Adam was not happy.  I think it was the first time I had seen his emotions even slightly displaced from condescending happiness.  He just glared at Cole, forcing him to step down.  Adam shut the door in his face.

"Now then."  He smiled.  "I heard you'll be participating in the Ladies Department."

"Don't remind me."  I replied, taking a seat at the table in room 222.  "It'll completely ruin my disguise."

"I can help you."  Adam took the seat across from me.  

"For a price?" I guessed.

"Exactly."  Adam tapped his fingers on the table.  "I'll help you, and you will have to return the favor someday." 

"That's all?" I had expected the very worst.

"Right."

"OK.  I'll do it."

Adam grinned sadistically, and I knew I had made a mistake.  "Can I take that back?" I asked timidly.

He ignored me, clapped his hands twice, and ushered in half a dozen people that ended up being tailors and seamstresses.  They measured everything, from the size of my head to the length of my toes.  One of the men asked me to strip so they could get more accurate measurements.  Adam fired him immediately.   They finished without asking anything else and told Adam and me that it would be ready tomorrow morning.  

"Why are you doing this?" I said to Adam when they had all left.

"I want our dorm to win, that's why."

"Oh."  Had I expected it to be out of the kindness of his heart? No, I guess that didn't make any sense.  "What's your costume?"  I asked to cover the awkward silence.

"I can't tell you that." Adam smiled.  "But I'll be competing in the Kings' Competition.  The others really have no chance."

And I didn't doubt that.  With his blue eyes and blonde hair, Adam was a perfect golden boy.  I wondered if all the other Kings wouldn't just give up at the sight of him.