Sinking Ships | L.S |

0.1

 A U G U S T 5TH

The sound of laughter coming from the other side of the room brought me from my scattered thoughts and I looked up from my phone to see my parent surrounded by their rich friends. I could see my mom's hair styled up and my father's arm around her waist. A fake smile was plastered across both their faces and I couldn't help but shake my head. It was ridiculous that I got dragged into another dinner party where the conversation centered around who had the biggest house or who had the fastest car. I couldn't stand it.

Sweat stuck to the back of my white collar and all I wanted to do was take this damn suit off of my body. I wanted to ditch the suit, ditch the girl, and ditch the party I was forced into attending. I couldn't do that though, I knew how much trouble I'd be in if I ditched. 'Why would you do that?' 'Do you realize how stupid we looked?' 'Can't you think of somebody else but yourself?'. Those are the words that would come from my parents if I left. I was their perfect son, I couldn't disappoint.

My hand was resting on the white table cloth, close to the plate that held an uneaten steak with a side of steamed vegetables. Steamed to perfection, every time. At least that's what's guaranteed. I had played around with my food earlier but in all honesty, I wasn’t really hungry. I didn't have the will to cut into the rare steak that my father insisted on ordering for not only me, but my mother as well.

Trying to block out the sound of the classical music playing - something by Beethoven no doubt -, I turned to look at the girl sitting in the chair next to me. A wide smile plastered across her face and I could tell she was incredibly happy to be here right now. Olivia was a great girl, just not to me. My rich parents forced me into dating their friends daughter, Olivia McBeth. She was a nice enough girl, don't get me wrong. Her brown hair fell into waves around her shoulders and she had a dimple on the side of her face. Her dark colored eyes were appealing to almost everyone she runs into. Aside from me that is.

Just as I was about to look away from her, she opened her mouth to speak. "Do you want to dance? A few other couples are and if you aren't going to eat your food than we might as well." Her voice was quiet. She seemed timid, afraid that I might reject her. She should know that by now I wouldn't. I couldn't.

"Sure, let's go Liv." I called her by the nickname that I knew she liked, my parents insisted. I took her small hand in mine and stood up. Leading her to the dance floor, I saw my mother sending me an approving look. I was tempted to roll my eyes but I resisted the urge. I knew she wouldn't like that and she would just get my father on my case.

As Olivia and I got to the dance floor I placed my large hands on her small waist. Olivia was easily one of the shortest seventeen year old I've ever met. While I was on the tall side, she was just above five feet. Her head only came up to my chest, but I guess that's what my parents like about us. We looked like the perfect couple, as far as they were concerned, we were.

The soft music played while Olivia and I moved slowly across the dance floor. Her soft, delicate hands were lightly pressing against my shoulder blades and I found myself wishing for something more sturdy. I wanted something more than this. This… relationship was forced on me. In another world I asked Olivia out because I liked her. I would like her brown hair, brown eyes, and soft smile. I would like the way her voice was soft and that she enjoyed everything life brought to her. I would tell her that I loved her and she'd say it back.

But that would be in a different world. In this world, I'd rather be two thousand miles away from here. Two thousand miles away from my parents, away from this dinner, and away from the dammed house I have to return to later tonight.

Olivia's head lifted from my chest and she looked up at me, smiling. A dimple forming on the side of her face. I plastered a smile on my face and leaned down, kissing her briefly. I've learned from past experience that if I don't kiss her enough she'll tell her 'daddy'. Olivia may be seventeen, and yes she is a sweetheart, but she hasn't mastered the art of keeping her mouth shut.