Animal

For Sale

Ms. Adams wanted to make sure I was on my best behavior at this party, so she left me in the 'room' for a few extra days for coming in late on my day off.

I'm still clawing myself out of my own mind a day later. Its hard after spending so much time trying to stay lost in it while trying to escape from the ghosts that hunt that room.

"Scrappy!"

I blink my eyes, gaze locking on Joey's face. She gives me a long look. "Now I'm convinced something's wrong with you," she says, folding her arms, her 'hot' iron in one hand. "Not once since I've started on your hair have you squirmed, whimpered, flinched... you haven't even cursed. Are you feeling alright, girl?" She touches my chin and raises my face. I continue to stare at her dully. "We have to do something about those dark circles under your eyes, you look like a cute, baby raccoon."

I blink twice before I answer. "I'm fine..." I squint at her, feeling drowsy. "Are you done?"

The woman sighs. "I miss the old you. They always ruin the good ones..." She whispers the last part under her breath.

I shoot her an annoyed look, pulling myself the rest of the way out of my own mind. "I'm sitting right here," I remind her, "and I can hear assistants gossiping about... a new beau of yours out by your van. They... apparently, believe he's an homosexual," I say, hoping to get her off my back.

She lets go of my face and fans her own, one hand on her hip. "Girl, I just wanted some real reaction from you... Its hot in here ain't it? Oh, and about those two, they're always talkin' about somethin' that isn't any of their business. As for James... oh yeah, he and I certainly play for the same team, honey."

It is hot, sweat drips down my back underneath my shirt. Hotter than a liars tongue, as daddy would have so eloquently put it. "I thought there was a winter on this side of the canyon." I grumble under my breath. I don't comment on what she's said. I don't understand any of it anyway. The humanity is high today, not even the tiniest breeze blows in through the open window. I glance at myself in the mirror set up in front of me, straight hair again, but its also loosely curled.

"Why do I look so special?" I ask after a minute of studying my reflection.

"Mr. Anderson's orders... I heard the president of NOFE is going to be at this party, so I guess its an important occasion." She moves around me and primps my hair, pulling and pushing the hair around my head. "I even have a beautiful coral blue dressed picked out for you."

* * *

I follow behind Ms. Adams as she moves around the party, par-taking in small-talk and mingling. I simply remain a silent fixture at her side, tugging at the white gloves wrapped around my hands, and listening to the classical music playing throughout Mr. Anderson's ball room. I stare up at the ceiling, and at the shiny, sparkling golden chandeliers above us. I sigh. For some reason I've been thinking about Oliver a lot, and the first time I met him at my introduction party over a year ago. He had been crass, disinterested, and forlorn(in my opinion anyway). I truly believe he didn't care about anything, including himself. I realize I'm him, except without the drinking.

"Scrappy," I look towards Ms. Adams, "come."

I follow her through the crowd slowly, watching my white high heels click across the golden floors. I stop abruptly, right before I run into Ms. Adams. I sigh again and message the skin between my eyes, hoping to ease my headache.

"This is her, Mr. Henry." Mr. Anderson's voice cuts through my fogged thoughts.

My head shoots up, eyes meeting a pair of smiling pale green eyes. Harrison Henry. He is wearing light blue suit and black tie. His hair is still neatly cut and inky black. He looks exactly how he looked on the Tale-Screen. He holds out a pale hand with short clean nails and red knuckles. I stare at it before movement near his left side caught my attention. Peeking around him is a young girl with inky black hair and large hazel eyes framed by glasses. She's wearing fluffy white dress. I stare at her before my eyes slid back to Harrison Henry's hand.

I feel as if I've been staring to long, because his hands had started to drop. I force myself to smile at the evil man behind the heinous sport called Fighting. "I don't want to accidentally scratch you." I say, meeting his eyes.

His fading smile returns quickly, a dimple appearing in his left cheek. Correction, he looks younger in person, in an oddly naive sort of way. "Its alright," he drops his hand to his side. "My name is Harrison Henry... obviously. Its nice to finally meet." He glances behind him. "Oh," he grabs the girl and pushes her out in front of him, "this is Charlotte, my daughter."

I give the fidgety girl a brief smile, which she awkwardly returns as she plays with her fingers and stares at her toes. I say she's about ten, which would make Harrison a teen father. I thought people on this side of the canyon got married and had kids much later in life? (Because of the taxes, which I guess he wouldn't have to worry about, being so rich)

I wipe the thoughts from my mind, it isn't any of my business.

"Would you like someone to take a picture of you and Scrappy, Mr. Harrison?" Ms. Adams asks, smiling too much for my liking.

"Uh..." He glances at me. He keeps glancing at me. "If she doesn't mind..."

Oh, I mind. Instead of saying that, I smile and nod my head like an idiot. "I don't mind at all," I lie.

I cross my arm and turn to face whoever was taking the picture. I don't bother smiling when a servant snaps the picture with Ms. Adams camera. Ms. Adams shoots me an displeased look, but she is pulled away into conversation with another woman.

I find myself sitting at a table with Harrison Henry and his daughter. No one talks to me, and no one surprisingly attempts to pull him into conversation either, just random greetings from random people every now and again. Its a little odd, but he mostly entertains his daughter as I shoot bewildered looks at him. He catches me and smiles openly.

"Have you been told yet?" He asks. I stare at him, quite rudely, even I have to say. But no, they hadn't told me anything yet, but I was aware of exactly what he was talking about. The whole being sold to him thing.

"Told me what?" I ask after a full minute.

His eyes dart all around the room before settling on me again. He laughs and scratches the side of his face. "I guess they're waiting until my lawyer settles the contract and negotiations to tell you..." He looks sheepish. "I'm buying you from, Kevin."

Buying me... That's what its called, but now I see hear how horrible it sounds. I force myself to smile. "Oh..."

My smile must not have been as well executed as I thought because he frowns. "I hope that's alright with you."

What?

"Its...fine..." I stumble over my response. His frown loosens up a bit, but he still doesn't seem convinced.

"Mr. Henry, can we speak to you for a moment?" a darkly dressed guard asks quietly.

"Alright," Harrison stands and pats his daughter on the shoulder. "I'll be right back, sweetheart."

I watch the CEO of NOFE walk away.

"You hate him," my eyes dart to Harrison's daughter who had spoken in a tiny, mousy voice. "Everyone hates papa, and if they don't hate him they only want to use him." I frown at her. She twists a cloth napkin around her finger and keeps her eyes down timidly. "You shouldn't hate him," she glances up at me briefly, "he's not what he seems." There's no maliciousness in her voice, no threat, she's simply stating something she sees as fact.

Was my dislike for the man so obvious that even a child is able to see the slip in a mask literally beaten onto my face. Then again, the girl could just be observant.

I feel a fake smile stretch across my face. "I don't hate your father. I'm not sure why you think that."

She glances at me again but doesn't say anything. Good. Hopefully she would drop it.