Figment of Dreams
Paramore Council (3)

The butler came and announced it was time for dinner. We all streamed out to the large dining room area. It had top to bottom windows, all the way around, with view on the garden and the large woods behind the estate. The sun was already setting casting the entire scene in a light pink hue.

Maddox sat at the head of the table, Elia at the head of the other side. Through everything I observed it had become clear that the two of them were the unspoken leaders of the Regents. Rumor has it that they used to date back in the day, but Maddox married his late wife anyway. I couldn’t figure out why. It was also extra frustrating for me, since Elia didn’t like me at all. I could sense Kai’s apprehension of our relationship growing each day and it made me pull back a bit. On Maddox right side was Jax, on his left was Calum. Cressida sitting beside him with Miro and then Len next to Jax. On the other side Elia was flanked by Kai and Ace, with Neda sitting next to Ace. Melixes was next to Kai, than I came in. I was basically in the middle. Sebastian in front of me. Next to me was Skylark, Oak in front of her and Ash next to Sky. The remaining three seats were for the rest of the Barringtons: Nicolai, Reign and Mason.

I was feeling a little uncomfortable in the middle of this group. The power radiating from them very palpable and the tension was also very apparent. They did not get along. As I glanced at Sebastian, I saw he was already looking at me with a puzzled look in his eye. Ever since the woods I came to see him in a different light. The talks we shared were so personal and out of character that I really believed we had crossed a bridge. Yet his behavior hadn’t been much different in the three weeks since that weekend. Although Melixes was the biggest enforcer of all the bullying, at the moment jabbing her elbow so hard in my side – oops, by accident,- that I let out a loud oomph, he still went along with most of it anyway. It was disappointing. Definitely because he had shared that he sometimes couldn’t phantom what his girlfriend was thinking.

It was time for dessert and it was accompanied by this huge bowl of punch. It was carried towards the middle of the table, flanked by two waiters because it was so heavy. It looked delicious though. As they were moving between me and Melixes, I saw her glance at me with those ice-cold brown eyes and she flicked her feet up. The two waiters lost their balance and the entirety of the thing came down on my head. It felt like I was taking a shower drenched in ice. It took my breath away. It soaked through anything and everything. I scrambled upwards, slipped on a lemon and face-planted next to the table. I spotted, Kai and Ash immediately by my side, with Skylark yelling at Melixes. I couldn’t even see because it had gotten into my eyes but there was lots of commotion. I could make out Maddox and even Sebastian, did he sound not happy? Melixes was saying she had no idea what happened but I think everyone in the room, except perhaps Elia and Marcus, didn’t agree with her. It was clear. I felt somebody raising me up, by the way he held me I could tell it was Jax. Now that was surprising. I felt like bawling my eyes out and didn’t want to give Melixes that satisfaction. This was so embarrassing I was hoping the floor would open up and swallow me whole. And my dress… a gift from Sky… it was completely ruined.