XAVIER ROCKWELL
Dad's house looked visibly and aesthetically expensive on the outside. I'm sure he got the best architect in the industry just to build this breathtaking mansion. The house was made out of stones and glass and there's even two pools and a Jacuzzi. They even got some tropical plants and I just don't how to react. I could still remember the house that dad got for me and my mom, it was still a big house but it wasn't as expensive as this. He really got his shot for his true family and just bought a bootleg version for his mistress and bastard.
When we finally got inside the house I was even more stupefied to see that the inside was even more designed with expensive looking stuff made out of marbles and crystals and all of the shiny stuff. There are two side by side statues of cherubim welcoming us by the door. And as I stepped inside following my dad, I was quick to notice the floor was made out of good marbles and they were glistening. I was instantly ashamed to walk with my dirty and wet shoes. I felt really poor and unwanted and I just had to shrug it off.
"You don't have to worry about the mess, my son. The maids would clean them up later." My dad muttered reassuring me that I shouldn't get so worried about everything.
"Oh, okay."
"Follow me."
I followed my dad and as I was walking, my eyes roamed around the place. They have a huge crystalized chandelier hanging on the ceiling. I would say that Michiko's house was bigger and more expensive than this place, however, they're both riddled with expensive stuff that I can't even begin to grasp how fucking real this situation was. I was walking into a room filled with, probably judgmental people. I could see the ornaments on each corners and I already know he didn't buy them here. He must've gone to other countries just to collect all of this stuff. Rich people would really buy silly stuff that they don't even need. There's a life size statuesque figure of a Trojan horse in one corner. There's also a replicated painting of The Mona Lisa hanging on the wall right before we turn towards the kitchen. I was dead ass wrong. It wasn't even a kitchen to begin with, it was a dining hall. As soon as my eyes hit the capacious room, there I was immediately frozen on my toes.
The elongated dining table was all filled with strangers and the buzz in the room just added to my already existing anxiety. I am utterly dumbfounded to find out that this wasn't just a simple family thanksgiving but instead, this is almost a banquet. Clearly, this is a shindig for my dad's family and everyone else that's connected to that. The feeling that I don't belong in this place just became stronger that I even I don't want to continue in this shit. My eyes unconsciously observed the entire hall and I found a few ginger heads like me. I immediately assumed they are somehow related to me. Everyone noticed my dad's arrival and they were all smiling wide enough completely letting me know how important he was in this dinner.
"Xavier, come on. Let me lead you to your chair." My dad waved over at me, little did he know, I was already thinking of turning around and running away. I was scammed, at least that's how I felt in this moment. I've been stressing over how my dad's family would react to me but it turned out this is much bigger and much more exhausting that I would've realized.
"Yeah..." I nodded faking a smile. I know I can't, even if I wanted to, I can't really back away from this ordeal. I'm literally being forced against my will to put on this unused and dusty congenial mask just to be polite and kind with these strangers.
"Hey, I know you!" I heard a tiny little voice and when I looked for it, I saw the little girl that I recognized was from somewhere before when I was first hanging out with Jordi. With her tiny little steps, she came running towards me. "You were the one who saved Muffin! Daddy, he's the guy who saved Muffin!" The little girl trailed off with such flaring energy.
"Oh, is that so?" My dad smiled looking over me.
"Y-yes, Yes, I did." I nodded smiling at her. "Hi, there! My name's Xavier. What's your name?"
"Xenna. My name's Xenna and I'm seven years old." The girl replied gritting with such enthusiasm. "Why do you have the same hair like me?" Xenna then asked and me and my dad just exchanged some look.
"Xenna, Xavier is your brother!" My dad uttered all of a sudden. I flushed in heat not really expecting him to just introduce me like that.
"Xavier. Hello." The little girl waved over at me and suddenly, she became shy and slowly walked away.
"Ooh, you're going to get used to her. She's really filled with energy but all of a sudden, she becomes shy and all of that." My dad mumbled to me.
My dad eventually led me to this chair and it was at the very edge, almost literally telling me that I'm just nothing in comparable to these strangers that I'm yet to meet. I almost felt like I'm only invited just to fill up an empty chair and honestly, I'm already starting to feel excluded. I have never been the social pariah but this feels like I'm one right now and I'm going to be honest, it does not feel correct.
"Alright, I believe everybody's already here!!!" My dad began making his voice loud and firm once he reached his spot right in the opposite top center where he's looking like the king of this household. As soon as he said those words, everyone got up from their chair and I did what just everybody did. I also caught a few pairs of curious eyes looking over at me as if they trying to figure out who the fuck I was. I had no other choice but to smile as if I'm feeling much much alright with this set up. "Welcome everyone to this year's thanksgiving dinner. I'm glad every single one of you could make it." My dad went on and I was truly hoping to listen to him speak but the woman on sitting right by my side got my attention.
"Hi, there!" The woman with a brunette hair and a strong blush on flashed a smile on me.
"Hey." I faked a smile at her.
"I'm Mila, nice to meet you." She giggled.
"I'm Xavier."
"As per the Rockwell's tradition, Grandma Stella will be leading the prayer." My dad bellowed and then my eyes quickly found this old woman with the same red hair, she's probably around the age of eighty something.
Grandma Stella took the spotlight. As I was trying to get my observation of her, I noticed she was a woman of style too. She's wearing this lavish hat adorned with a single dyed ostrich feather and she seemed like she's very much healthy for an old woman around her age. She almost looked like Queen Elizabeth II except that she had red hair.
By the time the prayer was over, my dad took over the reins again. He raised his glass for a toast.
"Oh, so, who are you again? Are you the son of Ezekiel?" As we all took our seat, the woman beside me began entertaining me again. "You definitely look like him."
"Ezekiel? No, I-I'm not." I shook my head in confusion.
The woman looked over at my dad who was speaking once again and then she quickly turned back to look at me. "Oh, shi... Sorry."
Immediately, I knew the dots just connected in her mind. "Yeah..." I smiled in a very awkward fashion.
Things suddenly became awkward and Mila just went fascinatingly quiet. It was very telling of how I think the few other people in this gathering would treat eventually me. I don't know what's running through her mind but I'm guessing she's thoroughly confused and that she's probably trying to figure out where the heck did I came from.
As the dinner began, I kept on noticing everyone else giving me a curious look and it's making me feel uncomfortable. I thought having thanksgiving dinner with Hector and my mom was already unpleasant but this was way worse. I don't really have an appetite but I got my congenial mask on and I ended up having to fake everything else. Enjoying the food was an acting. Looking at other people and smiling like a dog was an acting. For the most part, I just ate my food in painful silence. Mila, the woman beside me was just talking to the other guy on her side. I didn't really mean to pry but I'm literally hearing them speaking in this fake accent and I just learned that the guy she was talking to was her husband and her husband was actually my dad's wife's younger brother. I looked over to the opposite part of the long table and I saw my dad's wife, she was a woman fond of bright colors apparently. She looked like she's a nice woman and maybe she's truly a nice woman. I noticed my dad was talking with the people nearest to him and his wife must've said something that my dad gave her a glare. The glare was seemingly controlling and my dad's wife shut her mouth.
As the dinner dragged on, I eventually crossed eyes with this red hair woman probably two or three years older than me. With the black lipstick, a black eye shadow and a black eye liner, she's mostly a goth base on assumption except that she's not wearing an outfit that's back. She smiled at me and I back at her. Judging from the looks of it, she seemed like she's my older sister. Sitting right next to her, was this guy who somehow looked just like me except that he's slender and much more timid-looking. We both seemed like we are both around the same age. I know for sure he's my brother and then right next to him was Xenna who was busy chomping on a turkey leg.
As I focused on deshelling my lobster, my eyes eventually brushed upon the succulent looking roasted turkey lying idly right in front of me. I have had turkey before but it was a very long time ago that I almost forgot how it tasted. Somehow, staring at the meat and smelling its scent, it made my stomach. I am finally gaining some appetite. As I was about to take a slice, this older guy from the other side of the table just took the entire platter. I was disappointed.
By the time we finished eating, everyone else were busy socializing with each other. From my point of view, my dad invited the extended members of the family. Mila finally got over herself and began entertaining me once again. She eventually told me about every single member of the family to which she also ended up gossiping about them. She spilled every dirt on everybody and I just felt ashamed that she's about to know I was the bastard son of this house's patriarch.
After the dinner, everyone eventually moved to the pool where the drinks and the socializing continued. I initially thought it's about time for me to leave the place mostly because the only person who had conversation with me was Mila and she's not even that nice of a person. She's got shit on everybody and I was just nodding and pretending as if I cared if Henry cheated multiple times on his wife, Samara. Or that my dad's wife was a weak and frivolous woman who can't seem to speak on her terms.
My dad soon came up to me and the time that I've been dreading the most has finally come. He eventually introduced me to his wife, Rachel. Rachel was actually a nice person and I was glad she doesn't hate me. Maybe she does but she just doesn't have the capacity to lash out. While she doesn't have much to say about me, my older sister Xiomara definitely had a lot to say. She read me to filth and I felt very much degraded by her mean demeanor. My older brother Xander on the other hand was utterly shocked about my existence but we're actually cool with each other.
Eventually, as much as I wanted to be kept a dirty secret, the word spread throughout the small crowd and everyone began introducing themselves to me. It was honestly an exhausting night and I just want to drop this congenial mask before I get burnt out. Some of the members of the family were really quite nice to me, though I know it must be a front. And the others, they weren't very shy about their true feelings towards me. A lot of people asked me about my mom and I just simply gave them a generic answer. Nothing too detailed, nothing too complicated. I don't want my mom to be brought up in this even though I know it's inevitable.
"Hey, listen up everybody!" My dad shouted calling everybody's attention. "I'm sure everyone already met my son, Xavier." He eventually walked right beside me, tapping me by the shoulder. "I'm ashamed of my sins but I'm very proud of my son." He went on and I heard a lot of whispering and I just had to suck the unpleasant feeling up. I saw my sister Xiomara rolled her eyes and eventually walked out of the place.
"Dad." I mumbled under my breath.
"Since he's already here and you all got the chance to meet him, I thought it's about time for me to make this announcement. I have been thinking a lot lately and I know I don't have much time left in this world." My dad smiled at me and the smile felt very conniving from my very own point of view at least. "I know every single one of you have been waiting for me to announce this. It's probably way too early to announce this but I have made the decision to name my son, Xavier Rockwell, the sole successor to everything I possess." My dad casually dropped the bomb and immediately, I saw a lot of sour expressions. People began to bicker and my dad just shrugged them off of his shoulder. "That would be all, have a good night." My dad ended eventually walking out and leaving everyone else including me astronomically dumbfounded.