Chapter 29: Lonely Girl

Kelsi felt highly satisfied with herself. She was sitting in the kitchen of her house and carefully scooping out chocolate ice-cream into a bowl for herself.

"Darling...?"

Kelsi turned around; she stopped scooping. Her calm demeanour soon turned to one of annoyance.

"Mom." She regarded the figure before her with a cold tone.

Mrs. Nielson was pushing into her early forties but to look at her, you would say she was on the brink of about thirty. And that was only if you were being critical.

The woman had extremely fair skin but the amount of time she spent in tanning booths had left her with a surprisingly natural bronze glow. She was as thin as a rake and three breast enlargements later allowed her to wear tight-fitting dresses with V-Necks like the flowery, summer-feely dress she wore now.

Kelsi looked at the woman in front of her and wondered if she had been adopted. It was the same thought that crossed her mind every time she saw her mother. Of course, she and her mother were literal strangers. Mrs. Nielson was a successful clothing model during her late teens and early twenties. She often complained about having married at such a young age to Kelsi's father as it had 'wreaked havoc' on her figure. She blamed the birth of Kelsi for the fact that she was now beginning to get wrinkles and was never going to get a photoshoot for cosmetics because she 'just didn't have the skin for it'.

A long time ago, when Kelsi's mother complained about her own faults and somehow managed to blame them on Kelsi; it would tear her apart. Now she was older and had hardened herself up so that her mother's critical comments didn't even faze her.

Her mother had outer beauty but she couldn't see the beauty within. The two had never hugged, they had never really had a conversation as her mother was always busy 'jetting off somewhere exotic for another Vanity Fair or Vogue photoshoot'.

"Oh, honey. You're not really going to eat all that, are you?" Her mother frowned slightly at the bowl of slowly-melting chocolate ice-cream that sat on the counter next to Kelsi.

"No." Kelsi sighed. She turned back to the ice-cream contained and dragged the ice-cream scoop through it once more; digging up a big scoop of chocolate ice-cream, and then dropped it into her bowl so that now it was practically over-flowing.

"I'm going to eat even more than that." Kelsi smiled with satisfaction.

Her mother's mouth twitched a little, whether from surprise or disgust; Kelsi couldn't be sure. Right now, Kelsi couldn't care. She was celebrating. Tonight was about her.

She picked up her bowl and moved past her mother to leave the kitchen.

"You know, in my day, we used to say: a moment on the lips, forever on the hips!" Her mother shouted after her from the kitchen.

Kelsi rolled her eyes as she sat down in the living room in front of the TV.

"Well then, I'll get lipo... just like my mother." Kelsi uttered bitterly under her breath as she put her feet up.

She tried to focus her thoughts on something a little more relaxed. She decided to think about all she had achieved.

Her message had definately done the trick. She had recieved a call just after school from Sharpay informing her that she wouldn't be needed in rehersal. Kelsi had pretended to be confused and had even tried to protest that Sharpay couldn't do the performance alone but the girl had been adamant: she was going to perform alone. Kelsi had shrugged and told Sharpay she wished her luck and then hung up.

Tomorrow night was the big show. Sharpay's chances were almost indefinately... well, nil. She had no chance at all. She had been under-prepared already but now she was under-supported too.

Kelsi knew what she was doing was a good thing. She was helping herself and helping people like herself; people like Gabriella.

At the thought of Gabriella, she realised how much she missed her. They hadn't spoken in days. She knew Gabriella had been talking to Troy again and they did seem awfully cosy but then again, Gabby was always a soft touch.

She picked up the phone from the table near the couch and automatically dialled Gabriella's home phone.

A few moments later, she heard Gabriella's voice.

"Troy?"

"Um, no... It's Kelsi." Kelsi frowned slightly into the phone. "You were expecting Troy?"

"Oh hey, Kels." Gabriella sighed, it sounded as if she were smiling on the other side of the phone. "Yeah, kind of..."

"What's up with you and Troy these days?" Kelsi queried.

"Oh, God. I think I made the biggest mistake letting him go, Kels." Gabriella sighed. "He... he's wonderful. He's just amazing. You wouldn't get it... it was unbelievable."

"What was?"

"Uh... it's not exactly the kind of thing I can tell you about over the phone. My mom might hear!" Gabriella giggled.

"Well... did you guysa make out?" Kelsi pushed.

"And a lot more!" Gabriella squealed into the phone and then laughed. Kelsi forced a little laughter from herself.

"Wow, so I guess you guys are serious now?" Kelsi remarked. "Congrats."

"I guess so!" Gabriella chimed. "Listen, I have to get off the phone now. Mom's calling me for dinner but I'll update you on everything tomorrow."

"OK... See you tomorrow." Kelsi hung up and drifted off into her thoughts again.

It was obvious Troy was completely taking advantage of Gabriella. He couldn't truly care about her. Oh, Gabby could be so naive sometimes.

Kelsi looked around the dark, empty room where she was sat in and then down at the bowl of melting ice cream.

Everything at that moment just about summed up her life. There was Gabriella, all happy and loved, and sitting down to dinner with her mother and there she was... her dinner was ice-cream and her mother was probably going to go choke on some carrot sticks or whatever.

At times like this, Kelsi really felt like a lonely girl.