The dress faced me like a monster, ready to eat me alive. This party was what I heard the Motherwealth was all about, but now, I didn't want to go to this party anymore. Eydis was so confident Ezra would turn into his father, and maybe I should believe her. I didn't know much about Ezra. Maybe he was not to be messed with. But he did promise me a chance to see my father, and that was enough for me to slip into the dress.

That was the only reason I was going to this. It had been too long since I saw him, and just the chance for me to do so was enough.

I attempted to zip the zipper behind me but was unsuccessful. After struggling for a few moments, I knew I needed help.

Holding the dress up with my hands, I shuffled into my dorm room to see Eydis reading a textbook.

"Um..." I started. "Can you help me?"

She looked up from her book as I turned my back to her to reveal the zipper.

"Sure." She sighed as she got up from her seat and zipped the dress.

There was heaviness in the air between us but I didn't know how to address it.

"Do you think I look good?" I asked, trying to break the silence.

Eydis shrugged. "It's alright," Eydis said as she returned to her textbook.

Her lack of emotion caused a frown to appear on her face. I wanted her to at least gush over the dress like she had done in the store. Her mood had gotten worse since we bought the dress and I just wanted her personality to return to normal.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror as I tried to smooth out my hair. Her attitude set me on edge. "I don't need to go."

Her head snapped up from her textbook. "Don't do that."

Her knee jerk reaction wasn't what I was expecting. I took a step back.

"You can't say no once you confirmed. That's not how it's done here. You have to go, Telvi."

"Then why are you acting this way? I don't want anything to be weird between us."

She stood up, towering over me. Her cold attitude melted as she gave another sigh. "Isn't it obvious, Telvi? No, I don't want you to go with him. It starts with one dance and it only goes farther. I'm selfish and want you to stay."

"Is it because your afraid that Ezra is dangerous?"

"We live in the Motherwealth. Everything is dangerous here. Ezra isn't the main thing I'm afraid of."

"Then tell me what it is because I can't stand this awkwardness."

She placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me right in the eyes. "It's because I'm in love with you."

Her statement caused my mouth to drop open, unsure what to say back. I stared into her eyes, trying to understand her better.

"I have been in love with you forever. You are the most beautiful person I have ever met, inside and out. I don't want you to fall in love with Ezra because selfishly, I want you to fall in love with me."

Love was such a strong word. I loved skating and I loved Kol, but I never thought about loving anything or anyone else. Did I love Eydis? There was a part of me that couldn't fathom her being taken from my life. I didn't want to see her with anyone else either. She made my heart flutter and I cared about her, probably more than anyone else here. But did that mean love? Did I love her just like she loved me. In Hell, no one dated people from the same gender. People said that wasn't natural. It was frowned upon. Could I do something that no one ever did? Could I break the tradition?

I closed my mouth as it went dry. All words flew from my mind. What could I say to her when she just poured out her soul? Nothing seemed to fit.

"You should go, I'm holding you up," Eydis said as she brushed a tear from her cheek.

I nodded. I needed to leave or I would be late. "But this conversation isn't over." I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. I had to say at least something. "I want to talk when I get back."

She forced a smile back at me although there was despair in her eyes. "I'll be here."

With a heavy sigh, I walked out of the room and closed the door behind me. I knew I shouldn't have left but I couldn't leave Ezra waiting for me too long. He said this was important.

I took quick steps until I made it to the gate of campus. I should have been excited about this outing but after everything that happened the past few days, I just felt sick to my stomach. Everyone said that this was special since Commonwealth talent never interacted with elites in the Motherwealth, but I couldn't get Eydis out of my head.

She meant so much to me. Just the thought of her vanishing was enough to knock me breathless. Was that what love felt like? But then there was Ezra. Something about him made butterflies appear in my stomach. Was that love?

All of this made my head spin.

Ezra locked eyes with me and smile as I approached him. "You look stunning."

Any other time I would melt at his words, but the thing was, I wasn't sure if I could concentrate on them. "Thank you," I said, my response wooden.

The two of us walked to the front gate where a black car was waiting for us. He opened the back door to a shiny black car, and I slipped in.

"Telvi, it's good to see you again," Ezra's father said as he turned around in the front passenger seat to greet me.

Eydis's words popped into my head again. He was not to be trusted. But his friendly smile told me otherwise.

"It's great to see you again as well," I replied politely. To be honest, I couldn't remember his name. Ezra's father... maybe it started with a T?

"Ezra was very excited to have to join us tonight. But we know how much training means to you so we won't keep you out too late."

"Thank you."

The car drove off with a rumble and roar. It rattled as if something was loose in the engine, but no one said anything about it as we continued on our way.

"I heard that you used a jumper the other day," his father said with a smirk.

My body went ridged as I thought about that moment. I never thought Ezra would tell him about that. That was nothing to be proud of. Not for me nor him. For a moment, I wished I was anywhere besides this place. I wanted to shrink.

"Ezra said you loved it and handled it like a champ. I knew you would. It's like you were always meant to live here in the Motherwealth."

My eyes snapped towards Ezra as he looked away. That was not what happened, but Ezra wanted to make him believe otherwise.

"I told Ezra to take you on a jumper. You see, not many Talents have that pleasure. We open our Motherwealth to them for some things but there are some things we keep away from them. They shouldn't have access to all of our things when they aren't even from here. Jumper's are only for our people."

"I feel so honored," I squeezed out of my mouth although I felt the complete opposite. My blood went cold as he talked about 'their people'. It was as if they didn't see us as the same. In his eyes, we weren't. And I probably would never be.

"Alright dad, enough talk. You don't want to run out of things to talk about before the gala, right?" Ezra pipped in.

His father nodded. "You are right. But good thing we are already here," he said as the car pulled in front of a massive white building with pillars in the front.

Ezra was the first to step out of the car and offer his hand for me to step out.

"Please excuse me, we will have to continue the conversation later," his father said before walked ahead to talk to a balding man.

"I'm sorry," Ezra said as we walked into the building. "My father. He thinks the Motherwealth is the best place on earth."

"And you don't?"

Ezra shook his head in silence as we walked into a massive room full of paintings. My attention shifted to the people wearing all kinds of outfits. Some I recognized from the stores but other styles were completely different from the trends I had seen.

"Listen, my dad will want to use you to make a fool of Commonwealth people. I'm going to do all I can to prevent that," Ezra whispered as he took two skinny glasses full of a clear liquid. He downed one and handed me the other.

My stomach clenched up. The look of distaste on Ezra's face was apparent. It made me want to leave then more. "Did he do that to Eydis?"

Ezra clenched his jaw as his gaze shifted. "I wasn't as experienced as I am now."

Which meant he had done this before, who knows how many times. Suddenly I didn't feel so special any more. Did Ezra even want to get to know me or was this a ply from his father all along?

Ezra took another tall glass from a person dressed in all black. He downed it as he scanned the room. He wanted this night to be over and I did too.

My gaze shifted to the drink in my hand which I downed. It burnt my throat. I had never drank something so painful before. But the way Ezra handled it, made me believe I should drink more of it.

"Telvi, come, I have a few people I want you to meet," his father called out to me.

My stomach twisted as Ezra guided me.

"I'll do my best," Ezra whispered before walking up to his father and a group of people wearing sparkly outfits.

"Oh dear, I've been drying to see you after your skate a while back," a woman gushed as she held my hands with her gold toned ones.

The woman smiled. "You like my Amber dipped hands?"

I knew Amber as a source of power. Never as a fashion statement. My city was breaking it's back for this and she wore it like it was the newest fad. I couldn't help but frown in silence.

"Yes, I know, It's expensive but when applied to the skin, it turns golden. It's absolutely stunning."

"Telvi is from the main Amber export commonwealth, aren't you Telvi?" Ezra's father asked.

I nodded although my jaw was clamped shut. All the hard work my people did for something that the Motherwealth deemed as essential, just rubbed it on their skin.

"I knew it. See, I know a thing or two about the Commonwealths," the lady chirped. "So how do you find the Motherwealth? I'm sure it's a lot grander than anything in the Commonwealth."

This conversation was already driving me crazy. I knew what they wanted me to say but I didn't want to say it.

"Telvi, is enjoying her time, but what she likes most is spending her free moments with me," Ezra pipped in.

"Oh I can only imagine. You are the golden boy after all."

He nodded. "Now, if you excuse us, I would like to show Telvi the soda fountain."

I gave a quick smile before Ezra pulled me away. "Thank you," I whispered as we walked towards this fountain spraining a green liquid into the air.

"Don't thank me yet. The night isn't over."

That comment made my stomach flip. He was right, but did I have enough strength for it?

<><><><>

I completely forgot about Eydis' conversation until I made it back to campus, exhausted.

"It wasn't too bad, right?" Ezra asked as he walked me to the dorms.

There was only a few dreaded conversations I had but for the most part, Ezra did a good job pulling me away from anyone his dad threw our way.

"It wasn't that bad," I echoed.

Ezra stopped at the front door of the dorm then grabbed my hand. "Besides the terrible conversations, I was glad you came with me."

I nodded as my gaze shifted towards the door. I was so close to returning to Eydis, I couldn't focus on anything more.

Ezra leaned closer as he puckered his lips. My heart raced as I pulled back. I had never kissed anyone and this was not the time to try. I wanted to be in the right mind, not distracted.

Ezra quickly realized what I had done and he stopped, pulling back himself. "Well, um...." silence filled the space between us. "Thanks for going tonight."

"Thank you for inviting me. I really did enjoy my time with you."

He gave a stiff nodded then looked towards the gates. "I do have to go."

"Of course. Good night, Ezra."

He smiled lightly as I opened the doors to the dorms. "Good night Telvi."

I gave him one last smile then walked in.

As I made me way to my room my thoughts shifted to the last things Eydis said to me. There was so much I needed to say to her and I had now formulated the sentences she needed to hear.

"Eydis, I'm back. Can we talk?" I asked as I opened the door to the door.

The room was black, not even her little reading lamp was off. Figuring it was another outage, I flipped the light on to test my theory. The lights lit up the room, revealing Eydis' bed empty and made.

A pit formed in my stomach at the scene before me. Never once had I seen her bed made. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I tried to keep calm.

"Eydis?" I asked, hoping she would appear out of no where.

Silence was the only thing in the room. It weighed down on me.

Questions filled my mind wondering where she was. She told me she would be here. She was always here. Where would she go to? Was it because of me? I knew I should have said something to her instead of walking out. How could I be so stupid?

I waited for minutes, hoping she would walk back into the room but she never did. Fear loomed over me as I sat on my bed. Something was wrong but I didn't know what to do. So instead, I waited until the sun rose, convinced I would see her when the sun was out.