Becoming a Scott

Chapter 12

Christina woke up on time but with a temper that would make even the bravest person walk in the opposite direction. She got dressed in the least uncomfortable day dress she could find in the closet. They were all hand me downs from Riley's closet and Christina looked at them in pain. She was grateful that her family had provided her with appropriate clothes but Riley's sense of style was... too yellow.

Christina hated the fucking color yellow.

"You can't go dressed like that." Riley shouted from somewhere.

Christina turned her head. She was coming down the staircase and was preparing to climb into the car waiting for her and ride off to do god knows what with Ander's mother.

"You can't go dressed like that." Riley repeated. Her heels clicked down on the wooden floor until she appeared below the staircase. She was wearing the exact same dress Christina had chosen.

Leaning over the banister, she leveled her eyes on her cousin. "Riley, I am wearing your hand me down, how is it that we are wearing the same dress?"

"I needed to get it in a bigger size and mom didn't want to pay for the fitting."

"So she payed for a new dress?"

Riley closed her eyes and waved Christina away, "Anything else, Christina, anything else."

Christina returned three minutes later with a gray dress and decided that if Riley was gonna tell her to change again for whatever reason she was going to uninvite her from this ridiculous tea party.

"You look like your going to a funeral." Riley commented as she lifted her purse over her shoulder.

"Are you ready to go or not?" Christina held the front door open and waited for her cousin to respond.

"Yes, yes, why are you in such a sour mood."

The car ride was silent and quick, Christina could barely manage to get a hold on her anger before the driver opened the car door for her. They offered her a pleasant smile and Christina forced herself to meet their gesture with a genuine thank you.

"Can you go first please?" Riley asked as she waited on the steps for Christina to near.

"Why?" she asked as she stepped past her cousin.

Riley looked away from her glare and spoke shyly "Well, I wasn't formally invited so I don't think I should-"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Christina sighed, "Do me a favor Riley?" Her cousin looked up at her with interest. "You do all the talking, I don't think I can string a sentence together without sounding like an asshole right now."

Riley nodded, fully liking this idea.

One of the maids let them into the house and guided them towards the terrace. They swept through the ballroom and Christina glanced around, finding it hard to compare the empty, clean room to how it was just a couple days ago.

On the grand terrace sat a table with two seats that was set with tableware for tea and breakfast. "I'll get a third seat Ms. Scott." the maid called before leaving.

"Thank you," Riley chimed while Christina walked up to the veranda. She watched the rolling hills that stretched past the property up to the dense forest beyond. "There's a pond just beyond the line of trees there," Riley explained.

Christina took a deep breath to try to calm herself down, she wasn't upset, she was just tired. Tired of being here, tired of her family, tired of her grandmother's expectations, tired of Ander, and now she was expected to sit and chat with Ander's mom. He mentioned she was from the island's but that didn't make Christina feel any better.

She imagined the elegant woman she had seen at the party sitting across from her at the table and telling her how happy she was that she had 'escaped' the island's. His mom had probably not returned to the island's since she had left and had been brainwashed into believing the same ignorant thoughts everyone on the mainland held about the islands.

Christina didn't think she could bare to sit through something like that without saying something out of line.

"Christina!" Riley called with persistence. "Mrs. Vivaldi is waiting to say hello."

She turned around and spotted Ander's mom standing at the table, she looked as if she had slept eight hours straight and had been awoken by singing angels. "Good morning Christina," she spoke softly. "I know the view is spectacular but I would love it if you joined us."

Christina hurried to the third seat the maid had brought, "Good morning, Mrs. Vivaldi."

"I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised by your attendance, Riley." Mrs. Vivaldi placed a cloth napkin on her lap.

Riley copied the woman's movements, "It's been so long since we've chatted so I asked my cousin if I could join. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't," Mrs. Vivaldi smiled before turning back to Christina, "I heard you had a fun evening at the race tracks."

"Yeah, Dream of the Wind did a fantastic job." Christina had to fight to keep from cringing as she said the name. "Can I ask why it has such a name?"

The woman shrugged, "Ander chose it years ago."

"That tracks," Christina said under her breath just as Riley spoke up. "Ander was at the race tracks yesterday?"

Mrs. Vivaldi nodded, "Some of his friends from college convinced him to leave the house but he told me all he was hoping to do was invite Michael and William over to play badminton. You would think after the months they spent traveling they'd be tired of each other."

They sound like children going on play dates, Christina thought. 

"But it's fine, he managed to convince William and Michael to go to the city with him." Mrs. Vivaldi finished.

Out of the corner of her eye, Christina spotted Riley's expression shift before it came back to her charming smile.

Mrs. Vivaldi cleared her throat, "My apologies Riley, but I invited Christina over so that we can speak on matters concerning the islands. So I expect you might feel a little detached from the conversation."

"Oh, that's okay," Riley answered. "I'll just listen."

Christina stiffened, this is not what her and Riley had agreed to. Riley was meant to speak so that Christina could avoid saying anything out of line.

"So how are you finding the mainland?"

"Oh it's great, I love how exhausted I am when I've only been here for a week." Christina let out a nervous laugh. "Still got three years to go."

"Or more, depending on whether you decide to stay." Mrs. Vivaldi added as she sipped from her tea.

"Or more, depending on whether I'm allowed to stay." Christina repeated, fully ready to bash her head against the table.