Chapter Fifteen - Part One

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

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"Something's bothering you. I can tell." Ethan was saying, as we drove to the Gala in his car. He had shown up not long after Tidus had left, looking handsome in his tuxedo, with his hair swept back like Prince Charming. And smiling, he had offered a corsage of daisies as a gift.

"I know they're, like, this uber-traditional flower to give." Ethan had said at the door, standing in the exact spot that Tidus had stood less than an hour before. "But Mrs. Planchon told me they represent friendship. They're my white flag." He had held the flowers out to me and I had accepted, grateful and even flattered at his effort to try and be normal with me.

But, already, there was a pall on the evening, as I gazed out of the car window onto a town covered in clouds. Night was creeping on Harbor now, and a gentle breeze was coming along with it. I closed my eyes, and could almost taste the sea.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Ethan was saying. "I know it's gotta be hard for you right now, learning the truth about what really happened to Jack..."

Ethan's heart was in the right place, I knew. But he was dead wrong. I wasn't worried about that. Well, not at the moment, anyway. It was actually the guilt that was troubling me. Eve would need her decision tonight, and looking into Ethan's face as he tried to be a good friend, wasn't making this any easier for me.

"Yeah, but is it the truth though? Is that really the way it happened? Because it feels almost too easy for me to point a finger at my mother and say that she did it, she killed her own husband. But, lately nothing in Harbor is has turned out to be the way it seems - especially people."

"Yeah, I guess you'd be right about that." Ethan said, casting me a quick, sideways glance. "But honestly, Mimi, I can't say for sure that I believe Paris did it either. But from what you and I know, it also sounds to me like those guys from the morgue weren't lying. She may not have killed Jack, but she definitely had something to do with his death... So, what if she's there?"

"You mean at the gala?" I replied, and Ethan nodded. "She won't be there. She hasn't been harassing Addy at her committee meetings lately. We think she's out of town or something."

But I was in no hurry to solve this puzzle. Because at the end of the day, my father was still dead, and pushing Paris into a confession wouldn't change that. So for the truth, I could wait.

"But when she does come around - and I know she that she will - maybe I'll finally get some answers." I said. "All good things come to those who wait, right?"

"I guess we'll see."

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The Fall Gala was being held at the Fairway, Harbor's country club, which required a paid membership. But town events like the Fall Gala were generally free, because you were usually expected to dish out the big bucks by the end of the evening anyway. It was a large, white building, with a peaked roof and fancy, gold trim and shutters. And once you walked past the golden double doors, you were swallowed by a sea of round tables that were equipped with four gold chairs apiece. The tables were covered in long, ruffled, white cloths and positioned in even rows throughout the room. And there was an isle to slice the room in half, marked by a long, thin trail of red carpet against the light, wooden floorboards.

A small stage was positioned at the far end of the room, with a microphone at its center, and below that was a small rectangular table against the base of the stage's platform. Three Pack members were already seated at this table, taking donations for the night's charity event. And from the large, white banner marked with its looping black script, I gathered that the citizens of Harbor Village were gathered there in support for the creation of a new, upscale shelter for the homeless of down town. You could buy as many bricks as you wanted for fifty dollars apiece, and all proceeds would go straight to the project's building fund.

So men and women came together to empty their wallets and show their support, dressed in their fanciest. We were late, slightly, so most were already gathered, sitting at their tables, or milling through the aisles. Waiters and waitresses wandered about the room, equipped with golden platters of champagne and ice. One server passed, and I immediately snagged a glass of champagne from his passing platter. But before I had the chance to take a sip, Ethan had stolen the glass back and shoved it into the hands of another waiter.

"My step-mother," he murmured in a low voice, and immediately placed an arm around my waist, pulling me close.

"Ethan," A middle-aged blonde woman was approaching, though from her eyebrows you could tell that originally she was a stone-cold brunette. She was of medium height, with a pretty face and light brown eyes. But with the look of dread on Ethan's face, coupled with her fire-red gown and golden heels, it wasn't hard to imagine her with a pitchfork and horns. She was attractive, of course, and a good ten years younger than her husband, but the arrogance behind her smile told me that she was much more cougar than lamb.

"Oh dear, looks like you and your lovely date missed my big opening speech, but you're not too late to leave your donation dearies. After all, that's why we're all here..."

She held a nearly empty glass of champagne in one hand, with a gold pocket book in the crook of her other arm. With her wandering eyes she took a moment to sweep the immediate perimeter for another waiter, and I had the distinct impression that she was a woman who drank often but lied about it more.

Disappointed, she turned back to her guests.

"The name's Kimber, by the way. I'm Ethan's mother."

With a polite smile she extended a single, well-manicured hand. I shook it, surprised by how firm and hard of a grip she packed.

"Step-mother," Ethan corrected, with an automatic, resentful quality to his voice.

"Yes," she said, with an over-bright smile. "Well, I hardly seem to notice. We are family after all. And with you being Naomi's Champion, I might as well welcome her into the fold, right, sweetheart?"

Kimber looked to me with a smile she meant to be flattering, but in reality it just turned out... flat.

"And honestly, Ethan couldn't have picked a more interesting... er... exotic date - my dear, your skin is absolutely flawless. And you've only been here a few months, and yet already the town is just buzzing about you, Naomi. You're quite the mysterious young woman."

"That's all very kind of you, Mrs. Raines. But I can assure you, I'm not that interesting."

"Huh, well, that's not really the way I see it, or Ethan for all that matter..." Kimber replied, heavy on the intimating. "But really, it's so delightful that Ethan chose you to settle down with. I mean, that Eve Arling was such a strange, troubled girl. And no offense to you, Ethan dear, but I always knew she wasn't your type..."

Kimber Raines took a smug little sip of wine, gazing at Ethan while she smiled at him from behind her glass, causing him to go slightly red in the face.

"And you, Naomi - you obviously have plans." Kimber continued, laying a brief hand on my shoulder. "And big ones, correct? After all, you're on the Leadership, which is quite impressive. But I'm just glad you're taking my little Ethan along with you. Tell me, do you have plans for college?"

She gave me an expectantly rude look, and I could practically feel Ethan's cringe.

"Well, actually, school never really was my thing." I said, comfortable despite her obvious disapproval.

"Interesting. I must admit, I didn't really see you playing the role as a house-wife instead, but I can't say that it surprises me. After all, domesticity does come with its perks. And you can ask Ethan's father all about those..."

Horrified at her obvious allusion towards sex, I exchanged a quick look with Ethan. It didn't bother me at all that she assumed that since I wasn't planning on going to college, that I was ready to put a ring on my finger and pop out children. It bothered me that she obviously believed that it was either college or a life of barefoot pregnancy, with nothing in between.

"Oh, you don't have to hide it dear," Kimber said, and I found myself wishing very hard that she would just stop talking. "I know about the plan. You two get married, pop out a few darling children, and then Naomi steps down and Ethan takes over the Eldership. It's like Cinderella. Or one of those other little, inane fairy-tales."

Looking stricken, Ethan stared up at the ceiling, shaking his head with his eyes closed. But it was clear that Kimber was far too tipsy to care.

"Kimber?" I said sweetly, to this woman who seemed to derive so much pleasure from causing her step-son such misery.

"Hmm?" she replied with a slightly drunken smile.

"Don't pretend not to be a horrible person, when clearly everyone knows you are. It's embarrassing, and shows you in a very poor light. Not to mention, it's clearly giving you wrinkles."

I took Ethan by the hand and practically dragged him in the direction of the furthest empty table, leaving Kimber to scowl and touch a shaking, anxious hand to the corner of her eye.

"What you said back there..." Ethan said, wide-eyed and mesmerized as he took the seat next to me. "That was amazing. Nobody ever talks to Kimber like that - not even my dad."

"It wasn't that hard actually. I used to know a mean girl kind of like her - my foster sister, Cally. She was a real piece of work sometimes, but you just had to know how to handle her."

"Mimi, look, about what she said back there... Most of those ideas are stuff that my dad likes to bring up. It doesn't really mean anything -"

"It's ok," I said with reassurance. "Really, it is. I know you can't control everything your dad says or does. Besides, I don't want this to spoil the rest of the