Claire left the auditions conflicted. She'd jumped when maybe she should have held back. Who knew what the judges would say? And she was troubled that people would go so far as to sabotage her.
Thoughts of inferiority and fear tumbled in her mind. Maybe she didn't belong in this world of elite. There was so much she didn't know. There was so much that she wasn't.
Having the rest of the day until the parts would be officially posted, she was left wondering what to do. Mercy Akinyi was helping take down sets, and Amiko had tutoring, so she was left alone.
She wandered outside, soon discovering the weather had gotten colder. Her only choices were to go back to the dorm or hop in a cab to town.
Seeing as she'd only ventured there a couple times, she headed towards the waiting cabs.
An attendant opened the door for her, and she nodded to him as she got in.
"Vanera?" the driver asked.
"Yes please." They drove in silence, a pre-winter world speeding by out the window. When they arrived in the quaint little town, she had him stop at the main square. "Thank you."
"Of course. Stay warm out there." He tipped his hat and drove off, leaving her to figure out what to do.
She didn't feel like shopping, and ended up sitting on a bench. She hardly felt the cold as her mind replayed all that had happened.
Not long after, a voice disturbed her from her thoughts.
"Fancy seeing you here."
She looked up to see Princess Danielle. "Oh, hello."
"May I?" she asked. Claire nodded, and she sat beside her. "Are you up here all by yourself?"
Claire shrugged. "Well my friends were all busy."
Sensing her low energy, she furrowed her brow. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she replied, a bit too quickly.
The princess was quiet for a moment. "You're welcome to tell me, if you want. If you prefer to be left alone, perhaps you would just allow me to make sure of your safe return to the castle."
She glanced at her, her grey eyes genuine. With a sigh, she ran a hand through her hair. "I just don't know what to do. All this time I've been trying to make friends and get to know people, but I still feel so... ignored. Like I'm just a commoner to everyone and I'll never amount to anything near what they will." She made a face. "Then this morning with Catina and Edmond - he didn't even blink when I fell. How can a person be so unfeeling? After what happened at the audition this morning... I just kind of want to go home."
"Lord Edmond of Kensington?" she asked. "Don't worry about him. He's just an arrogant high hat. As for the others, maybe the Arts school pays more attention to the color of your emblem than with the knights, but you shouldn't let that define you. You earned your place here when so many others bought their way in with titles and wealth. You can't quit just like that."
She nodded, still feeling lowly. "I know."
Danielle thought for a moment, then pointed to a place with a flashing sign. "Have you been to Hammond's Diner?"
Claire shook her head. "Not yet."
The princess held out her hand. "Care to join me? It might get your mind off things."
She shrugged and offered a small smile. "Why not?"
They got up and crossed the street, going into the warm diner. The host brought them to a small booth towards the front.
"You know, I still havn't tried a burger. Everyone says they're just the best," Danielle told her.
Claire gasped. "Only the best thing since sliced bread! Come on, you have to get one."
"Okay," she smiled. "Two burgers and milkshakes please."
The waiter nodded. "That'll be right out."
Danielle took off her gloves and looked back to her. "So, you mentioned an audition, are you a musician?"
"Dancer," she corrected, resting her chin on her hands. "I was auditioning for the lead in Pharaoh's daughter."
Her eyes widened. "The lead? I'm impressed. Huh, they have a ballet about Pharaohs now, do they?"
Claire nodded. "People sure have been excited since they found King Tut."
"I confess I was always more interested in the mummy than the gold," she grinned.
Claire chuckled. "Not the chariots?"
Danielle shrugged. "Okay, the chariots too. And the stories of ancient curses, giant pyramids... Sure gets a kid's imagination going."
"Mine too. Oh that was fast, food's here." She waited for him to take a bite. "So, what do you think?"
She chewed and thought for a moment. "It tastes like I might have an addiction problem really quick."
Claire laughed. "Glad you like it."
The princess smiled at her. "Glad you agreed to come."
She smiled, trying to hide her blush behind her milkshake.