Violet sipped from her glass of champagne, letting her gaze wander from person to person. All seemed nervous except for a select few, who exuded a confidence that bordered on arrogance.  Some made conversation, while others were sitting back and relaxing.

Tonight would be one of those most important nights of her career. Eight people within the hundred or so in this room would be chosen to become presidential candidates. She'd prepared a speech, dressed up, and had done everything she could in case she was chosen, yet she couldn't help but wonder whether she'd forgotten anything. It felt like a season of the Bachelor and she was waiting for her name to be called; to receive her rose.

She closed her eyes and took a few shaky breaths to relax, but her anxiety reappeared when she opened her eyes and saw a well-dressed man holding a notecard with the candidates. It was time. She straightened her posture, setting her champagne down and eyeing him curiously. The alcohol had done little to calm her nerves.

He'd called six of  the eight names before he got to hers and she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She stood up, exhilarated knowing every eye and camera was on her. In a politically driven country, it was important to look good during this event.

A lavender dress hugged her torso before falling past her hips and to the floor. Her manager had helped her, figuring the color would remind the public of her name. She'd put on a fuss at first, wanting to be seen as more than just a color, but once she saw the dress, she stopped arguing real quick.

She was a picture of grace, walking past tables of people and not sparing a single person a glance. Her vision was kept straight towards the announcer.

She stepped up onto the platform, carefully taking the mic from its stand with a humble smile; something she knew all of America would fall for. She was stunning, the lighting illuminating her skin. Her hair had been done up in a French twist and it'd somehow managed to keep its shape despite the humidity of the room. Standing here with the stage lighting only increased the heat.

"Good evening, everybody," she began, hardly able to keep her composure from excitement. "I'm so honored to be standing here right now. It's always been a dream of mine to be a candidate but I never believed I'd make it this far. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who voted for me tonight. If you elect me, I promise I'll do my best to improve whatever I can, my main focus being the economy. Thank you to all of you for being here tonight or for tuning in from your homes. I appreciate all of you."

She slipped the microphone back into its stand to signify she was done while the audience politely clapped. Nobody seemed especially enthusiastic she'd become a candidate but she couldn't find it in her to care. She stepped away from the podium and sat back into her seat, still feeling eyes glued to her. It was hard to decide whether it was a good feeling or an awkward one.

Many people were shocked she'd made it this far. She was more radical than any of the other candidates, with her viewpoints and ideas being much different than the average person. Still, many lower class citizens clung to the hope that the world could be better, leaving them to vote for her.

The entire room was buzzing with curiosity as the announcer spoke once more. If Violet had been the seventh to be called, only one was left. She scanned some of the tables, mentally making a guess of who she believed would become a candidate.

"We have one last candidate to announce for the night. As Ms. Violet mentioned, thank you everyone for being here. Without further ado, our last candidate is Sunni Yar'Adua."

Violet quickly turned to see a smile appear from the last candidate. Her look was completely opposite of Violet's with a yellow tie against a black suit. It actually seemed to fit her personality well, Violet noted, watching as Sunni walked to the same podium she'd been.

"Hi everybody! I'm Sunni and I'm really happy to be up here tonight. There's so many things I'm excited to help our country overcome and I'm grateful I'm one of the candidates with the possibility to oversee it. We're strong and I have a feeling that by keeping things the same, we can stay on track to keeping things perfect. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be standing here. I hope to improve our country the best I can." She spoke confidently, though her voice was clearly tinged with joy and relief.

Violet eyed her for a moment. She seemed too ambitious to want to keep everything the same. Between the pep in her voice and her eagerness to take on the role, Violet couldn't believe she had no plans.

Sunni stepped away from the stand, a few people stopping her with questions as she tried to make her way back to her seat. Violet looked away, wondering if there was a reason nobody had spoken to her.

With the main part of the event over, everybody had turned their attention away from the platform, gossiping among themselves. Violet excused herself from the rest of her party.

She stepped up from her table and took a moment to really look around the ballroom. The inside of the room was stunning with golden designs lining the walls and ceiling. Pillars along the walls gave the room an ancient feel. Violet spotted some stairs in the corner of the room seeming to lead to a secluded area. She'd forgotten they were there, despite having memorized the layout of the building. She turned and made her way up the stairs. A few security members seemed surprised that someone had come upstairs, but nobody said anything. She offered a small smile of thanks as she opened a door leading outside to a veranda. Wind grazed her cheeks and she breathed a sigh of relief as she closed the door behind her. The voices below her had become nothing but a muffled annoyance. She stepped forward towards the fencing of the veranda and looked down. A few people danced drunkenly below her and she grinned to herself, pleasantly entertained. The door opened behind her and she jumped in surprise.

"Oh, uh, hi! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here." It seemed someone had a similar idea. As soon as Violet had managed to find quiet, Sunni had opened the doors once more.

"Oh, it's you. Hey," Violet greeted awkwardly, turning around and looking her up and down. She was quiet for a moment, admiring Sunni. Her russet brown skin seemed to glow from the soft lighting of the veranda. "I like your suit."

"Oh, thanks! I think your dress is stunning too!"

Violet hadn't expected her to sound so genuine with the compliment. She smiled gently and leaned back against the veranda barrier. "What brings you up here? Had to get away from the noise?"

"No, I love talking to everyone. I actually just wanted to come to here to tell you that I really admire your viewpoints," Violet raised an eyebrow, confused. Sunni continued. "Between you and I, our views are more similar than you might think."

"Our views? You sure?"

"The only difference is I'm playing a more strategic game. I'm trying to get the vote of the wealthy. They don't want things to change because everything already benefits them."

Violet chuckled. "Damn, I'm impressed. You play your role well."

Sunni shrugged. "If I wanna make any change, I need to get to the top first."

Violet nodded. "I understand. Hey, best of luck. If I don't make it, I hope you do. Something needs to change." She leaned away from the railing and sat down in a chair near the other.

"Same to you. Good luck." Sunni held out her hand for a kind handshake. Violet glanced down at her hand and leaned forward to take it.

As soon as their fingers grazed, an alarm went off, ruining the brief moment of friendship between the two. Violet flinched at the noise and pulled her hand back.

"Shit," she muttered. Her eyes widened and her cheeks paled slightly. She stepped up from her chair and away from Sunni, slipping out a small device from a hidden pocket within her dress. She turned her back to Sunni. "Did you dumbasses seriously get caught?!" She hissed, holding down a button as she spoke.

A feminine voice sounded from the other device. "Calm down, purple, we're almost out." Violet groaned quietly, opening her mouth to say something in return, only to be interrupted by the voice once more. "Okay, scratch that. Get over here. Room 26C. Scarlett's distracting the others while Cedar gets what he can. Hurry. Maybe you can diffuse this."

Violet gripped the device and lifted her head. When she met Sunni's gaze, her eyes widened, as though she forgot she'd been there to begin with. The siren still sounded around them.

"Um..." Sunni began, not sure how to continue.

Violet's eyes darted between Sunni and the device, clearly trying to figure something out. When she realized there was no way to get out of this, she groaned harshly and locked eyes with Sunni.

"You wanna make a difference? Prove it. Come with me."

-1595 words-