memo pad, because the blue lines were replaced with tiny raised bumps. Thanks to Gavin, I could read Braille just as well as any blind person, but he took the time to write this note out. It took me by suprise just how elegant his handwritting was. He'd been practicing. It was addressed to: The Lonely Person in Pity-City, C.A. I laughed softly. Inside, it said simply, "Meet us at the movie room after party. Change clothes. Bring digital camera and laptop, we'll do the rest." I already knew what we were gonna do, and I loved them for it. A killer after party, with just a few hand selected friends, some movies, some popcorn, some laughs, and some pictures to post on myspace to document the event. I decided to take a few now, kinda like a before and after thing. I stood up, grabbed my camera, and left my room, leaving all of my fear, worries, anger and sadness in there. Finally, I had something to look forward to that wasn't tainted by my new destiny. It would be just like old times, and I couldn't wait.

>>>>>>>>>>

Gavin's P.O.V.

"Do you think she'll come?" I asked Jesse quietly as we walked down the hallway, away from her room. "She better. She's been upset all night, and it's her birthday. I almost feel sorry for the poor chump who has to marry her. Who wants to marry a mean, sad girl, even if she is beautiful? Watch the steps," he said to me. I nodded, and reached for the handrail. "But on the other hand, I guess her point of view ain't all that pretty, either. Who wants to have their family practically push them headfirst into a marriage where they had no idea the person they're supposed to marry was even alive, let alone not even human. And I'm not exactly one to be judgemental. My 17th birthday wasn't the best, either. I found out my destiny roughly...... what? Four years ago? Having things the way they were before, even if it's only for a little while, should make her feel better, " he finished, as we got back to the party. "What do you think about the prince," I asked, offhandedly. "Besides the fact that he's obviously a player, stuck up, used to getting his way, and doesn't like being wrong?" he asked, getting angry. "Chill out, you don't even know if any of those things are true," I told him. "You're right. I'll tell you one thing though. They are going to be one interesting pair, that's for sure," Jesse grumbled, still upset that he couldn't find anything wrong with Christian while he was here. "Why do you say that?" I asked, focusing my attention on him. "Because, they both adore each other, but because they're both so proud, neither wants to admit it. Sira's a bit more subtle with how she feels about him, but she's still as easy to read as an open book with all the words written in a72 point font. And that Christian boy, you could see through his charade from Pluto. He fell head over heels for that girl, and has been falling ever since the second he saw her. That girl could cut off one of his legs, an ear, 4 toes, and scoop out half of his brain, and he'd take it just cause she's the one doing it," he chuckled a bit. "It's funny if you actually think about it. It's like, love is a disease in their world and neither one of them wants to catch it. So they fight and they disagree and they make it seem like they hate each other, but inside they're really loving every second of it. And-Well would you look at that!" Jesse said, in wonder. "What?" "The princess has come out of hiding. She's currently making the rounds and talking to the guests. And she just laughed. Not a real laugh of course, but a laugh all the same," he sighed. We were quiet for a few seconds, Jesse watching as Sira made her way around the room,and I listened to pieces of other people's conversations. It surprised me how many guys were talking about Sira. I'd never had the pleasure of seeing my sister of course, but the amount of male attention she was attracting was outrageous. I wasn't surprised that it made me angry, I'd always been protective of her. "I don't like the fact that she's so unhappy. Why doesn't she just give in to the fact that she loves him?" I asked. "Because. In her eyes, that would be like losing or admitting she was wrong. She's dead set against the whole arranged marriage thing. If she gives in to liking him, that's like saying that arranged marriages are ok. And she's definately not ready to lose yet. She's very stubborn," he said. "I know. Does she not realize that, if she waits too long, he may not ever be willing to give her another chance. She can prove that arranged marriages don't work all she wants to, but in the process she loses him. It's a situation where, if you win you lose and if you lose you still lose. There's no possible way for her to win." I said, realizing that, as I spoke, Sira already knew this, and was planning on finding a way to win anyway. God, that girl can be so hardheaded! "Yes," he said, "She's strong willed to the point of self destruction. Let's hope she comes to her senses before then." "Yeah," I said. And we went back to the silence.

>>>>>>>>>

Sira's P.O.V.