When most families in Rosewood thought of the Hastings, they pictured the model family. The two wonderful daughters, and the wonderful, well paid and well respected parents. No room for errors. Nobody saw, however, what went on in the inside of all of it. The Hastings expectations were nothing less then perfect. So that's exactly what Spencer had to be.
I have no idea why my family continues to eat dinner together. It's not like anything ever comes out of it. I guess it's so that my mother can still have some reason to think that everything is normal. Everything is certainly not normal. Everything is far from normal.
The only thing you ever hear at dinner is chewing, and more often then my parents would prefer, Melissa and I fighting, which they always put an end to quickly. By taking Melissa's side. We seldom talk about anything but grades, which is pretty much all they care about. Fighting, chewing and the clinking of silverware against some shining china plates. Which exactly what I heard right now, clinking.
"Spencer didn't you have a Science test recently?" Ugh. My mother.
"Yes. Only half the material we were told to study was actually on the test though."
"What did you make?" Here comes the hurricane.
"I got a 89." Oh god. I silently braced myself.
"A what? You got a B!?" My father now. Sometimes he's just as bad as my mother.
"Only a fifth of our class PASSED. Hanna stayed up all night studying and she got a C!"
It was true. And Science was Hanna's best subject. I had already planned to retake it, but that wasn't going to make any difference now. I looked up to see my father rolling his eyes and my mother's persistent glare attempting to burn into my soul. I glanced at Melissa, instantly wishing I hadn't because she was smirking back. Of course she didn't give a rat's ass. Why would she?
"I hope you're planning to fix that! Ivy League colleges don't grant admissions to students who get a B in science. You have GOT to work harder Spencer,"
She went on and on scolding me like I was a child who had gotten mud on a new dress. I tuned her out, knowing exactly what she was going to say, but also not wanting to hear it. Staring down at my plate of salad and salmon. I nudged at it with my fork and picked at it, but never eat it. When I finally heard the very ending of my mother's mantra I asked if I could be excused. Permission which she granted gladly, ready to be rid of me so that everybody could talk about Melissa.
Melissa the golden child. Who made the best grades and all the right choices. The bright shining hope of the Hastings family. I scraped my food into the trash and trudged upstairs. Not wanting to look back at how much better the table must have looked without me there. At my father and mother bearing their money earning lawyer suits, putting on the perfect show for the rest of the town.
I went up to my room and grabbed my science book. I had finished the homework early, as usual, but it was probably better to stay ahead. I plopped down on my bed and got through the first couple pages of Isotopes and Chemical Bonding, when I got bored, and decided it was better to read it later then to read the entire thing, but not retain it. I looked at the mirror on the wall adjacent to my bed in which I did my make up every morning. I stood up and looked at my reflection. I looked clueless. It doesn't matter how many people tell you you're smart, because only you have a truthful scale in your head. I looked at skinny jeans and boots, topped with a pretty pink sweater with a lace pocket. It would have been really cute if an ugly girl hadn't been wearing it. And the skinny jeans were too tight. Not tight so the boys will think you're hot tight, the kind of tight that means your thighs are too big for these jeans tight. They called them skinny jeans for a reason.
I looked fat. My thighs were too big, and so was my butt. I lifted up my sweater and suddenly my stomach looked large too. Frustrated, I covered my Santa belly again and ran and tucked myself under the covers of my bed. Melissa MUST be skinnier then me. And prettier, and smarter. I know exactly what Ali would say if she could see me. I could practically hear her voice in my head agreeing with all of my claims. Asking if I could at least lose a couple pounds so that I could even be compared to Melissa.
I was suddenly glad that I hadn't eaten my dinner. Like I needed it. I decided to study for Math for at least half an hour before bed, I already knew the material, as usual. And then I could get up early and re take that awful science test.
Author's Note: Hey guys! Please review! I am totally new to this and would love tips and comments, just be nice please! THANKS! First Fanfic! :)
