"I'm going on a diet," Lizzie told herself firmly. She stood before the
mirror, lifting her shirt enough so that she could observe her midriff. She
hated it. She hated how she had been sucked into a false sense of security
at Aunt Laura's, and let herself get the way she was. She made up her mind
to give up the afternoon snacks that often occupied her on her lonely days
at home.
That plan would prove to be far more difficult than she intended. About nine o'clock that evening, she was wandering through the house and feeling bored. She suddenly found herself in the kitchen, where a fresh-baked strawberry cake was sitting on the counter. "No," she scolded herself. "Just leave the kitchen. Turn around, and don't look back."
"Lizzie?" Mrs. Mcguire asked curiously as she walked into the kitchen. Matt followed close behind. "Who were you talking to, sweetie?"
"No one. I didn't say anything."
"Sure you didn't," Matt said disbelievingly. He looked to his mother. "I told you. She's schizophrenic. Maybe we should amputate her brain..."
"Buzz off, Matt," Lizzie barked.
"Be nice to your sister," Mrs. Mcguire interfered, cutting off any witty retort Matt undoubtedly had prepared. She proceeded to the cupboard and pulled out some plates. "Want a slice of cake Lizzie? I just made it this afternoon."
It was a tempting offer. Lizzie's mouth watered at the thought. It was just one slice of cake, it couldn't hurt. She was feeling so lousy, and a moist slice of cake was just the thing to cheer her up... "No!" Lizzie refused rather loudly. She turned and look disapprovingly at her mother. "You know, my life would be much easier if you didn't insist on baking all the time!" She grunted and stormed back up to her room.
Matt ran his finger delicately along the edge of the cake and licked off the frosting. "See what I mean? The girl's a loon."
* * * *
The next few days of school went on about the same way the first day had. Lizzie wore baggy clothes, and avoided talking to people whenever she could; especially Ethan. She felt as though whispers and stares were suffocating her every time she walked through the halls. She wouldn't go out after school. Some days, she didn't even feel like seeing Miranda or Gordo.
*Here we go again* Lizzie thought to herself as she exited the cafeteria. Lunch seemed to be the most difficult time of the day; it was the one time when there was no escaping social contact. She held her tray and glanced over the sea of high school students. Her eyes moved from one beautiful person to the next. It all seemed like on big competition, and she felt like the biggest loser of them all.
Lizzie spotted Miranda and Gordo, sitting at a table of Sophmores. Gordo knew many of them from his advanced classes, and had somehow scored a seat at their lunch table. Miranda spotted Lizzie with her tray and motioned for her to come join them. It was an exciting opportunity to sit a table full of older kids, and just the sort of thing Lizzie would enjoy. But for some reason, she found herself shaking her head at Miranda.
She couldn't bring herself to go sit with all those Sophmores. All those beautiful, thin Sophmores. Part of her thought they may not even *let* her sit with them. They would take one look at her and tell her to get lost. She looked elsewhere for a seat, and saw Jill Stokes sitting all by her lonesome, watching the world go by.
Lizzie carried her tray to Jill's table and sat down. She knew that at least at this table she wouldn't be judged. Jill looked up from her lunch and stared at Lizzie as if she had lost her mind. This made Lizzie nervous.
"You, uh, don't mind if I sit here, do you?" she asked.
"Yeah, acutally," Jill said. "I rather enjoy having conversations with the cafeteria food." Lizzie stared blankly at her. "It's a joke, McGuire. You know, sarcasm? Of course you can sit here."
Lizzie faked a smile and nodded as she dug into her lunch. She ate all of her food in tiny, nervous bites. She tried to concentrate only on her food, and not on the judging glances of her peers. Each minute felt like an hour, and the second the bell rang, she darted away to her locker.
That plan would prove to be far more difficult than she intended. About nine o'clock that evening, she was wandering through the house and feeling bored. She suddenly found herself in the kitchen, where a fresh-baked strawberry cake was sitting on the counter. "No," she scolded herself. "Just leave the kitchen. Turn around, and don't look back."
"Lizzie?" Mrs. Mcguire asked curiously as she walked into the kitchen. Matt followed close behind. "Who were you talking to, sweetie?"
"No one. I didn't say anything."
"Sure you didn't," Matt said disbelievingly. He looked to his mother. "I told you. She's schizophrenic. Maybe we should amputate her brain..."
"Buzz off, Matt," Lizzie barked.
"Be nice to your sister," Mrs. Mcguire interfered, cutting off any witty retort Matt undoubtedly had prepared. She proceeded to the cupboard and pulled out some plates. "Want a slice of cake Lizzie? I just made it this afternoon."
It was a tempting offer. Lizzie's mouth watered at the thought. It was just one slice of cake, it couldn't hurt. She was feeling so lousy, and a moist slice of cake was just the thing to cheer her up... "No!" Lizzie refused rather loudly. She turned and look disapprovingly at her mother. "You know, my life would be much easier if you didn't insist on baking all the time!" She grunted and stormed back up to her room.
Matt ran his finger delicately along the edge of the cake and licked off the frosting. "See what I mean? The girl's a loon."
* * * *
The next few days of school went on about the same way the first day had. Lizzie wore baggy clothes, and avoided talking to people whenever she could; especially Ethan. She felt as though whispers and stares were suffocating her every time she walked through the halls. She wouldn't go out after school. Some days, she didn't even feel like seeing Miranda or Gordo.
*Here we go again* Lizzie thought to herself as she exited the cafeteria. Lunch seemed to be the most difficult time of the day; it was the one time when there was no escaping social contact. She held her tray and glanced over the sea of high school students. Her eyes moved from one beautiful person to the next. It all seemed like on big competition, and she felt like the biggest loser of them all.
Lizzie spotted Miranda and Gordo, sitting at a table of Sophmores. Gordo knew many of them from his advanced classes, and had somehow scored a seat at their lunch table. Miranda spotted Lizzie with her tray and motioned for her to come join them. It was an exciting opportunity to sit a table full of older kids, and just the sort of thing Lizzie would enjoy. But for some reason, she found herself shaking her head at Miranda.
She couldn't bring herself to go sit with all those Sophmores. All those beautiful, thin Sophmores. Part of her thought they may not even *let* her sit with them. They would take one look at her and tell her to get lost. She looked elsewhere for a seat, and saw Jill Stokes sitting all by her lonesome, watching the world go by.
Lizzie carried her tray to Jill's table and sat down. She knew that at least at this table she wouldn't be judged. Jill looked up from her lunch and stared at Lizzie as if she had lost her mind. This made Lizzie nervous.
"You, uh, don't mind if I sit here, do you?" she asked.
"Yeah, acutally," Jill said. "I rather enjoy having conversations with the cafeteria food." Lizzie stared blankly at her. "It's a joke, McGuire. You know, sarcasm? Of course you can sit here."
Lizzie faked a smile and nodded as she dug into her lunch. She ate all of her food in tiny, nervous bites. She tried to concentrate only on her food, and not on the judging glances of her peers. Each minute felt like an hour, and the second the bell rang, she darted away to her locker.