Kendall Emeretta's orderly world is disrupted by the arrival of Wesley Archer, a threat who grins in the face of chaos. As her morals are compromised and ambitions blurred, will Kendall realise the art of maturity is more than a shiny new pair of Lo...
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A Richer Shade of Gold Chapter Twenty-One
Kendall hated going to bed angry. It put her in a bad mood in the morning and sometimes she would even experience nightmares about her past. And the same reoccurring nightmares about her losing people, losing her social reputation and losing the will to keep her head held high. It didn't sound traumatic or violent, but it still injected fear and doubt into Kendall's mind.
After Kendall left the wedding, she found herself walking the streets of Sydney, trying to clear her head. She knew she looked out of place in her Burberry gown — she did notice the unsubtle stares that the street goers were sending her way. Most of all, she hated how out of place she felt. The unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach made her feel nauseous so her wandering did more bad than good.
To make things worse, when she returned to the hotel, Wesley was standing in the lobby with a brunette clinging on his arm. Kendall's mind, which had been cleared for the night, was then refilled with thoughts of Wesley and Holland. And everything else horrid in her life.
Kendall didn't bother uttering so much as a dry remark when she made her way past the pair and to the elevator. She knew Wesley saw her, but he too didn't mutter a word. He was probably concentrating on entertaining his bimbo.
Her scowl didn't falter as she slipped into the white covers of the bed. So, contrary to what she had planned, Kendall still ended up going to bed angry. She was no happier when she woke up. She had a flight to catch and while she couldn't have been more excited to walk the streets of Manhattan again, she dreaded the idea of getting on a plane.
She also couldn't help but wonder what Wesley did with Holland last night, if anything. She also knew that her father was happy that his eldest daughter had made an appearance at his wedding. Kendall seemed to be the only one who wasn't too happy. Alas, she was only one of the few that parted with Holland messily.
From the hotel to the airport, Kendall kept to herself save for the few times she had to say her farewells to her father's guests. She was in a crabby mood but that didn't mean her manners went out the window. She'd make that exception for only a few. On the way from the cars to the airport entrance, her father approached her.
"Apart from Clarissa's little drama, I'd say everything went well, wouldn't you?"
"I can have an opinion on it, but in the end I'm not the one who has to make the ultimate conclusion, am I?" Kendall answered, not giving him a direct answer. She wasn't sure where he was going.
"I heard you pushed Holland to make an appearance." William raised a brow, "Which is surprising considering how you two don't get along as well as you used to. I never ended up sending her an invitation but I'm glad you did."
"Wait, I—"
"I know! I was excited when I received it." A voice piped up from behind the two. "It was nice catching up to everyone. It was worth the trip." Holland's smile stretched across her face.
William nodded, "I'll see to it that my friends at Cambridge know you're interested in studying there." And with that, he left his two daughters alone.
"I didn't send you an invitation." Kendall told Holland monotonously as the pair rolled their bags towards the gate where their jet was.
"Well someone did. Considering Clarissa didn't know I existed until last night, I don't think it was her either." Holland said.
Kendall exhaled, "Then who was it?"
Holland shrugged, "I dunno."
"Sounds like England is rubbing off on you."
"Yep, and in the best possible way."
"That's nice." Kendall said before a silence was shared between them. The only noise was quiet chattering of other travellers and the sound of their luggage rolling on the hard floor. "I don't like the fact that someone meddled with a family event. Even if it was just inviting you."
"I assumed it was you, I gave you the benefit of the doubt I guess but upon seeing your reaction last night, I know it wasn't you." Holland chuckled. "At least you have Cambridge now."
"Yeah, thanks for that." Kendall thanked her sister reluctantly. "I was really questioning if he would still do anything about it."
"Even if he doesn't, I know people at Oxford." Holland told her younger sister. "Everyone loves me there. And since we're so alike, I'm sure they'd love to have you."
"We're not that much alike." Kendall muttered, "And Oxford isn't Cambridge."
"Sometimes, Kendall," Holland sighed, "nothing goes the way you plan it. Trust me, I would know." Holland uttered the last part under her breath but Kendall caught it loud and clear. She chose not the retaliate only because they seemed to be getting on so well now.
Eighteen hours on a plane was a long time, even if it was on a luxurious jet. It was still eighteen long hours of turbulence, movie marathons and drifting in and out of sleep. Kendall kept to herself during the flight, her headphones on and her eyes glued to the tv screen in front of her. She even threw her legs up on the long chair she was on to ensure that no one would feel welcomed to sit next to her.
Clarissa and William were sitting together at the very back of the aircraft, chattering quietly amongst themselves. Henry and Eliza Archer were the same opposite them. Kendall wasn't sure where Wesley or Holland was but she tried not to dwell on the thought of the two possibly canoodling together somewhere. On the second floor of the plane, perhaps? Kendall didn't care much for looking.
All of the other guests were situated on the floor of the aircraft below them. She assumed that Olivia and Xavier were downstairs as well but due to her pulsing headache and lack of care towards Xavier, she withheld herself from venturing down the stairs. Internally, she just wished for this ridiculous argument to pass. She wanted to give Xavier another chance so that their friendship could go back to how it was before. But the darker part of her was furious. He knew how important Cambridge was to her. And she told him. She told him that if the wedding ran smoothly then she would be another step closer to it. It was within her grasp. Did he not care?
Was he really a friend all this time or was he just someone who was desperately leeching onto her popularity? It pained Kendall to think so ill of him but it was his rash actions that opened her eyes up to the possibility.
"We will be landing in less than ten minutes, if you could please return to your seats and have your seat belts fastened..." The pilot's crackling voice over the speaker broke Kendall's thoughts. He droned on for a little while longer before cutting the announcement off. They were going to land soon meaning Kendall would be home. Back in New York, where the streets are familiar and the cabs run wild.
At least she was in familiar territory. That alone gave her the confidence. The confidence to take anyone down. Even if it was Xavier.
/
Ew this was boring. I kept it short so that no one would die from boredom.
