BETRAYAL

ADELINE'S POV

We spent the entire day of today dancing. We danced until we couldn't anymore. Veronica made us practice all the dance steps we have learnt so far. Dance steps that are very seductive to those who will be watching us, yet very degrading to us the dancers.

The girls who missed some of the dance steps were ether slapped or degraded in the worst way possible. Some girls cried, some girls almost fainted but Veronica didn't give us a break. When she was satisfied with the dance steps, she made all of us go into a huge bathroom with no privacy whatsoever and she made us shave every piece o hair from our bodies.

She watched us shave our legs, our pubic areas, our arms, our faces, she watched us carve our eyebrows and the girls who were supposed to dye their hair dyed it the desired color. She watched us all do this wit a scowl on her face. Any mistakes were not tolerated. At the end of the shaving session, my skin was as clean and soft as a baby's and I love the feel of it. I just hate the fact that I'm doing all this for perverts who don't deserve to even glance at me.

After she made us shave all our hair, she took us to the beauty room and asked us to doll ourselves up.

"Your make up has to be innocent. Not too much and not too little. They have to look at you and see pure innocence. They have to look at you and see someone young and fresh." Veronica explains as we all take our seats in front of our mirrors. Della and Silver sit on either side of me.

Silver and I give Della a worried look with a raise of our brows but she just shrugs at us and focuses on our mirrors. She didn't smile a me like she usually does. If anything, I saw a darkness in her eyes. A darkness that I see in the eyes on the other girls when they look at me and now, I can't stop thinking about what Popp and Storm must have told her.

"I'll be back in an hour. I expect you all to be prepared once I get back." She glances at me and then eaves a few guards at corners of the room and walks out.

All the girls in the room start mumbling to each other and I watch the guards to see if they'll ask us to shut up but they jut let us bicker. Besides, if any of us aren't ready by the time Veronica gets here, she'll just give us to one of the guards. They don't care about us.

"What the fuck is going on, Della?" Silver is the first person to break the silence. Silver hasn't changed much since I made peace with her. She's still very intimidating with the other girls and even with Della. She's not the nicest person in the world but at least she's no longer rude to me. She does what Veronica asks of her and she's still one of the best girls here as per Veronica's standards.

"What do you mean?" Della asks, focusing on the mirror. She applies light foundation onto her face just like how Veronica taught us. She seems like a stranger.

"I mean why haven't you said a word to us since morning and why are you talking to Poppy and Storm? Don't you know what they are?" Silver asks in an authoritative tone.

"I know what you are." Della snaps. "I know what you and Adeline are." She gives me a dark look and I immediately remember my dream. I remember her walking into my room with Poppy and Storm. I remember her standing by as she watched my face get destroyed and now, I feel like my dream is slowly coming true.

"What are you talking about, Della? What did they say to you?" I ask her, my voice comes out weak and soft but not because I'm scared of what Poppy and Storm will do to me. Even with the drugs that we're constantly being fed in here, I know I can take both of them in a fight. They can't hurt me.

"They didn't tell me anything that isn't true Adeline." Della says, dropping her foundation on the table as if she were already fed up with the conversation. She turns to face Silver and I, and raises her brows at us.

"Della, whatever they told you, it's not true. I need you to listen to me…"

"You and Silver are going to be at the auction, aren't you?" Della asks me, widening her eyes at me like a stranger.

"Yes, Della. You know that but-"

"But nothing. That's all I need to know." She states.

"Della…" Silver starts saying in a warning voice.

"Please spare me Silver. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not stupid, okay? You and Adeline are the best girls in here. Adeline just got here but she outshines all of us only with her face! And Silver you're beautiful. You're the most skilled dancer here and you both know that on auction day, there is no way you both don't get chosen. You'll get to be married. You'll get to leave this place and even though you'll be just going to another prison, at least you'll be leaving a worse one."

Della points aggressively at us as she speaks. "I'll e left here all alone once you and Adeline leave, Silver! And if you haven't noticed, both of you are kind of the only friends I've made in here and you two stupidly allowed me to get attached to you when you know you'll be leaving soon. I'm just making myself some other friends. Poppy and Storm will be here for another two years before they get auctioned off. I know now that I have no chance of leaving this place so the least I can do is makes some friends with the other girls."

"Dell, you're making a mistake." I say.

"I don't think I am. I'm right and you know it." A tear drops from her eyes. "It was nice being friends with you Adeline, really but I'm not going to allow myself to get attached to someone who will just leave me later. I don't want you to give me any more hope because you and I know that there is no way that you can guarantee me safe passage out of this place. It's okay Adeline. This is my reality and no matter how scared I am, I do not want to die young. It is what it is. I wish you and Silver all the best."

Della turns back in her seat and focuses on her make up. I look over to Silver and the little speck of pity in her eyes disappears as easily as it appeared. I raise my hands and widen my eyes at her, as if to silently ask her what we should so about the problem.

Silver only shrugs and picks up her foundation. "She made her choice. Besides, you can't deny she's right. I just hope she knows what she's doing. As long as she doesn't come for me, I'm fine."

I lean back in my seat and let out a breath of frustration. Della was like the little sister I never had. I already felt very protective of her. Watching her be friends with Poppy and Storm breaks my heart because they don't really care about her. They're only using her to get to me and it's working.

I just hope Della knows that when push comes to shove, Poppy and Storm would never stand up for her. They would never sacrifice themselves for her. If anything, they would push her into a pit if that meant it would save their own pit. Della is digging herself a grave and there's nothing I can do to help her if she has made her decision.