I took Alexei back to my house to fix him up and make him look like one of the nobles that we both hate. He said something pretentious about life eventually making you the things you despise, for which I offered nothing more than a disbelieving laugh. I did my best to adorn him with the current fashion so that he will not cause as much of a scene. But he is nervous nevertheless. Anyone can see that. He knows his standing in society, and he knows that it is far from mine and from that of the guests at the party. He's the outsider tonight. Everyone's eyes will be on him.

After a few minutes of trying to calm him down, we arrive where the ball is being held, and I'm fairly certain from his gaping expression and wide eyes that it's the grandest place that Alexei has ever seen in his life. Arches form the bones of the magnificent building, and an intricate fountain out front casts a cool mist onto guests ascending the path leading towards the main entrance.

Immediately as we step into the main ballroom area, we are greeted by my enthusiastic sister who must have been waiting for me to arrive. She flings herself into my arms, trusting me to catch her and suspend her in the air, which I fulfill. Her genuine smile and her bubbly laugh remind me that, while the rest of the population in this ballroom is false, my sister will always be here with her untainted personality.

Performing the standard greeting of two swift kisses to the cheek, she exclaims, "Salut, dear brother! I'm finally in Russia to join you and the family!"

Lourdes had stayed back in France to complete her studies before coming with the rest of the family to Saint Petersburg. Unlike me, she values education above all, therefore she did not want to miss a moment of her schooling. She assures me that women must be well educated, especially in a world where they are not typically so. Because of this idea, we left her in Paris in the beginning of May, and she now joins us at the end.

"Oh how I've missed you," I express as I lower her to the floor again, but I hold contact between our eyes sparkling with conviviality. And then I hear a prompting cough from behind me and remember to tell her about Alexei. "I have a friend that I would like you too meet." I bring him around from behind me, and instantly I can decipher from Lourdes' expression that she's enticed by him. "This is Alexei Kozlov."

A thinly shaped brow curves itself into a new shape on her forehead. "Russe?"

I nod.

She surveys Alexei up and down again, beyond satisfied. "Il est beau, lui."

"What's she saying?" Alexei whispers, fearing that he's just been insulted in a language that he doesn't understand.

"She thinks you're handsome," I assure him, and his cheeks match the artificial rouge of the women surrounding him. It's been less than a minute, and my sister already has a crush on Alexei. Well, he is charming, so I can't be that shocked.

"Ah, here come Maman and Papa." Lourdes points to my approaching parents, and I can only assume that their goal is to briefly meet with me before turning all their attention to the stranger I've brought from the streets of Russia, not France. My stomach turns sour, and it's likely to guess that Alexei's does the same.

"Olivier, I see that you've reunited with your sister," my father says, pretending to be captured by me but still maintaining a close eye on Alexei -- my guest shifts uncomfortably under his gaze. "But I have to ask, who is this boy with you? I've never seen him at any of the other balls before."

"This is Alexei Kozlov," Lourdes explains, beaming.

Though they are visibly repulsed by my bringing a Russian from the middle class to the ball, they cannot risk making a scene. Any error around rich people becomes the new hot gossip among them, and just like that, you're at the bottom. They're not going to try to reprimand me right now, and I'm somehow grateful for that. It spares Alexei that way. Even if he doesn't know what they're saying, he can read their body language. I'd hate to bring him to a ball that he wasn't all excited about going to, just to have him slandered and embarrassed by people he's trying to learn to not detest.

"You know, Olivier, why don't you talk to Julie? I saw her here somewhere, and she really, really likes you," my mom suggests, winking, but I could not be less interested in that girl.

For a year now, my parents have been suggesting that I become closer with the daughter of one of their fellow noble friends. They claim that she's as nice as can be, incomparably polite, one of the most beautiful women that they know (which I'm not denying, but it just isn't a factor to make me interested in her, and that's probably because I don't find women very appealing. I prefer fascinating people like Alexei instead). To be completely straight about it, I want nothing to do with her. She's terribly bland yet active enough to be annoying, and she sticks to me like the world's most effective adhesive. She conforms to the type of aristocrat for whom animosity stirs in my stomach. I could never be anything more than fake acquaintances with her for the sake of the public eye. My own eyes aren't on Julie. They never will be.

However, my mother wants me to do this, and I am familiar with the dangers of making a scene in this sort of setting, so it's out of my hands. I have no choice but to make the right amount of conversation required to seem polite and inadvertently have her think that I'm flirting. She didn't say anything about not taking Alexei along, though. He'll be with me if things get messy, then we can slip out of the tension and enjoy ourselves. Because I invited him here. Tonight is about us.

Lourdes is conscious of my hatred for Julie, and in an instant she returns to the circle with a drink to help soothe me before I launch myself into the pits of hell. When I'm finished. I scan the room for my dreaded target, hand my glass back to Lourdes, light a cigarette, take Alexei's arm, and commence my path towards the devil.

Julie is absolutely delighted to see me. She kisses both my cheeks a bit too fervidly and giggles endlessly when she's done. I don't know why she's so excited to see me, considering I make it very clear that I don't like her by never reciprocating her flirtatious words and actions. Maybe she wants something from me. Maybe her parents are playing the same game as mine, but that's unlikely, judging from how avidly she portrays the role.

Then she notices Alexei, and her entire facade collapses instantly and is replaced with one of disgust. By some means, she is able to, just like my parents, detect that he isn't from the same social standing as her and is therefore inferior in her viewpoint.

"Olivier, would you like to dance?" Julie asks, still keeping an intent guard on Alexei.

No, I really wouldn't, because I fucking hate this girl, but I'm obligated to accept. Like I said, I can't make a scene or let my parents know that I caused drama with his close friend's daughter, as that could be the end of our friendship, and I would be in serious trouble. In addition -- besides the fact that she's completely in love with me and would want to dance with me anyway -- I comprehend that she's pulling me away from Alexei just so she can slander him out of earshot. But I also don't want to leave Alexei alone in the area of those without a dance partner, where he could be confronted or insulted. To fix this, I turn around to create contact with Lourdes by beckoning her forward and pointing to Alexei. It appears that she understands, as she advances, and by the time Julie and I are on the dancefloor, her arm is laced tightly with Alexei's.

Julie tosses another suspicious look back at Alexei. "He doesn't speak French, does he?" When I respond no, she elaborates as to why she inquired, saying, "Okay, good, because I want to ask you why on earth you brought him here without him hearing."

I accuse her with the tilt of my brow. "Do you have a problem with him?"

Julie doesn't respond, just fidgets uncomfortably, as if she's a young child upset about not getting their way -- which I suppose isn't so far off from the truth.

"Well to answer your question, I brought him here because he's my friend."

"You know, I don't understand why you feel the need to do what's not healthy for you." She isn't able to meet my eyes. Even she can recognize that what she's saying is hurtful.

"How is having friends unhealthy? If anything, it's one of the healthiest things I can do in my situation. Lourdes keeps telling me that I need to find friends in Saint Petersburg."

"I don't think Lourdes is faring any better than you are, Olivier." Julie laughs, but it's not a laugh derived from humor. It's one frequently used by the same nobles dancing beside me when they gossip together. It's a revolting laugh. "Look at her! She's clinging to that boy like he's her husband."

I hope this appeases my parents, because I am really not having a good time right now. I should've just made a scene and fucked the consequences. I can't bear to be with her for longer than I have to.

"Yeah, you'd know a thing or two about clingy, wouldn't you?" I mutter.

"You're so difficult." She releases a sigh packed with so much frustration that I would think it were genuine if she weren't so fake. "I didn't expect you, a noble, to be hanging around filth like him."

"And I didn't expect you, a beautiful woman capable of winning any man in this room, to be hanging around someone who isn't interested at all."

She gasps dramatically. "Olivier--"

I cut off the beginning of her distressed rant by peeling away from her without a word and making my way back to Alexei. By this point, I don't even care about the drama that will ensue. Leaving a woman on the dancefloor alone is high up on the list of the most embarrassing things to do, but that's not my problem. That's Julie's problem, and a problem that she deserves. My parents' disapproval can wait. I already know how they feel.

Nodding to my sister to signal that her job is done, I lead Alexei out of the room and into the chilly night.  

~~~~~

A/N: LMAOOOOO GET FUCKED JULIE I AM YELLIGN

also I found a face claim for Alexei (Matthew Clavane)

~Dak