Page 36 of Take My Place

“I guess.” I frown a little. There is something about Lucas that is bugging me, but I can’t put my finger on it.

“Enough about him. Are you guys coming to celebrate or am I drinking alone?”

Archer waves his money at us and this time we follow him. Romy is right. Lucas isn’t worth stressing over. It isn’t as though I’m likely to see him again anytime soon.

Chapter Twelve

“Just a little higher…”

I teeter at the top of a ladder. Milly stands on the ground, looking up at me as she gives instructions for pinning the banner straight.

“I don’t think I can go much higher, Mills. Not without falling.”

“There! That’s perfect.”

I push the pin in and climb back down the ladder, relieved I finally got it where Milly wanted. The girl is a serious perfectionist!

“Don’t you think the hall looks beautiful?” she sighs. “The parents are going to be so impressed.”

I gaze around at the school’s main hall. Balloon arches and wreaths in the purple and yellow school colours are strung at regular intervals, while banners proudly declare that this is the 53rdannual charity fundraiser. This year we are raising money to support a local donkey shelter which needs to rebuild its stables after arsonists have done some serious damage to the old buildings. I have a feeling that with the general attitude of one-upmanship that pervaded the Houses, by the time we were done, the shelter wouldn’t just have a new stable. They’d be able to buy acres of fields, soft, warm blankets, and all the carrots a donkey could get.

The school would also keep 25% of anything raised for “essential works.” You’d think with the amount they charged in fees they would already have more than enough to pay for everything, but apparently not.

“You’ve done a really good job,” I tell her. “You should be an interior designer after you leave the Academy.”

“You really think so?” Milly beams with pride.

“Don’t listen to her, Millicent,” says Ally, overhearing our conversation. “The only reason you got to decorate the hall is because no one else wanted the job. A toddler could have done a better job than you.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re just jealous,” I retort. “You wish you had Milly’s eye for design.”

“When people see my performance at the show, nobody’s going to be talking about a few balloons on the walls,” Ally says. “They’ll all be stunned by how good I am.”

“Because a few slut drops are justsoimpressive.” I yawn. “You keep telling yourself how great you are, Ally. Nobody else is going to do it, that’s for sure.”

Ally sniffs, but she doesn’t have a snappy comeback, so she walks off.

“Are you all ready for the show?” Milly asks. “I hear you and Declan are going to do a duet.”

“Yeah, it’s one of our A level pieces. Mr Metcalf insisted we do it. Wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Good. I’m really looking forward to hearing you sing. I’ve never seen you perform.”

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up too much. It’s nothing special.”

“Don’t say that.” Milly lightly raps the back of her hand against my arm. “I know you’re an amazing songwriter. Everyone’s going to love you.”

“Maybe. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t be singing at this fundraiser.”

“Why not?”

“My father is going to be sitting right at the front,” I tell her. “He’s going to be boasting to everyone that I’m his little girl and it’s thanks to him that I’m as good as I am. My music is something that belongs to me, not him. I hate the thought that he’s going to attempt to take credit for it. I tell you something, once I marry Romy, I’m going to take his name and then House Archaic will be gone forever.”

Milly gasps. “You don’t mean that!”

“Oh yes I do.” I nod grimly. “It’s the only way I can hurt my father the way he deserves. You all keep telling me how ruthless the Houses are. Well, I’m my father’s daughter and I’m going to make darned sure he regrets everything he’s done, including the way he treated my mother. By the time I’m done with him, he’s going to wish he’d left me with Katy and adopted someone else to continue the family line.”

“Remind me never to get on the wrong side of you!” Milly laughs.

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