Author's Notices: Mallory is still Vanessa's sister, but her name and looks have changed. I never liked the name Mallory so she is now Molly Megan. Byron's name has been changed to Brian. Becca is also known as Reba. Margo has been changed to Melissa. I don't own anyone. I'm a vegetarian myself; when I was 15 I went to boarding school in Vermont; it was horrid.
We all walked to Vanessa's. She opened and unlocked the door and we all stepped inside. A woman breezed past us calling to someone in the house;
"And Willow and Mandy are coming over oh there they are hi luvs," the woman said to Kate, Karen and myself. "oh wait there's 4 of you there's only supposed to be 2,"
"Ok," whoever the woman was talking to called back;
"Mom these are my friends; Lizzie, Kate, Morgan-" Vanessa started to say
"Oh hi ladies, hi honey," the woman said to us; "bye honey."
"Bye mom," the voice inside called.
"Bye mom," Vanessa replied as the woman got into a car on the driveway: "that was my mom, she can get a little frazzled."
"Yeah I figured," Lila said.
We laughed. 2 tall girls pushed past us.
"Um exscuse me," the taller one said.
"Ueah exscuse us," the shorter one repeated.
We all stepped to the side as the ladies went inside.
"What was that all about?" Kate asked.
"I don't know," Vanessa said and sighed as she walked through the doorway and into the house.
"Hey molly," Vanessa said to a pretty dark haired girl.
"Hi Vanessa," the girl said. She noticed us; "hi ladies."
"Hi," we all chorused.
"Oh!" Vanessa realized; "um this is my sister Molly Megan,"
"Oh hi," I said; "I'm Lizzie."
"Hi Lizzie nice to meet you," Molly Megan replied.
"Thank you you too," I said.
"You're welcome."
Lila laughed; "Molly Megan?"
"Yeah my parents couldn't decide. I'm commonly known as Molly, and that's how people refer to me as."
"Oh."
"And you are?"
"I'm Lila."
The rest of us introduced ourselves.
"Alrite ladies well help yourselves to anything that's in the kitchen, make yourselves comfortable. I have to baby sit, make sure Willow and Mandy are ok, they're expected later, and make sure Nicky and Adam haven't gotten into any trouble. Brian and Jordan are at football they'll be home at 5. Becca and Jessi might be over Vanessa do you mind?" Molly said.
"Um no no I don't."
"Ok."
"Oh and Vanessa?" molly called as we started towards the kitchen.
"Yeah?" Vanessa turned around,
"Try not to burn the house down?"
"Yeah ok."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
We all went into the kitchen where Vanessa grabbed a platter of salsa and chips. Karen grabbed a platter of celery, carrot sticks and white dip. We all went up to a room which I assumed was Vanessa's since she opened the door.
"What are your measurements?" I heard down the hall.
"Um a 2?" a voice replied.
"Oh no Claire. You at least need to be a size 1."
We went into Vanessa's room and plopped on the bed and the floor. Karen curled into a chair which didn't have any arms and didn't look like a usual chair. For the first time since I had met her I realized how tiny she was and how thin and frail.
"Who was that?" Lila asked, eating a celery stick.
"Those 2 girls we saw earlier?" Jessica asked.
"Yeah."
"Uh my sister and her new friend," Vanessa informed us.
"Pamela who I, unfortunately know," Karen said dramatically. "We never were on good speaking terms," she picked up a carrot stick and waved it in the air as she talked. "We still aren't but…..idinno."
"Yes and Claire wants to be just like her," Vanessa added: "man I hate that."
A pause.
"So what did your sister mean by not burn down the house?" asked Morgan, who had been quiet.
"Oh I like fire."
Sierra looked kind of surprised by that remark and Vanessa laughed at her reaction.
"Not like in a creepy pyro kind of way."
"Oh."
Vanessa got up from her spot on the bed and went to an amber vase which had a stick sticking out of it. She took a long lighter and lit the top of the stick and a wonderful warm fragrance drifted through the air of her room.
"Ooh it smells good," Morgan noticed.
"Thank you. Its incense."
"Ooh I luv incense."
"Knowing you you would have that," Jessica said.
"Yeah."
They laughed.
The doorbell rang.
"Jessi hi!" molly squealed.
Pause.
"Hey Reba, go on up I think Vanessa is in her-" Molly began.
"Hi Reba!" Vanessa called downstairs; "I'm in my room with a bunch of other women. Come on up."
"Ok," a voice called back.
"Reba?" I questioned.
"Rebecca, Becca, Reba, whichever."
"Oh ok."
Pause.
"What did you mean by that young women comment?" Kate asked while we waited for Rebecca to come up the stairs.
"Oh well were all in high school which would make us young women which is still women."
"Oh ok."
A beautiful black girl walked into the room.
"Hi Reba," Vanessa said.
"Hey."
"Wow you're beautiful," were the first words out of Lila's mouth. Reba smiled. "er I mean…"
Reba giggled; "it's ok I'm used to that. I model with Jessica. I'm Reba by the way."
"Yeah I figured. Reba or Becca? I'm Lila."
"It really doesn't matter. Hi Lila nice to meet you."
"Thank you you too."
We all introduced ourselves and Becca sat down on the bed and ate some chips and salsa. Karen was staring at reba.
"How do you stay so thin?"
"I think the word you're looking for dear," Vanessa put in, "is healthy.'
"Yeah I meant that."
"I just eat healthy, do yoga, swim, dance, drink lots of water, get lots of rest."
"Ohhh. I'm trying to start recovering from my anorexia."
"Well that's so great Karen. It is such a hard thing to recover from, but we're here to help."
"Yeah that's what Vanessa said."
"Well she's right."
"I used to have that problem myself, actually," Jessica said.
"Wow really?" Karen asked; "but you're so……….."
"Pretty? Yes thank you. So are you but you would look a lot better if you ate Karen.'
"Thanks!"
"No problem."
Pause.
"Reba you are just about one of the nicest people I have ever met and so down to earth," Lila told her.
"Thank you Lila."
"And you're so positive and social and friendly," Jessica put in.
"Thank you."
"I liked her immediately when we met in middle school. Idinno there was just something about her," Vanessa put in.
"Well I do luv people."
"I can tell," Lacy said.
Pause while Lacy reached for another carrot stick.
"Eating right, excercising and getting plenty of sleep is very important. I'm a vegetarian so for me it's even harder," she said; "and, Serena."
"Serena?" Reba asked.
"She's my daughter. She's 3 and I luv her."
"Wow. That must've been hard."
"Oh it was. It still is but she's definitely worth it."
"Do you think we could see her sometime?" Karen asked.
"Yeah sure."
"Great cuz I luv kids. They make me happy."
"Karen its such good motivation to have something that makes you happy," Reba put in.
"Wow you sound like a therapist," Lila joked.
We laughed.
"I did some volunteer work over the summer."
"Wow."
"How is your daughter?" Morgan asked.
"She's good she's good. Sleeps a lot but good."
Pause. Lila looked around the room.
"Wow this is a big room."
"Yeah, it is," Vanessa replied.
Pause.
"It's a lot bigger then the one I had back east," Vanessa said.
"You lived back east?" I asked.
"Yeah, in CT then NY for awhile."
"That's actually where Reba, Vanessa and I met, in CT," Karen put in.
"Yep," Jessica said.
"Halfway through 7th grade we moved from New York. I definitely knew some interesting people but too many things had happened there, which is why we moved. Jessica really helped me."
Jessica beamed.
"I moved because of my depression," Karen said.
Pause.
"I used to live back east as well," Morgan put in.
Becca looked at her with interest; "really?"
"Yep."
"Whereabouts?"
"PA."
"Oh."
"Yeah Morgan and I had been best friends since middle school as well."
"Cory, my brother, doesn't know that Sierra is his best friend Shawn's sister.'
"Oh wow. Yeah Verna drinks and…….it's just a mess."
"Verna?" Lila questioned.
"My mom," sierra put in; "growing up, I spent more time at Morgan's than at my own. And it wasn't a house so much as a trailer park."
"Oh my."
"For the longest time I didn't think I had anyone, family wise. And then one day I found out I had family. From Verna. I still don't want to have anything to do with her."
"Oh my goodness," Reba said.
"Yeah."
"Why the move?" Kate wanted to know.
"Well actually we didn't move we ran away."
"Wow."
"Yeah. Anyway."
"I'm gonna go get some drinks," Reba announced; "anyone want anything?"
Morgan and Sierra immediately stood up. They went downstairs.
Silence in the room.
"Um well anyone else wanna spill?" Karen asked, in an attempt to lighten the mood a bit.
"No not really," Kate replied.
"Not particularly," I said.
"No but I've got a question;" Jessica started. We all looked at her.
"What do yall think about the possibility of a sleepover this Friday?"
"Where?" Lila asked.
"Wherever we decide. Or we could swap houses."
"Oh Jessica hun I would love to but I already know I can't because of Serena. And I don't know how shed feel about having a lot of people around," Lacy said.
"Ok. But how does that sound to everyone else?"
"Yeah I think that's a great idea," Karen said.
"Me too," Morgan said.
"Mmhmm," I said.
"Ok."
Reba, Morgan and Sierra came back up the stairs with beverages. 2 blonde girls were behind them. They introduced themselves as Melissa and Natalie and then left to go into another room.
"Melissa's my sister and Natalie's her friend," Vanessa explained.
"Who I know. She's cool," Karen said.
"Wow you know a lot of people," Kate observed.
"Yeah. Some of them are still back east. And no Natalie and Pamela aren't related."
I could already see patterns beginning to form. And that a lot of us looked kind of like each other. The patterns were that Jessica, Reba, Karen and Vanessa were really good friends. Within that, the pairs of good friends I saw were Reba and Vanessa, Jessica and Lila. Morgan and Sierra were really good friends, and Kate and I were close.
"What sounds like a good idea?" Reba asked.
"What?" Jessica asked.
"Yall said that somethin sounded like a good idea. Now what was it?"
We all laughed at Reba's demanding tone.
"You sound like a southerner," Lila noted.
"I was born in Georgia and I still slip back into the accent sometimes," we laughed at this; "So if I say southern things that's why."
"Oh."
"Now what were yall talking about?" Reba repeated her question.
"Oh well we were just sayin how great it would be if we had sleepovers," Jessica said.
"Yeah I think that's a great idea.'
"At each other's houses," Karen put in.
"Oooh even better," Reba said.
We laughed.
"Hey Reba?" Lila asked.
"Yeah?"
"Who was that girl?"
"Which girl?"
"The one I heard um Molly talking to downstairs."
"Oh that's Jessi."
"And Jessi is?"
"My sister."
"Oh."
"Older or younger?"
"Older. Mollys age."
"How old's Molly?"
"19."
"Oh."
"Yep. First year of college.
Lacy stood up; "well ladies," we looked at her; "I think I'm going to see if molly needs any help."
"Ok."
Lacy left to go downstairs.
We sat there in silence while eating the carrots, dip, celery, salsa and chips.
Becca left.
We sat there and ate. Jessica hit a button on the remote and music filled the air.
"Ooh I really like this who is it?" Karem asked.
"Tori Amos," Jessica replied.
"Tori Amos? I have never heard of her."
"Oh she's beautiful. And she's really inspirational too," Vanessa replied.
"Can I…?" Karen started to ask.
"Borrow it? One?"
"One?"
"I have several of her CDs,"
"Um then yeah I think just one then."
We laughed.
"Sure yeah."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Becca returned with bread and a platter. She set the platter down on the floor. Lila dove for the bread.
"Oooh hummus yummy," she exclaimed.
We laughed, again.
"Wow guess ya really like the hummus," Morgan noted.
We laughed.
"Hummus? Oh is that what that is?" Karen asked.
"Yeah. We had a lot of it back in PA. And other Indian food. O god I luv Indian food," sierra said.
"Try some," Lila told Karen.
Morgan scooped some up herself then said;" try it you'll like it."
Karen tried some; "omygod this is incredible!"
We laughed.
Becca tried some and plopped down on the bed; "oh good you turned on Tori wonderful."
Vanessa smiled then sighed.
I looked at her; "something wrong luv?" I asked her.
"Yes, actually."
"Whats up," Kate asked.
"I just have a feeling that this is gonna be a long afternoon. But then again most afternoons are, especially ever since last June."
"Why what happened last-" Lila was interrupted by Lacy entering the room.
"Well ladies I have to get home but I will see you all tomorrow. Serena needs me."
"Ok," we chorused.
"You want me to take these?" Lacy indicated the platters.
"Yeah sure since the hummus seems to be a big hit," Vanessa said.
Lacy picked up the platters and balanced them in the crook of her arm right on top of each other.
"Wow how'd you do that?" Morgan asked.
"I'm a waitress,"
"Oh wow where?"
"California Pizza Kitchen. Yall can come visit me sometime. I'll give you my work hours…later,"
She handed Vanessa a piece of paper; "here's my number hun call if you need anything. And if I don't answer its prolly because I'm either at work, sleeping or with Serena. Now cmon give me a hug."
Vanessa stood up; "ok thank you."
"you're welcome," Lacy said and they hugged.
Lacy then left.
"what happened last June?" Lila asked, scooping up some more hummus with a piece of pita.
"Yall really wanna know?" Vanessa asked us.
"Yeah."
We nodded.
"Well ok. Last June we found out that my brother Nicky had been doing drugs.'
"Oh god," Kate said.
"Yeah.'
"For how long?"
"Since January, apparently."
"Wow."
"Yeah and not only that but my brother Adam had been drinking since February. As in, heavily drinking."
"Oh my goodness," I said.
"I drink too but only the occasional glass of wine. For me, it's more of a culture thing. I don't drink to get drunk," Vanessa explained.
"Verna drank a lot," Morgan told us.
"Yeah my dad used to drink. Idinno if he still does since my parents aren't together anymore," Kate replied.
"Wow," Reba said.
"Yeah so just because I'm beautiful and different and just about one of the nicest, coolest people you know it doesn't mean I haven't got my share of problems because believe me I have," Vanessa said; "it's just my way of covering it."
"Oh," I said.
"Has it stopped?" Lila asked.
"What, the drugs and the drinking?"
Lila nodded.
"Oh no god no. Unfortunately."
"Wow."
"Which is why it's going to be a long afternoon."
A pause while we all nibbled on the humus and pita. The beverages we had were Snapple, VitaminWater, fruit punch and Arizona iced tea.
"Vanessa!" Molly called up the stairs.
"Yeah?"
"Willow's here!'
"Ok."
A pause then I heard Molly say; "yeah Willow you can go on up."
We heard light footsteps coming up the stairs and down the hall.
A small blonde girl entered the room. She was thin and underweight. She was even smaller and thinner than Karen. She ran into Reba's arms which were open and waiting for a hug.
"Hi baby," Reba greeted the girl.
"Hi," the girl said.
"Hey sweetie," Vanessa said.
"Hi Nessa."
"This is Willow," Jessica told us.
Willow turned around to look at us.
"Don't worry they wont bite," Karen reassured her.
We introduced ourselves.
"So whats up?" Reba asked Willow.
"Well my aunt's back from the bar."
"Oh my, again?"
Willow nodded.
"Sweetie she needs to get some help," Vanessa said.
"I know but she's so………..she refuses to get any."
"And, as we all know, you can only help someone who wants to be helped," Jessica pointed out.
"Mmm hmm." We nodded.
"She was at the kitchen table with a beer bottle in her hand. She was either asleep or passed out I couldn't tell which."
I noticed some bruises on willows arms. She was the only one of us wearing short sleeves.
"And then when I asked her about it she hit me."
This was apparently more serious than I thought.
"Wow," I said.
"Willow," Vanessa spoke up.
Willow looked at her.
"I'm seriously considering talking to Molly about this."
"But-" willow started to protest.
"I know youre scared sweetie but something needs to be done about this and it's gone on for too long. I've also considered talking to social services about this but I don't know how you feel about this since even though she drinks she's your family and she's all you have."
Willow nodded.
"But before we decide to take action we're going to think about this. And we're going to let you decide if you want to tell Molly, and if so, when and if you want to do it by yourself or if you want us there," Reba explained.
"You can stay here as long as you like," Jessica said.
"Thank you," willow said.
"You're welcome."
Pause.
"You know, Willow, we were just talking about drinking, actually," Kate put in.
Willow looked at her.
"You're not the only one that's had experience with it, however much that helps," Sierra added.
"Yeah verna drank a lot," Morgan said.
"My mom," sierra explained to willow.
"And my father drank. Used to," Kate said; "I don't know if he still does since my parents aren't together, nor do I care."
Pause.
"Willow?" Molly called up the stairs.
"Yes?"
"Can I talk to you?"
"Sure."
"Ok."
Willow walked out of the room and down the stairs.
"We've been family friends for as long as I can remember, Willow and I," Vanessa explained.
"Ohh," I said.
Pause.
Tori Amos was still playing.
Karen shifted in her seat.
"How could they do that?" she asked.
We looked at her.
"Who?" Lila asked.
"Pamela and Claire. I've never really liked Pamela but still. Here I am trying, or at least starting to try, to recover from my eating disorder and they're in there complaining about their dress size.'
"Wow," I said.
"I'm sorry but it's very upsetting. And unfair."
"Well Karen life isn't always fair."
"And you ate, just now," I observed.
"That's such a good thing Karen," Reba said.
"Yeah and you have to start small," Jessica said.
"Start somewhere," Vanessa put in; "little earthquakes Tori Amos."
"They may be little but they're something," I added.
"Like the butterfly effect or the ripple effect," Lila said.
"And, if its really bothering you that much, which it sounds like it is, talk to them about it. Pamela is probably not a bad person and I know for a fact Claire isn't. They just choose to deal with things differently than you and I," Reba said.
"Ok," Karen said.
Pause.
"It's obvious that Willow's underweight," Karen added.
"Well honey that's because her aunt spends all her money on the drink and Willow's only 9, obviously not old enough to get a job," Vanessa explained.
"Like in Angela's Ashes," Morgan said.
"Yeah," Sierra sighed; "too many young girls have to go through that type of thing and shouldn't."
"Well Sierra life isn't always fair," I put in.
Pause.
Willow entered the room again.
"Well I think I'm going to go to the library," she stated.
"Ok hun come over if you need anything," Vanessa told her.
"Ok I will."
Willow went over and hugged both Vanessa and Reba then left the room and the building.
Vanessa took the platter of hummus and pita downstairs and then returned.
A tall blonde girl came into the room.
"Hey sweetie how are you?" Reba said.
"Hi," the girl said. She was very pretty.
"Hey Mandy," Vanessa said.
"Hi I'm Mandy," Mandy said.
We introduced ourselves.
Mandy sat down on the bed and grabbed a bottle of purple VitaminWater which was the only kind we had.
"I'm ok doin a little better today and haven't attempted since last Monday," Mandy answered Reba's question.
"Oh wow that's really good," Reba told her.
Mandy smiled; "thanks."
"You're very pretty," I told Mandy.
She smiled again; "thanks."
"You're welcome."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Pause.
"Attempted?" Lila asked. She wasn't the only one that had been thinking about what Mandy had said.
Mandy nodded; "yes."
"You don't mean?" I asked at the same time that Kate said "as in?"
"Suicide?" Morgan asked.
Mandy nodded, again; "yes, suicide."
"Wow that's pretty heavy," Sierra noted.
"Yeah it happened a lot when I was in middle school, 7th grade, 13. When Molly was baby sitting for me. And it still does but not as much."
"Ohh."
"Yeah so that's me."
Pause.
"Mandy," I said.
Mandy looked at me; "yes?"
"If it makes you feel any better you're not the only one with a few suicide attempts in her history."
"Yeah I have some Lizzie has some…" Kate said.
"Yep," I agreed.
"Me too," Morgan added.
"So do I," Sierra put in.
"Not me I just cut," Lila said.
"I think that goes for most of us here, without saying," Reba added.
We nodded.
Pause.
"Hey ladies!" Molly called up the stairs.
"Yes?" Vanessa called back.
"Could you come down here? I want to talk to you about dinner."
"Ok."
We walked out of the room, down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"So what do you ladies want for dinner?" Molly asked.
"Well what can we have?" Sierra asked.
"Oh heavens everything and anything; pasta, pizza, beans, rice, mac & cheese…" Reba replied.
"Ooh," Karen's eyes lit up. We looked at her.
"Yes?" Vanessa asked.
"I want some."
"Of what?" Jessica asked.
"Mac & cheese."
"It's in the freezer, the microwavable kind."
"Ok."
"Um maybe we could order a pizza?" Morgan suggested.
"With brownees," Lila put in.
"Yeah ok," Molly grabbed the cordless and started dialing the # for Pizza Hut while Karen started on her mac & cheese.
Molly had finished ordering the pizza; "it should be here in about an hour," she told us.
"How many did you order?" I asked.
"4. 2 pineapple cheese and 2 regular cheese."
"Ooh."
2 tall boys entered the room through the living room.
"Looks like Molly should've ordered more pizza," I said to Kate. She giggled.
"No it's alrite we already ate," one of the boys said.
"Hey Nicky," Reba said to the boy.
"Yeah whatever."
"Nicky," Molly said.
"What."
"Did you do drugs today?"
"I told you I don't do that anymore."
"You know if I don't ask you mom and dad will."
"Yeah I have to go."
"You just got here."
"You never see me anyway so why does it matter?"
He exited.
"Hey man we got any beer?" the other boy asked molly.
"No we don't and you know that just as well as I do."
"But I need my beer."
"No you only think you need it. You don't actually need it," Vanessa pointed out.
"Who asked you?"
"And then you'd turn into a raging alcoholic which you kind of already are," Reba said.
"Yeah whatever," the boy left.