"Must suck that you could never be me," C.T

"Master, your parents have returned," I rolled my eyes in annoyance as the maid knocked outside my room door to get my attention. "I don't really care, but thanks," I drawled out, throwing myself back to my phone conversation.

"Chez, don't be like that..." Vivi trailed off on the other end of the line and I hissed. "No. We are not going to discuss anything. I just got my new clothes. Let me bask in the glory before I have to face the music," I said and I could tell that she was nodding despite not seeing her. "I understand," She mumbled quietly, getting what I was feeling.  "Did you at least get the red suit that I told you about from Versace?" She mused and I grunted. "You mean the $4,987 one?" I questioned and she hummed in response.

"Oh yeah, and I even got a pair of matching shoes and a Cartier watch to boot," I felt giddy about that because it was one of their limited edition watches and I managed to get 1 of 3. I mean, I could've gotten all three and just dispersed them around as gifts, but I wasn't that nice. "You're gonna be looking good as my date," Vivi cheered, reminding me of the gala that was coming up. As much as I loved to shop and as much as I loved to wear the new clothes that I got, I hated dressing up for useless shit like galas and balls. Vivi had to attend because of her parents and unlike me, she enjoyed these functions. I hated going to them because all I did was sit there and look pretty for my parents while they talked all kinds of shit about me to their 'friends.'

"Who knows?" Vivi teased and I knew what was coming. "Maybe you'll find a nice girl," She said and I sighed in disgust, not wanting any female that attended this gala. They all seemed to be the same. "Shut up. You sound like she-who-shall-not-be-named. If I'm going with you, they're all going to think you're my girlfriend, so it's a win-win situation," It wasn't that I detested the female population because some of them could get it, but I just wasn't sure if the time was right.

There was another impertinent knock on my door.

"Come in," I yelled out, staring blankly at the maid who entered. "Can I help you?" I questioned as she started her usual routine of stammering and shaking her legs. Why? Make it stop. "U-um, master, your parents request your presence in the main room," She refused to look everywhere but me and I dismissed her with a wave. "Of course they do,"I muttered lowly before returning back to my call. "Okay, I'll let you go now, Chez. Call me later," Vivi was in a rush to get off of the phone, knowing how my parents were, and I rolled my eyes, planning to lay in this bed until I felt the slightest need to move. 

"You got it," That was all that was said before the call ended and I was staring at my reflection on my phone. Such a beautiful reflection it was. I huffed before getting out of the bed, making my way downstairs to spend time burning in hell. 

"I see you took your time," I internally hissed as I entered the main room, not even bothering to bow as I took a seat across from Satan. "Yea," That was all I said before the conversation began to start, not from my end though. "We attend the gala this weekend so look your nicest and things should be fine," I huffed as the long-awaited usual tirade went on and on. This happened every single time we had an event. 

"Make sure to be on your best behavior, Cheyenne," The woman before me gave me a stern look and I fought the urge to growl. "We must try hard enough to find you a nice woman," She smiled to herself, yet again worming her way into something that had nothing to do with the likes of her. "Is that so, Davina?" I spat coldly, seeing her blue eyes light up in sheer anger as she jolted her head my way, her long black hair thrown over her shoulder. 

Davina Thorn was my dear mother, hence I say that with sarcasm. Ever as beautiful as she was, her heart was even colder and her personality was even shittier. Though, she did a good job hiding behind her fake mask as the president of the Briarwood Country Club here in Palo Alto Hills. She was better than every single woman in this city, and she made sure they knew it to, flaunting her latest acquisition or bragging about how much money she made in under ten minutes just for flashing her eyelashes at the club. She was shit and I made sure she knew it every day. Shitty person, shittier mother.

"Watch what you say, Cheyenne." A sharp voice cut in before she could retort and I rolled my eyes with a scowl, turning to the voice. "Yes, Mr. Thorn, sir," I saluted mockingly, giving my fiercest glare. "Would you like me to bow and kiss your feet as well?" I snorted as he tightened his grip on the file he was holding.

Sterling Thorn was my ever-so-amazing father. His genes just happened to be the ones that I had to take, fucking DNA. Growing up, he was fine but now, he was a pain in my ass. Always preaching to me about how I should follow in his footsteps and abandon my hobby. He thought he was the epitome of rich perfection as he was the CEO of his chain of hotels scattered around the world, but he was just shit rolled around in thick stacks of cash. He was the shadiest man I knew, always trying to tell me how to live my life but last time I checked, I was 24, not 16. He knew I hated him and there was nothing that he could say or do to change my memories of him.

"Cheyenne..." He narrowed his brown eyes glaringly and I looked at him, wondering what that action was supposed to do. Long ago, it would've worked and I would've piped down, but this time, I wasn't. "Is there a problem, Sterling?" I folded my arms, holding the gaze of the man I once called my role model. I fought the urge to yell and release my anger, my nails digging into my biceps. 

Not now, Cheyenne.

"Cheyenne Alexander Thorn, I am your father and you will address me as such!" He slammed the file down on the coffee table, his brown hair flopping over his fuming eyes and I growled lowly, giving him the same intensity of fire. "You were eight years ago, but now?" I shook my head, knowing full well that he lost that right. "Don't even think that you own that title anymore," I sneered harshly before getting up to storm out, ignoring the yells of Davina. They could both go to hell.

I reached up on the key rack outside in the main hallway, grabbing the keys to my Bugatti Veyron, typing a well-known number into my phone. "Hello, Chez?" Vivi hummed on the other side of the phone as I walked towards the parking stationed on the side of our mansion. "Are you free to meet up?" I questioned and she could hear the anger in my voice. "I need to blow off some steam," I sighed and I heard her shuffling around on her end. "Of course," She interpreted what that meant quickly. "I'm at home so you can come by and get me," That was all she said before I hung up the call, sliding into my car with ease. 

No one, especially not people belonging to the lower class, could understand the immense joy and relief that I felt when my back collided with sleek black leather with the sound of the engine rumbling to life. They definitely couldn't understand how it felt when the wheels just glided with ease and it felt as if you were floating on water. They could never and would never be able to comprehend that feeling unless they had the money and the means to go and buy an expensive vehicle like this. I had three more in different colors sitting in the garage among my other cars, but the all black just happened to be my favorite.

"Alexa, play some classical music," I needed to release some of this stress and anger before I got to Vivi's house because I didn't want my temper to get in the middle of things. It was hard enough to rein in as is and people just had to go and piss me off.  I let out a sigh as the soft music calmed my soul, pulling up to the gated entrance of the Baudelaire's. The guard keeping watch nodded at me as the gate opened, allowing me to drive in through, the tall trees on both sides looming over my car. 

I pulled up on the black marble roundabout, parking outside of their entrance. "Hello?" Vivi murmured as she answered the call. "Are you here?" She asked and I hummed in reply. "Okay, give me one second," I nodded before hanging up, taking a look at their pristine household. Like myself, Vivienne and her parents lived in a mansion with several other estates coupling around it. Instead of endless grass like I had, Vivi's mother wanted a koi pond on the left side of the house and a patio/sitting area to the right so if she wanted to have an event outside, she had the means to.

"Hey," I heard the lovely voice of one Vivienne Baudelaire as the door opening, revealing a short, creamy beige-skinned girl with her red hair up in a bun as she slid into the passenger seat. "Chez!" She beamed and I could feel some of my anger dissipating as I laid eyes on her. She looked effortlessly beautiful as always. "Vivi, good to see you," I replied as I began to drive away, going to our shared place. "...was it your father again?" She questioned quietly and I clenched the steering wheel with a curt nod.

"Sterling seems to think he can get things his way if he pulls the father card." I descended onto the back streets of San Jose, hoping that there were no beggars out because even if I did want to give them money, all I had were credit cards and I wasn't too fond of sharing them. "Let's not talk about them though," I hated my family with a passion. "Why don't we talk about you?" Anything to get the attention off of me. 

"Yes, okay. So today at work, I met this really cute little girl and she really didn't know who Michael Kors was," She laughed and I raised a brow. "She was so adorable, asking me where I got my purse from," Wow, if people really didn't know who Michael Kors was, they had to have been extremely poor. Even children knew who he was because he made products for them. No matter how much money you didn't have, you knew who this man was.

"Speaking of purses, did you want to go by Prada tomorrow before the gala? I know you said you wanted to get a matching purse for your dress," I shrugged, heading down south as the beautiful stars above lit up the path for me. "Nah," She shook her head. "Daddy is going to get me one," Sh clapped her hands in recollection of Phillippe Baudelaire and how much money that man spent on his daughter. 

"Oh yeah," Vivi spoke up and I turned to look at her as much as I could without taking my eyes off of the road. "Yes?" I grimaced in disgust, seeing people sleeping on the sides of the road. I never knew that feeling and I never would. "On Sunday," I furrowed my brow as that was the day after the gala. "Do you mind coming with me to meet someone important?" She whispered shyly and I smirked, hearing the earnestness in her tone. "Oh? It's a boy, huh?" I rolled my eyes and she blushed.

"Is it Richard, the guy from the ball that wouldn't stop hitting on you?" She shook her head. "What about Wesley, the owner of that Coach franchise in Reno?" She shook her head once more and I continued to think. "...is it someone I know?" I questioned as we got on the highway, heading towards Santa Clara. "...no," She replied and my eyes widened, realizing how serious this situation was.

"Then who is it?" I questioned and she took a deep breath. "He's no one that any of you guys would know. He runs a restaurant," I was greatly taken aback as Cordelia and Phillippe weren't very welcoming to other people that didn't share the same income and wealth as they did, something they shared with my parents. "What restaurant?" She looked down at her hands, twiddling with her fingers. "Cafe Fusion, just downtown of San Jose," She replied and I knew that it was nowhere near where we lived, nowhere near where her parents wanted to find a boyfriend, and nowhere of their liking. 

"Oh, damn Vivi," I hissed, realizing just how bad this situation was. If I didn't know this person and if I didn't dare step foot into their restaurant, she could best believe that her parents didn't either and they would not approve. Well, hopefully that wasn't the case. 

Putting aside my pesky pride for a moment, I decided to reel in the situation. "So who is this guy?" He had to be someone at least 60% decent for Vivi to notice him. "Tomas and he's a really nice guy," I rolled my eyes, not wanting her to start her blushing and carrying on shit. "Fine. I'll meet him for you. Just make sure he doesn't dress like he lives in that district," I couldn't be caught dead with someone who dressed as if they had no idea what the word 'elite' meant. 

"We're here," I pulled into the parking lot of the building that Vivi and I owned, turning my car off. My fingers were itching to get started. "Come on," I walked to the entrance, unlocking it with a key. I stepped inside the spacious studio, motioning for Vivi to take a seat in front of the canvas. I took a deep breath as I slid on my apron, walking over to where my materials sat, divulging into my work. The moment I picked up that paintbrush and dipped into a color, I was no longer Cheyenne Thorn. 

I was some other entity and I enjoyed it. With each flick of the brush against the white background as I studied my muse, I could feel the anger leaving my body in waves. "I can't wait until you find your significant other," Vivi spoke up in the dim light of the room, waiting for me to look at her again. "Hopefully, it's someone like Tomas, so humble and so down to earth. Someone that is deeply grounded, grounded than we are," She mumbled in desperation and I raised a brow, seeing how smitten she was by this dude. There was no way there was anyone out there like that for me because I didn't want anyone like that.

"Is that right?"