LIABILITY [t.r.]

1

When you are young, they assume you know nothing
Esme.

dark green slip dress with uncomfortable black heels. makeup to hide all of the imperfection caked into my skin; honestly these things should be masquerade parties since everyone in attendance is wearing a mask. I've always hated pureblood culture, blood status, money, and the image of perfection meaning everything. if i have to attend one more of these galas i'll throw myself out of a window. My father swears it's for business but in reality he just needs an opportunity every season to show everyone the rosier family is still wealthy, traditional, and above all, pure. the image of their misfit, drug addict, daughter tarnished the name a little bit i suppose.

The sound of my mother's heels delicately clattering against the marble unsettled me. She opens my door and peers into my room with disapproval. "i hope you'll be ready in time. people are starting to arrive.'' I nod and get back to brushing my hair. She closes the door with poise and grace and I hear her heels retreat down the hallway. When I assume the coast is clear, I take the small bag of coke out from my vanity drawer. if i go down these stairs high my mother will lose it, if i don't go down those stairs high i will lose it. muggle drugs barely do anything anyway. I scoop a small amount into my acrylic nail and inhale the powder into my nose, immediately feeling the burn in my nose and my eyes beginning to water. I fixed my appearance and got up and went downstairs finally.

walking down the cold empty hallways in the house 8 times too big for our family makes me sick to my stomach. it echos too much, reminding me how lonely and empty this place is. I live so far away from my friends and people I enjoy being around. There's really not much of an escape. lysander and lorcan live in Scotland of course and Carri and Marcus live in London, god forbid i visit anyone unsupervised. I'm alone for 3 months out of the year and I'm relieved to be going to school next week.

I make my way down the staircase to face people I hate. Many people's eyes turn to me in disgust. They all know about the black sheep of the rosier family, so much so that i dyed my hair black two years ago because i didn't want people associating my blonde hair with the rosier family. my mother, father and brother come to me with their fake smiles. my mother whispers through her gritted teeth. "I can tell you're high. get your act together, you've brought us enough shame already.'' I roll my eyes and find my way to a table full of drinks. I pour myself a generous glass of fire whiskey and sip it to the tune of murmurs about my well-being.

"she'll kill herself before she graduates."

"It's an anomaly that they haven't disowned her already."

"they must be so ashamed."

"I couldn't imagine my daughter turning out like that."

I stopped caring, I stopped feeling, I stopped listening, so so so long ago. My legacy never mattered to me in the first place. I'll either be forced to marry into another rich pureblood family and become a soulless, alcoholic, housewife like my mother or if I'm really lucky I won't see the day that ever happens. when i take a glance at all the eyes in the ballroom for some reason my eyes stop at one person's. deep brown with so much purpose in them. I expected to look at a pool of disgust like everyone else but he was different.

I saw empathy in him. You have no idea who I am. you look curious and perplexed. Just before I could look away he started walking towards me and I felt paralyzed in his stare. His eyes made me feel a refreshing kind of discomfort and abnormality. the type that is different from how everyone else sees me, so different it makes my skin crawl.

"hi." you reach out a hand for me to shake. you have an unmistakable smirk on your face. "hi." I answered, shaking his hand. I watched him observe me like I had. I yearned to know what you were thinking.

"What's your name?" his voice was low and slow like hot tea down my throat. "Esme...and yours?" I refrained from telling you my last name, I assumed you already knew.