[to all who are still chained by tension and evident disdain towards those who have wronged you.]
• • • •
It was, without a doubt, the longest flight of Ryan's life. His mind was engulfed by memories as he sat there in solitude, a subtle smile playing on his lips towards the bright rays of the sun beaming against his skin. It was easy to chuckle at the thought, the immense hold the young artist had on him- which was in no way dependent on whether or not she was present.
The garden of cotton was continuously pierced by the large wing of the airplane, all while the unrelenting orange and yellow hues of the sky morphed into them. He breathed in deeply for the one hundredth time throughout the flight. It wasn't long before members of his family seeped into his mind, the group of people he was reluctantly returning home to. After so many attempts to suppress it, he allowed swift guilt to engulf him- although, rather reluctantly.
If he had a true choice, he would've stayed in a heartbeat, which did nothing but show him the tragic state he was in with his family. Going back home wasn't so much about easing their worries about him being gone. In fact, he doubted the possibility of them even noticing his absence. He had always counted on his communication with Shay throughout the years, but even that seemed to be questionable lately. And now, as he absentmindedly held his breath while watching the plane descend, he came to the realization of the true reason for his homecoming. He wouldn't get the warm welcoming he had always expected, but every single time he did come home, there was always a sliver of hope in him that perhaps his family had changed whilst he was away. A truly ridiculous wish on his part.
"Hope you've been studying that book I gave you, Ryan. I can only assume you've been reading it during these sporadic flights, hmm?" His father's tone felt rather detached and annoyed, as if Ryan had nothing better to do than to avidly study a profession he was undoubtably not fit for.
Ryan hummed in response with a stoic expression, intently focusing on his plate as a barrier for any eye contact between his parents.
"Where's Shay anyway," his mother muttered with sudden disdain. Her face stiffened substantially as she angrily picked on her food with the shimmering silverware. Ryan couldn't really understand her insistence in these family dinners since after all, they never fortified or healed the strained relationship between them.
"It's not like she actually enjoys these dinners so I'm not surprised," Ryan mumbled under his breath before leaving his glass just shy of his lips. Once he raised his gaze, he met eyes with two very stoic elders- their lack of enthusiasm never a true surprise- as he placed the glass back on the table. His mother's gaze held certain intimidation as she remained tightlipped, fully aware Ryan's statement was nothing but truth. Her husband remained unaffected as he ate. Gerald Eckhardt was known for being a man of few words- unless he was expected to take over a court room with his irrefutable arguments.
"Well, you should talk to your sister about that." The room felt tense as Ryan's father spoke out of nowhere. "These dinners aren't planned just to be ignored."
"How about you guys call her instead?" Ryan probed agitatedly. He knew the brazenness needed for his altered tone and attitude towards them, but it wasn't like he cared about it any longer. A silent stare down was reciprocated between the two men, the son being all too familiar with the routine. There was rarely any sincerity in these conversations, all masked by detectable deception and indirect jabs towards each other's character. The young man had grown tired of the painstaking process. It was concrete and predictable, the only task for him had been to survive these dinners- long enough to then live out another day with the same ominous corruption in his home.
Thankfully, the rigid eye contact was interrupted by the muffled sound of a door opening and closing, all while being accompanied by the clanging of Shay's high heels against the marble floors.
"Sorry I'm late," she slurred with little to no emotion. Ryan could detect a swift hesitation from her in regards to sitting on the chair next to him, and while he fully expected her to move, she ultimately took her seat with an agitated sigh.
"And why were you late?" their mother insisted with a hypocritical mask of patience.
"I was with a friend. I have a social life, mother." The blonde's tone of disdain radiated throughout the dining room, and yet it was nothing compared to the sudden tension draping over Ryan completely towards the sound of her words. His jaw stiffened at the nonchalant answer his sister had given, fully aware who this friend was.
It was then that his gaze shifted to his side as he looked at her for a moment, eyes filled with subtle anger. She had reciprocated the glance, of course, feeling the air being sucked out of the room as they shared the same intensive eye contact. Shay knew well Ryan wouldn't say anything at the moment- he was never avid in initiating drama- but the decipherable discontentment on his face served as a sharp knife, nonetheless. The sudden interruption of their mother's heavy sigh brought them out of the trance, only to then refocus on their parents.
"Well, now that we're all here, I'd like to announce that small gathering us Eckhardt's are known for this year." Her eyes lit up a bit as she spoke. Ryan had no doubt this was about her preconceived notion that a party would ease away the tension both her and her husband had been keen in neglecting.
"It's not a party if they're all business partners," Shay remarked under her breath.
"Just make sure you're both there," their mother reciprocated bitterly. Her pearls dangled and twinkled effortlessly from her neck, and although they weren't the most extravagant items Ryan had seen her wearing throughout their new lifestyle, his mind wandered to the times when those simple pearls would've been worth far more in their once humble and poor eyes compared to the blinding greed they were now victims of.
"Thanks for dinner," he added out of nowhere as he lifted himself off the chair. He was known for being the first to leave, and frankly, Ryan would not have even considered staying for more than a whole hour- two if he felt generous enough sometimes.
"Off to make another pointless flight out of here?" The obvious hostility in his mother's voice caused him to exhale deeply through his nose- carefully controlling the evident annoyance seemingly choking him. He was close to answering back. That is, until Shay intervened.
"Consider yourself lucky that he actually comes back home," she declared with new determination. Her eyes drifted over to Ryan as he remained standing near the table, only to see subtle confusion on his face towards her impromptu need to defend him. She didn't know why she had done it either, to be frank. Nevertheless, the blonde was aware that regardless of the tension between them, it didn't change the common denominator between them both. The pair absolutely detested the tension between the family, and would always find common ground when it came to that.
"Can you believe this, Marilyn?" The potent voice of their father echoed across the dining hall, all while Ryan remained standing near the table in expectation for what would escape from his father's lips. "All of this," he gestured, "and they still find something to complain about."
Mr. Eckhardt held certain humor in his tone and face, as if what he was declaring was merely incredulous to him. His wife didn't react much, however. Her face remained stiff, although she did clearly acknowledge her husband's remark. Yet another indirect jab towards their children's seemingly repulsive behavior. Ryan knew well what would happen if he acted upon his instincts, letting all the pent up hatred suddenly boil to the surface in what was supposed to be a good family dinner. Truth be told, none of them were. Without fail, each dinner ended in an uncomfortable tone and unlike this one, they would all suppress the act of letting the truth escape from their lips. In other words, allowing pure hypocrisy to rule the family.
"Then why is it that I'd rather spend time with anyone else rather than you guys?" Shay enquired. The blonde could feel the hatred surface inside of her, all while the irritable stinging of her eyes engulfed her with dreadful tears. Her skin turned a bit white as she clenched her grip on her fork- nearly fuming. She would never understand why she had bothered to come in the first place.
"Do you hear yourselves?! After I sweated and bled for this future, you're going to sit there like the spoiled brat you are and tell me it's useless?!" Shay's lips quivered towards her father's tone. She had never bothered to answer back to him, or talk to him at all lately. The heated response from him had clearly answered her question as to why.
"So did your love for the family bleed out, too?" Ryan probed with a stiffened jaw, merely witnessing as his father allowed an amused chuckled to escape his lips.
"Oh," their father chuckled, "now I know where she gets it from." Mr. Eckhardt declared this with a sharp look towards Shay, only to then land on his son.
"I'm just curious," Ryan shrugged, a fake coat of concern draped over his face while true disdain was merely the one thing being masked at the moment. It was then that the clanging of silverware lingered in the room as his parents continued their meal stoically. He hated it. It was that dreadful silence Ryan despised more than anything. "And to be honest, I think I liked you both better when we were dirt poor."
Ryan knew well the amount of work it took for his father to provide for his family. And while he admired him for that, the greedy man his father had morphed into was not part of the admiration. The young man remained still on his feet as he watched his father drink from the pristine and shimmering glass, all while merely ignoring his son, who was nearly feet away from his side.
"Each side of the spectrum has its problems, Ryan." The interruption had come from his mother, who was avidly arranging the food on her plate with grace as she watched it all transpire. "But you sure as hell don't have the right to stomp on the hard work your father had to go through to get us here. Both of you."
"And you think growing up without our parents isn't hard work?!" Shay hissed through her tears. There was not one day she didn't feel neglected by her parents, absentmindedly treated like some dog that would be entertained with whatever was given to her. Money was no object at this point, and a vital tool for her to try to satisfy the lack of attention she craved from her parents.
"You know what's funny? I'm pretty sure Shay and I know you both better than you know us," Ryan spat. "Like for example, I know that no matter what happens after tonight, going to that stupid party is in no way optional. And you're going to ask us to be in our best behavior, practicing that great gift us Eckhardt's have at being hypocrites."
Ryan rendered the entire room speechless as his broad chest heaved with relief. Regardless of getting all of his thoughts out in the open, the unwavering tension remained draped over him. His gaze fell upon Shay as she stood up in a haste and threw the napkin from her lap onto the table and over her plate, avidly walking out with the lingering sounds of the heels against the floor following her. If they were on good terms, Ryan would've followed her, fully aware of the weight the argument had had on her. Out of all people, he knew what she felt towards their parents neglect. Nevertheless, he remained still. He watched as his mother mirrored her daughter's actions- although, a lot more subtle as she excused herself from the table with no shred of emotion on her rigid face. It wasn't long before Mr. Eckhardt stood on his feet, towering a mere inch or two higher than his son as he held the napkin against his mouth while remaining deep in thought. The napkin then rested against the table before he shifted his attention to his son.
"Sorry to disappoint," he spat. Mr. Eckhardt's words held evident bitterness as he stared at his son- the son he would buy the world for.
"Likewise," Ryan reciprocated with a stiffened expression, allowing the sound of his steps to linger across the luxurious home as he walked out. He was going home, all while praying a goodnight sleep would somehow diminish the horrid evening his homecoming had morphed into.
• • • •
no this is not a glitch. i actually updated on a Sunday ^.^ i wanted to sort of kick off the drama in this story so i opted for 'surprise sunday' xD so this is just a little gift <3
but omg guys, this is just the beginning of the drama ;) i hope you bought that hat i suggested lol
like... y'all don't even know what i have planned heheeh ;)
what do you think of this? who do you feel for the most? who do you disagree with? or better yet, any new or more detailed perspectives that surprised you?
ps. holyndkssn that gif got me wrecked hah
(yes, you're welcome for these)
comment/vote, babes!
xoxo
-Kayyyy