Captivation

11: Divert

Divert (verb): 1. to cause (someone or something) to change course or turn from one direction to another. 2. To entertain or amuse.

"Ouch, Madelyn!" Kitty tells me as I curl her hair.

"Pain is beauty.” I tell her, even though I don’t believe it. I try to be gentler with the next chunk of hair I wrap around the curling iron. I finally figured out who Mrs. Grangerford was, and asked her for a curling iron.

"Why are you taking me to this party anyway?" She grumbles. "It's not like anyone there likes me."

"No one has to know it's you." I tell her, putting a sparkly pin in her hair. "You'll be Kitty, not Levidia; and honestly, you look much different with a haircut and a bath." I tell her. I adjust the pins in her hair, making them perfect. Kitty stands up, adjusting the lavender dress I bought her.

I haven’t told her that I am not going to the party.

"What will I do without you?" She asks, and I know she means in the long run, not tonight.

"Everything." I tell her. We look at each other in the mirror. "You will do everything, great things, fun things, you'll learn new things, and remember the old things. Life will be extraordinary, and you will love it." I smile.

"You never have to go back. I will get you a job, find you a place to rent. You're so young, you have so much time." I fluff her dark blonde hair.

"Thank you, Madelyn, so much…for everything." Kitty has tears in her eyes. I look at her for a moment and then pull her into a hug.

“Why don’t I help you get fancy?” Kitty asks me, pulling away.

“Oh,” I shake my head, “I’m not going.”

“What?” She says, looking disappointed.

“I have been to so many balls I really don’t care to go to another.” I roll my eyes.

“But this one is with me.” She looks at me, hoping to change my mind.

I shake my head, “I’m not going.”

There is a knock at the door. I cross the room and open it and see Jamison.

“Are you both ready? We’re getting ready to leave.” He says.

“I’m not…” I almost tell him I’m not going, but then I notice something, Jamison is acting weird. “What?”

“What do you mean?” He says quickly.

“You seem nervous.” I lean against the door jamb.

“I’m really not, I was just told to keep a secret, and I’m very good at that.” He shrugs.

“Tell me.”

“Henry will be joining us later.” He says instead.

Then I realize that this is the secret. “Why?” I ask.

“He got into a fight.” Jamison says.

I pause in the doorway before nodding. I close the door.

I am now going to that ball.

***

Kitty helped me do my hair and I put on the blue dress that Henry bought be at the last town we were in.

I am quiet on the ride to the large house where the party is held, and when we get there I am not surprised to see Henry already there, waiting, with a hint of a bruise on the left side of his forehead.