Legacy [Wattys 2015]

Chapter 1

  Chaper One

   The sweat on my brow started to trickle down to my warm cheek as I felt the room melt before my very eyes. Using my peripheral vision, I could see my mother and father, holding on to each other smiling, being proud of me standing on stage in my nice clothing. On my right side, I could feel my brother's presence dawning upon my small stature. My cousins, some as old as eighteen and others bearing diapers, being carried by their parents were surrounding me, waiting for the voice of my grandmother to either cause them joy or make their way to shamefully walk down the stage. Many despising the latter.

   Everything they taught me was beginning to make sense now. Everyone had experienced this moment, well the ones who where true a Blaine. Not like my father who came from a long line of technicians. People like my mother who stood on this very stage, probably my age at the time, hoping to fill the requirements that were read out loud by the heiress's spouse at that time. I could already picture her, long blonde hair and all, just standing with a white pearly smile on her unblemished face. She wasn't chosen, not even by a landslide, and her cousin Joseph went on to do many great things, except for not having a wife, which was frowned upon.

   But now it was my turn, and I wasn't too keen on the idea of leading the entire family into "greatness". I didn't know anything about politics or great leadership skills. That was my brothers job, to be a show off and randomly spewing out facts like a walking talking encyclopedia. Even if he did that, I loved him just the same as I always did. So if anyone deserved the position of heir, it was Michelangelo Quentin Blaine. Out of all people not me, definitely not some short, undisciplined teenage girl who could careless about crummy things like the economy.

   All my thoughts clouded over as I heard my grandmother speaking, probably talking about past heirs starting with Aaron Blaine himself. Turning my gaze to Michael, his soft blue eyes piercing into my dark green ones with reassurance and strength. He thinks I'll actually get selected, silly boy.

   Silly boy.

   The children on the stage started to disappear, as if they came out of thin air. Then it was just me alone with the crowd of relatives gazing into my soul, attempting to love me or hate me. It was mortifying being in the center of attention, everyone just staring. I crawled into fetal position and kept screaming endlessly into the silent void of people.

   That's when  I bolted straight up, drenched in perspiration. I looked around where I really was, on a bed and then directed my attention to my brother who seemed extremely worried in the cot next to mine. He got out from under his covers and stood next to me. Michael got on his knees and put his hand to my forehead. 'Maddie, you gave me a fright, are you alright?' He stammered. I simply shook my head and looked down, ashamed that I probably woke up everyone thanks to a stupid nightmare. 'Do you want to sleep with me tonight?' Michael asked. He didn't have to tell me twice. With quickened pace, I snuggled into the other bed as he got in and wrapped his arms around me.

   'Oh Maddie, I know why you've been acting so strange,' he cooed. I buried my head into chest and started to cry a little. 'Michael, you don't understand, what happens if they select me?' I whimpered. It was silent for a few moments, probably because he was trying to choose his words carefully. 'Well Madeline, then you'd bring great honor to this branch of the family,this was mother's dream,' Michael said. It bothered me the way he always says "mother's dream" when talking about The Selection. Do I have a say in what goes around in this family?

   Michael sighed and shifted a bit in bed. 'Once a long time ago lived a sweet little girl with long black hair who everyone adored for the wrong reasons,' he gingerly stated. "I suppose that would be fitting,' I whispered.

   'Her family thought she was a precious little doll, handling her ever so delicately, making sure the porcelain doesn't chip or the paint isn't scratched,' Michael continued. I frowned mentally when he said that, because I knew he was referring to me. 'There were two people who actually treated her like a human being though, her brother, a handsome, wise, sexy-,'.

   'You mean, unattractive, lazy, cocky,' I corrected.

   'Yeah, same thing, anyways, and her best friend who she secretly loved with all her heart,' he said with mock passion. The "best friend" was actually Cade Hunter, my companion throughout my sixteen years of life. I met him in Kindergarten, before I was home schooled by my parents. Cade stayed with me during tough times, calling me every day just to hear me laugh and coming over on the weekends, like any regular teenager would do.

  Well, on his part.

   'The girl could feel her bubble begin to close in on her, suffocating her tremendously, making it harder to breathe, sometimes it was like her lungs were filling up with water, a never ending cycle of coming back up to the surface for just one gust of air,'. The way Michael describes things mesmerized me, only because a seventeen year old boy in the twenty first century these days can't even tell the difference "they're" and "their". 'The girl began to grow weary of her life and one day, leaned against her balcony contemplating suicide and all sorts of other things when suddenly, that tall, mysterious, brute she loved came in and threatened to jump after her if she even took a step off,' My brother stated. 'Later, her fiance finds her and starts to loathe her real love and a bunch of crazy shit happens-,'. Michael stopped as I cut him off. 'Did you just rip off Titanic?' I asked.

   'Indeed, the work of my man Leonardo DiCaprio was neglected for too long, therefore I shall quote him in as many situations as possible, even if it drives everyone to the brink of insanity,' he said in a matter-of-fact manner.

   'Dear god, mother shouldn't have let you watch Titanic with Cade and I last week,' I exasperated. My brother just chuckled and laid there staring at the ceiling. 'You know Maddie, just like Rose, you are struggling to stay at the top of the tank, but you're letting others treat you like an item,' He whispered stroking my hair.

'What am I supposed to do Mike, they want me to be poised, for the family, I am not like you, these rules are making life harder,' I stated, remembering that my brother is close to our relatives. I could feel him shake his head and give an even bigger sigh. 'Just promise me you won't change for anyone, no matter how much they beg and plead, keep being the Madeline I've known all my life,'.

   'I promise, just stop with the egotistical douchebag act, it's rather unattractive, especially in pretty boys like yourself,' I said. We shared a small moment of lightheartedness before I could feel my eyelids beginning to close themselves and that amazing voice of his filled the immense room.

/Every night in my dreams/

/I see you, I feel you/

/That is how I know you, go on/

/Far across the distance/

/In spaces between us/

/You have come to show you, go on/

   I finished the rest for my brother, in he softest voice I could create.

/Near, far/

/Wherever you are/

/I believe that the heart does, go on/

/Once, more/

/You open the door/

/And you're here and my heart will go and on/

   I found it rather silly that out of all the songs Michael could have chosen for a lullaby, a love ballad was his favorite, but he was my sibling and that hymn might be completely idiotic to me, however he thought it was a remarkable piece of art work that deserved to be remembered. It was almost as he wants me to be reminded that I too should be recognized the same way.

Thank you Michael.

/~~~\

(A/N): Thank you for completely reading the first chapter of Legacy. This book is to be entered into the Wattys 2015. Hopefully, all of you lovely people will come to enjoy this work of mine and could you possibly spread it around?

Keep Floating,

~Queen Silver