Page 104 of King

Today is the first day I’ve been at peace in the Archibald mansion. It seems that our collective dirt on the Archibalds helped set some boundaries in this place.

I spend the rest of the morning catching up on reading from homeroom, jazz playing in the background. With white hibiscus tea on my side table, it’s easy to relax despite my recovery.

Around four o’clock, two ladies burst into my bedroom on a mission to get me ready for the dance. They say Damien sent them. Hair and makeup. When I tell them the dance isn’t until seven, they look at me and laugh before ushering me into the bathroom where they set up their supplies.

Two and half hours later I’m standing in front of the mirror as one of the ladies adds another coat of gloss to my lips. I hardly recognize the girl in front of me, curls straightened, side-shave gelled. Vintage cat eyeliner compliments my red lips. It's like I’m in Cinderella, or The Devil Wears Prada.

“Woah, Jo!” Willow’s home from school after the ladies leave. She's coming through our shared bathroom, uniform still on. “You look amazing.”

“Thanks.” I smile, taking in her appearance. She does too. Hair looks healthy, a smile that's real.

“Love the lace detailing. Very vintage.” She joins me in front of the mirror, sighing, “Freshmen never get to do anything fun.”

I’m still getting used to being in this gold and black gown. It accentuates every dip in my body without looking trashy. Tight at the waist, the lace waterfalls at the ends like a mermaid. It’s as elegant as the mask I’ve paired it with, gold feathers at the top. If I stayed in The Grove, I’d never feel as good as I feel now. Bullet wound and all.

“Sure they do!” I take the mask off the dresser. “You get to skip out on all this. What are you doing tonight anyway?”

“Jordan and I are going to study at MOCHA.” She helps tie the mask carefully around my hair. “Lea’s going to the dance with Prince Xavier so she won’t be on my case for information about you.”

Lea’s been asking about me? “What do you—”

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Miss Rowland? Mr. King is here.”

Willow squeals, “It’s time! Try to have fun okay?”

“I should be telling you that.”

More knocks sound from the door. “Miss Rowland?”

“Okay!” Willow giggles and ushers me out before she follows me to the stairs.

When I get to the second-floor landing I can already see Damien leaning against the post. I’m half breathless and it’s not because of how tight this dress is. Damien looks like a delicious main course.

He’s in a black suit, fitted to his strong frame, vest pinstriped in gold. His tie is thin and black, revealing gold crosses when he moves. Damien's eyeing me as hard as I'm eyeing him and it already makes me want to pull his suit off. He watches as I walk down the stairs and for once, the guy is speechless.

That is until he says, “Never would’ve taken you for a girl from The Grove.” I ignore it, not letting his stupid comment ruin this moment as he takes my hand, leading me towards the door.

“Have her back at a decent hour King,” Eric calls from the living room. “Don't wake me up."

I roll my eyes at his attempt to assert dominance as Vincent opens the doors for us.

Damien chuckles, “Hasn’t he heard? I’m the King of this town.”

Once outside, the fall air rustles my dress. The air in Eden Gardens is so much fresher than in The Grove but tonight, the air is just right. Crisp and refreshing. Not too cold on my bare shoulders.

When Damien opens the door to a long shiny limo, I’m greeted by Isaac and Beth. Isaac immediately holds out a large bottle of whiskey, “I’m sorry” monogrammed in gold.

“Nice to see you, Jo!” Beth smiles in a silky maroon gown, matching Isaac's suit. “You look amazing.”

Damien ushers me in before I can respond, getting in right after me. Isaac looks like he’s recovering from a scrap. Darkened eye, a scar on his chin. “Before you say anything,” he says. “I’m sorry for what I said and I’m sorry for throwing you under the bus. It won’t ever happen again.”

Christian is at the far side of the limo, looking as dapper as Damien and Isaac. His tie is green, making his eyes pop. He has one of Lea’s minions under his arm but she’s staying quiet in a poofy emerald dress. All I get from Christian is a tilt of his chin as I take the bottle from Isaac.

Damien takes it out of my hand and pops the top, tilting my chin up. “Enough business.” He tilts the bottle into my mouth and pours the whiskey over my tongue.

The limo starts moving, Isaac turning up the tunes on the radio. “I mean, if it’s more consolation, Lea’s going to flip when she sees you arriving with Damien." He leans back in his seat. "Especially looking like that. Zoe Kravitz would be jealous."

---