Vanity Teens

Chapter Five

Chapter Five:

"Don't disgrace this family, Ariel," Mother warned me the morning of Vienna's infamous Halloween party, yet again. She said the exact same thing in that strict, judging tone of hers as she slowly, insufferably, annoyingly sipped at her morning tea (her fifth that morning). It was her ritual, her way of telling me not to get drunk.

Like last time.

"It's a party, Mother, you're supposed to have fun," I told her, but the only reply I seemed to get was an odd stare from her cold, ruthless grey eyes. "Not that you'd know."

She eyed me again from the farthest end of the long, dazzling white marble dining table. With the carpets, ceiling, wallpaper, and even the curtains bleached in blackness throughout the dining room, Mother had made all furniture a pristine white, from the chairs to the cutlery, even the cups. She was obsessed with her interior designing.

I looked at her. Her eyes were heartless, empty, devoid of any and all comforting emotions. That was just Viktoria van der Gorz, heart and soul; she was purely demonic.

"If you must know, I happen to be quite the fun woman," she told me, pursing her crimson lips at me. She shuffled her long, vibrant locks of dark brown hair as she said it. That was her tell. She was lying. She lied whenever she did that. I had my mother read like a book.

"Maybe in the past," I mumbled dryly, chewing on one of Winnie's morning scones. I could taste the juices of the raisins, the flavour of the jam she had stuffed in the centre to make it gooey and delicious. Best part of my morning.

"All I am saying is, do not do anything I wouldn't do. Disgrace the van der Gorz name, and I'll take it away from you," she threatened, flipping a page of her newspaper while ringing her bell for Winnie to come pour her more tea (her sixth cup).

"Take away my name?" I scowled, then laughed. "You can't do that."

"Actually, I can. All I need to do is make a little telephone call. Would you like your father's surname?" She saw the look of disgust on my face, and continued, "I thought not. Skinner. What a perfectly foul surname. Ariel Skinner, that sounds like I may vomit into my tea, but the cup appears to be EMPTY! WINNIE, REFILL!"

She rang her little bell again, and I just thought: Would vomit stop you from drinking it, though, Mother? I thought not. Winnie scrambled in moments later and refilled Mother's cup with our clear white teapot, which only happened to be three inches in front of her.

"Lovely, now I'm off my breakfast. I'll starve, as usual, Mother, I hope you're happy," I mumbled.

"If it keeps you thin, I don't honestly care. You were eating those scones like they might be your last, and all that weight is going straight into those thighs. You might want to try the old finger-in-throat, or liposuction, Piggyboy."

"I was done anyway," I said, changing the subject, disgusted with every word spewing from her vile, yet gorgeous red lips. I strolled out, leaving her to her thoughts, and her newly-poured cup of tea (her seventh, she'd downed her sixth in a matter of seconds).

"And no sexual intercourse!" she screamed. "Contraception may be accepted in modern society but I will not allow it! No sex, no contraception, no pregnant teen I'll have to pay large sums of money to to get an abortion!"

"As always Mother, you never cease to disgust me."

And the door slammed firmly behind me.

Ugh, she was just so persistent. She was always throwing her opinions around like they meant something to everyone who heard them. Maybe her gold-digging boyfriend-of-the-week (whatever his name was, I don't tend to write them down) might listen to her babbling, but I sure fucking wouldn't. I had more flawless things that needed my complete attention, such as this party.