expensive gambles

0.03

ACT I : SCENE III — "a very strange stay"

— LAUGHTER resounded throughout the room, a soft hand gripping her own as the other guided her movement by her waist. Valeria smiled brightly, her hair flowing in the wind as wings as she was twirled and spun and lifted and pulled about. Her dress flew in all directions as she danced around the room, like a bird soaring through the sky with no worries or cares.

     Nash Hawthorne, the oldest Hawthorne sibling, chuckled at the sight of such a happy girl — his happy girl. The older man held her soft hands tightly as music played from hidden speakers, shielded from sight to provide a sense of fantasy.

     Nash and Valeria had a peculiar relationship: they felt like siblings, yet she thought of him as the father figure she never had. The Hawthorne was prone to protecting her, following her around Hawthorne House and Rockefeller State aimlessly in attempts of keeping her safe after the accident.

     As the duo whirled about the ballroom, large windows decorated with ethereal pillars and soft colors replaced a wall in the far eastern part. Curtains attempted to hide sunlight, but their sheerness allowed for rays to shine through and illuminate the room with a cheerful light. The rounded walls displayed paintings of angels and clouds and skies with stars shining brightly in every corner, statues of greek gods and goddesses hidden between pillars at all sides. Carvings painted gold adorned the ceiling, pale blue and white hinting innocence and purity as a gigantic chandelier — light diamonds draped down it, tangled in a perfectly organized way as matching candles decorated each side of it — hung from the center, an indent of a rhombus where it began.

     The entrance to the ballroom opened, capturing the duo's attention while Nash carefully lowered Valeria to the ground after he lifted her in the air. Five boys walked in, behind them, two girls followed curiously as they glanced about the room, admiring its Elysian beauty.

     Alexander Hawthorne's mouth hung open and his brows touched his lashes, eyes narrowed with disgust at the sight.

"My dear Val," he began, making Valeria hold her weight on one leg and cross her arms below her chest. "You do realize that he's ancient, right? If Nash was donated to a museum, he'd be placed with the dinosaurs because he's a literal fossil."

     "Watch it, kid," Nash grunted, glaring at his youngest brother with mischief glinting in his dark eyes.

     Rockefeller chuckled softly, her hand over her mouth as Nash rolled his eyes and approached his brothers, the DuPont siblings, Lawrence Astor, and Abigail Livingston.

     Alexander rushed towards Valeria, gingerly placing his spotless hand above her shoulder as he violently gestured towards the oldest Hawthorne. "Listen, I'm not here to judge your tastes, but an old man?

     "We both know that I'm the best option for you," he taunted, winking confidently at the girl without a care for his brother.

     Jameson laughed at Nash's expression when he slapped the back of Xander's head. Jamie was clutching his stomach while his shoulders shook with fervor. Blissfully unaware of the eyes that memorized his body, Grayson Hawthorne simply shook his head in disapproval as the other four teenagers wandered throughout the space.

     Abigail Livingston briefly pulled on the curtains, the rough texture of the fabric running against the tips of her fingers. She mumbled something that Valeria couldn't hear, nor did she feel the need to. Her ebony eyes followed Abigail's movements, admiring the way her body seemed so elegant and timeless and beautiful and like a butterfly that flew in the wind, aiming to live.