The Princess Games

New Determination

Clarissa

***

Katherine and Clarissa were even closer than before. Beth and Theresa clung to them like they would disappear at any moment after they had to compete to stay. They tried to help each other out when they could in competitions and dressed together for every meal. When they could sit together, they did (always as close to Xavier as possible, of course). 

Soon, Katherine and Beth had each won a competition. So had Aria and Elizabeth.

And they were invited to a private dinner with the prince.

Clarissa tried not to hate her friends.

She really did.

But as she watched them primp and get as pretty as possible in her room, she wanted to send them away and cry. Her friends were going try to win the heart of the love of her life. 

Granted, they didn't know Xavier was the love of her life. But if they did...they would still be here. This was a competition, after all.

It was glaringly obvious now. She was competing against her best friends for a chance to marry the love of her life.

It was ridiculous and sad.

The Games were going to be the death of her.

She settled for a plain black gown and a tight braid for dinner. It matched her mood: plain, dull, and depressing.

She didn't touch her dinner plate. She didn't even try to keep up appearances.

Thankfully, the queen and king ate separately tonight. It was just the remaining nine princesses. 

"Oh, that's how you keep up your skinny figure!" Alaina exclaimed in a false shocked voice.

"What are you talking about?" Clarissa asked, not in the mood for her tonight.

"You starve yourself. And you pretend to eat and stuff when the prince is around. I bet you throw it up afterwards. Ugh."

"Why don't you shut the hell up?" she snapped, so over Alaina right now.

Everyone looked at her in shock.

Theresa choked on a laugh, playing it off as a cough. Corra joined in, not bothering to hide it. Jane giggled quietly.

Alaina glared at her plate, her game not working tonight.

Without her band of followers, she was nothing but a bitch here.

"What do you think they're doing?" Ferrah asked longingly.

"Probably eating a romantic candlelit dinner and laughing and flirting and falling in love," Corra sighed.

There was a collective sigh, and a few other girls put down their forks.

This was doing nothing to help Clarissa's mood.

She pushed her chair away from the table.

"I feel sick. I think I'm going to lie down."

"You look a little pale and I noticed you didn't eat a bite. Let me get you up there and help you to bed," Theresa offered.

"You don't think that's a little...weird?" Alaina asked.

"What?" Theresa asked.

"You want to help her to bed," she giggled. "No wonder you haven't been acting upset about not dining with the prince. You like the princess!" she laughed.

To Clarissa's dismay, Faith and Eve joined in.

"Do you really have to stoop so low?" Clarissa asked. "Are you really that jealous of us that you have to insult us because your band of demented followers isn't here to drool over you and boost your self esteem every two seconds? Wow."