The Queen Games

IV

I watch in the background as Charlize changes her dress for the ball.

She's shouting at the dressmaker as if she's the person who came up with the idea to have such a revealing neckline.

The poor girl looks like she's going to cry, that's when I pushed myself off the wall and moved to go and help her

"Don't bother," Cheryl stops me, a drink attached to her hand, "She's only disgracing herself. There's cameras in every room you know, they're watching everything we're doing and hearing everything we say."

Everything?

So Charlize shouldn't last long here, not with all the horrible things she's said about me and others.

"When did you find them?"

"When I came back from the screening and tried to call my parents." She tells me honestly, "No cell reception, either they're tying to keep us detached from the outside world or the outside world detached from us."

Cheryl is too smart.

She's definitely going to get far in this, I wonder how she'll do with the prince.

I look back at the scene and the girl finally let the tear drop down on her face.

"Leave the girl alone." I say loudly and Cheryl sighs, taking a sip from her drink and leaning on the wall behind her.

Charlize turned to look at me before putting her hands on her hips, "Excuse me?"

"Are you deaf as well as stupid?" I taunt, "The girl did nothing but follow your instructions, so if you're going to be angry at anyone, be angry at yourself for your horrendous fashion sense."

Cheryl laughed lightly behind me as Charlize narrowed her eyes at me, "You think cause the queen called you pretty, you're on top of the hierarchy?"

Hierarchy is a big word for someone so thick.

"I think because I have more manners than you do, it makes me a better fit to be queen." Not that I want to be, "Let the girl be, if you're going to ask her to do something, don't be angry when she does what you said."

"I agree." Sapphire interjects, "You don't treat those who are trying to help like trash."

Cheryl continues to sip her drink, eyeing Charlize in the process but not saying anything.

"Don't tell me what to do." Was Charlize's petulant response before she turned back to the girl who was still staring at me, "Get to work, the ball is in 30 minutes."

The girl quickly hurried and started sowing, due to her trembling hands she pricks Charlize with her needle every so often to which Charlize then swore at her continuously.

I looked at Cheryl who just raises her eyebrow in a nonchalant way, am I supposed to just sit there and watch her do this to her?

I moved to collect the girl but Cheryl grabbed my wrist, "Stay," she nodded toward the camera on the top left hand corner, "Let them see what would happen if she's left alone,"

"Why?"

"Playing the game, Elise." Was her reply, "Let her become her own downfall."

It was the quickest way for Charlize to leave but the girl still looked like she needed help. She caught my eye and gave me a simple shake of her head as if telling me, don't.

So I left her, watching, convinced that Charlize will soon hit her but that didn't happen.

*

The ball came around faster than I expected. I can finally mingle with the other girls and see who's more serious than Charlize and Cheryl to win the game and become the Queen.