Summary: Lila awakens to a new reality.
My hands rubbed over a velvety surface. Something tickled my nose. I painfully cracked open my eyes. There was a white butterfly on my face. I sat up abruptly, and it flew away. I was under a blue velvet cover in a silken bed. I felt unusually clean. I looked down to also find myself in a light blue silk nightgown covered with lace. My hair was tied back with a blue ribbon. The white butterflies came in through the open balcony doors and landed on my bed. I moved my legs, causing them to flutter away. I am definitely not at home. I moved my eyes across the room. Where’s Mom?
Then the blue doors slid open. My eyes widened in expectation. Lydia walked in wearing her school uniform. Then I remembered. I’m in my room at the palace of Avila. Lydia began to arrange some flowers that were sitting on the dresser in a vase. The white butterflies congregated on the marble fountain in the middle of the room.
“W-what happened?”
Lydia turned around. “Oh, I didn’t know you were awake,” she said with a smile, walking over to my bedside.
“What’s going on?”
“What’s going on,” she said with a sigh and running a hand through her red hair. “I should have known that would be the first question you would ask. You’ve been sleeping for a day and a half anyways.”
“I’ve been sleeping for a day and a half!” I sat up even higher in bed. “Why didn’t someone wake me up?”
“Lila, you were completely burned out. You were always going, and you haven’t had a decent night’s sleep for days. Besides, you did take it on yourself to save Avila. You deserve a break.”
“I saved Avila? Didn’t the test tube break when it hit the ground?”
“No,” she said, sitting on the floor next to the bed to be more face-to-face with me. “Fortunately, it didn’t even touch the ground. That guy in the motorcycle helmet caught it just in time. Everyone was glad he did, but you should have seen how everyone began to panic when they saw you weren’t moving. I still think it’s amazing that you didn’t break anything on that fall down the stairs.”
How weird. When I fell, I must have completely blacked out. I didn’t even remember being carried back into the palace up the huge entrance stairs. I’m so glad that the motorcyclist was there. He had to be someone from among the people. Someone who is willing to risk everything for them.
“What about Ms. Rinehart?”
“They said that she was being taken in for further questioning, but I believe she is going straight to prison. You don’t have to worry about Cheryl anymore. She went with her.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Sorry? I’m glad she’s gone. She always demanded to have everything done her way, even when she was in the wrong.”
“I didn’t know you felt that way,” I said, embarrassed that I said sorry in the first place when I didn’t even mean it.
“How’s Dr. Sterling doing?”
“He’s doing fine. Lila, he is so grateful for what you did. He has even planned to hold a banquet in your honor tonight, and now that you are awake, maybe you can go.”
I can’t imagine not going to my own party.
Originally, I thought of going only in my uniform, but everyone else had different plans for me.
I was given a creamy colored dress to wear. They said that it would look good with my complexion. I’m not exactly the dressy type of girl, but I had to agree that the dress was made for me. It was of soft silk and gave my brown skin a nice hue. It made me look shapelier and taller (major plus!) than I really am.
People were called in to do my hair, nails, and makeup. They wanted to put all of my hair up, but I begged for them to leave it down. I ended up wearing it loose, but extra curly and glittered with jewels. I was given a diamond choker and bracelet—even silk hose.
Obviously, I was meant to be the main event from my perfect makeup to my French manicure with a small diamond on each nail. Sometimes my dad playfully calls me the “million dollar girl.” I’m sure that’s how much everything I wore cost. At least.
I was done up so much that I almost was embarrassed. I didn’t look like myself anymore, but then none of the others were spared from the star treatment either.
We entered the grand ballroom at eight o’clock. All the colors were soft and bright. Blue fabric hung from the high ceilings. There was a good-sized orchestra playing in a corner and neatly set tables peppered here and there with one large empty area left for dancing. The deep mellow sound of a cello floated in the air.
Bridgett looked nice in a straight and simple light blue dress with long wide sleeves. Linzie looked like she was straight out of a fairytale with her long golden curls, light red lips, and her shimmering pink dress. Lydia’s red hair and green eyes lit up the white dress she wore.
We watched as the people poured in, all dressed up in their finest. All of Avila was invited and most of Avila showed up. Lydia, Linzie, Bridgett and I mingled some with the crowd.
“Lila!”
Julie and her friends were making their way through the ballroom. They all looked great.
“Lila, that was awesome!” exclaimed Marcie when she got to me.
“It wasn’t much,” I said with a shrug.
“Stop being so modest,” chastised Julie. “You have given Avila hope.”
“You know what I heard,” said Angie while adjusting her glasses. “I heard that on the release of the insects in the greenhouses, the effects of the famine could be reversed as soon as a year from now.”
“Cool.”
Linzie came up to me. Julie and her friends stopped talking and stared at her. The usual respect reserved for the members of The Five was still there. Not one of them said a thing.
“Lila, we have to be going now.” Linzie pulled me away from them.
We walked out of the ballroom and into the hall. Dr. Sterling and Levi met up with us. Dr. Sterling looked distinguished in a white suit covered with medallions and a short cape to match. Prince Levi wore a black tuxedo with a flowing black cape with a blue lining. Both wore white gloves.
“Lila, are you ready for our procession to the dining room?” asked Dr. Sterling, lending me his arm.
“You bet,” I said, taking it.
The guests stood against the walls, bowing as we came by. Dr. Sterling, Levi, and I were in the front, and Lydia, Linzie, and Bridgett were behind us. Cameras flashed. I waved like I was in the Rose Bowl Parade. Cheryl did know one thing about me. I do like attention.
We walked until we came to a large round table. We all sat down. Everyone else sat at their tables. It was time to eat.
First came the salad. There were so many forks on the table. I didn’t know what to choose. I saw Levi pick out the shortest fork. I did the same.
Then came the main course. Breadsticks were set on the table, and a plate piled high with spaghetti and meatballs was revealed before me. I wrapped the noodles around my fork and took a bite. Everyone watched me chew it. It tasted good, really good. In fact, it almost tasted just like my mom’s.
I looked at them. “You guys didn’t, did you?”
I turned my head towards Linzie, who was sitting next to me. She nodded her head. I began to laugh.
“All of you ought to be ashamed of yourselves, conning my mom out of her secret recipe.”
“Well, tonight’s your night,” said Bridgett with a wide smile. “You might as well eat what you like.”
I slurped up another noodle, and it slapped sauce on my face. They all giggled as I wiped it off with the cloth napkin. I shot a glance over to Levi. His golden hair sparkled in the soft light. He picked up the spaghetti on his fork and chewed it politely. He was unusually quiet that night. Something was missing. That trademark jokester attitude of his seemed to be gone. It was as if he had lost his voice.
After the main course, Dr. Sterling tapped his fork on a glass and stood up. Everyone became silent.
“We are here tonight to give tribute to a brave young woman, Lila Collins.”
They all applauded. I felt my face become hot.
“Lila not only saved the lives of the people of Avila but also my own. What she did will keep Avila under the watch of the Wiltshire family for centuries and centuries to come. May her story never die, but become an important part of Avilan history.”
The audience clapped again.
“Now I am privileged to bestow upon Lila one of the highest honors I can give her.”
Out of his white suit pocket, he pulled out a familiar sky blue box.
“I now appoint Miss Lila Angela Collins as the new leader of the ASG.”
A thunderous applause filled the room.
“Stand up Lila so I can put this on your finger.”
I stood nervously. Dr. Sterling opened the box. The ring glimmered in the light with the bluish, pearl-like stone looking more desirous than ever. He slipped the ring on my finger. Everyone still applauded.
“Do you have anything to say, Lila?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Dr. Sterling moved to the side. The clapping died down. The guests looked at me expectantly. I looked at them, not sure where to start. A camera flashed. I’ll just say what I thought.
“I’m usually never left wondering what to say, but tonight I am. I can’t take all the credit for myself. None of this would have been possible without the help of Lydia, Linzie, and Bridgett.”
The audience clapped for them.
“I would also love to give heartfelt thanks to a very special person. If you were here when there was a crowd in front of the palace a couple of days ago, you’ve probably seen him in action. He was able to provide help when I wasn’t. It was the guy in the blue motorcycle helmet—I don’t know his name, but I do know that he shared with us huge amounts of priceless info. If it wasn’t for him, things might not have turned out the way they did. I don’t know if he’s here tonight or not. I don’t even know what he looks like, but wherever he is, I want him to know that all of his help is appreciated. I guess that’s it.”
The audience started to applaud, but Dr. Sterling cut them off.
“There is one more thing I would like to give Lila.” He took another sky blue box out of this pocket.
“I am sure you are well aware that there are only four members in the ASG now,” he said to me. “As leader it is now your duty to find the fifth person to make the group complete.” He handed the box to me. “Choose the next person wisely.”
I squeezed the box in my hands.
“Now,” said the Emperor, “time for dessert.”
He sat down, and the people started back to talking. I was confused.
“Dr. Sterling, what do I do with this ring?”
“You give it to the person who you feel is fitting to be part of the group.”
“You mean, I have to go out and find someone with creative talents like me or something?”
“Not quite,” said Lydia. “The fifth person is different from any other. The qualities of strength, intelligence, and kindness will always be there, but the fifth person is like a wild card. They are a person with an important quality that contributes to the group. It doesn’t matter what it is.”
“Okay. So does it matter how old the person is or if it’s a guy or a girl?”
Dr. Sterling said, “We try to keep the age around fifteen to seventeen. Most members of the ASG have been girls, but none of that is written in stone. There have been exceptions. The only rules are that they are a student from Omni High School or are from Avila.”
Then he leaned over unexpectedly and whispered in my ear, “If you are thinking about adding that motorcyclist of yours into the group, I advise that you find him as soon as possible since we are leaving tomorrow.”
I nodded my head. A German chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream was set in front of me. I must find out who he is. I began to dig in.
After a while, the orchestra started playing, and people began to get up and dance. Couples swirled on the floor in their sophisticated dress. We all wanted to dance too, but there was no one to dance with. Dr. Sterling was too busy talking about business affairs, so there was only one guy left. We turned our eyes to Levi like hungry cannibals.
Once we even looked at him, he held up his hands. “No. I’m not going to do it.”
“Please, your highness,” begged Linzie.
“Every girl deserves a chance to dance with the prince,” Bridgett added.
“That’s the problem. First of all, I cannot dance without tripping everyone else on the floor by accident. Second, I don’t want to be seen being passed between the four of you like some ponytail holder.”
He stood up and started to leave the table. We all stood up with him. I took my digital camera out of my purse.
“Please,” we all begged.
As he turned around and started to protest again, I took his picture. He had his mouth open and a finger in the air. When he realized I had taken his picture, he gaped in shock.
“Lila, I wasn’t even ready yet!”
I laughed.
“Give me that camera!”
“No,” I said, walking away. He began to follow me and tried to take it away. I kept moving it out of his reach.
“Hey Linzie, go long!”
I tossed the camera to her, and she took another picture of him. We all laughed at him.
“That isn’t funny,” he said, unable to hold back a smile. He went after us trying to get the camera. Everyone continued dancing as if they didn’t notice us running all over the place. Dr. Sterling still discussed business matters.
Levi finally managed to take the camera away from us. Then he began taking pictures of us, but we didn’t mind posing. We made faces and acted as if we were dancing. We switched the camera around so he could get in some of the pictures too.
Then we finally grabbed a waiter from serving food and had them take pictures of us. We took a picture of us sticking out our tongues and throwing up peace signs. Then we took a mug shot, trying to look tough. After that we took a shot of all of us being friendly and hugging each other.
We got Dr. Sterling away from some of his conversations and had him pose with us in a few pictures. After going on our picture-taking spree, we actually decided to dance. Not a waltz or anything like that—I happened to have my portable CD player in my purse with an Usher album in it—hmmm… Wonder how that got there? We partied in a corner by ourselves, laughing and talking about our favorite music.
The orchestra played lively and sweet. I still heard their songs the next morning.
Author’s note: Editing this chapter was challenging because there were so many moments that I felt were kind of over the top. It took time to decide what should stay. Like the section where I described how Lila is dressed up makes me cringe a little because it’s so effusive, but that section actually holds quite a bit of meaningful symbolism so I decided to leave it.
It holds “the butterfly in a silk cocoon” kind of imagery—a clear sign of transformation. Lila has been transformed by her experiences. Plus the diamond choker is symbolic of how she used her voice to speak truth and cut through illusion. There’s actually a lot going on in that section.
And after some debate, I decided to leave in the reference to the Usher album—that is just peak early 2000s nostalgia.