Checkmate

"Where's Carnella?" I asked as we got back to my room.

"She's in her room. Getting ready for the ball, of course. Carnella likes a good party as much as the next Shifter." He grinned.

I sighed in relief. The last thing I wanted was for Carnella to dress me up and drown me in make-up like she did earlier today.

"You'll be able to get ready yourself, right? I could go get Carnella if you'd like."

"No, no!" I said quickly. "I mean, I'm fine. I don't need Carnella's help."

"All right. I'll see you later then. I'll be the one wearing teal and peacock feathers." He chuckled and headed back down the hallway.

"Wait," I said stopping him as he just reached the corner.

"What?"

"Um...it's just that...I don't want to go alone. And I can't dance and I..."

He smiled. "Abby, would you like to go to the ball with me?"

I sighed and smiled in return. "Yes, please."

"I'll pick you up in an hour then." As he disappeared behind the corner I could hear his quiet laughter.

I searched around in my huge closet for something to wear. What kind of dress would a princess wear to a party? I thought over and over to myself.

Finally I found a light peach and white dress in the back of the closet. It was short; ended just below the knees and flowed out nicely when I spun around with it.

Elliot said it was a mask party. Luckily for me, I found a mask that matched perfectly with the dress right away. It was white with small peach colored flowers around the edges. I put it over my head just in time; there was a small knock on the door.

"Coming!" I called out.

I opened the door and my jaw dropped. He wasn’t kidding. There, Elliot stood, wearing a teal cape which matched the lining on the jacket and pants. His mask completed the outfit. He did look like a peacock. His mask covered half his face, unlike mine which only covered my eyes. It was blue and actually had a beak where his nose was. Small peacock feathers stuck out all over the rim of the top of the mask. It surprised me how his blue sapphire eyes still stood out the most. Even with this blue peacock outfit.

"Shall we?" he said sticking out his arm for me to grab. The sleeves of his bright blue jacket had ruffles with tiny teal bows.

I wound my arm around his and shut the door behind me with the other.

"Um...you look very...dashing." It sounded a little like a question.

He laughed once. "Are you kidding me? I look like a freaking bird!"

"Then why didn't you wear something else?" I asked, confused.

"I sort of lost a bet with Leo. Actually, we both lost."

"Oh. What is he dressing up as then?"

Elliot grinned hugely. "When we get to the ball room, tell me when you see a pink flamingo."

We both laughed and started down the huge golden staircase.

When we got to the entrance to the ball room there were many other people entering also. Everyone wore bright colors. Elliot wouldn't stand out...with the color of his outfit. But he would stand out with being probably the most ridiculously dressed here. But then I saw Leo. I was too stunned to laugh my head off. There, a few feet away from us stood a giant pink flamingo.

Leo wore tight pink pants and a long coat that was the same shade and had white buttons. Attached to his long sleeves were some feathers. If he flapped his arms I would actually believe that he would be able to fly away. Last but not least, his mask was just as silly as Elliot's. It was covered with pink feathers (which were a little white on the edges; just like the ones attached to his sleeves).

"Oh. My. God." And then I burst into laughter. Almost fell onto the floor too.

Elliot laughed with me. "I know. Isn't this just awesome?"

Leo turned his head in our direction and glared. Mostly at Elliot though. Then he walked over to us.

"Oh, Leonard! You look so handsome tonight!" Elliot said in a voice so girly I had to check my side to make sure it wasn't Carnella who said it.

"Thank you, Elliot," Leo replied and posed like a model. "I do look handsome, don't I?"

Elliot chuckled and then said in his normal voice, "No, not really actually. You look like crap."

"Oh just shut the hell up." Leo glared again. "Nice feathers by the way," he remarked sarcastically.

"I should say the same for you, pinky."

Leo growled like he did yesterday evening. I quickly stepped in front of them before a fight could start.

"Come on, Elliot. We had our laugh, now lets go." I pulled him by his arm to the entrance doors to the ball room.

"Hope your dancing doesn't stink as much as your outfit!" Leo called after us.

Elliot snorted. "He wishes."

"Where's Aaron?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Behind you," Aaron's voice said. I gasped and turned around.

Aaron stood there smiling with a girl at his side. They matched each other. Aaron wore a plain red mask that had a black dragon painted on the side next to his right eye. His outfit was all black with red markings, symbols of some sort, running down his left side. From the shoulder to the ankle.

The girl had a black rose in her very blond hair. Her long red dress went all the way to the floor, caressing it and she moved slightly. Like Aaron, her dress had markings on it too. Except they were black.

She lifted the mask up and I recognized the face.

"Hello, Abby," Carnella greeted. Before I could say anything back to her, the music started playing. A classic I didn't recognize. "Ooh, this is my favorite one! We can talk later, I want to dance!" She then waved to me and Elliot, grabbed Aaron's hand and towed him to the center of the dance floor.

Elliot stuck out his hand for me to take it. I hesitated, biting my lip. "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm sure you don't dance that badly. Now, come on. Let us dance together."

I placed my hand slowly into his and we glided closer to where Aaron and Carnella spun around.

He slowly placed his right hand on my waist but still kept his left in my hand. Standing next to Elliot, I realized that even though he had very boyish features he still was taller than me. Only by a little though.

"What do I do now?" I asked. Was I supposed to put my hand on his waist now? I blushed a little.

"Now you may place your hand on my shoulder." I did as I was told. The teal cape he wore was very soft.

"Now what?"

"And now," he said moving us together to the left and then the right, "we dance. Try not to step on my feet, by the way. I only have two." He smiled.

I laughed nervously. Though after a couple minutes I started to get the hang of it. He twirled me around a couple of times. Then the song changed. I thought I was about to pass out when I heard the rock song start.

Elliot saw my shocked look and laughed. "While raiding your room I stumbled across your ipod and I noticed this one is your favorite. Muse, right?"

"But how?!" I gasped.

"Fluturians are aware of all the modern day material. We shy away from it though; it's not how we were created. I told them that the creator created you to like many modern day things and they believed me." He laughed and shook his head in disbelief.

"I still can't believe it!"

"You don't have to...for now. Just dance." He twirled me around one more time and then it seemed that everyone around us changed in dance style. They all danced normally to the beat while Hysteria played loudly. Normally meaning, Elliot was right. They were up to date with all the modern day music. Maybe even more...

I looked around at everyone. I saw Leo and Zane (they weren’t wearing their masks) banging there heads and laughing to the music as Monica, wearing a low cut black dress that stopped right above her knees, just stood there smiling. Carnella's head and shoulders moved from side to side. The next song, Time Is Running Out, started playing and I saw Aaron snap his fingers along with the song. No one thought the change in music was weird.

"You created the design of Flutura and the people. Not the personalities and interests though. That's all us." Elliot's loud whisper next to my ear started me. I turned to him and he smiled. "Relax, Abby. This is your party."

"Mine?" I choked out.

"Yes. A celebration more or less. It's a party for your arrival."

"Ah, I get it."

"Come on." He pulled me back with him a little. "The next song is my favorite." Then right on cue, Super Massive Black Hole started to play.

Elliot threw his cape off and pointed to me with both hands. He winked and started to sing along with the song. He knew all the lyrics and his voice blended right in as if he were the main singer himself. My breath caught and my heart felt like it just stopped mid-beat. I could feel the blood flood in my cheeks.

Still singing along, he took my hands in his and started to dance with me again. If only Luna could see me now. She would probably faint.

Thinking of Luna made me frown. I missed all my friends and family terribly. When would I see them again? I didn't even get to say goodbye to them. I wasn't going to stay here forever, would I?

"Abby, what's wrong?" Elliot asked frantically. He stopped abruptly and looked into my sad eyes. I quickly looked down as a tear slid down my cheek.

"Everything alright?" Carnella's voice asked.

"She was fine two seconds ago."

"Abby?" Carnella said to me in a quiet, soft voice. She lifted my chin up with her index finger and thumb. "What's wrong?"

"I miss them," I whispered to her through tears.

"Who?" Aaron asked.

"Her family, you idiot. Who else?" Elliot said as if it wasn't any more obvious. Elliot pulled me to the side near the large window away from the crowd of people, Carnella and Aaron following. It didn’t seem like people were watching us, but I guess Elliot didn't want to make a scene. I know I didn't. But I couldn't help it.

Elliot put his hands on my shoulders and rubbed them comfortingly. "Do you want to go back to your room, Abby?" he asked. "We don't have to stay. If you'd like some time alone..."

I didn't want to be a party pooper. So I tried to compose my face, straightened up and said, "No."

"Here," Carnella said, "I want you to meet a few people. It will keep your mind busy for awhile."

I nodded and forced half of a smile on my face. "Okay."

She led me to the food table where a couple of people stood, all talking and laughing and having a good time. She stopped behind one person and taped them lightly on the shoulder.

I was a man who turned around. He wasn't wearing a mask. His face had facial hair on it, but he was young looking. I'd say he was in his late twenties, early thirties.

"Ah! Carnella! It is so good to see you!" he rejoiced throwing an arm around he shoulders. "Last time I saw you, why, you were just a girl. And now look at you. A married woman! If that Aaron fellow wasn't the lucky one you've chosen, I'd have you all to myself." He chuckled. He seemed a bit drunk.

Carnella giggled. "Stop it, Laurence. You're making me blush." She turned to me. "Abby, this is Laurence. Laurence, this is Abby. The new ruler of Flutura."

He adjusted his glasses and smoothed his dark mustache as he look at me. "Hmmm...I see..." he murmured slowly. He stuck his hand out. "Well, I'm looking forward to seeing you more often in the castle."

"Laurence here is a Water Phoenix," Carnella said to me. "He works with Ethan."

"This brings us back to you. Why haven't I seen you in so long?"

“Oh you know me,” she said. “Now pardon me and my friend, I’m going to introduce her to some more people.”

“Go right ahead, love,” Laurence said.

We walked away from him only a couple feet when Carnella stopped and said to the small girl in front of us, “Hey, Bridget!”

The girl named Bridget turned and smiled brightly once she saw Carnella. She was wearing an orange and yellow dress with a corset. Her hair was light brown and short. She removed her mask. “Carnella! Didn’t think I’d see you here.”

“Oh please. I always attend the Flutura balls and banquets.”

“Yes, well, that doesn’t mean I’d see you. I’m too busy focusing on thoughts around me.” She looked around, an uninterested expression on her face.

Carnella turned to me and explained, “Bridget here is a Surix. She moved to Flutura after living in Ronherm for five years.”

“What’s a Surix?” I asked curiously subtly looking Bridget up and down.

“A Surix is someone that can get inside your head; read your thoughts. She can also control what you dream about. An example would be if you don’t like her, she’ll read it in your thoughts and then give you nightmares where you’re being eaten alive by zombies.”

I shuddered.

Bridget smiled at my reaction. “Don’t worry. I would never do anything like that do my princess. Besides, I can’t even get inside your head.” Her smile faded and she appeared to be very annoyed by that fact.

“You…can’t?”

“Nope.” She popped the “p” at the end. Then she grabbed a drink on the table and muttered, “Cheers.” She swished the drink around in her mouth and then swallowed. She raised her eyebrows at me and half of her mouth turned up in a smile. “What?” she asked. “Never seen a girl get wasted?” She took another big gulp of what I now was pretty sure was alcohol.

“Uh…not really. I’ve seen my mom and dad have a drink or two on New Year’s but…“ I shut myself up because I realized I was saying too much. I had to remember that to the people that didn’t know, I was created and didn’t have a family of any. “I-I mean no. Besides, I’m only seventeen. I haven’t drank myself either.” I quickly grabbed a glass of champagne and drank it. “But now I have.” Oh my God I’m stupid.

Bridget squinted her eyes and looked as if she was about to say something when Carnella interrupted her by laughing and saying, “Oh isn’t she funny?” She put her arm around me. “That’s my Abby! Well, I’ll talk to you later, Bridget. See ya!” She quickly pulled me away from the table and whispered in my ear, “That was probably the biggest mistake you’ve made so far.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean it. It just sort of…slipped out.”

“Well make sure it doesn’t happen again. You’re lucky she can’t read your mind. Seeing how you’re human and not a real Fluturian or from any other created world.”

“What do I do now?” I asked worriedly.

“Drink all the worries away,” she said as she left me there to go visit with a group of other people. I looked down at the drink in my hand. Maybe just one more, I told myself.

Three hours later…

I stumbled through the hallway laughing my head off. Elliot was beside me, keeping a hand around my arm, trying to keep me from falling over.

"Abby, have you ever been drunk before?" he asked, leading me back to my room while I started walking straight toward the wall.

"No," I giggled. "Why?" I knocked over a vase full of flowers on the small table I ran into. The crashing and smashing noise it made sounded funny, making me laugh loudly.

Elliot sighed. "No more parties for you."

"Didn't you have fun at all?" I frowned but then smiled right away. "I thought that singing zebra was pretty cool."

"Singing zebra? Okay, you have definitely had enough to drink for one night...or year. But yes, I did have fun."

"Good. I did too."

"I can tell."

"Now where are my legos?!" I asked abruptly.

When we got through the door to my room I completely shut down and fell onto the floor, unconscious.