by Simon Archer
When I saw myself in the three mirrors, the air flew from my lungs. Everything the shopkeeper said was true. My hair didn’t detract from the color at all. It added to it, made it flourish. Karen came up behind me and smoothed my hair back off my forehead. I never thought a suit could look this good on me.
“Wow,” Jade breathed from behind me.
“Stunning,” Karen said with an accomplished smirk. “That’s it. I’m not giving you a choice. We’re getting this suit, and you’re going to knock all the females dead at the dance!”
Even the shopkeeper stared, though her expression was a knowing one, as if she’d known this suit was the one all along. I caught her eye in the mirror, and she gave me a wink before returning to her spot behind the counter.
I returned my own gaze to myself in the mirror, and for the first time since this whole thing started, I was actually excited to go to the dance.
22
Sooner than I would have liked, the day of the dance arrived.
I managed to suffer through a couple of more rehearsals for mine and Hailey’s performance. I showed up right on time and left the minute they were excused. I didn’t leave any time for extraneous conversation because I refused to let anything get more intense between the two of us. Sasha seemed to sense what I was doing, however, and made the fight even more intense. By the time we reached the climax when I killed Hailey and removed her mask, both of us were breathing heavily, and the room was filled with a tension we couldn’t ignore.
Hailey threw herself into the performance every time, like a woman on a mission. Her energy forced mine to amp up just in order to keep up. I still had no idea what Sasha had told Hailey during that rehearsal a couple of weeks ago, but whatever it was pissed me off every single time that we ran the routine.
I finally finished the rapiers, which quickly became some of my favorite weapons I’d ever created. The handles and guards were intricate pieces of art that appreciated their application as well as their beauty. While I tried to follow Sasha’s designs as best as I could, I realized that my own personality and touch came out in the curve of the guards and the way they intertwined.
To my relief, Sasha was over the moon when I presented the weapons to her.
“My dear!” she squealed as she put her smooth thin hands up to her porcelain cheeks. She put out one finger and balanced each with a master’s hand. “I have never seen their equal. You are a genius.”
I blushed at the compliment. “It’s just a sword, Sasha.”
“Just a…” Sasha babbled. She cleared her throat and leaned in close, like she was sharing a secret with me. “My dear, these are much more than just mere swords. They are works of art, and you should be proud of your work. Take ownership of it.” She tapped his nose. “You are a genius, and you best start believing it.”
We used the rapiers for our final dress rehearsal. Despite the fact that I had spent all the time finding the perfect suit, I was only going to get to be in it for a short time at the start of the dance. Then I had to change into my costume. It was something straight out of a Renaissance painting, with the large hat and feather on my head and the long sleeved shirt with the open neck and chest and the jerkin over it. I also wore billowy colorful breeches and a short cape hanging down my back. I felt like I was being put on display. Luckily, I didn’t have to wear a mask like Hailey to impede my vision.
It was a feathered mask that looked like something a superhero would wear. It covered only a strip of Hailey’s face and was hardly a mask at all. Sasha had insisted that the audience needed to see Hailey’s face during the performance.
“We want them to feel your agony and share in your turmoil,” Sasha said as she waved her fists in the air dramatically.
I wanted to point out the historical accuracy of every piece of this whole performance but decided to keep my mouth shut. I was so close to getting through this whole thing that it was pointless to pick any battles at this point. Besides, if Hailey had an issue with it, she could take it up with Sasha herself.
All classes had been canceled the day of the dance to prep. The nymphs insisted on decorating so I could have most of the day to get ready.
“I swear I don’t need that much time,” I told them as I tried to yank a tangle of Christmas lights out of a nymph’s hands.
With a surprising amount of strength, she pulled them away from me and hunched over them, protecting them. “Trust us. You need all the time you can get.”
My mouth fell open at the audacity of their statement. My friend must have seen the anger spread across my face because Jade quickly came to my rescue and pulled me away to the bathhouse so she could begin the prim and pamper process.
When we walked into the bathhouse, there were a series of stations that hadn’t been there before. There was waxing and manicures and pedicures and body exfoliating. Female students flitted about from station to station, while some of them relaxed in the massive center pool, completely naked. I had never seen so many people in the bathhouse at one time. It overwhelmed me, and I made to turn around and leave the way we came. Jade put her tiny self in front of me and blocked my way.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Jade grunted as she pushed me back into the room. “We are doing this.”
“I’m the only male in here. What if I don’t want to get ready here?” I said, unable to hide the unease in my voice. “I don’t even need to do half of these things. This is… it’s all so excessive.”
“Trust me, you’re not the only one feeling like this,” Jade assured me.
“Really?” I said with a straight arm out toward the flock of women in the bathhouse. “Everyone looks like they’re having a great time.”
“These are Military women,” Jade pointed out. “Not all of them are used to this level of pampering.”
“That’s because most of them are out of their damn minds with Tainted Love,” I grimaced.
Jade inhaled a sharp breath. “Then let them enjoy themselves and be happy before it all goes away, okay?”
My lover made to walk past me, a stomp in her step that wasn’t there before. I wasn’t so annoyed as to not pick up the irritated tone in her voice. I whirled around and grabbed her arm.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jade,” I stopped her. Jade shifted her weight and put her towel in front of herself, a shield. “What did you mean by that?”
“I just mean…” Jade shrugged and looked over her shoulder at our comrades. “Tainted Love has eased things up around here. It’s not so strict and rigid. Students are happy. Happy like we are.”
“But Jade,” I said, hesitant, “it’s not real. Their feelings aren’t real.”
“We don’t know that,” Jade said casually, with a one-shoulder shrug. “Maybe deep down, these people do love each other, and Tainted Love just gives them the courage to pursue that love.”
“As romantic as that is, I just don’t believe it,” I admitted honestly. “I think that people should be given a choice to do what they want with their feelings and their lives. They shouldn’t be forced by some magical infatuation to pursue someone at all costs, or tie themselves to someone when they might not want to. They should be free like we were when we got together.”
Jade’s lips tightened. I watched her mind process my words, and she fiddled with her necklace absently. I reached out and pulled her hand away from the jewelry. I took it in my own and gave it a squeeze.
“Why don’t we go enjoy the magic while we can, okay?” I offered sympathetically.
I knew my words were realistic, but they were also harsh to someone with a soft heart like Jade. Where she saw romance and magic, I saw control and deception. But in a couple of hours, when Aphrodite showed up, all of this would be over, and we could get back to normal. So for those few hours, I figured we could let everyone live in the magic.
Jade and the other girls spent the next several hours preparing their bodies to look the most beautiful they had ever been. Meanwhile, I had significantly less hair on my face as I shaved, a
long with a polish and glow I never thought was achievable with my paleness since I couldn’t get away from several girls and their moisturizers. My hair was slicked back and styled.
Jade did her makeup as I watched, which she kept simple since her face would be covered by her mask. She had a red lace one that matched the accents on her dress and was made out of the same material as her gloves. I had a simple black domino mask.
I got to dance in the first suit for at least an hour before I had to get changed into my costume. Luckily, the suit was as magnificent as I remembered. It slipped on like a glove and formed to my body all over again.
“I never thought I would actually enjoy wearing a suit instead of soot and an apron,” I chuckled. I turned around to see Jade, who was scowling behind her mask. Just a minute ago, she had been cooing over her own outfit. But now her eyebrows were pinched, and her lips pursed.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, suddenly worried.
“Nothing,” Jade grumbled. “Let’s just get out there.”
My girl blew past me, out into the hallway. I had to take a minute to recover from the whiplash. Where had my giddy and excited friend who believed in magic gone? I wanted to ask her what was wrong so I could help her, but Jade was already out down the hall.
“Jade,” I called out. “Wait up.”
“Look,” she said when I caught up to her, “at least let me enter the party first because then I might have a chance at Daniella and Hailey admiring me before you walk in.”
“What are you talking about?” I looked at her incredulously.
“Come on, Cameron, look at you!” Jade scoffed. She moved a hand up and down my body. “You’re a knockout and a man. I don’t have a chance in hell with you there, so I’m just asking you to give me a moment. But if you’re too good to give me even that, then just forget it.”
“Whoa Jade, hang on now,” I said as I held out my hands as if I could buffer away this sudden aggression. I didn’t know where this all came from and I wanted to talk it out with her.
But she didn’t give me a chance to ask another question. She sped away down the dorm stairs and out of sight. I took a second to breathe and rationalize the situation. Something must have happened between when we were in the dorm to right now because Jade was definitely not acting like herself. As much as I wanted to go down there and demand answers from her, I decided it would best to let her calm down and sort out her own feelings, whatever they were.
So I straightened my shoulders and headed down to the main quad all by myself.
Jade planned it so we would be fashionably late. The party was already in full swing when I came upon the twinkling lights. They were stretched across the trees, creating a spiderweb of lights above our heads. The DJ rocked out with massive speakers that filled the campus with music that had a heavy bass. She was stationed on the steps of the cafeteria so she would be elevated over the rest of the dance floor. Across from the DJ was a row of tables with an assortment of finger food and desserts. A chocolate fountain bubbled at one end while a tower of macaroons of every flavor and color sat front and center. A sundae bar took over one complete table all on its own.
One of my favorite features of the whole dance was the little tableaus. The nymphs and I planned this element for maximum romance. These tableaus ranged from park bench scenes, to fancy cars, to restaurant booths with different backgrounds from famous cities. Paris. Venice. New York City. These little moments were scattered throughout the quad, squeezed between buildings or under trees. It was so couples could escape from the noise of the dance floor and get a moment alone.
I could already see that some of them were being used as intended. Luckily the nymphs were monitoring the tableaus so that if a couple got a little too intimate for public display, they would shroud them in a moment of invisibility until they were done.
It had been a clever plan, and I was glad that it was working. The moment I walked into the quad, a rush of accomplishment welled up in my chest. Despite all the stress, the lack of sleep, and the worry, the moment was here. The dance was upon us, and as far as I could tell, people were enjoying themselves. Love and desire were certainly in the air. Aphrodite would have no choice but to attend this party.
While I stood on the outs of the quads, taking everything in, someone surprised me by taking my hand and whirling me into her arms. I regained my balance and found myself pressed up against Daniella’s chest.
Daniella wore a white dress with black accents, it stopped right at the top of her thighs. It fit her perfectly and was form fitting showing off her assets. It should be illegal how it looked like a second skin on her. She looked like she was a lady of agent double 007, worthy of all the swooning. Also, to my surprise, she had opted for contacts, and it nearly unsettled me to see Daniella without her thick-framed glasses.
“Daniella,” I said, not bothering to hide how affected I was. “Looking beautiful.”
“And you look ravishing,” Daniella said as she leaned her face closer to mine. Her voice was low and husky, something I had never heard from her. It was so absurd that my only reaction was to laugh.
“Ravishing, huh?” I chuckled. I moved to wiggle out of Daniella’s grip but found that she only gripped me tighter. “Uh, Daniella?”
“Yes, Cameron?” she answered in that same sultry voice.
“Let me go,” I said sharply, fear taking hold of my thoughts.
“Why would I do that when you’re the most beautiful person here tonight?” Daniella whispered.
She leaned in for a kiss,and while any other time I would eagerly kiss her back, I now knew she wasn’t in full control of herself. I threw my hands up in the way, so her lips found my palms rather than my own lips.
“Daniella!” I scolded as I pushed her away. My rejection surprised her enough to let me go, and I took a couple of steps away from her. Suddenly, someone else was by my side.
“Cameron, you okay?” Kacie asked as she looked from me to Daniella. The redhead was dressed in a bright blue dress with enough tulle to smother a child.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said as I straightened the wrinkles in my suit. What the hell had gotten into my girls and my friends?
“You have got to be better than fine,” KC said, her own voice dropping an octave. “Looking as ravishing as you do.”
My head snapped up to face KC, who had a twinkle in her eye. I stepped out of range for any potential kisses, officially paranoid and unamused.
Before I knew it, another girl had come up to me. It was Rachel in an all-black mermaid style dress that cut off at her ankles, wearing flats with no socks. Rachel took her hand in mine and moved it up to her lips.
“Cameron, don’t you look--” Rachel said, but I yanked my hand away before she could finish.
“Ravishing,” I finished, cradling my hand against my chest. “So I’ve been told.”
“Hey, girl,” Daniella said as she approached Rachel and me. “Get lost. I saw him first. And I’m his girlfriend!”
“You held him against his will! I don’t believe you’re together for a minute!” KC snapped from somewhere behind me.
The air suddenly grew very hot and very tense. But not with the kind of tension and heat we originally aimed for. I felt the muscles bulge on these military-trained women, and panic seized my heart.
“Okay, all of you need to calm down,” I said, but my words went unheard as Rachel pressed herself up against KC.
“You need to stay out of this,” Rachel growled as her blond hair flopped into her face.
“Or what?” Kacie threatened.
“Rachel?” Karen squealed from somewhere nearby. She approached the group right as Daneilla moved to take my hand.
A thousand things seemed to happen at once. When Daniella reached for my hand, I swatted at her. Upon seeing me move towards Daniella, KC lashed out at my girl, but Rachel held back her arm from landing the punch. Which gave Daniella the opening she needed to sock KC right in the nose.
The crack broke t
he air like thunder and echoed even louder than the music. All of a sudden, the three women exchanged violent blows. I backed away from the fight while Karen called out Rachel’s name, trying to get her to see reason. When my hand scraped against something, I jumped back, utterly terrified.
Marcy looked at me with wide and hungry eyes. Her gaze traveled up and down my suit, making me feel disgusted.
“Simply ravishing,” Marcy drooled.
“Hey, fat girl,” a girl named Cassie, a third-year Vreg student, tapped Marcy’s shoulder, causing her to spin around. “I saw him first.” Then she socked her in the face.
My breathing raced, and I knew right then that I had to get out of there. Something was wrong, and I was caught in the middle of it all. However, I couldn’t get very far without girls approaching me. But when they saw other people looking at me, another fight would break out. I dashed for cover to get out of everyone’s sight, but I only left a trail of fighting students in my wake.
My brain raced too fast, dropping the puzzle pieces as I went. I didn’t understand why this was happening, but something about Tainted Love had amplified and turned on me.
Hands grabbed at me, and I tore away. People got in my way, and I aimed to dodge them, but then I would just fall into another pair of arms. The swarm of bodies suffocated me all the while choruses of “Ravishing” and “I saw him first” rang out.
I tripped over my own feet as I ducked to avoid an outstretched arm. I curled my knees up to my chest and tried to crawl out of the way. The tangle of legs was difficult to navigate. It was near impossible when someone threw a blanket over my head and a strong pair of arms wrapped around my middle.
Someone hoisted my body in the air. I lost control then and kicked and screamed to get out of the grip of whoever had a hold of me.
“Calm down, Cameron!” a familiar voice whispered in my ear. “We’re getting you out of this.”
