Raeth(ON HOLD)

Chapter Four:

I close my almost half full notebook. I stand up and go my closet. I quickly strip off my dress and changed into a nice pair of sweatpants. I pick up the closest book to me and carry it downstairs with me.

Matty is laying on the couch; he has his book(he's a history freak) over his face and he's passed out. I sit across from him in a big chair. I move my legs up on the chair with me and open my book.

So I really don't like reading but every servant in the house doesn't know. I do this every day, sit with an open book occasionally turning pages. I listen to their gossiping and their information that finds a way to my ears. Every Cane of the state has a house full of knowing servants.

"Oh yes, did you hear that the President is going to issue all Canes into Project Earth?" Malcolm, one of the bus boys, says to Cathy, maid.

This matter was always floating around the house. Project Earth is our sister planet, but a little dumber than us they say. But honestly, they're better off than you and me. They have fresh air, clean water, and heat from the sun every day. Every Raethian child knows if Project Earth is one day put into progress they will end up dying on Raeth.

Orphans are not worried about first, not even last. They're that little ant on the ground while others walk right over them. Useless and shouldn't have been born.

Cathy steals a glance in my direction and I quickly look as if I'm reading. I can hear her whisper quite loudly because she wants me to hear, "if they all disappear we will have food and water all to ourselves." Basically calling me useless.

They keep on gossiping to each other when I look in another direction looking for new prey.

"-and Lord Mathias are coming to stay at our household! Can you imagine two of the best staying with us!" I smile to myself, Mathias and Luke are coming to see me. Aka Moose and Lake, all tell you later.

"Oh! When? Did you hear when?" The other maid asks eagerly.

"Tonight, that's why Master Mathew asked us to clean everything."

They went on to talk about Matty. He's so gentlemanly or if only I was twenty years younger. Blah.

I try for once to read the words in my book:

Phyllophaga (genus), a genus of beetles in the subfamily Melolonthinae of the family Scarabaeidae, also known as June bugs or June beetles.

Blah, blah, blah. Who cares, I only keep it because it was a gift. A long time ago Sky gave it to me. A few of the gift children went to research all the bugs and animals in a group with others that searched for plants. They made a book. Scribes then copy and pasted words over words and made a few books. Sky gave me one that had my namesake: Junebug. Which turned into Juliette, then into Jules.

If I could've chosen my name, I would've picked Lily or Mayflower. But Junebug, a beetle? Gross.

Across from me Matty jerks awake. I glance up at him. His glasses and the book over his head flies to the other end of the couch. I watch him instead of reading. I close my book gently. He mumbles something and then goes to search for his cheaters. Once safely placed over his eyes and above his nose. He puts his book down neatly on top of the side table.

He spots me sitting in the chair, "Jules," He sighs happily. But then looks at my outfit. "You changed," He scowls.

I look down at my sweats, "but I don't see-"

"Nope, sorry. Even I have to change. They'll be here soon." He motions me to get up, "come on, love."

Matty drags me to my room and locks me in with three different outfits to choose from. He tells me I better figure out by the time he gets out of the shower. Since he has to match.

The first is a plain white dress with a pink shawl and white heels. (It makes me look six). The second is a elegant black-goes-to-my-heels long dress that shows a big part of my back and it's torn(designed) all the way up my leg. (Girl outfits make no sense, it's freezing outside. Let's not wear the appropriate clothing!) The last I can't even talk about. It's that bad. Matty probably liked it since his matching outfit looked the best.

I choose the second. Mostly since the other two were deal breakers and gross.

I have to have help lifting the dress over my head and zipping it up. Cathy (basically said I was useless) and Molly helped me. I asked Cathy to tell Matty which outfit I chose. (She jumped with joy. Everyone in the house loves him).

Molly made me her doll and helped me look pretty. Matty says he hates when I say that since I'm already "beautiful", no. I'm not. White hair and red lips is not desired. It's shamed upon. But every gift has it.

She braids my hair and pulls it out of my eyes. She paints my lips with gloss(already rosy red), and lines my eyes with black (eyeliner they call it, nice right?) She attempts to make my eyelashes longer but gives up. I don't blame her I rarely wear makeup for a reason. It makes me look like a clown.

But I look in the mirror and I'm surprised to see someone beautiful. She's just. Wow. She reaches to her face as I do mine.

"You look beautiful," a deep voice says behind me.

Matty is wearing a dark red, long sleeve shirt tucked in a black pair of slacks. He smiles and I blush.

The maid giggles and says, "good, now you are perfect." As the blood flows through my cheeks.

I flop (as gracefully as I can so I don't ruin my outfit) down on my bed and grab my notebook so I can scribble down a few words that I remember from the past.