Chapter 7

Shop was exactly what we did. That’s just how Jessalyn and I are, and that’s our love language and the only time we ever really get along. We could walk around and shop all day and never get tired of swiping any card as long as it was neither of ours. And this time it seemed that Jessalyn wasn’t holding back and it seemed like she was shopping with the intent of trying to max out Octavious’ card but it wouldn’t work because well, Octavious is worth billions. 

 We returned home in the early hours of the morning after our feet protested over the endless hours of stopping at all of the designer stores that were available and open. 

I wanted to sleep in for as long as I could but my mum and dad decided that we should have breakfast in bed, in my room. So that's how we're all sitting on my bed, enjoying the left over pizza from a few hours ago when Jessalyn and I went on a shopping spree.

I groaned, rolling my eyes, "what's wrong?" my mother asked me as she lightly dabbed the corner of her lips and started to eat her second slice of pizza. My mother didn't have on the usual designer dress or outfit that would turn heads, instead she wore one of my father's shirts and a pair of his pyjama pants that were very loose on her. Her hair was in a low messy ponytail and her face was clear of any and all make up.

My father on the other hand wore a tank top and a pair of black sweatpants. Jessalyn had slept in my room and we were still wearing last night's clothes because we were too exhausted to change out of them.

"Ugh, I just remembered that I have a Biology assignment that I have to submit in two days," I sighed, reaching for another slice of pizza, "and here I thought I was going to spend my time here relaxing."

I wasn't the smartest student, but I damn sure might be the prettiest. My compliment to myself aside, I depended on assignments because they always boosted my marks. I hated studying for tests and exams. So, I would usually rely on three hours of "studying" and general knowledge before I went in to write a paper. Which barely got me anywhere, so assignments always helped because with that I could concentrate more and do much better.

"So, I need to get started on it ASAP, because shoo, God knows how desperately I need to do this," I went on further as I laughed lightly but nobody joined in. Instead, they all avoided my eyes and cleared their throats, looking at their food instead of me, "ok, I didn't mean that I purposely fail. I mean, I do study, you know," I immediately thought I'd get an earful from my mother about how I need to concentrate.

"Oh, yeah, sweetie, we get that," my mother said with a smile as she reached forward and tucked my hair behind my ear, "so, I was thinking that we spend today bonding as just the girls because your dad has some things to talk to Octvaious about. What do you think?" I nodded my head.

"There's a spa somewhere in Octvaious' mansion, or maybe we could go to the one on 5th Avenue," I reminded Jessalyn of the spa we had walked past and promised we would go back to because it looked like female heaven, "that way we'll be all the way relaxed and groomed for tonight."

The smiles fell off their faces when I said this, and I thought maybe they forgot, "you know, Octavious' dinner party, or something like that."

I looked at each of them with a frown, what's going on here, "is everything ok? Did you guys forget about tonight? You guys are acting really weird..." I decided to tell them.

"No, nothing at all. I'm just lost in thought about work and stuff. I completely forgot about tonight," my mum let out a light laugh, easing my worries.

"Excuse me," Jessalyn said as she stood up and left the room and I looked after her before looking at my mum.

My mother patted me gently on the shoulder, "we should start getting ready for the day, alright? Be ready in an hour."

~~~

"I don't believe you!" Jessalyn exclaimed loudly, blocking her ears, "I don't want to believe you!" 

I burst out laughing, unable to stop the unnaturally ugly laugh that came all the way from the pits of my stomach as I laughed at the story that my mum was telling me about how she had a running stomach while she was attending to Jennifer Lawrence and she asked for the bathroom but she couldn't reach it in time and she had to take a dump in a vase, right in the middle of the hallway. 

My mother was laughing just as loudly as I was, "and I couldn't stop. The diarrhoea kept coming out and it was uncontrollable!" she spoke over the loud noise of our laughs and trying to get a word in between her cackles. 

"Oh, my God! My stomach!" I complained, wiping tears from my eyes as I shook my head at my mum's story, unable to wrap my head around the fact that my mother took a dump in a $200,000 vase in Jennifer Lawrence's home. 

"I think it's safe to say that she didn't call me and my team ever again," my mother completed, wiping tears from her eyes as she calmed down finally and reached for her glass of champagne that was held by a waitress who stood in the room silently. 

We had just gotten our massages, went to a steam room, got our nails done, and now we were relaxing, doing facials. 

"I would never live it down," Jessalyn said as she giggled and laid back further into her chair, letting out a breath. 

"I loved every bit of that massage," I croaked out, still feeling the masseuse's hands on my body even though I had the massage hours ago, "I really wish we had more moments like this. I wish we could spend time together like this more often," I said to them, my eyes closed as I thought about how our lives are so busy back home that we don't ever get to spend time together. 

My parents are always working. Always out of the country, attending red carpet events and attending to rich people while Jessalyn and I are left home alone. Jessalyn spends all of her free time with Dash and she and I can go weeks without seeing each other even though we live under the same roof. And I spend my time with my friends and going out to parties, or shopping, and then spending the rest of the day at home. 

I don't mind it, I don't mind how busy life is, it's just that I'm having a lot of fun right now and I wish we could hang out a bit more. Even when we do go on vacation, my parents still work and leave Jessalyn and I to do whatever we want. 

In some ways, Jessalyn has been more of a mother than my mother has been. Again, I'm not complaining. The lifestyle that we live needs to be worked hard for, especially for a black family. It's very rare for black people to succeed, and where a white man can simply walk, we have to soar and fly. And that's what my parents are doing, trying to give us a better chance at life and I'll forever be grateful. 

"I really treasure moments like this, you know," I continued lightly, feeling my eyelids relaxing even more and I knew I was going to fall asleep, "who knows when we'll hang out again with Jessalyn going off to college?" I let out a sad smile as I turned my face to look at Jessalyn. 

Jessalyn was making sure that she was going to the furthest college from home, so that she could be even more free with her boyfriend Dash. But then again, she already has that freedom. She's moving to Paris, to learn Dance and start up a career in modelling, since she's already signed to a modelling agency. She wants to go into it further. 

She's going to be leaving me behind in Los Angeles. I've never thought of leaving home and I probably never will. Who would want to leave California? 

I could see that both women had been rendered speechless and instead of probing further or trying to diffuse the situation I just let them be. They've been acting strange, and I would just leave them be. 

"I wasn't just going to leave and never come back," Jessalyn spoke up, her voice low and levelled, "I don't want you thinking that I was just trying to leave you, Nastassia." 

"I know that," I said with a half-hearted smile, "I'm too loveable to leave behind."

"No, Nastassia. I'm serious. I'm only leaving because I want to explore the world and go further into modelling. It's not because I want to be as far away from you as possible. I mean, you do irritate the fuck out of me but you're still my baby sister at the end of the day and all I want is to keep you safe and protected. But you're all grown up now...and things are going to change."

I sighed, letting out a breath, rolling my eyes, "just say that you're leaving so that you and Dash can be with each other without anyone holding you back. You're probably eloping with him, because as always, you've picked him over the family," I let out, opening my eyes to give her a sharp glare.

I was upset that she acted like she cared, "you're willing to do just about anything to be with that demon spawn you call a boyfriend."

"What the -...where the fuck is this coming from?"

"From me, Jessalyn. Who else is it supposed to come from? Where is it supposed to come from? This entire time, whenever Dash isn't around, you become this emotionless shell that just wanders around without purpose like he's all that you live for. You've lost yourself for some si-"

"Nastassia, that's enough," my mother tried to intervene and stop the fight that was coming.

"No, mum, it's not enough because I'm tired of Jessalyn," I turned my attention back to Jessalyn, sitting up in my chair, "I'm tired of the way that you're acting, Jessalyn. This person you've become is such scum-"

"Who the hell do you think you are, Nastassia?" Jessalyn snapped at me, "you know, you're always so quick to-"

"Look at you, Jessalyn. Look at the way you're treating everyone around you. Look at how you disrespect me, the way you disrespect mum and dad, and then look at the way that you treat Dash like he can't do any fucking wrong."

Jessalyn scoffed and then looked at my mum before she looked at me, "your parents don't deserve any of my respect," she said in between clenched jaws.

"My parents?" I repeated, looking at my mum and then at Jessalyn.

"I don't want anything to do with this family, Nastassia. I don't want anything to do with this woman, and that man that she calls a husband. Yes, if it were up to me, I would've left a long fucking time ago but I've got you to take care of."

"Wow, Jessalyn, you really never fail to amaze me."

"Enough! The both of you, enough!" my mother exclaimed as Jessalyn and I glared at each other.

Jessalyn shook her head in disappointment at me, "if only you knew, Nastassia..." she stood up and silently left the room.

I sat back in my chair and wrapped my arms around myself, closing my eyes for a moment as I tried to collect my breath and avoid looking at my mother.