All thirty-six guests were listed on the board, it seemed in no particular order. Beside each name was a different colored number. There wasn’t a legend to tell what any of it meant but somehow everyone else seemed to know.

As each person found their name they either cheered or groaned in response. I searched out my name on the list and found it between two others I didn’t recognize. Next to it sat the number nine in dark red.

Just as I had thought. I’d done horribly. My little stunt with the shoes had caused my horrible score and now they would have to send me home. For some reason, I wasn’t as relieved to go home as I’d thought I would be. Patrick’s penetrating eyes came back to mind but I shook them off. Obviously, I hadn’t made as much of an impression on him as he had made on me.

Just for curiosity’s sake, I looked for Marsha and Tillie’s names. Marsha scored a seven but his number was purple, while Tillie had earned a four in a pale pink. I glanced up to Marsha who still stood by my side and saw the confusion on his face as well.

“Well,” I patted his arm. “I guess I don’t really want to see the look on Zara’s face.” I pointed at the board to where her name sat next to a bright orange five. “Though, Tillie did better than her so I guess that’s something.”

Marsha looked down at me frowning, “No, she didn’t.”

“What do you mean? Tillie got a five and Zara got a four. And my nine is red obviously that’s bad. Right?” I gestured toward the screen earning strange looks from those around me. Some of them were angry while others stared in wonder. What the heck was wrong with them?

Just then Violet came up beside me and grabbed my arm with a squeal. “Oh my god, did you see my score? I got a seven! I can’t believe it.” She shook me in her excitement but didn’t seem to notice my confusion. “And did you see what color I got? Pink! It’s not as good as Marsha’s but I’ll take attractive over annoying yellow any day. What did you get?”

I stared down at her expectant eyes and then exchanged a look with Marsha who just shrugged. “Uh,” I started. “I got a red nine.”

The piercing squeal from Violet made my ears ring which only became worse when it was followed by an outraged cry. The crowd suddenly broke apart as a feral Zara shoved her way through, her eyes zeroing in on me.

I forced myself to stay put as she stomped across the room. “You,” she snarled, her teeth bared. “What did you do to get a nine? Flash them?”

The reactions of those around me were starting to make me think I had everything wrong. Maybe my score wasn’t on the low side? My eyes shot to the board once more and I realized mine was the only nine and furthermore the highest number on the board.

Turning my attention back to Zara, I shrugged. “I guess they liked my Glade ways after all.”

Zara’s hands came up, her long nails sharpened into points but before she could wrap them around my neck, Daphne stepped in. “Now, ladies. Let’s show some decorum, shall we?” She shot a warning look at Zara who glared before leaving in a huff.

With Zara gone, Daphne turned her attention to me. “Congratulations on your score, Clarabelle. You should be very proud.” She touched a hand to my chin with a small smile before she spun around and addressed the rest of the room. “You can find a full report on the scoring back in your rooms. When you are ready, your sponsors will escort you back to discuss what you should do from there.”

When Daphne left, I asked Marsha and Violet, “So a nine’s good right?”

“Of course!” Violet smiled brightly. “You can only get as high as a ten and you got a nine. That’s the highest anyone has gotten in a long time.”

I frowned at her explanation. “I thought no one knew much about the Election?”

“Well, no. Not really.” Violet bit her lip and then looked up to Marsha. “Most of the stuff we know is just rumors, but sometimes someone’s memory wipe doesn’t stick and then we can find out some things. Like the ranking system.” She pointed toward the screen. “But usually they get taken away pretty quick and rewiped. Or worse.” Her voice lowered at the last bit.

“Or worse?” I raised a brow.

This time Marsha answered, his arms crossed over his chest. “They don’t come back. And if I were you, I’d be worried about yourself. Zara has it in for you and if I know anything about her, she’s a nasty piece of work and won’t hesitate to find some way to sabotage you.”

We all turned to where Zara ranted at two other girls. They seemed about as interested as a potato but the fear in their eyes kept them from leaving the girl to complain on her own. Seemed like the judges weren’t the only ones who found her annoying.

“Well,” I sighed and raised a shoulder before dropping it, “If she wants to sabotage me there isn’t much I can do to stop her. Though, I’d gladly give her my score if it meant I could go home.”

“Shh.” Violet shushed me, her eyes darting around. “Don’t let them hear you talk like that. The others are already a bit wary of you. You don’t want to give them another reason to be against you.”

I shifted my weight, my feet a little sore from the hard tile. “Why would they be wary of me?”

“’Cause you’re from the Glade,” Tillie answered coming up beside me. “Zara has been telling anyone who will listen about how your father bribed your way onto the list and now...”

“With my high score, they think I paid for that too,” I finished for her and groaned. “I don’t think I can handle this anymore. I’m going to find Asher and go back to my room.”

As I moved away from them, Marsha followed, catching me by the arm. “Hey, wait up.”

“What now?” I wearily asked.

Marsha held his hands up in defense though I hadn’t offered violence. I was too tired for that. But then again, I have been told, I get mean when I’m tired.

“I just wanted to warn you.”

“About what?” I winced, even I knew that came out snippy. “I’m sorry, it’s been a long day.”

He nodded. “I know...so much has happened. It’s funny to think we just got here this morning.”

“Right.” I agreed and then tried to make myself sound nicer. “So, what was it you wanted to tell me?”

Rubbing a hand on the back of his neck, his face brightened to that red shade he was so fond of. “Just that, you should be careful. If you can, make some friends. Don’t let Zara turn everyone against you or you will be going home but not the way you want to.” He gave me a knowing look before leaving me to return to the group.

I thought over what he said on my way to the door. I’d never been much good at friends. Besides Lira, I pretty much kept to myself. Making people like me hadn’t been something I got to practice at. I did my work and people generally responded well in kind. Sure, that didn’t mean I got invited to parties or the like, but we got along well. Well, enough that I wouldn’t wish harm on any of them and I’d like to think they felt the same way.

Zara, on the other hand, could be a problem. I had a feeling her rumors were just the beginning and if she could, she would find a way to really hurt me. Her almost-attack on me showed that.

When I left the room, Asher stood waiting. Relief swept over me when I realized he hadn’t brought his little triage with him. I couldn’t deal with their incessant giggling and talk of frivolous things.

“I saw congratulations are in order.” Asher smiled as he took my arm, then his eyes went to my bare feet. “What happened to your shoes?”

“It’s a long story.” I didn’t elaborate as we walked through the hall. He chattered about some of the other guests’ outfits and how he knew mine had made a difference in my score, but I wasn’t really listening. Everything happened so fast, it was hard to imagine that just yesterday I had been sitting in the field eating an apple as I sneered at the fake grass. Now, I’d be lucky to ever see the outside again.

“Asher,” I said, making him stop mid-sentence. “What made you come here?”

“What do you mean?” His brow furrowed but it didn’t make his face any less attractive. I wondered if he ever had a problem with that. Being attractive. I know I’d get tired of it.

“I mean, why are you here?” I gestured around the long ornate hallway. “Do you actually like all this?”

Asher laughed. “It’s not as simple as like or not.”

“Then what is it?”

“We all play a game, Clara. One that goes back to the beginning of time. We pretend to be someone different to fit in, to survive. What we do to stay alive isn’t always something we like but we do it anyway.”

“So, you’re just pretending to be my friend?” I peeked at him from the corner of my eye. His words didn’t make me feel any safer in the castle and I had the urge to move away from him.

“When did I ever say I was your friend?” he shot back, making me drop his arm and turn in place.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I settled him with a steely look. “You didn’t. I was assuming, but since you just pretty much said I couldn’t trust anything you or anyone else in this place says, I’m figuring I’m wrong.”

Asher made a clucking noise with his tongue and laced his fingers in front of him as he stepped closer to me. “I didn’t say you couldn’t trust me, and I would like to be your friend. God knows they are hard to come by in this place, but I wanted you to realize what you are up against. This isn’t just some party where you will win a fairy tale ever-after at the end.”

“I got that much, but back there everyone seemed a bit more invested in their scores than I was, and I’m getting a bit tired of being in the dark.”

He gave me a sympathetic look before taking my hands. “You did something none of those other idiots has ever accomplished. A nine out of ten, and a red score to boot. This doesn’t just put you high in the running. It puts a target on your back. Everyone will be rooting for you to fail and will help it along if they can.”

“But what does the red score even mean?” I asked. “Violet said her pink score had something to do with her looks? And the yellow one meant they thought you were annoying.” I smiled remembering how irritated Zara had been. “What does mine mean?”

“It means, you’re being considered as a convert.”