Compassion (A Selection Story)

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"Up, up!" Maiya, another of my maids says cheerfully as she flips on the lights.

I groan and roll over. "Five more minutes," I say, muffled by pillows.

Maiya walks around the bed to stand in front of me with her hands on her hips. "No time for that! Miss Baumgardner wants you girls early; you're already late!"

"What? Why didn't you say so sooner?" I exclaim, throwing back the sheets and running toward the closet.

"Miss Marsh, I've already laid out your outfit by the vanity," Maiya points out.

I smile sheepishly. "Oh, right."

As I get dressed in the long, grey gown, Maiya looks at me with a concerned expression. "Lindsey, are you sure  you're okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" I ask, swiping mascara onto my lashes.

"Well, for starters, your shoes are on the wrong feet."

I look down and purse my lips to keep from blushing as I quickly switch them. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... tired, I guess."

Her concerned expression not wavering, she says, "Okay. Get going, they'll be waiting."

I rush down the stairs to the Women's room, trying my hardest not to look frantic as I push open one of the large, heavy doors and exclaim, "Sorry! I'm late, I know. I didn't wake up until..." I trail off, noticing everyone is just lounging around on the couches.

Summer walks up to me and grabs my arm. "You're not late; all of us were just early."

"But- but my maid said-" I pause, realization dawning on me. "Oh, she is sneaky."

"What are you talking about?" Summer asks.

"My maid told me I was late so I would get out of bed and get ready."

Summer laughs. "My maid did the same thing, it was like she wanted me out of my room as early as possible. Nice dress, by the way."

I smile and laugh with her. Because we are meant to blend into the background, our "uniform" for the coronation is a long grey dress. However, among the seven of us, no one's dress is the same as someone else's.

While my dress is a floor length gown with mid-length sleeves and a scooping neckling, Summer's is a collared dress with buttons up the back, and the skirt is floor length in the back, but sweeps up to her knees in the front. Nori's dress is long and slightly sparkly, with a deep V for a neckline, and Rain's dress is tea-length and glossy. Leanne went for more of a silver color on a dress similar to mine, and Marissa's dress falls in a layered skirt, but retains the same plain grey as mine.

I look around for Sophia, and spot her sitting by the window in a plain, ankle length dress with a ruffled skirt. Her white-blonde hair is short and curly, and I can't help but think that she looks like a 12 year old dressing up in her older sister's clothes - even though she is older than me.

Just as I sit down next to Summer, Violet walks in, clapping her hands and trilling, "Attention, ladies, attention!"

We all stand and curtsy, and she looks pleasantly surprised. "Well," she breathes, " you are all remembering your training quite remarkably. Just don't forget it during the coronation."

"Of course, Miss Baumgardner," we all chorus.

"Now,  it's time to take your places to help greet the ambassadors. We went through this yesterd-" a knock at the door cuts off her command, and Violet goes to answer it. She speaks quietly with whoever it is, and then slams the door. We all jump and watch her cautiously as she approaches us again.