The Oh-So Great Gatsby

"I love your new dress, Angelina! It looks so gorgeous on you."

I was sitting down by the stairs with a glass of white wine in my hand. All around me, faces flashed by for a second and then they were gone. The music, played by the orchestra, could still be heard pretty well despite the loud chitter chatter of random ideas and events between one guest to another. There were boys in tuxedos with pretty little girls wearing long white gowns who were glued to their side or rested on their arms. There were some boys just wearing suits which were trying to flirt with some girl they thought were hot. Yet, I was alone. I didn't have anyone to chat with, and I can't see myself being 'friends' with any of these… people. However, I was paying attention to a small group of women which were talking about the wine and the food and everything else.

There was 3 girls in the group I was watching.  Angelina was the one with a light pink dress down to her ankles which short sleeves and long gloves which ran up her slender arms to the elbow for effect. Another one, which I believe was named Catherine who was wearing a tight fitting black dress with ruffles and sparkles which sadly, shown all the curves of her body which I didn't exactly want to notice. And the last one was wearing a short stub of a dress which cut off right above her knees. It was some sort of light green color which in my opinion looked more like a tea then a bamboo which the girl kept explaining that was what the color it really was.  Her name was Keriylnn and was my personal favorite in the group.

Angelina kept blurting out about this boy or this experience with one while Catherine added her input on what boy she was talking about. One with blonde hair, one with brown. One that was kind and one that was mean and reckless. It made me wonder how many relationships Angelina was in and how she even met these two girls. Did she meet them at one of Gatsby's parties or maybe they are really real life friends. But, I never would of guessed that the three of them were sisters which I found out later.

"I liked Mark, actually. He was a ginger, Angel! The only ginger you have dated so far. In my opinion, he could of given you more compliments but he was a nice boy, sweet one." Keriylnn added to the conversation.

"I suppose you're right… But David is such an adorable boy! He's smart too!" Angel cooed, pulling her light blonde hair back into its bun at the top of her head. Angelina was a blonde, Keriylnn was a dirty blonde and Catherine was a strawberry blonde. I liked Catherine's hair the most despite my low tolerance for blondes. They all believe they were so special because of their golden hair color.

The orchestra had switched to a new song which filled the room with the soft tune of pianos and oboes. More faces zoomed by, more men got drunk, and the moon kept rising higher in the dark night sky. Yet no matter who dark it was outside, inside the party continued. Bright lights surrounded almost every corner of the estate. Tables filled with sweets and little spoonfuls of food just enough delicious enough to make you grab another one. Turkey, ham, vegetable… It was a feast made out of hor d'oeurves.  I never brought the glass of alcohol to my lips, however. The taste was horrendous and it burned down my throat. It was disgusting to me.

"But Alex was so mean to you! Did you hear what he said the last time you brought him to Gatsby's party?" Catherine exclaimed, out of the blue, completely irreverent to Maxell, the rich ugly man with the one eye from the East Egg.

Alex, Maxell, David, Mark, Zachary, Samuel, Ethan… So many men they talked about. Some were rich, others were poor. Cute, hot, ugly… Adjective and experiences flew by as time went on.

I remained in my spot by the stairs, a chandelier overhead. For some reason, it didn't look like all those fancy ones I've seen at other parties. I couldn't stop looking at it in all of its glory. It was simple but complex, elegant yet disgusting… The little gems that hung from the golden lights were hooked with silver. The styles of light fixtures seem to miss-match with the one next to it. It was a big ball of confusion. I smiled, looking at it. It seemed to be the sum of its parts.

"But, you want to know what break-up, I never got over? Adam. I have never seem to get over him!" Angelina admitted, her face reddening with the slight memory of him. Catherine seemed to giggle slightly as Keriylnn hugged her sister.

"You didn't exactly get over Gatsby's cousin, Rodger, either." Keriylnn added, a slight smirk on her face, as she fixed her dress ever so slightly.

That got my attention. She had dated a part of Gatsby's family! She knew inside the family! Maybe I could know more about this 'Gatsby' which is known from Maine to Florida. Putting my glass of yuck wine down on the nearest flat surface, and not even wishing it a farewell, I slowly made my way over to the small group of 3 girls. The steps I took seemed to go on forever. I never was much of a socializing type of girl. I stayed in the background of areas and overlooked everyone else. I listened in on their conversations without judging them at all. It's not nice to judge someone without getting to know their story or them and that's the belief I was raised on.

I flattened out the small wrinkles in my light blue dress. It was a simple sweetheart neckline with short sleeves. There was a darker shade of blue by my waistline somewhat looking like a belt. My father told me it made me look prettier as an illusion and as I stumbled through the black high heels I wore, people glanced at me, almost smiling. There were a few whispers and a couple of whistles from drunk men across the bar. I shot them a disgusted glance. Yet, before I even made it up to Keriylnn, Catherine, and Angelina… The muttered a rumor which made me stand still, frozen in fright and horror.

"Did you know Jay Gatsby killed a woman by shooting her twice in the heart? That why he broke up with you, Angelina.  Rodger didn't want you to find out."

My heart dropped, as the memory came back to me.

My father held me protectively in his arms. Tears streamed down my face lining my small cheeks with salt water and despair. A man… A man in a grey suit… He looked like some stuck-up business man… But, he wasn't. He was a killer for he murdered my mother. Two bullets lodged in her heart… Her blood stained shirt, as her heart melted away into nothing. The man looked up at me, his grey blue eyes filled with nothing but sorrow.

My hand ran up to my heart, and… As the tears rolled down my cheeks remembering that day 13 years ago… I ran out. Out of this mansion. Out of this party. As far away as I can from Jay Gatsby. The man which everyone was great. A Billionaire, they called him. A Mastermind filled with parties. Nothing but a lonely host. But he was more than that… For at that moment, I was one hundred percent sure… That Jay Gatsby murdered my mother.  Oh Jay Gatsby is great, alright. Great enough to clear his tracks and leave a family in bloodshed and broken to pieces… Our hearts torn…

As I ran across the street, my heels aching from these stupid shoe, I wiped my eyes as I tried to run away.

"Oh you're great alright, Gatsby! Oh-So Great at murdering!"