Matthew turned around the corner and she could see the entrance. Large steps led to the high double door with golden accents. Four floors of high windows lined the side. The windows on the ground floor were smaller and not as frequent as the other floors. Probably the servant area, or where the kitchen is now.
Spotlights illuminated the whole mansion with bright light as if it was the most important building in the village. Maybe it once was, long ago.
Her parents had rented a mansion on the countryside for the whole weekend. If they were still friends, Nora would’ve shared a room with Josy. Now she had to leave at the end of the party.
“Your friend doesn’t kid around. Are you sure it’s here?” Matthew whistled when he saw the mansion.
“Her parents are… status matters. And this is mostly to impress their friends rather than to please Felicia. I’m sure her mother encouraged her to pick a location with a certain class.” Nora sighed. She knew too much.
“It’s what she thinks is class. I’d never pick something like this.” Ben said while looking out the other side of the car.
“Why? You don’t think it’s romantic? I can see myself getting married here. Not that I could afford this wedding venue.” Nora didn’t think about her wedding often, but she loved this style.
“I doubt the people who lived there knew about real love. Money was always a thing, even in the golden age. They’re much like the people who rented it today. Do you think they know about love?”
Ben didn’t even bother looking at the mansion.
“Nearly there,” Danny said.
Matthew parked the car and opened Nora’s door. He held out his hand to offer his support. The small pebbles were hard to stand on, she was wearing heels she didn’t normally wear. Danny walked around the car and returned her phone. “Thank you.”
“Wait, can I check where the pub is before I go?” Matthew asked.
“Sure.” Nora gave him her phone.
“Okay.” Matthew typed something, and a phone started ringing.
“I called my phone with yours so you have my number. If you want to leave, just let me know.” Matthew waved goodbye as he walked the other way. Nora was touched by his concern. Not something she’d expect from an adult she wasn’t related to.
Ben and Danny offered their arm to help Nora across the pebble-covered path. It felt awkward walking towards the door. This wasn’t who she was. A girl, sandwiched between two handsome guys in suits, wearing high heels and a dress that was too revealing. Her mother had done her hair and it looked beautiful, but Nora looked forward to washing out all the hair spray.
When they walked through the door, Nora let go of Danny’s arm. She felt Felicia staring her down, but it was not the time to provoke. She wanted to show their friendship and celebrate this milestone with her.
Felicia’s parents were at the centre of the entrée with their daughter standing just to the side. It was obvious who was more important. Josy and Emily were with Felicia, but no one else talked to them. Other adults nodded to Felicia and congratulated her briefly before hurrying to the bar for free champagne. Hardly anyone brought gifts. Most of the gifts were money already wired to a college fund account.
“Hi Nora, we haven’t seen you around much. How’s your mono?” Felicia’s mother gave her a hug.
Nora eyed Felicia. She knew Felicia had to come up with a lie to explain why Nora wasn’t coming over anymore, but mono?
“Ah, well, it’s getting better. But I couldn’t miss Felicia’s sweet sixteen, right?” Nora tried her best to be cheerful.
“Don’t worry, sweetie. Anyone can catch it. I hope the boy was worth it though.” Her mother glanced at Ben behind her.
Nora tried to laugh it off.
“Hi, I’m Danny. Thank you for inviting me. I never thought to find myself at such a grand event,” said Danny quickly as a distraction. His boyish charms had won her over, Felicia’s mother had lost all interest in Nora.
Felicia waited for Nora and Ben to come over and congratulate her.
“Happy sweet sixteen!” Ben tried to be cheery, but Felicia’s mood was already grave.
Nora held out the bag and whispered a soft ‘congratulations’.
Felicia grabbed the bag out of Nora’s hands as soon as she spotted the brand. She ripped the box open, shoved it aside on the table, and inspected the necklace. Josy and Emily stood behind her with large eyes.
“Oh my god. That’s the necklace you saw in that magazine.” Emily couldn’t hide her excitement.
Felicia stared at it in silence. Then she whispered, “it’s beautiful”.
“Nora picked it out,” Ben replied.
With those words, Felicia snapped back to reality. She looked at Ben and thanked him, disregarding what he just said. He just smiled and grabbed Nora’s hand to pull her away.
“We’ll talk later,” Felicia hissed through her teeth.
Nora pretended not to have heard it, but the frown on her face gave it away.
Danny wanted to follow them, but Felicia stopped him. “You can stay with me. I’ll get someone to fetch you a drink.”
Ben didn’t wait for Danny. He escorted Nora to the bar and ordered two sodas. “I’m sorry I pulled you away. I had a feeling you didn’t want to be there.”
“It’s okay. You were right. She might not have insulted me just now, but saying I have mono was pretty lame.”
“What’s mono?”
“You don’t know? It’s called the kissing disease because young people transfer it by exchanging saliva. You’re often tired and feel sick. Felicia’s mom thinks you were the one who passed it on to me.” Nora grabbed the drink the bartender offered her.
“Is that bad?”
“Do you want to have a contagious disease?” Nora wasn’t sure if he was teasing her or if he honestly didn’t know what it was.
“No, I guess not.”
“I don’t either.” She took a sip. The fizz of the soda popped in her nose. “I’m glad she’s usually so involved in her own stuff that she doesn’t have time for other people’s business.”
Nora looked around the room. It was filled with people in cocktail dresses and black suits. Only a handful were younger than twenty: Felicia’s cousin was in the corner making out with her latest catch, and only a few of her teammates from the hockey team.
She felt sorry for Felicia. The one party she looked forward to the most was her sweet sixteen, and her parents had turned it into cocktail hour for their business relations.
Felicia came up behind them, alone. “I really don’t get you, you know that.” Felicia had lowered her voice so only Nora heard it. “First you tell me you’re not interested in Danny. Then I see you go home with him. I see him flirting with you all the time and you let him. Then you even have the guts to take him to my own birthday party. Better yet, you come with both of them. You say you don’t care about them, but what I see is clearly something else. Hypocrite.” Felicia glared at Nora. Her eyes were on fire, even when her voice didn’t reveal it.
“I care about them as friends. That’s all there is, nothing more. I thought you’d believe me, since I’m your friend. I don’t have any feelings for either of them,” Nora said, hoping this time Felicia would listen for real.
“I know you can lie. That’s why teachers don’t mind it when you’re late with homework. Who says you’re not lying right now? At least my eyes don’t lie.”
The spite in Felicia’s words hurt and the knot in Nora’s stomach tightened even more.
“You’re kidding me, right? What do I have to do to convince you there’s nothing between me and either of them?” She wanted to say more, but she was afraid it would ruin their relationship forever.
“Oh, I don’t care about Ben, but I want you to stay away from Danny—he’s mine. You know what? Stay away from Ben too. That will keep you at a bigger distance,” she sneered.
Nora didn’t recognise her friend anymore, Felicia was never this jealous. Not about boys, clothes
, or accessories. Not even when her summer crush chose her cousin over her.
“If that’s what it takes to save our friendship, then I will. You’re more important to me than some guy.”
“Good. You better bring a date to the prom and give Danny the idea that you’re taken.” She crossed her arms and smirked.
“What? Why do I have to take a fake boyfriend?” Nora wouldn’t even consider the suggestion.
“Then I know for sure you won’t bother me until I have what I want.” A smug expression appeared on her face.
Nora counted to ten in her head. Felicia took it too far; her selfishness had crossed the line. She was tempted to call her out, but then remembered she wanted to save her friendship. Not destroy it.
Felicia looked at Nora one more time before she left the library. “Oh, and you can’t come with us. The limo will be full with the six of us.” She looked satisfied handing out Nora’s punishment.
Emily and Josy waited for Felicia at the reception desk. They obviously knew what they talked about. Emily smiled and Josy looked at Nora pitifully. She didn’t know which she hated more.
Chapter 14
It’s the last day before Christmas break. The only class they had was homeroom, basically the teacher telling the students to study and enjoy the holidays. The girls would spend the rest of the day doing hair and makeup before the gala that evening. The boys could relax until they had to put on their suits and struggle with their ties.
Felicia, Emily, and Josy would be in a limousine. Felicia had demanded it of her parents. It was one of the few nights that she could spend in the glamour she thought she deserved. Nora knew other groups had also rented fancy cars to take them, but she didn’t care. Her father would bring her, like he always did.
The whole fight with her friends made her feel nauseous. Her mother had insisted she bought a dress. They spent two afternoons shopping to find the right one. Nora tried on at least ten different dresses before deciding on this one. She had until that evening to decide if she wanted to go to the party or not, but it was obvious what her mother wanted.
Nora spent most of the afternoon in bed reading. It was the only thing that could take her mind of everything that was going on. Just before dinner, there was a knock on the door. Nora barely heard it over the radio. She turned it down and opened the door.
Michael stood in front of her bedroom door. “Hi,” he said with a dorky smile.
Nora stood there silently, confused as to why he was there.
“Can I come in? Or would you rather talk somewhere else?” he asked.
“Ah, no. It’s okay, I think.” Nora quickly looked around her room to see if there was no underwear where it shouldn’t be.
“It’s the first time in your room as a teenager. I remember your father telling me at one point that I wasn’t supposed to go into your room anymore.” Michael looked around for a place to sit. He picked the desk chair instead of her bed.
“Who let you in?” Nora plunged down on her bed and grabbed a pillow to cuddle.
“Your mother, but it was your father who told me to go up to your room. He hoped I could talk some sense into you, he misses his little girl. Ever since school started, you haven’t been yourself. I know it’s been hard with your friends and all, but I hope you don’t forget to enjoy life. There’s more to it than those girls.”
“Poor poppa. I probably neglected him a little. I didn’t know he was home already.”
“He actually came home early, hoping to see you in your dress. But you’re not wearing it.” He gestured to her clothes and looked around for the dress.
“I don’t think I’m in the mood to go.” Her stomach turned at the thought of seeing Felicia again. It was bad enough that they shared classes. She wanted to avoid her as much as possible outside of those.
“I heard about it.” Nora looked up with wide eyes. “People at school talk. Of course if the most popular girl in school ‘dismisses’ one of her friends, something must be going on. Most people are on your side.”
“She didn’t just tell me to back off. She told me I have to take a boyfriend to prove to her I’m not interested in Danny. I’m not even interesting in dating.” Hot flashes came over her. She didn’t notice she clenched her fists until Michael rested his hand on hers.
Michael worded ‘ouch’ with his mouth.
“Maybe she also wanted to use her power just for kicks. I can’t believe she’s turned into that. It’s disgusting.”
“I get why you don’t want to go to the party, but it might be a good way to do something fun and forget about them. There will be enough people there, you won’t have to see Felicia and co. We can hang out with Jonathan and the others, maybe get to know a few more people. I know there are some girls who feel sorry for you.”
“I’m not looking for a pity party. I will not be friends with someone who pities me because a friend dumped me.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry. I’m just trying to help. You know I’ll always be your friend, right? But I’d also be sad if I was the only friend you had.”
“Really, I’d rather not go. I don’t want to give her the satisfaction.”
“When we go, we’ll show her you’re the better person. She will see that you’re willing to do what’s necessary for your friendship, while you’re actually just having fun yourself. And you’ll get a chance to meet new people. You can hangout with them when you decide Felicia isn’t worth your time anymore.” He patted the back of her hand. “Come on. Let’s have some fun.”
“I hate it when you’re right.” Nora gave in with a smile, she couldn’t sulk forever. Life went on no matter what happened with Felicia, she needed to look to the future and make the best of it.
“Do you want to show me your dress now, or when you come down the stairs?” Michael teased.
“Later. Will you stay for dinner? I’m pretty sure we have enough.” Nora pushed him out of the room, downstairs.
“I won’t turn down good pasta.” Michael headed downstairs salivating at the thought.
“And?” Nora’s father asked when they came downstairs.
“We’re going to the prom tonight. Would you mind giving us a ride?” Nora asked.
“Of course not, sweetheart.” He walked over to her for a short embrace and a kiss on her head. “I’m glad you’re going. And to see a smile on your face. I’ve missed that.”
“I will help you with hair and makeup after dinner.” Her mother gave her a hug from the side and winked. “Aren’t you glad you got a dress when I told you to?”
Michael devoured two portions of lasagna before the others were done. He was still in the middle of his growth spurt and Nora guessed that he had already grown taller since she first saw again after the break.
Michael had come prepared, with his suit and shoes in a large bag. Nora’s father helped him with his tie, while Nora’s mother helped her.
Nora took the dress out of her closet and laid it on her bed. It was still wrapped in plastic so she could return it if she hadn’t gone to the party. Now was the time to take it off. She carefully took the plastic off and felt the fabric slide through her fingers. She fell in love all over again.
She sat down on her chair and waited patiently until her mother finished her hair. Nora had no idea what to do besides making a ponytail or leaving it out. Her large dark curls didn’t lend themselves for complex hairdos, nor did she have the patience to deal with that every morning. She was glad her mother had the patience and the insight to know what looked good on her.
“You look beautiful, sweetheart. I’m glad you’re still going,” her mother said.
“You didn’t call him, did you?” Nora wanted to know. She looked in the mirror to see what her mother had done with her hair. A braid crossed left to right and ended in a loose ponytail. She tamed Nora’s normally frizzy hair.
“No, I didn’t. I thought about it, but I didn’t. I had a feeling it would turn out okay. Your fight with Felicia has made you two closer than
before and I know Michael has a good heart. He won’t let his friend down.” Her mother stuck a few hairpins with pearls in her braid, for decoration. “Now, put on your dress and come down,” she said before leaving Nora’s room.
Nora looked at the dress. It was a short salmon coloured dress with a layer of tulle on the outside. It was decorated with small flowers. The top was a sweetheart design with more tulle to create an illusion neckline and give it sleeves.
She was too self-conscious of her body, and she didn’t like any of the more exposed dresses. This was elegant, feminine, and still made her feel sixteen years old, not over twenty and desperate for a man, like most of the other dresses.
Her shoes were creme-coloured pumps, nothing fancy. She didn’t have time to shop for other shoes and she still had these from her cousin’s wedding last year. They made her look taller, and her legs thinner. Maybe now she wouldn’t look as small next to Michael.
There was still something missing. All of her attention went to her clothes and hair, but her face had nothing to stand out. A touch of lip gloss in the same colour as her dress and pink eye shadow changed that. She didn’t need mascara to lift her eyelashes, a gift from her mother.
She grabbed a small purse, just big enough to hold her phone, and a few bills. Her experience walking on heels was limited. Walking down the stairs was a challenge, but she managed without falling or spraining her ankle. Her parents and Michael were waiting in the living room. Her eyes went to her father first. He rose from his chair to give her a kiss on both cheeks and hugged her.
“You look beautiful, my little princess,” he said proudly, a tear formed in the corner of his eye.
Her mother’s eyes were full of affection when they hugged. She pulled her beside Michael to take a photo.
Nora glanced at Michael, feeling a little embarrassed, and she saw him staring with open mouth. She elbowed him to close his mouth.
Devil's Deal (Infernal Contracts Book 1) Page 9
