Under My Skin by Shawntelle Madison Read Free Book Online Page A

to interact with the teacher to receive credit. There we were on day two, and everything resembled a mishmash of lessons. The place made no sense.
    “Pay attention,” the instructor said, “for someday, one of you might become a Guild member. Your education might be what saves your life.”

CHAPTER SIX

    I woke to find my Water Bearer clothes gone. Usually, I left them in the bathroom and found them cleaned in the morning. But with no uniform to wear, I just threw on my lime green top and pants. Perhaps, they’d changed their minds about me and I could go home.
    The breakfast they provided was delicious: fluffy pancakes and fried potatoes. They’d even left me a dish of fat sausages—which I refused to touch.
    Even though I’d eaten my fill, my stomach quaked and churned with each passing minute. The prospects of being sold didn’t sit right with me. Even if my family got a stipend out of it. Who in their right mind wanted to be bought by someone else?
    I’d be separated from Zoe, too.
    A red-haired servant girl came in to tend the fire and pour a cup of tea. She had the most pretty amber-colored eyes, but she didn’t speak or look my way. I attempted to strike up a conversation with her yesterday and got about three syllables. The servants didn’t look at the Water Bearers, especially people like me who’d be auctioned off today.
    While she worked, I stirred the food around my plate. I missed my parents and the conversations we used to have before school. I bet they’d eaten breakfast already, and Mom left the house by now to tend our garden. I often helped her pull weeds before heading off to school. She’d stoop in the dirt, with her long blonde hair haphazardly piled on top of her head, and yank out the meddlesome plants. Her light blue eyes sparkled with excitement from such a simple task.
    And then there was high school. On the southern coastline where I lived, we didn’t have much, but the class sizes were smaller and everyone knew each other. I even had a few friends.
    Two older Water Bearer girls entered the room and interrupted my thoughts. One had a large bag over her shoulder while another carried a bag with what had to be a dress. The two brunettes sized me up while I drank my tea. With a smirk, one discarded the dress bag from over her shoulder and then snatched the cup of tea from my hand.
    “Hey!” When I tried to stand, she pushed me down.
    “Mealtime’s over, little girl. Time to get ready for the big dance.” She glared at me, almost daring me with her eyes to say something, but I held my tongue.
    “Who are you?” I glanced at the bag with the hanger and my voice quieted. “It’s time already? I thought the auction didn’t start until this evening.”
    The girl pushed the rolling cart to the side. “We work as beauticians for the Water Bearers. You need to be ready to join the procession at three this afternoon. That means we have a million things to do and not enough time to do them.”
    My mouth flapped a few times before words tumbled out. “Can’t I just finish my breakfast? It won’t take long.”
    The other girl groaned. “What’s the hurry, Claire? She doesn’t look half bad.”
    Claire smirked. “I refuse to lose out on another premier assignment, Karin. They want this one dolled up, so we have our work cut out for us.”
    Work cut out for them? What was that suppose to mean? Even I knew I wasn’t as put together as these two, I had clearer skin than most. My grandma Ida on my father’s side had the most beautiful brown skin. Nice skin aside, I did have bitten off fingernails and hair that hadn’t seen a brush in a while. They also wore make-up, had on glitter fingernail polish, and their hair was curled in the latest style I’d seen on the communications console. Claire and Karin’s uniforms weren’t the standard light blue but a beautiful teal color. Still fashionable in contrast to my clothes.
    Karin sorted through the items in her bag. “I’ll wash her