Iris [h.s.]

Prologue

I loved heels until I was forced to wear them from the age of 10 by my brutal mother because "heels showed true maturity" and because according to her "a face like that was born to model". As you can assume, I fed into that and believed I was a natural born model, doing pagents, photoshoots, the whole nine yards for a majority of my life.
This lasted up until my parents divorced in the summer of 2009. Only being 15 at the time, of course I thought it was the end of the world because they were suppose to be in love and stay together forever, little did I know the marriage had been at a downward spiral for the past 4 years. My father still being in the lime-light tried to keep us all out of the public, which ended up with my 16 year old brother, 18 year old sister and I in Ukraine.
I was taken out of the modeling industry, sent off to my Aunt Bethel's house in Ukraine for the next year as my parents battled for custody of Merida, Alfie, and I. I guess you could say Merida went a little stir crazy being hidden away in a cottage in Ukraine and decided to make the best of it and use her age as advantage to turn to alcohol.
To make a long story short, Alfie and I decided to live with my dad in New York while Merida flew off to France with my mom and my new soon-to-be step-father, Allen.
Fast forward 6 years and here we are now.. Alfie following in my dads footsteps, My dad still at the peak of his career and then we have me. Trying to stay as normal as possible isn't as easy as it sounds when your parents shocked the world with the most surprising divorce of the century, your brother's acting career taking off and your sister sleeping around with any male with money and a penis.

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'ALFIE ABERNATHY SEEN WITH HADLEY BOWMAN.. NEW ROMANCE?'

"Okay, Had, last time you help Alfie with grocery shopping." I take the magazine with me as I unfold myself from the couch. "Alfie seen with Iris' best friend Hadley Bowman, how does she feel about it? See pg. 30 for more details" I read as I enter the Kitchen, throwing my apple core away as I sit up on the island.

"I can't believe you even bought that, honestly" "I wanted to read page 30 for more details" Sarcasm clear in my voice, causing her to let out a small laugh. "Did you know that Hilary Duff is 27 years old? She is 5 years older than us and already she has a child and been married for 5 years." I whine, crossing my legs on the counter and taking the coffee mug Hadley is handing me.
"I'm half way there, we just have your pretty little butt to worry about, now" She smirks, yanking the magazine from my hand and tossing it in the trash as she prances to her room. "We have to be at 21 club by 7" "How could I possibly forget the famous Damion Abernathy's birthday celebration?" she says cheerfully.

By 6:00 I am rushing around my room to find thr right shoes with my outfit. "Hadley, Where are my nude heels?" I crouch down to look under my bed, making sure I didn't kick them under there. "The ones I wore last weekend are in my room, I think they might be in my closet?" she manages to say with a mouthful of cheetos. I turn to see her fully dressed in a maroon dress that stops at her knees with the shoes I got her for christmas last year. "Cute shoes" I smirk as I run past her to get to my shoes. I sit on her bed and pull them on as she comes back in my room with my make-up, sitting the cheetos on the bed beside me. "So, do you know who all is going to be there tonight?" She asks as she begins slapping my foundation on my face. "I'm assuming everyone important, dad wouldn't dream of anything less" "This is why I should've been born into the Abernathy family, You don't use it to your full advantage" I roll my eyes, Hadley laughing at her own joke.

We make it by 7:00 and I'm able to wish my dad a happy birthday, then continue searching for my brother with Hadley right behind me. "Alfie" She yells, waving him over, inturupting him talking to a leggy brunette. He gives us both a hug and intorduces us to his leggy friend who's name I don't bother remembering. "Did Merida or Julia bother coming?" "Merida might be around here somewhere, mom and Allen didn't bother returning my call" "Typical" I roll my eyes and rest on one of the free bar stools behind me. "Why did Merida even come? She hasn't talked to Damion in.. what.. 2 years?" Hadley leans on the bar and raises her eyebrows in question. "She might be taking this as a chance to talk to him, like you said, it's been 2 years.. maybe she's getting tired of it" "When has Merida ever gotten tired of holding grudges, it's what she does best. Hasn't talked to me in 4 years after I outed her drinking problem" I challenge Alfie's theory. "C'mon Iris, don't do this tonight, not on dads birthday" I roll my eyes and turn in my seat, buying myself 3 shots and a beer, getting Hadley the same. "I really don't understand why everyone tries to justify her actions, she's a grown fucking womn. You'd think she can handle herself." I down the 3 shots the minute they're handed over to me. "I mean, if she's trying to fix her mistakes you should at least gie her a chance. She's had a rough couple years. She's been stuck with your mom, any sane person would go mad" Hadley says and I scoff, taking a large sip of my beer. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna go try to find a bathroom" I jump from my stool and Hadley doesn't even acknowledge my disappearance, trying to hear what her fiance, Finn, is saying on the other side of the phone.

Once the taxi door closes and we are driving away from the flashing cameras I let out a sigh of relief and lean my head back as we drive to the destination. "Miss?" My head quickly snaps to look aat the driver and realize we've reached Macri Park and hand over a $20 and exit the car, happily entering the Bar, taking in the smell of beer and old cologne. I find my place on the stool in the far corner, ordering 2 beers for myself, knowing I'm not nearly as drunk as I want to be tonight. A solid 20 minutes laer and I can't help but to roll my eyes as a hand lands right beside me, shoulders brushing "I'm not intrested, go waste your time somewhere else". I'm surprised when I hear a hearty laugh from beside me and look to my right where the strange man is standing. "Don't flatter yourself hone. Just getting myself another beer, I'll remember not to stand too close next time. I'll spread the word you're not intrested" He walks over to the bartender, doing some boyish handshake and letting out a loud laugh as a scrawny blonde hands onto his bicep that I hadn't noticed before. I roll my eyes at the couple and down the rest of my beer, watcing the soccer game playing on the large T.V.