Chapter 38

KATHERINE.

The next thirty minutes after the delivery people left were hectic. Though they had left the room, they hadn’t left the school because they had to take the items that wouldn’t be used back to the girls’ packs and Lenore didn’t want us to keep them waiting so we had to hurry to find the dress, shoes and jewelry we wanted.

I hadn’t started doing that though because I was going to be picking from Josie’s things. I wanted her to be done first so now I was currently helping them unwrap boxes to pull lavish dresses out and it was quite fun.

“Have you found one you like yet?” Lenore asked as I opened one of her boxes – she had more boxes than Priyanka and Josie – because Josie had told them I would be picking one of her dresses when they asked if I had a dress. It had been a bit embarrassing but they didn’t care.

“No, not yet,” I replied before pulling out a dress from the box and I paused.

‘... I think I just found one.’ It was a sleeveless, ruched, royal blue dress that had a scoop neckline, as well as a floor-length skirt with a small train and a slit. It was beyond beautiful. ‘It’s Lenore’s though.’

A knock came on the open door just as someone said, “Delivery for Josie Baxter,” and I glanced at it to see Hunter standing in the doorway with boxes in his hands. We immediately smiled at each other the moment our gazes connected. “Hello, ladies.”

Josie clapped excitedly before pointing at the raised platform Lenore’s bed was on. “Put them over there.”

“As you wish.” He walked into the room and as he placed it where she ordered him to, he said, “I was rather confused when I saw the contents in them because they obviously weren’t my size.”

“How did you know they were mine then? It could have been Blake’s or something,” Josie replied with a shrug.

“Initials are stamped in the boxes. They were either yours or Justin Bieber’s.”

Lenore and I let out a laugh at that and his eyes twinkled as they bounced between us. “Hey, Hunter.”

“Hey, Lenore.”

“Hey, Lenore,” Priyanka mimicked in the deepest voice she could use and Hunter shot her a sheepish smile before moving his attention to me. His smile grew bigger.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” I muttered while he took a step closer to me.

“Those are yours. Get them and get out,” Josie cut in and he glanced in the direction she was pointing at.

“As you wish, my lady,” he replied but before going to get them, he leaned closer to me and whispered, “The blue brings out your eyes.”

‘Oh…’

He went to grab his boxes without waiting for a reply and he gave us a salute before leaving the room.

“Okay, I’ve found what I wanted. Katherine, come find yours,” Josie called and my gaze lingered on the door for several moments more before I went over to her.

****

It was finally Friday. Because of the event taking place this evening, classes had been canceled for the day and all students had breakfast and lunch brought to their rooms because the dining hall was in use.

Now my friends and I were in the room, preparing for the dinner party and I was insanely nervous as this was the first time I’d be representing my pack in a private event that the Administration and powerful people would be attending. My friends had picked up on my anxiety and they’d said I could stick with them during the dinner – especially Josie – but I wasn’t going to be able to do that because they were going to be with their parents at times. I’d be too intimidated to stand next to their parents.

“Kath, do you want to get dressed first?” Priyanka asked, snapping me out of my thoughts, and I nodded.

Getting dressed was all that was left to do since we had already done our hair, nails, and makeup, so I got to my feet and walked over to the mirror we’d placed in the middle of the room. She then walked over to me and my gaze darted to the coral gown with a delicate feathered trim which I’d ended up picking from Josie’s boxes. It wasn’t the royal blue dress that had snatched my attention yesterday but it was also pretty and I liked it.

Josie got to her feet and instead of going over to where the coral dress hung from my wardrobe, she opened Lenore’s box and pulled the blue dress out instead. She then began to walk over to me and I blinked at her before my gaze bounced between her and Lenore who was on her bed.

“Um, I didn’t–”

“Yes, you did,” Lenore said with a smile. “Your eyes picked it.”

My cheeks warmed at that because I had eyed it several times yesterday, especially after the delivery guys didn’t take it with the other boxes. It wasn’t what Lenore had picked so I’d thought she was saving it for another occasion. “Are you sure?” I asked and she nodded. “Thank you, Lenore.”

Josie and Priyanka helped me into the dress and when they were done, the image in the mirror made me smile.

My hair was styled in a sleek updo and I was rocking a natural-looking makeup look that allowed the dress to be the focal point. Hunter was right. The blue brought out my eyes.

‘Does he have a date?’ The question popped into my mind while my friends oohed and aahed around me and their reactions made me grin. ‘I hope he doesn’t.’

“Josie, you’re up next,” Priyanka said while I moved away from the mirror so Josie could stand in front of it.

“Yes ma’am.”

Lenore brought Josie’s dress – a gold lace-embellished gown with puffed cap sleeves – over. The dress was ridiculously heavy so it took the three of us to help her into it.

‘Would you be able to get up if you fall?” Priyanka laughed and the mental image it created in my head made me laugh too while Josie sneered at her.

“If you were my date, I’d be worried about that but since Katherine’s my date, I have nothing to worry about. Besides, it’s not that heavy.”

“Yeah, yeah. Katherine, if she falls, take a picture for me before you help her up.”

“Sure,” I replied just as Josie said, “She won’t,” and she gasped at my response.

“Traitor!”

“You know what? Let her flail for a moment after taking the picture before helping her up,” Priyanka added and I nodded.

“You all suck.”

“I didn’t even say anything,” Lenore said.

“Exactly. You ‘all’ suck.”

We finally finished helping her into the dress and I helped her set her spectacular matching floral headpiece on her head before we dressed Priyanka next in her bedazzled silver and gold dress that had a slit like mine.

“Pri, will your brother be there?” Josie asked and a small frown appeared on Priyanka’s face.

“God, I hope not.”

All the times I’d heard her talk about her brother, it was to complain about him and though it was clear that she loved him, I wanted to know why she did that. “Why not?” I asked and she blew out a breath.

“He’s annoying and perfect and has several achievements. People ‘love’ comparing us.”