A University of Betrayal (The Blairville Legacies #2)

Chapter 53

Bayla

Brass Tacks

Christopher Tyng

The last time we had visited DressinGlamour, it had been more like a giant Walmart for Halloween costumes. Now, the place shone like a festive fashion store, and I immediately had the feeling that things were going to get expensive today.

It wasn’t that my mother earned little, especially not in her new job, because she had handed me four hundred dollars just for the dress, but I wasn’t the kind of person who ran to the nearest store with her pocket money and spent it all at once.

Mum’s words echoed in my ears. “The Winter Ball is one of my happiest memories, and it should be the same for you.”

And so, once again, I found myself in DressinGlamour with my shopping addicted best friend and Julie, who hadn’t actually wanted to come with us, looking for pretty dresses to wear to a winter ball.

It was Thursday morning; the ball was just around the corner, and it still hadn’t snowed.

“I wonder if Alice went to the Winter Ball, too,” I thought aloud, and both girls turned to me.

There was melancholy in Julie’s eyes because I had probably reminded her of her father again.

Larissa looked at me in thought. Then she turned back around.

“I think she had the best time of her life there, and that’s exactly what we’re going to have. Preferably in fucking stunning dresses,” she said, going through the price tags of dresses that she could definitely afford now without any regrets. But knowing Larissa, she wouldn’t throw money out of the window when it came to expensive clothes. Even if she had been able to afford it for almost two months now. She had just emphasized earlier that she didn’t want to be dependent on these rich people.

“Absolutely,” I said with a grin.

I wouldn’t show up there in a white wedding dress, which is why I slipped past Julie and looked around to see if there were any less flashy colors.

Of course, Larissa made her way to the red dresses and her eyes literally sparkled as they glided over the fabrics, and within a few minutes, she had the first dresses hanging over her arm.

I just sighed.

I would never find anything here.

“Ugh. Everywhere we go, you must be hanging around.”

I wheeled around and came face to face with a scowling Vivienna, perfectly styled as always and apparently in search of the ball gown of her dreams.

I hadn’t expected to find her here, but rather that she would drive to the nearest big city to buy designer clothes.

But what I had expected even less were her annoying sidekicks.

I’d got used to Amber following her everywhere she went, and Barbie too, of course. But Grace? Never.

Four months ago, when I had moved here, she had spoken poorly of the three of them, but now they seemed like four besties killing time together, going to expensive coffee shops and thinking they were better than everyone else. Even Grace’ clothing style had changed. Still a lot of black and earthy colors, but more expensive-looking.

“Come on, girls, we’ve got things to do. Don’t let them stop us here,” Vivienna hissed, and Amber acknowledged me once more with that come-not-too-close look. Then she also turned away and went to the black dresses, passing Larissa, who confirmed to me with a roll of her eyes how much she enjoyed this encounter.

They didn’t bother me as long as I had my peace and quiet, so I continued with the dresses. But I couldn’t even find anything in the blue dresses section. Baby blue was definitely not for me, and the bright dark blue only made my already pale skin stand out even more.

“You’ve gone mad,” I laughed when Larissa turned up with at least ten evening dresses in her arms, all red and black. “Are you even allowed to take that many into the changing room?”

Larissa grinned mischievously and lifted the pile, showing off what she got.

“Nothing risked, nothing gained. Besides, this Winter Ball is only every three years and this will probably be my only one. So I don’t want to wear anything that doesn’t fit me or that Camille has picked out for me. I mean, she does pick out nice things, but I want to decide at least one thing for myself.” With a radiant smile, she made her way toward the changing rooms and called out. “Go check on Julie, she looked pretty desperate a minute ago.”

Larissa had told me about Camille. According to her description, a very pretty and elegant Ruisangor woman who had taken care of Larissa’s well-stocked wardrobe and worked as a lawyer for the town when she wasn’t traveling the States.

I exhaled in despair that I couldn’t have this Camille as a consultant for today, and looked around for Julie.

If I wasn’t going to find anything fitting, maybe I could at least help her.

I wasn’t surprised to spot her among the cream and light dresses near the bridal section and I was about to walk toward her when Grace’s curly afro appeared in the aisle, and I wondered if I should join them or wait.

I decided to stop and pressed myself against the dresses so I could eavesdrop.

Confrontation

Christopher Tyng

“We should stay away from them,” I heard Grace say quietly, and Julie turned to her as if she had been startled.

“Grace, please. Bayla is one of us,” she replied, not at all softly and unusually tense.

A shadow crossed Grace’ face, and she lowered her voice, stepping closer. “She’s not... Vivienna told me to be careful because she could be a spy for the Senseque.”

I winced.

Vivienna had told Grace something. Was it only a matter of time before she told her what she had witnessed? What if she told not only Grace but Amber or Kelly... or worse, someone else of higher rank?

Julie’s expression remained cool. A look I only knew from her.

“I don’t care what Vivienna says. You know how I feel about her behavior, and you shouldn’t forget how she treated you back then.”

Grace fell silent, then her expression darkened further.

“Since when are you so talkative? What are they doing to you that you just speak your mind like that?”

“You know, Grace,” Julie stepped closer and Grace took a step back. “I just don’t feel as pressured with them as I do with the Circle.” Her expression darkened even more. “Or like with you.”

Grace flinched, visibly caught off guard, and a blind man would have realized that Julie’s words had hit her.

“Then do whatever you want!” Grace snapped, her voice sharp, before turning to leave. “We used to be friends, and you’ll miss that time one day.”

Pearson Specter Litt

Christopher Tyng

When Grace had disappeared, I waited for another half a minute. I didn’t want Julie to think I was eavesdropping, especially after her confession just now.

I was happy if she felt comfortable with us, and – to be honest – I was lost without her. Only she could answer my questions, and she understood how important it was to find out about Alice, precisely because her father seemed to have played a part in the whole thing.

“Julie, hey,” I said, stepping into the hallway. “Larissa said you were having trouble finding something?”

Julie turned to me as if the morose conversation with Grace had never happened.

“I don’t know, there are too many nice dresses here, but I don’t know… I don’t want to stand out like this.” She ran her hand over the fabrics in front of her. “To be honest, I don’t even want to go to the ball.” Then she looked at me. “I’m only doing this for the mission.”

She avoided my gaze.

I gave her an understanding smile and put my arm on her shoulder.

“You’ll have fun. We'll all be there.”

Julie looked at me with a pained expression. “You know the students’ families are invited too?”

My breath hitched.

Oh no... We hadn’t considered that.

“The Copelands, because they own the university and my family, not just because of me and Grace, but also because my aunt is the mayor of the town. And the Councils, most likely because of Harlow.”

I didn’t know what to say. But how were we going to accomplish the mission if all the people who were part of the diary would be there? The thought sent a chill down the back of my neck.

“I just wanted to warn you. Gloria might be keeping an eye on you... as well as on me.”

Great. But should we really let that intimidate us? Wasn’t their goal to scare us into staying away from each other? What would they do if they saw me and Larissa together?

“No matter how well or how poorly you get on with your family, you shouldn’t hide, Julie.”

She shouldn’t let herself be so influenced by this family that didn’t seem to strengthen her at all. Had her family ever supported her?

“I think you look so beautiful, and you would shine in a dress like that,” I confessed with sincerity.

Julie always had something fairylike about her, soft and beautiful. I hoped she knew she was gorgeous.

“It feels like I don’t deserve it,” she sighed with sadness, and my sympathy intensified.

“No, who says that? Grace? That Gloria?” I now placed my second hand on her other shoulder. “Please, try on those dresses you stare at all the time as if they were made by the gods.”

She gave me a shy smile. “Funny, there’s a Quatura story that’s all about a goddess like that.”

I looked at her, sure she could see the question marks above my head.

“Never mind, they’re just stories from my family and I...” She hesitated, then continued. “…probably really shouldn’t be bothered with these people so much.”

She turned back to the clothes. “I’ll try some on. Maybe I’ll think about it.”

“I’m serious, if you really want to move on, you shouldn’t care what Grace thinks, or anyone else. It’s those thoughts that are stopping you from reaching your potential.”

Julie let her hands wander over the fabrics without looking at me, but I could see how much my words were occupying her.

“Remember, the night is all about you having fun and, of course, the mission.”

I thought I saw a small smile on her lips, then she reached for a very pretty, long dress.

“Thank you,” she whispered, turning away from me to hopefully go try it on.

Relief and pity filled my chest.

Julie didn’t seem to have an easy time with Grace and the others. And I was also losing my weak bond with Grace more and more.

“You’re sweet, you know that?” I wheeled around, startled. Vivienna. “The problem is that you’re too sweet and that I knew something was wrong with you from the start.”

My whole body tensed.

Vivienna could have just been someone who got on my nerves terribly, but she was carrying around a secret. My secret.

“I haven’t done anything to you, Vivienna,” I said with a calm voice.

She began to play with one of her blonde strands with her right index finger. “That may be. However, I think ahead.” A devilish smile played around her perfect lips. “You think I don’t notice you planning some strange things with your friends? Lately, I’ve even been seeing you with another Ruisangor.” Her gaze darkened. “I’ve turned a blind eye so far because you haven’t passed the rite of passage yet. But the time with your cute little...” Suddenly, her tone sharpened, making me flinch. “Forbidden group!” She paused before continuing in a lowered voice. “…has expired.”

With great effort, I tried not to swallow the lump in my throat.

“Think of it as my last warning.”

Was she threatening me?

Then she turned to leave when she almost bumped into Larissa and they both looked at each other suspiciously, as if they were about to go for each other’s throats.

Brass Tacks

Christopher Tyng

When Vivienna had gone, Larissa just stared after her, shaking her head. “What did she want from you?”

I sighed and waved her off, looking perhaps a little too unconcerned. “Vivienna just doesn’t like me. Like Olivia in high school. Do you remember her?”

Larissa looked at me as if she smelled that I was hiding a secret. “Yes, I remember this little bitch. But it sounded more like Princess Westcode was threatening you.”

“Never mind. We shouldn’t worry about Vivienna’s opinion,” I replied quickly and tried to change the subject. “Did you find anything?”

I didn’t want Larissa to worry about me unnecessarily.

Luckily, she responded to my change of subject.

“Yes! I even paid for it already.” She smiled with excitement, and I was automatically happy for her.

“Let me see!”

But Larissa pulled up the black box with the store’s gold lettering in her hands at an abnormal speed.

“Hands off! You’ll have to wait until the ball,” she laughed, and I put on my fake pout. “Bitch. You better show me your dress.” She grinned at me full of expectation.

Great.

Larissa glanced at my empty hands, then at the empty white velvet-covered bench behind me. Finally, she gave me a scrutinizing look.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t found one.”

“I’ll look again tomorrow... maybe somewhere else,” I said quickly and pulled her out of the aisle.

“You won’t have much time.”

“Never mind, let me worry about that,” I replied quickly and was glad to see Julie at the checkout with a box and Grace with Vivienna on the other side of the store.

“At least you found something,” Larissa said to Julie, giving me a shake of her head.

We left the store and Julie drove me and Larissa to my house in her white Mazda, where Larissa had parked her motorcycle.

Larissa wanted to see Alice’s room and after a long discussion I agreed. But only because my mother was in the lab until seven pm and would hopefully not suddenly turn up and hold the barrel of a gun to my friend’s head.

Cellar

Jay Varton

“It’s like she never moved out of here.” Larissa stood in the middle of the small room and looked around. “I have the urge to rummage around here and look for private things. It feels like the rest of the diary is still here.”

With more veneration than usual, I looked at the shelves and at the picture I had destroyed. This time I examined it with a different eye. I knew that one woman was Alice and the other was my mum... and the third, Vivienna’s mother. Now it made sense that I had recognized her then.

“This picture alone proves that she didn’t write crap, but reality,” Larissa said behind me and finally turned to the other part of the room.

I continued to look at the picture.

I wondered if she had any other photos. A photo album? Maybe even with photos of the others... the guys?

“Bayla, I think I’ve just found a solution to your dress problem.”

I turned to Larissa, and my jaw dropped when I spotted her in front of Alice’s closet. She had simply opened it and was now holding a black large box in her hand; the lid had just slid to the floor and now the box revealed a dark turquoise fabric like I had never seen before, more like teal. It resembled the color of my one eye.

“Larissa, put that back!” I hissed and hurried to the wardrobe.

I wanted this place to look as little like someone had been here as possible.

“No, seriously! This would look so good on you!” Larissa lifted the corset-like top, which was made of lace fabric. “The color and shape alone... God, this must have been expensive.”

I took the box from her hand and bent down to pick up the lid. “That’s exactly why! And if my mother finds out, I’m screwed.”

She would be there that evening. We both knew that.

Larissa apparently had a different opinion and pulled the box out of my hand.

“Larissa, come on. We shouldn’t even be here,” I sighed, gesticulating.

However, she simply rushed to the door with inhuman speed, the massive box tucked under her arm. In the other, a bloody hoop skirt.

“Larissa!”

She came back to me, only to pull me out of the room with her and close the door. Then she pushed me down the stairs.

“We’ll take it with us for the evening and if you don’t find anything better tomorrow, you’ll have a dress.”

“It belongs to a dead woman!” I tried again and swore I would never wear the dress, but for Larissa, the discussion was already over.

“So what? I’m sure she’d be happy if someone else wore it. I’m sure she would.”

Nice of her to just go over Alice’s and my head like that.

“Now, come on.”

Desperately, I sent up a prayer to the heavens that Alice’s ghost would spare me and promised myself that I would look for a better dress tomorrow. Maybe Julian would accompany me to DressinGlamour again.