Painting the White Ones Red

Chapter Seven: Shooting Lessons

His body was so close to mine. His arms wrapped around mine, hands over mine and on a finger over the trigger on the gun. His head was right beside mine. I could see his dark hair from the corner of my eye. 

As he squeezed his hands over mine, my heart raced even faster. I felt like I might die. "Your aim is good." He tells me. I grip the silver pistol tighter, trying to shake him from my thoughts. Pretend he isn't even there, Delia, I try to tell myself. It isn't working.

"You're shaking slightly." His breath is warm on my red cheeks. He probably knows I'm tomato red, which must be the cause of his smile he keeps trying to hide. "Calm down." Does he not understand that's what I'm trying to do?

I take a deep breath and make myself still. Trying my best to block him from my thoughts, I take aim and pull back the silver trigger. The shot goes off. His body relaxes and he reluctantly lets go. "There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" He smiles softly down at me. 

Blankly, I stare at the sheet of paper with the target on it. Bulls eye. My heart rate slows back to normal. He reaches over my shoulder and sets the gun down on the table beside us. I pull the goggles up so they sit on my head.

"Thanks." I try to hide my smile from him. I'd never let him see that I was truly thankful for his help. Victor looks down at me and smiles a real smile at me to say 'you are welcome'.

I jolt up out of bed. My body feels like it's on fire. My blankets are tangled and sticking to me. Sweat is all over me. I stay there in the darkness, waiting for my breathing to calm down.

Oh god.

Ohgod. Ohgod. Ohgod.

Did I seriously just have that dream?

I put my hand to my head. First, he invades my home. Next, he invades my library. Now, he's invading my dreams? That. Stupid. Cow.

As my breath recovers, I begin to peel the blankets off of my body. When I finish, I stand and turn on the lights. After taking my shower and getting dressed into a burgundy Gothic Lolita dress with a black sash around the waist and short, puff sleeves. I pull my longer bangs back with a black bow, my other bangs still able to fall over my eyes. 

I pull back the curtians to let the sun shine through the large window. I wince slightly at how bright it is and how it hurts my eyes. When my eyes adjust to it, there is a knock on the door. "Come in." I call to whomever is on the other side.

The door creaks open, a maid in the doorway. "Miss Cordelia, breakfast is ready." She tells me. I nod and walk to her. 

We both walk in silence as she leads me down the halls and to a dining room. The palace has two dining rooms: one is huge, for dinner parties with large amounts of people. The second is the size of a regular dining room. It has a round table in the middle of the room that fits up to eight people. The room is quite plain itself-with the white walls that are naked and the white tablecloths-but there is one highlight. The entire back wall is made of glass, so it looks like a massive window that faces out over part of the maze. And the seat I always sit in, has a wonderful view of that.

When we arrive, I see Lareina and Harvey are already there. As well as Jasper and Victor. They moved in last night and will be here until the ceremony. Jasper looks up at me and smiles. Hatter must have finally allowed him to get out of that bed. "Delia." His face lights up. I smile softly at him and sit at my seat, one which the Hatter has decided to take the seat beside. Jasper on the other side, then Lareina and Harvey.

"Chess isn't awake yet?" I ask, reaching for my fork. Todays breakfast was eggs, bacon and pancakes. A maid comes over and pours hot tea into my teacup.