Take My Hand

10 Every Smile You Fake

It wasn't broken. I had sprained and severely bruised my leg. They had iced it and I was supposed to keep it elevated. The bruising was pretty dark on my face at first too. My mother wanted to keep me home from school until the worst was healed, so they called my tutor in for extra lessons to keep up.

A week off of school was boring. Sasha was there when Ames came to visit and heard the story from her, so I didn't get punished any extra for the fight. He said being stuck off my feet for a week was bad enough. It really was too. I hated it.

After the first week I was allowed to walk on it again and had to go to physiotherapy. My face was only a light shade of green by then and I went back to school. The fact that I walked away from a fight with three others had quite a few pats on the back and nods in my direction in the halls.

The other three were suspended for the week I was off too. Donny came back with a cast on his leg and Phil's face looked worse than mine at that point. Sasha refused to leave my side in the halls now though. He took me from class to class and sat next to Amy and I at lunch time, wherever we ended up sitting.

My parents were not taking any more chances. I hope they gave him a raise for having to hang around the school halls all day instead of the lounge room. A small part of me was thrilled at the eye candy that was now a regular fixture in my life, even if it got me strange looks from the other students there sometimes.

It wasn't any worse than being picked up by a fancy car and everyone knowing you are stinking rich, now they knew my parents cared... at least about appearances. The school just had to be glad they weren't losing the money I brought with me. I had to be glad I didn't have to switch schools. I was glad. That would have been a royal pain in my arse.

Speaking of pains in the arse, I heard a knock at my door while I was doing my homework and turned slightly when Sasha got up to get it for me. I could hear my mother speaking and he nodded, glancing in my direction a few times. I tossed down my pencil when the door closed.

"So? What did she want, Sir?" I glared at the closed door with a bit of spite. Obviously not to talk to her son... was my thought but I didn't say it out loud. Sasha didn't like it when I was rude or sarcastic about my parents.

"There is a party this weekend and she requested your attendance. Full formal dress to impress and I will be off duty for the evening. It seems Stephan and the security detail will be on for the night." He told me. I frowned but just turned back to my homework.

"That sucks. Well, for me at least. Glad you get a night off. Want me to save you some dessert, Sir?" I grinned to myself, thinking back to the plate of squares. He demurred the need for any such thing and told me to try and have fun that night.

Yeah right. Easy for him to say.

*

I was suffocating. My mother had sent a bloody fashion expert to 'beautify' me for two hours before the damn thing even started. My face itched. I thought my hair stunk. My suit was tight, stiff, and uncomfortable. My mother thought I looked fabulous, so I hated it.

I stood in the sitting room with about six other teenagers that all wished they were anywhere but here and faking enjoying the party. Christopher had a plate of food that he was slowly shoving in his mouth between conversation, big surprise.

"My mother said you got one of the chefs from the 'Rocket Ship' to do your catering. Their food is fantastic." He said with a mouth half-filled with food. I tried to ignore the wet munching and definitely refused to look at him.

"Not sure. I like the cheesy things though." I pointed out the small panko crusted ball things on his plate and he tossed one in his mouth. The moans of delight that followed even had the girl next to me grimacing slightly.