This is Ours

Chapter 21

I have had a history of freaking out during my time during the Selection. I did it all the time. Before tests and events. Before big moments with Maxon and small moments with the queen. I freaked before the elite were selected. And I freaked before we hosted the Italians. I freaked when I was lost in the woods and I freaked before the talent show. I always freak out.

Except now. I was eerily calm right now. I wasn't freaking out at all. For some reason I just didn't feel like I had to. And it wasn't one of the moments where I was about to break any moment down into fits of tears and anger. I was just...fine. I was ready. For whatever happened.

My maids didn't understand it. They were waiting for me to freak out. They were standing there with imaginary brooms, waiting for me to break so they could clean up the pieces. But I was fine. I was happy. I was laughing and joking, while they just stood there like I was insane.

Mary placed her hand over mine, her eyes pouring into mine. "Are you alright?"

"Of course," I laughed.

"America..." Anne began, probably preparing some long speech in her head about how I shouldn't hold in my feelings.

"Jeez," I interrupted. "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes," I smiled, nodding my head. "Totally."

Anne didn't look convinced but Lucy just looked done with this. "Come on lets get her ready! Today's like literally the biggest day of her life except well, her wedding day."

I looked down. Hopefully that wedding day wouldn't be so far off from today.

"Can I see the dress now?" I asked hopefully.

Mary smiled and nodded while Anne went off to retrieve it.

"It's blue like you requested," Lucy said. "And it's off the shoulder strap, but it'll really hug your shoulders."

"It's tight around the torso, but flares out at the waist into layers and layers of tule. Like Cinderella," Mary explained.

"And it had intricate flower detailing along the top, bottom, and waist," Anne finished, bringing out the dress for me to behold. And it was truly everything I had hoped for. It was different from the dresses I usually wore and yet it had the same look I had always carried throughout the Selection. It was kind of...perfect.

"It's....nice," I said. But It wasn't the fake nice where I was just telling them what they wanted to hear, it was the kind of dreamy type of nice.

They smiled. "We know."

But we didn't stop to reminisce on it Because as usual, I was forced into heels and jewelry and shoved out the door. And into open arms. It appears Maxon had been about to knock.

"Oh!" I gasped, laughing.

His hands held my waist steadying me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, although it was more of an exclamation. It seemed I was on some sort of excitement high, unlike my normal dark and twisty self.

He was kind of just staring though.

"Hello? Unless you came here to stare at me..." I giggled.