Augustine walked slowly and gracefully down the marble staircase that led to her living room where her parents were having yet another party. Quiet, classical music was playing in her dining room; her parents had hired a small orchestra for the occasion. Augustine made her way through the crowd with a few smiles and introductions. Most of them were her father’s work friends and families who, in Augustine’s eyes, were utterly boring. She walked slowly into the dining room where a few couples were dancing slowly, in time with the music. Augustine watched as caterers scurried around offering plates of fruit and caviar, and drinks in fancy glasses.Augustine took a glass of wine off one of the caterer’s trays and walked with it into the kitchen. She made a face as she dumped the dark red liquid into the sink. She rinsed out the glass and then filled it with water. When she was done, she turned and leaned against the counter and sipped her water. Being only sixteen, she didn’t drink. And even if she wanted to, it would make her family look bad and her parents wouldn’t stand for that.
Being a member of Augustine’s family meant having money, power, and publicity. If Augustine got caught with a new friend, people knew. If she so much as went out to lunch with someone who wasn’t as wealthy as she was, she was punished. Augustine felt trapped in her high-class world. She had a chauffeur and didn’t know how to drive, and was stuck in her house being an accessory to her parents. They loved to show off their beautiful daughter.
Augustine sighed and turned to go back up the stairs when she heard her father calling her. She walked over to where he was talking to another man and a very gaudy woman. “This is my daughter, Augustine” He said proudly. “Hello” Augustine said with a smile. The adults just began talking again and Augustine excused her self and headed back towards the stairs. She finished her water and set the empty glass down on a small table next to the staircase.
Augustine sighed and began walking up the long, spiral staircase, to her room. She only made it up halfway before her feet were killing her. Augustine quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching. Seeing no-one, she slipped off her heels and gathered them in one hand. Embarrassed, she moved up the stairs as fast as she could without tripping. At the top step, her long dress tripped her and she fell forward. Augustine sat down at the top of the staircase and tried to untangle the trails of white lace from her ankle. She began to get frustrated as tears blurred her vision and she began having more and more trouble untangling the lace.
