gravity - succession

one

You were the baby Roy. You were another child between Logan and Caroline after they divorced. It was one night of relapse that led to you. You were only twenty-five as Kendall was turning forty.

It was hard being so much younger than your siblings. You grew up mostly alone considering your siblings were grown and moved out by the time you were old enough to make many memories. You were closest to Shiv just because of the closer age but even then you were apart. An ocean apart.

Shiv didn't really have any use for you. Shiv was concerned with being daddy's favorite just as all the rest of them (except Connor) which meant you were left alone. Even your parents ignored you.

Caroline went back to England and Logan was too concerned with the company. Plus, Logan had three successors before you. He didn't have any concern for you. Not really. But still he always liked to pull you back into his web just like everyone else. And of course you let him swallow you back up into the web because you were so starved for affection. It was pathetic.

But as of now, he had no use for you. As of now, you were the Roy that had dropped out of business school only a year ago (shortly after the wedding Shiv had). No one knew why except your father and he had shipped you off to Uncle Ewan, not wanting to deal with you, to live in the country.

It was peaceful. You liked it up there with no one to bother you, out in the country, and you felt like you could breathe. And your father contacted you a few times but phone calls never lasted more than a few minutes. It was almost like he didn't know how to deal with you (which he didn't) because he didn't want to broach the subject of what happened a year ago so he simply ignored it. It allowed you to ignore it, too. Almost.

But today you were going back to New York City. Kendall was having his birthday and you would not miss it. You hadn't missed a single one of your siblings' birthdays just on the off chance they might for once notice you, acknowledge you, have need of you. But they had not. It didn't mean you wouldn't continue to try.

So here you were. At his very weird birthday party where the entrance was their mother's vagina. Your eyes had never been so wide. Despite that shock, you continued on. You asked around for Kendall until you came to the tree house.

You smiled prettily, politely, at the security as you asked them to tell you where Kendall was. If they could please make an exception. And they did. You were surprised as you were led through the tree house and right to Kendall. You smiled again at the guard with the soft words of thank you on your lips. The guard was starstruck as he nodded.

The look went unnoticed by you, too blind, too innocent, as you walked forward happily towards your big brother, "Kendall!"

He had been talking to someone but you didn't much care. You were happy to see him. He blinked as he paused in whatever he was saying to stare at you in surprise.

"El?" he questioned.

He had stood and you had immediately hugged him, wrapping him in a tight hug, hoping he wouldn't let go as you smiled so brightly, "Happy birthday!"

Kendall peeled you off of him like you were an unwanted leper which the guest he was with noticed. And he noticed how your smile fell a bit as Kendall did so.

"Thanks, El, but I'm kind of busy right now," Kendall said.

"Oh," your eyes glanced at the blonde guest that you had no idea who he was but you thought he looked rather handsome before you directed your gaze back to Kendall.

"Wait, how did you even get in here?"

You smiled brightly again, "Your security let me in. He was nice."