William Cormack. Billy.
If there was one word that could encompass the extravagant avarice that adorned the family like jewelry and the money that flowed through their home like wind through a pasture it would be "powerful". The Cormack family was powerful; never had a family produced more politicians, nor more CEOs, nor lawyers. Never had a family amassed so much power and prestige. On the surface the family was the perfect family. Take Illa Cormack, for example; Billy's cousin was the sweetheart of her school no matter where she attended, no matter the age. Sugary words that dripped with sweets and charm. Flowers adorning the earth beneath her toes wherever she walked. She wore her beauty like a halo, angelic, kind, giving, caring, humble. Never did she use her status to make others feel small. The sweetheart of the elementary school, middle school, and high school. Not ever hating, nor envying those around her. The boys clamored for her attention, the girls looked up to her, the teachers admired her wit and intelligence. Some did not. Some had been scorned by their lovers for a chance to be graced with but a smile from Illa. Girls were left in the cold, waiting in the dark blinded by the light their boyfriends flocked to. Could anyone not harbor resentment towards the object of their faithless lover's affections? Yet, no one ever was able to do anything. To say anything negative against Illa was like painting a target on your back. Illa-- sweet, lovable Illa-- would talk of forgiveness when it was over. But who would ever forgive a villain who tainted her honor?
Yes, it could all be perfectly innocent, but what if it wasn't? There were so many who would love to dig up the dirt on the noctorious Cormack family. Who could? Sudden mental health issues, little incidents dug up, an accident here or there. There was no way to ever connect anything to the Cormack family, but there was always that little bit of doubt in the back of the minds of those who followed their instincts instead of their eyes. Who would know better of the dirty little secrets other than one of their number? Billy was no stranger to any of his family's skeletons. He has been mired deep in their darkness for so long.
His eldest brother, Robert, was a genius. He started a company when he was 16, and it grew into a massive empire in five years. Amazing, and Billy had watched the whole thing. His second elder brother, Shane, was skilled in a debate and had risen the ranks in the political world. The star child who was always by his father's side in photos candid or not. Billy watched that too. Then there was Charlotte, model student, beauty, and someone who ruled Hollywood from behind the scenes. Billy knew about everything, how could he not? The secrets in the attic, in the basement, and behind the wallpaper. However, Billy was the sole exception in his family. Unremarkable, dull of both wit and personality, quiet; the child who lived in the shadows in every single family photo. Eyes would gloss over such a child easily.
Billy's passion was art. He wanted to create, to foster, and to cherish his art and his talents. As he looked up at his "home" for the next four plus years, he knew that there was nothing special to hold. Suitcase in hand, he accepted his banishment with ease and strode bitterly into the college campus. A child who had never tasted someone's love or been important in any part of his life found his home in this college.