Choosing A Vampire Queen

Thirteen

We couldn't decided whether to show up late or to be the last ones that even showed up. We decided that waiting until the prince and Ashley arrived is the best way.
We sat by the fireplace watching the calming flames grow, but nerves still prickled inside of me as we waited for the signal from the maid.
"Liz?"
"Yes?"
"I do have one question. How come we are feeding the half bloods?"
Her eyes widened as she heard those words. "They plan on using them."
"What do you mean?"
"They... they want to make an army to take down the human race. All...all options have not left the table. And they are testing them out on you girls..." she ducked her head.
My heart ached at those words. "Wow.."
"I know. You're too smart for me honestly. Any other girl here wouldn't have asked about that."
"I just observe too well, I guess."
"I told you that, so tell me something else?"
"Okay?"
"How come you have this eating disorder?"
A knock drove our attention away and luckily it did. We both looked and finally after an hour the maid said they arrived.
I got up and Liz stopped me, "so?"
"I'll tell you after the ball, I promise!" I put my pinky up and she grabbed it and smiled. "You got a deal."
"So are we doing this together?"
"Yes, they will announce our official friendship. Which says ALOT in the vampire world. We live a terribly long time and a friendship announcement is big for us."
I smiled, "I hope that helps."
"Oh it will Matthew and I have a tight bond. We fight occasionally, but he would do anything for his little sister." She gave me an evil smile with those words.
We made our way to the big doors that led to another staircase that would take us to the crowd. I heard the mumbling behind the doors and I could feel the knots in my stomach. I can do this. I closed my eyes and opened them at the sound of the huge doors opening.
"Ready?" Liz smiled at me. "Yes,"
We walked in and everyone's shocked eyes met ours.
I scanned the crowd as I made my way down the steps and Matthew stood with Ashley. His eyes were not amused. They were shocked. He was shocked. I could see him scanning me up and down.
I looked at Ashley in her ugly prom dress and she narrowed her eyes at me. I could see the hole she was trying to burn through my head.
I looked at the crowd and we stopped where we were. Everyone was silent.
"Hello! I have an announcement!" Liz smiled.
"I want to announce my official friendship, no best friendship! With this lovely future queen Annabeth! I knew from the second we met we would make life long friends. She is the sweetest girl here, who I believe will rule this world best. Please welcome her! Once friends, always friends!" She smiled and everyone gasped and clapped. They kept looking between us and Matthew.
Ashley's eyes widened and fear prickled behind her vision.
But then she saw me smiling and narrowed her eyes at me again. She mumbled under her breath, "bitch."
We were greeted by the guest as we descended the stairs. Liz grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the stage that held the thrown chairs and the other royals.
I scanned the crowd to find the other girls staring at our presence, some had sour faces and some were in awe.
Adam was smiling at me, he knew this would work. Or he had hoped so, as did I.
"Hello brother." Liz smiled at Matthew with a devilish smile.
"Hello. Sister." Matthew said through his gritted teeth.
"Can I speak to you alone?" Matthew pulled Liz towards the back of the room where no one could hear them.
"Well don't you think you are something special?" Ashley finally said.
"Better than you, I don't even understand why you are so hateful to me these days? We are supposed to be best friends."
She huffed, "you are trying to steal MY crown, that's why."
"I'm not trying to steal anything Ashley! I'm trying not to die!"
"And what do you think all of us are doing? You can't expect any of us girls to have a chance is you sleep in the princes' room for 2 weeks you whore!" She screeched a little too loudly.
I glanced around noticing a few eyes catching our spectacle, "I'm not doing anything like that! I'm a virgin. So you are going around and telling people I'm a whore, when I've never even had sex!?" I whispered loudly at her. She crossed her arms a smiled.
My face went red as I noticed that Liz and Matthew were standing behind me.
Oh no, I didn't feel so good.
Matthew began scratching the back of his head as the awkward encounter began to build even more. This was bad, I didn't know which was worse, for people to think I'm a whore or an innocent virgin girl.
I turned, letting my body lead me instead of my head and walked away as fast as I could. I ran up the steps and I heard Liz hollering my name as I ran. The guards quickly opened the doors and I could feel everything let go as I exited. My tears flooded my cheeks and I couldn't stop them. I ran to the only place that I could find comfort. The balcony that hovered over the back garden. I noticed it when I first arrived and I also noticed that no one ever went out on it.
"Why am I such an idiot?" I whispered to myself as I slumped on the floor on the balcony.
"You're not an idiot." I looked up and seen Matthew hovering over me at the doorway.
"She just irritates me so much That I let my mouth get ahead of me."
"I know how you feel."
I began to laugh, "no you don't. You don't have girls constantly making fun of you because your some 'whore'"
"True, but I do know that those girls saying that don't know that everyone else doesn't believe in their bullshit."
"I don't know that though."
"But you should ignore it."
"I should do a lot of things."
"Exactly, like you should have met me the other night in the gardens."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to talk to you."
"To let me down easy?" Matthew furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head, "Why would you say that? You can tell, everyone can tell how I feel for you. And I can't let those feelings go overnight."
I turned away, I really really didn't want to tell him why I think that. Because he might think I'm a nosey person and I can't handle the thought of that honestly.
"So why would you take Ashley?"
"Well, if you met me like you should have you would know."
"Tell me now."
"Uh." He looked around and I could tell it made him uncomfortable.
"I think it's best if we talk about this privately. Go back with Liz and meet me at midnight?" I nodded.
This must be serious. "Okay, but only on one condition."
He sighed a little at my pending stubbornness, "Yes?"
"Help me up, this dress... is uh a little hard to move in."
He began to chuckle a little and nodded his head, "deal." He moved quickly, it was almost hard to notice him. His lifted me up off of the ground and looked at me while holding me. "You were beau... no gorgeous tonight by the way."
My cheeks began to blush and I smiled a little, he leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
Suddenly, almost motionless he set me down on my feet and took my hand. He led me to Liz's room and stopped at the door, "see you at midnight?"
"Yes." I smiled.
He put his finger under my chin and leaned in and gave me another peck, but this on was on my lips. I didn't want his soft lips to leave. But they did. He smiled and walked away.
I could feel my heart thudding under my rib cage. This is what he did to me and I can't handle it sometimes.
I turned and knocked on the door. A second didn't even go by and Liz opened the door. "I'm so so so sorry!" She said and she hugged me.
"It's okay, Matthew said he was going to talk to us at midnight."
"I know, come in." She smiled.
I followed her lead and we sat in our original chairs. "Did something happen, because your glowing?" She said as she elbowed me in the ribs. I blushed a little and turned my head away.
"Anyways, I need to talk to you?"
"Yes?"
"You know what it is about..."
"My eating disorder?"
"Bingo! I just feel like it is important to know. It's been on tv because gossip queens and this is something we have to tackle in order for our plan to work."
"Plan?" I tilted my head a little.
"Midnight..."
I nodded understanding what this was about.
I was nervous to even open up about this honestly, but I had to. Okay here goes nothing.
"It really started with a tragic event in my life...."
——— After the story
"Wow." Liz said leaning back in her chair staring at the fire.
"Honestly I would be the same way, if I lost Matthew."
"Yeah, Ashley is the only person outside of my family that I have told. It hurts that she is using it against me in such a nasty way."
"I would totally feed her to the half bloods if it was my choice. She makes me sick."
I looked at Liz wide eyes and she began to laugh and I followed suit.
Even though the thought of Ashley makes my blood boil, I never thought about what it would be like for her to be fed to the half bloods. Would it be satisfying or sad?
"Well, thank you for telling me Anna. It means a lot and I won't use it against you. This is something that Matthew and I will have to figure out, how to work out with the viewers."
"Yeah."
We both looked at the fire for a few minutes and began to exchange stories and questions until we waited for midnight to hit.
Nerves prickled inside of me as I thought about all that could happen and what will happen.