Something Else - a Selection Fanfiction

five

FACE EXPRESSIONLESS and stance casual, he seems to be perfectly used to running into people staring at portraits of his family in his home. It makes sense -- he is a prince, and that must come with some invasion of privacy -- but all I can think about is how if Mom found someone doing that in our house, they'd be out on the street in no time. 

And, just like that, I'm reminded of the differences between us. He's a One; I'm a Five. Though the dresses and the makeovers and the maids have managed to make me forget who I am and why I'm here, thinking of home has brought all of my ambition back. And right now, my heart is telling me to get out of here as fast as I can. 

The prince clears his throat, something more arrogant on his face now. He must think I've been reduced to silence in the face of his extreme attractiveness. (Which I haven't, obviously. I've been thinking about the complex socioeconomic factors that separate us as people and would make us completely incompatible. Besides, he's not "extremely attractive". And, damn, he's staring again. Say something, Anna.)

"I can talk," I blurt out, which in hindsight was probably not the best first move I could've made, but it's not like I plan on being here for long, anyway. 

"Glad we've established that," he replies. "What are you doing here? I thought you all were getting makeovers right now or something."

"Already finished mine, thanks for noticing," I retort, narrowing my eyes at him. "I was looking for the library."

"Ah." He pauses. "Last I checked, that " -- he points towards the painting -- "was not the library."

You could be a little less of a dick right now, I think. Though this whole arrogance routine might have made Claire fall for him, it's not working on me. It's annoying, really, to have someone act so superior to you, especially when people have been acting that way your whole life. Also, why the hell would he shame me for looking around a palace as big and interesting as this, especially when I've never been somewhere as plush or full of history? 

"Hello? Are you zoning out again?" he asks, waving a hand near my face -- when did he get this close -- and smirking. 

Idiot.

"No."

"Why are you staring at me, then?"

"I was lost in thought."

"What were you thinking about?"

"How I don't like getting shamed for exploring the most interesting and luxurious place I've ever been to," I say before I can stop myself. 

His expression chances infinitesimally. "You're the Five, right?"

"One of a few, yes," I reply, not liking his phrasing. "I have a name."

"As do I. Your point?"

"Wow. This is really not going well. I should go back to my room."

"Well, then. See you later...." he trails off, and I realize he's waiting for me to supply my name. 

"Anna. From Clermont." 

He bows, and I can't tell if it's mocking or not. "Goodbye, Anna."

With that, he walks away. I carefully trace my way back to my room, still unsure about what just happened. 

Oh, well. You won't be here for long anyway.

&

Dinner that night is more or less uneventful. We don't eat with the royals -- apparently they've already gone to bed, which is unsurprising considering the amount of time getting thirty-five girls' hair, makeup and nails done takes -- instead, we get a lesson on how to hold forks correctly. Aside from some snide comments from Drew, who seemed to think that my status as a Five meant that I'd never eaten with utensils before, it went reasonably well. Now, walking up the stairs to our rooms, stomachs full and eyes heavy, I kind of wish I hadn't messed things up so badly with the prince. This palace is a pretty nice place to be, and I wouldn't mind eating some good food for a few more days. 

Amber stops us before we can enter our rooms. "Ladies, remember -- bright and early tomorrow. You're meeting the prince before breakfast, so be on your  best behavior! Good luck." Then, she winks with both eyes (I have to stifle laughter) and dismisses us. 

Stepping into my room, I feel oddly homesick. Even though I know that I'll be back in Clermont on a few days, I feel like I've left a part of my life behind forever. Before, I could only think about myself -- how I wanted to spend the rest of my life, where my ambition would take me -- but now, realizing that my usual lullaby of Claire singing and Mom painting won't put me to sleep tonight, I think of my family. When I'm a Three, will I see them as much? I'll have to move out of our house, that's for sure. Unless they're hired help, lower castes never live with higher ones. 

I toss and turn until the early hours of the morning, wishing I could think of some compromise and finding none. The worst part is, I've already made this decision. Once I leave the palace, there's no going back -- no way I can return to being a Five and selling poorly composed paintings to Twos who don't know any better. I've already chosen myself. 

Sleep eventually comes, but not before I see the guards stationed at the gates of the garden outside my window switch out. In the distance, I also see the pacing figure of a man around my age, hands clasped behind his back in a very regal manner. Eventually, he sits down next to a girl -- Valerie, I realize, upon closer inspection -- and they talk for a little. There's no doubt in my mind that the man is the Prince, and that their love story has just begun. 

That night, I dream of being beyond the palace walls, back in my home. It's almost like my head knows that my life will never be like that again and is trying to conserve the memories while it still can. 

I really wish I could say that I've been working on this chapter for months, perfecting it and editing it until it's just right, but in reality I banged it out tonight while procrastinating studying for waaay too many tests. It's barely edited. In all seriousness, though, I hope you enjoy(ed) it. As usual, let me know what you think.