Author's Note: This is my first As Told By Ginger fic, so please keep that in mind when you review. Don't be too kind, but don't be too harsh, either. Feel free to point out grammar/spelling errors, and anything like that. Anyway, I really hope you guys like this! Also, keep in mind that this is rated PG. This does deal with anorexia, but there is nothing bad in this story. Some brief language, but nothing serious. Anyway, read and review!
Disclaimer: I do not own As Told By Ginger. If I did, I wouldn't be writing these fan fics!
Chapter One
The Painful Truth
"Courtney! Wake up, darling!" Courtney Gripling's mother said loudly as she barged into her room that Saturday morning. Groaning, Courtney thought to herself, does Mama know of a thing called knocking before entering? Or a thing called sleeping in, maybe? It is, after all, a Saturday morning. Maybe I'd like to catch up on all the sleep that I've lost this week, Courtney thought, pulling her pink sating covers over her head.
"Mama, have you lost your perfectly educated mind? It is Saturday morning. I would like to sleep in", Courtney mumbled, trying to ignore her mother's presence. But it was pretty hard to ignore her mother hovering over her, trying to get her out of bed.
"Courtney Gripling, I am well-aware of what day and time it is, sweetie. Now get yourself out of that bed and get read for a fun-filled morning of shopping!" her mother exclaimed girlishly.
Courtney, who was wide-awake now, stared blankly at her mother. "Mama, why are we going shopping? Didn't Winston get the groceries yesterday evening with Blake?"
Claire placed her hands on her narrow, slim hips and laughed at her daughter. "No, silly Courtney. We are not going food shopping. We are going clothes shopping! Accessory shopping! Shoe shopping! Dress shopping! We're just going shopping!" Claire breathed.
Courtney rolled her eyes. Just what she wanted to do. Waste her whole Saturday, shopping with her mother. Of course, what else was she going to do, anyway? Ever since she had started high school, she didn't even have any friends to hang out with, anyway.
"Fine, Mama. I will be dressing this instant", Courtney told Claire, getting out of her bed.
Claire, who was dressed in a cream-colored camisole and tight-fitting jeans, looked as if she was in high school herself, except for the one wrinkle in her face, of course. But Courtney knew that she'd just have Botox to make that go away so she would look perfect. She knew that her mother did look perfect, overall. Even though she dressed too hip 99 of the time, Courtney knew that her mother always did look perfect, and Courtney envied her for that.
"I'll be downstairs, tending to Blake", Claire said, grabbing a lipstick off of Courtney's nightstand. "Mind if I borrow this, dear Courtney? I just love the shade!"
Courtney nodded, not really caring that her mother had just walked off with her favorite lipstick. Miranda had given Courtney that before she became so unpopular that Miranda was too embarrassed to be seen with Courtney. It had hurt her so much, and when she saw Miranda with her new crew of popular friends, including Ginger Foutley, in the hallways of school, Courtney just felt like crying.
Sighing, Courtney walked into her huge closet, which was full of different clothes. Knowing that her mother would be deeply angered if she wore her usual black jeans and top, which she had been wearing to school since the whole unpopular ordeal, Courtney grabbed some of her old clothes. She decided on a red miniskirt and white multicolored sequined top. But when she pulled on the miniskirt, Courtney couldn't button nor zipper the skirt.
"What--" Courtney muttered. Courtney knew that that skirt was a size three. She had always been a size three.
Quickly pulling off the skirt, Courtney threw it into her closet. How could it not fit? Courtney had always had the perfect body. Plus, she had always been the perfect weight: 105. Courtney knew she had always been thin, and she knew she was thin. But if she was thin, why didn't her skirt fit?
She grabbed another skirt from her closet. This one was plain denim, but it was designer, which cost hundreds. Courtney pulled it on, and she was able to button and zipper it. She walked over to her bed, and as she leaned down to grab her shirt, the button popped open.
Gasping in shock and in frustration, Courtney ripped off the miniskirt and threw it violently on the floor. How could it not fit? She had been a size three since junior high. Courtney had always watched her weight, and she was always on a diet. How could she not fit into her clothes?
She refused to try on any more skirts. She found a pair of black cotton pants and a red camisole with a cream-colored lace. When she looked in the mirror, she thought she looked okay, but she noticed her stomach curved out at the sides more than it did before. And it stuck out more than it did before. As Courtney was concerned, she had always had a flat stomach. But not now.
Near tears, Courtney continued to look at her reflection. She saw a disgusting, hideous, fat girl with no beauty whatsoever. And with that, Courtney whispered to the mirror, "I hate you."
"What about this, Courtney?" Claire asked her daughter, holding up a skimpy-looking sheer top. They had been shopping for hours now, and Claire had bags full of clothes. But Courtney, she had none. Claire, who usually had to stop her daughter from maxing out their credit cards, was now trying to convince Courtney to buy some skimpy top that Courtney would never wear.
"Mama, isn't that top, oh, a little bit skimpy?" Courtney said. She saw an adorable pink top that she would love to have, but she knew that with her new figure, she could never get away with it.
"Courtney, sweetie, you wear something under it. Like a tank top", Claire replied, flipping her hair. She held the top up to Courtney.
"You need this top", she said, grinning. "You know you love it, dear."
"Mama, please. I do not", Courtney argued.
Claire sighed. "Fine then. How about we go to another store?"
Courtney shrugged. "Fine."
Claire stared at her daughter in concern. "Honey, are you alright? You usually adore shopping", she said, as the two walked out of the small boutique empty-handed.
"I'm fine, Mama. I'm just not in the mood for shopping today", Courtney reassured her.
"Well, I want to get you something. I've noticed a drastic change in your dressing, Courtney. I'm a society socialite, Courtney, and I don't want you dressing like some goth child in need of a serious wardrobe counseling", Claire told Courtney as they walked into a pricey-looking store.
"Mama, please. I can dress however I--"
Claire smiled. "Trust me, Courtney. I know a lot about fashion. I'll help pick out some new things and your popularity will be restored in no time", she said, prancing into the boutique like she was Miss America. Courtney's heart froze. How did she know about me becoming unpopular? I never even told her, Courtney thought.
"Courtney, come on, darling!" mother shouted.
Courtney followed her mother through the store, not even bothering to object when she saw her mother pulling outrageous tops and skirts from racks. Courtney stood there boredly, hoping this would all end soon. She just wanted to go home.
"Time to try these on!" Claire's annoying, high-pitched voice echoed, interrupted Courtney's thoughts.
Courtney gulped. Try things on? What if they don't fit? She probably got all size two's and threes. I know they aren't going to fit.
Courtney walked into the dressing room, trying to act calm. The first thing she tried on, a pair of jeans, which were a size three and a half, were too tight. They made her legs look huge, and they were so tight that she could barely sit down in them. It was the same way with all the other items; and the tops were even worse. They were all skin-tight, and they showed ever inch of 'fat', as Courtney was concerned.
"Well?" Claire called.
"I hate the store!" Courtney yelled. "We must get out of here at once!"
"But Courtney, why?" Claire called. "What about those lovely jeans--"
Courtney walked out of the dressing room. She refused to face her mother. "I just want to go home, okay?"
"But Courtney--"
"I said I want to go home!" Courtney shouted, running out of the store, not caring the every eye in the store was on her.