Young Writers Society

The Ivory Towers – Julia

We sped toward the future without a clue. My father always said that. In less than two months that would be true. He, along with my mother, encouraged me to apply for five colleges. Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Brown, and Stanford knew my name now.

“As Sir Francis Bacon used to say,” My father’s words rang in my ear now. “Knowledge is power.”

I would always roll my eyes at him. He himself had gone to Berkeley, where he got his business degree. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps. My mother wanted that also.

“Just think,” she had said. “You could be a CEO someday.”

My parents were of the highest in our class. The way Grandmother had raised my mother had taught her to be a hard-driving woman and to shoot high. But I wanted a normal life, not filled to the brim with glitz, glam, and weekend filled with parties for something-or-other. If you were an Elite though, that’s the way it was.

I spotted the gray wall that marked the limits to what the government called “heaven on earth”, New Haven. Braking slowly, an overwhelming urge to turn right around and head back to neutral territory washed over me. That’s when my phone rang. My mother, again.

“Yes, Mother, I’m coming home. I really can’t talk. I’m driving.”

“Don’t you mouth off to me, Julia Edith Cartwright.”

I winced. Nobody called me by my full name unless they were really mad at me.

“Yes, Mother.”

“Come home now, young lady. We have to get ready for the benefit tonight.”

“Benefit? What benefit?”

“For your father’s colleague. He’s trying to send his sons to college, remember?”

“I’ll be home as soon as I can, Mother.”

“Good girl. See you in a bit.”

The line went dead as I reached the wall. Underprivileged Elites guarded it, making sure that no one came or went without their knowing. One with a permanent scowl on his face came up to my car as I rolled down the window.

“Name?” he growled.

I raised an eyebrow. “Good afternoon, Officer.”

“Name.” he said again. “No passing.”

“Julia Cartwright, sir.”

He waved me through, and I inched through the checkpoint, hitting the gas once I passed under the wall. Reaching the end of the main drag, I turned, entering the residential area. It was a typical Elite neighborhood, with large houses and wide sweeping lawns and gardens. Since my father was a banker, we had one of the biggest houses on the street, one that could be seen for miles. Mother didn’t like the nickname, but I called it the Cartwright Castle. It was white like one anyway, not to mention mansion-like. Most of the Elite girls that I went to school with were in the neighborhood.

After parking the car and killing the engine, I stepped into the entrance hall, and much to my annoyance, my shoes clacked on the tile.

My mother appeared, her dyed-red hair already pressed into a Jackie Kennedy style. She was even dressed like her, in blue. Ugh. If she only knew what I thought.

“Julia, darling, so glad to see you showed up. Now, I already picked a dress for you for the benefit. I hope you like it.”

I hoisted my bag, and taking a hold of the wrought-iron stair rail, traipsed noisily up them, feeling Mother’s eyes on me the entire time.

“Take a shower too, honey. It smells like you were doused with pond water.”

Thanks, Mother. I wanted to say, loud enough for her to hear. It isn’t like I don’t mind being told what I smell like after going only twelve hours without a shower.

Twelve hours. I probably didn’t smell like anything. It was just another way for my mother to control me.

Half an hour later, I had wrestled myself into the dress. It was copper colored, with a modest neckline, thin straps, and contoured surprisingly nicely to my body. Mother liked it because it showed some of my leg off, but I didn’t see what was so special. I had to remind her that when I was smaller, they were always covered with scabs from playing outside.

She insisted on doing my hair too, because she still felt like she needed to. I let her. Whatever made her happy until college came.

“Now, Julia Cartwright, I want you to be on your best behavior tonight. Try to control that fiery tongue of yours. And stop pulling on the dress, dear. It puts crinkles in it.”

I took my hands away from where I had been tugging at it and folded them in my lap.

“Yes, Mother,” I tried with as much sweetness as possible.

“That’s a good girl. And stay out of trouble while your father and I make ready for the benefit.”

I stood and followed her out of the room, teetering on the heels that were a little too tall. Out into the garden I went, taking my shoes off as Mother had told me specifically not to do. If I was going to be walking around in these all night, I would need a break eventually. The sunset was beautiful tonight, as it always was around the Cartwright Castle. I decided this would be a perfect time for a quick watercolor. Holding my skirt up in one hand and my shoes in the other, I dashed across the wide back lawn, feeling the cool wet grass beneath my feet. I found the bush under which my entire watercolor collection was. I knelt gently down in front of it and began to dig. My hand struck wood after a couple minutes, and running my fingers over it, lifted a box out, decorated with a pattern of birds. Mother and Father had given this to me as a seventeenth birthday gift, but had never figured out what I had done with it. I stood, brushing the dirt back into the hole with a bare foot. It was all under my fingernails and down the front of my dress too. Mother would kill me.

I quickly painted the sunset, using the water’s ability to pull the paint to my advantage. It came out nicely, with the colors lemon yellow, blush pink, rose red, and soft orange blending nicely with the canary yellow sun, the black trees standing out against it. Just then, I heard gravel crunching around the corner. I took a breath, bracing myself for the verbal beating that I was about to get. I threw everything back into the box, hurriedly throwing the clouded water out.

My father appeared, in a pressed three-piece suit and the tie Mother had had imported from Japan. Relief washed over me. Famous persons’ phrases were better than Mother ripping my head off.

“Hi, Daddy,” I gave him a nervous smile, brushing the dirt off my dress.

“Hi, honey. Painting the sunset, I see.” He smoothed his tie and sat down next to me on the stone bench.

The colors in the sky had faded a little, leaving ghosts of their earlier brilliance. I nodded.

“You really have a talent for that, Jules. Your mother doesn’t know, does she?”

I shrugged.

My father reached over and lightly stroked my hair. “We’re harboring a great mind, right here under our roof.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Daddy.”

“If only she knew. Well,” He stood up, lightly kissing the top of my head. “I have to go. Mother’s calling. Don’t stay out here too long.”

After my father had turned the corner, I shut the box and hurried back to the bush, scooping out some dirt and sliding it in. After covering it, I grabbed my shoes and made my way inside.

There were people already arriving by the time I had crossed the house and entered the front hall, shoes once again on my feet. Mother was there, greeting the guests. I noticed everyone had a simple gold circle with two lines intersecting in the middle on a silver chain around their neck. That’s what marked them as Elite. I rubbed mine, thinking of Blaine. What could he possibly be doing right now? Was he still contemplating rebellion?

I pushed the thoughts out of my mind. They offered more questions than answers at the moment. More guests trickled in, and I saw the two sons and my father’s colleague. Mother welcomed them warmly, and spotting me, brought them over to introduce them.

“This is my daughter Julia, Mr. Hemsworth.” She shot me a look.

I snapped to attention, putting a pleasant expression on and offering my hand. “Julia Cartwright, Mr. Hemsworth.” I nodded to his two sons.

“A pleasure, Julia. These are my sons Daniel and Ross.”

Both boys looked at their father. One I recognized from school, the other one I didn’t.

“Hey, Daniel.” I gave him a half-smile. “Nice to see you.”

He jumped, looking skittish. “Hi.”

“Julia, darling, why don’t you bring out the appetizers now?” Mother’s voice was soft, light. Her expression was not. The good mood she had been in had dissipated when she saw my hand.

“Yes, Mother.” I backed up, seeing Daniel staring at me. I met his eyes, and he looked away quickly.

In the kitchen, I found the appetizers quicker than I had anticipated. I couldn’t face Mother when she was in this mood, nice to strangers but cold to me. There was a knock on the glass French doors leading out to the patio. My head jerked up, and I saw Blaine peering in. I set down the plate and crossed the kitchen.

I opened the door and stepped out, shutting it tightly behind me. A breeze hit my bare shoulders and arms, making me shudder.

“Blaine, what are you doing out here?” I glanced behind me, making sure no one saw me through the window. “You know you’re not supposed to come in here.”

“I know, but I had to come, Jules. Remember what I said earlier about rebellion?”

I rubbed my necklace, staring into his dark, deep eyes glinting in the moonlight. Silently, I nodded.

“We’re going to start in a week. First Saturday in May, actually.”

“Blaine, I told you that wasn’t safe.”

He looked straight at me. I could swear he could see my soul. “I don’t care. If it gets me out of the Common caste, that’s all that matters.”

I rolled my eyes, looking away. “You know how dangerous that is? The last time a revolution happened, the Commons went nearly extinct.”

“Jules, you don’t understand. This is real. This is important. It was meant to happen. Just wait and see.”

“Blaine, I…”

But already he was gone, flitting across the moonlit lawn and disappearing into the night. I wanted to run after him, tell him that it was pointless, but what good would that do? What would he tell me?

Slowly, I let myself in. Mother must have been wondering what was taking me so long. I brought the plate to her, where she was still standing with the Hemsworths, Father next to her. For a second, I thought of telling them about Blaine. No, my reason said. He’s a Common. Elites aren’t supposed to be friends with them.

“So,” My father was saying. “Daniel, I hear you want to be a business major.”

Daniel beamed. “Yes, sir. I want to start my own company with my brother.”

“Excellent. Jules, honey, there you are. I believe Mr. Daniel Hemsworth has a little something to ask you.”

I came to my father’s side and his arm went around my shoulders.

Daniel stepped forward (although I saw his brother give him a push from behind) and enveloped my hand in his large fingers. He straightened his tie, pulled at his collar, and straightened it again.

“J-Julia Cartwright, will you go to senior prom with me?”

My father’s hand tightened on my shoulder. Mother’s fingers grabbed my upper arm. I could almost feel their thoughts in their grips.

Say yes. This could be our big moment.

Say something. This boy is wearing too much cologne.

What do I say? He’s only known me for ten minutes and already he’s asking me to go to the prom.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a second. I nodded. “Sure, Daniel. I’ll go with you.”

A big grin spread across his face. His brother gave him a bro hug, and Mr. Hemsworth clapped him on the back. My father gave me a one-armed hug, while Mother was ecstatic.

“My baby’s finally becoming a woman!” she said.

She embraced me tightly, giving me congratulations.

“Mother, he asked me to go to prom, not marry him.”

Mother let me go, her hard hands like iron clamps on my shoulders. “Julia, this is big. Mr. Hemsworth could get your father a promotion. You being with his son is a step closer. This could be the next big thing. And didn’t I tell you to keep that tongue of yours under control?”

I rolled my eyes, looking away. “Yes, Mother. You did.”

“Don’t you roll your eyes at me, young lady. You’re going with Daniel and that’s final.”

“I know, Mother.”

She forced a smile and turned away. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Daniel; he was a nice boy. I didn’t know him. That was all. We would both graduate this year, but as Mother seemed to think that senior prom was a rite of passage, she thought that should come first. And to think she’s an alumnus of my school. The prom was probably the biggest thing for her, next to Homecoming or the winter formal.

Daniel came up and stood next to me. “Hey,” His voice was soft and timid.

I looked over at him. His eyes were blue, with green near the pupils. “Hi.”

He ran a hand through his dirty-blond hair. “So, uh…where should I pick you up?”

I sighed. This again. “I don’t know, Daniel. Maybe just out front.”

“Cool. How’s eight? Then I can buy you dessert or something.”

I shrugged. I kept thinking of Blaine’s words. I want to get out. This is real. This is important.

A sudden claustrophobic feeling came over me. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Pushing through the well-dressed crowd, I made it to the kitchen doors, where I exploded out onto the patio. For a second, I stood there, out of breath, bent over with my hands on my knees. My dress stuck to my sweaty skin, and my necklace sparked in the moonlight. It seemed to remind me of who I really was, who I was supposed to be, what everybody thought about me. A privileged Elite who never had to get her hands dirty. Where was this going? What was I going to do with my life? If I ran away, I don’t know what would happen, and all the money used to apply for some of the best schools in the country would be lost. Blaine had said the rebellion would be on the first Saturday in May. That was prom night. A week from tomorrow.

I hoped I could talk him out of it beforehand. Our lives depended on it.