“You’re even turning on me?” I asked. And I had thought sweet little Deb might be the right choice for Bellamy! Perhaps none of these women were good enough for him. “How is it funny? You all ate something I didn’t eat. There is nothing complicated about it.”
“Fine. But what about the crying? What was that all about?” she asked.
“She’s right,” said Vanessa. “It seemed very manipulative.”
“I was feeling homesick.”
“Give her a break,” said Klassie. “So she started crying and didn’t eat the soup that made the rest of us sick. So what?”
“Thank you, Klassie,” I said.
“The only reason you don’t care is because you’re already safe from elimination,” Vanessa said to Klassie. “One of the rest of us is leaving. One of us is not going to Paris. It’s getting really serious!”
“Is that all you care about? Going to Paris?” I asked. “Who here really cares about Bellamy? Because he is going to propose to one of us very soon, and I am starting to think no one actually cares about him at all.”
“I care,” said Deb.
After too long of a pause everyone else joined in, nodding and professing their love for him. I grabbed my mask and garment bag and went off to the bathroom to get dressed away from them. When I came back out twenty minutes later with my hair up and my makeup done they were all still sitting around in their regular clothes.
“I suppose it’s that time,” said Alanna, getting up slowly. She went over to the rack, grabbed her caramel colored gown and mask and headed towards the bathroom.
Klassie and Jessica took their gowns and got dressed right in the middle of the room.
“Are you really going to wear those Sponge Bob undies beneath a fancy vintage couture gown?” Vanessa asked Jessica.
“Sure, mate. What’s the difference?”
“It seems wrong.”
“It’s not anything,” said Jessica, zipping herself up and stepping into her shoes. She ran her tongue over her teeth and sat back down, apparently all set to go.
Deb and Vanessa remained seated. “We still have time, and I’m totally packed already,” said Vanessa, examining her designer wristwatch. “I guess I should set out a traveling outfit, but that will only take a minute.” She yawned and closed her eyes. “What I would really like is a nap.”
“What I would really like is to skip the masquerade ball,” said Deb. “My dress is way too tight. I tried it on yesterday and couldn’t even zip it. I’m kind of dreading having another go at it.” She took a bite of a hazelnut biscuit slathered in butter and Nutella and washed it down with some cappuccino.
“Maybe you’ll be skinnier today since you were sick all night,” said Klassie.
“Good point,” said Deb.
“I’m ready,” said Alanna, appearing back in front of us, pulling her luggage. She looked perfect. It was unfair how her natural beauty gave her a permanent head start.
Deb looked defeated. She got up, took her bright yellow dress and mask and disappeared into the bathroom.
“Vanessa, we only have ten minutes left. Aren’t you going to get ready?” asked Klassie.
“Fine, I’ll get ready,” she said. The last remaining dress was blood red and covered in matted feathers. It may have been pretty long ago, but it was horrible now. It looked like a costume from a school play. Also, it was two sizes too big for Vanessa. She pulled it on right o
ver her nightgown.
“Keeping your singlet on is worse than wearing Sponge Bob under-chunders,” said Jessica.
“I simply don’t care,” said Vanessa. “Honestly, I think it’s terrible they’re making us do this when we all had such a bad night.”
“They’re not making us do anything. If you’re so unhappy, go home,” said Klassie.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” said Vanessa.
“Don’t tell me what to tell you,” said Klassie.