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february 19th, 2019 ages 17 & 17
"i feel so content with life"
this chapter's song; roses in france, by; the girl next door
"MOVE to the right a bit," the photographer requested and gestured her hand to guide the family. she held the most fabricated smile on her face as she looked at kai's grandmother, xuan vu, straight in the eye.
the woman was powerful. with wealth and beauty, she had the fashion industry wrapped around her finger. they adored her and her family. anything she touched practically turned into gold. she had the kiss of death, her blessings left behind a bitter taste. she'd built her successful fashion line from scratch, but her two marriages with noble, rich men aided her a bit. passably, only one marriage granted her children. the other one ended in an unfortunate death, leaving her as a widow with an abundance of money.
regardless of their grandmother's status, kai and her brother did not grow up with wealth raised by a retired Navy Seal uncle and a minimum wage aunt in a house of seven, the two weren't brought up with the luxuries that they had now. they were born to teenage parents and did have more siblings. money was constantly tight, their upbringing was filled with the most impecunious of circumstances.
the three stood in Alexandre Vauthier suits in the matching shade of pink. the designer swooned at the idea of the family wearing his design for a photo shoot. kai fixed the light blue butterfly brooch that clipped to the right side of her chest. she smiled at the camera and draped her arm around makai's shoulders.
"rester immobile, kim-ly," mrs. xuan whispered, referring to kai by her middle name. "souriez pour la caméra, tous les deux," she quietly ordered and placed her hands in the lap. (translation: "stay still, kai." & "smile for the camera, both of you.")
"bien sûr, mère-mère," makai nodded and smiled softly for the camera in front of them. (translation: of course, grandmother.)
"par tous les moyens," kai whispered and looked up from her grandmother and up to the camera. "par tous les moyens," she repeated and configured a smile on her face. (translation: by all means.)
to live a cumbersome life, it is only achievable to smile by concealing your true motives with layers of facades and lies. but, in order to make it believable, add a smile.
—•—
kai stared out of the car window, her hands modestly places over her crossed legs. in silence, she watched the buildings as they passed by at high speeds. the car was quiet, the only sounds being finneas' humming, billie's eager fingers tapping against her phone, and kai's staggered breaths from the cold she was developing.
