Minor Difference

chapter 9: speech

Greyson

"Aw, I wanted you to stay," Violet yelled from behind me with sarcasm lying in her silvery voice. I chuckled to myself reaching my destination where Jayde waved for me.

"What's the problem?," I stop infront of the circular table covered with a thick white cloth.

"Nothing, I just felt lonely here,"She shrugged her bare shoulders that only contained a thin string that held her glittery dress up against her body.

I sighed taking a seat next to her before she begins to rev up conversations about homecoming.

She kept going on and on about theories on what the theme of this years party is going to be and the colors. Obviously not paying attention, my eyes wander around the heavily lightened room until they fell on a person.

My eyes fell on a person who was definitely different than any person in this house. Who really shouldn't be here, or rather DOESNT want to be here, but is to support her mom.

That person was Violet.

She was wearing a very simple black dress that fitted perfectly on her body. Her waist, her hips, her chest. but somehow still had a young innocent style to it unlike the others.

All the other girls had long v-necks with their cleavage in vision, or a slit way to high.

However, Violet was her. She looked comfortable.

And sexy.

She was speaking with a woman that looked similar to her but a bit taller and wider. Which I'm guessing is her mother. The woman had a glass of champagne in her hand sipping it as Violet shook her head smiling.

Her eyes finally happened to land on me, connecting. Her bright smile caused by her mother gradually fades from the sight of me before she returns her focus to her mother.

A voice that sound far away and echoey kept repeating my name and tapping my shoulder pulling me out of the gaze. Shaking my head, I turn back to Jayde who was pointing at my dad with a woman. The woman running her fingers around her wine glass biting her lip as my dad kept leaning in. Anger begins to boil through my skin as I get up from my seat stomping towards him.

"Dad, don't you have a speech to prepare for?," I approach to where they were, startling both of them. He cleared his throat backing away from the women who started blushing.

"Right," he pulled out his phone putting the receiver to his ear speaking into it, "Nick, we're ready....on our way."

He grabbed on my shoulder pulling me forward, following him to a large podium in the front of the ballroom. Nick, the co-CEO of my fathers company, was standing on the podium fixing the mic and doing sound checks before moving, letting my dad on the podium to speak.

"May I have everyone's attention please," Nick and I stood behind him as he cleared is throat in the microphone, "Good Evening, I am Alexander Thompson, the owner and CEO of The Thompson Company. My company has been going on for twenty-five years and has been doing great, but starting now we need to do better." He continued on.

I stood behind him switching feet to feet, my eyes running through the crowd of about sixty people. A waving hand comes in my peripheral vision as someone in the crowd was attempting to get my attention. It was Jayde who was waving at me.

She was standing in her sparkly v-neck dress that fell to the floor like a goddess with her hair in a bun. She scanned me up and down biting on her bottom lip fiddling with her dress straps. I laugh in the inside taking my gaze off of her to a shorter body next to her being Violet. Her head was down as if she was looking at her shoes and her arms were crossed.

".....Grey Thompson!" I hear all of a sudden, snapping back to reality as the crowd claps for me. My dad steps down from the podium reaching for me until I slightly doge his hand.

"Hi, I'm Grey Thompson, the son of Alexander Thompson. I am here to speak a few words about my father. Mr. Thompson is a workaholic. He works even when his kids are in need of love during rough times. Alexander goes out and 'works' all day, everyday, for the world. That makes him perfect at his job."

As I speak my voice becomes wobbly and tears threaten to break free but they don't. The room was quiet, eyes staring at me confused, probably thinking i'm tipsy or high. I back away from the podium as Nick takes my place and I take my place in the crowd next to Jayde and Violet.

"What the fuck was that, Grey? Will you ever stop embarrassing everyone that acres about you?," jayde scoffed in annoyance, starting panic as she placed her hands on her temples. I rolled my eyes directing my attention on Nick who was calling out promotions and new employees until a small voice spoke.

"Trouble in paradise, much?," Violet said her vision still stuck on what's ahead.

"Oh, you have no idea," I murmured so Jayde wouldn't hear our conversation. She turned her head facing me, looking at me straight in my eyes for the first time tonight. Being this close to her I can analyse her and her existence. Her hair was straight opposed of her usual curliness that was typically in a messy bun. but was now free from the confines. Violet's face seemed so natural and real compared to Jayde's caked face.

"its just really hard when you have expectations from not only your parents but your school and 'future job' apparently," I spoke lowly basically in a whisper staring back into her brown eyes.

"mm can't be that bad. I mean you're rich. Just leave,"

"First of all, im not rich my parents are. Second, I can't leave my sister," I rock back and forth on my dress shoes, facing forward now," Everything just fucking sucks."

"Meh,"

I look back down at her. Her eyes also on me. The brown circles getting narrow as she grins slightly at her own comment. I mimic the soft smile she gives, feeling how stupidly relieved I felt just letting it out like that.

"Would you like to get some coffee sometime? It was kinda nice to talk to someone who isn't the cause of my issues,"

"...i'll think about it,"