Under Her Skin

Chapter 17

Police Officer: What was Selena hiding?

Me: A shit ton of secrets.

***

Sunny had an unusually high attendance to the Kitty meetings, either because she was a rising star in the department of servantry or because she had an inborn desire to impress Selena with her attendance. 

Today, Sunny arrived on the doorstep of Demanda's precious palace two minutes early. She intended to hold the door for the girls as an excuse for avoiding conversation with the mother. She stood, shivering in desultory politeness, shaking her toes on the welcome mat for a good ten minutes before the noise of trouble came rolling down Vinerdale street in two Ford trucks.

The girls hopped out whining in squeaky tones about what seemed to be some player guy and when they arrived beside the freezing girl, Sunny whipped on the door. Selena walked down the stairs, greeted the girls, not noticing Sunny's stick-like body flat out against the wall of the house. Sunny didn't move; she wanted to absorb the full glory, the courtesy of holding the door as an unconscious attempt to make up having received Selena's blessing of acceptance.

Then, after an extended time, Demanda tapped Sunny on the shoulder to which she jumped, sending a line of jitters across her body.

"You better come in," she said, her yellow hair folded atop her head like a crown braid. Sunny nodded, realizing that if Demanda had cut back on doughnuts, she'd be the living person of the barbie doll. Her gelatinous figure made her look like a huge blueberry.

Demanda made the girls chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and even popcorn to take down into the basement. She loved to spoil her visitors, just as she spoiled her babies. The two girls couldn't go into Selena's room because moans and sexual noises were seeping out from the door crack. Ron had brought home a girl.

Armed with Demanda's treats, a few candies, and some beers (which Selena insisted), the Kitties retreated downstairs. It was covered in carpet whiter and fancier than the ones in Devon's living room, had a massive projector spreading across the great beige walls, a pool table in the corner, and lots of hockey gear. It looked like a boy's change room, but not in a sweaty or stinky way. Everything was clean, sanitized, and taken care of. The towels in the bathroom were folded, the soap dispenser filled, the mirrors spotless. Demanda excelled at her job.

Sunny sympathized with this woman sometimes, for caring for these three kids proved to require much more patience than most other jobs. But despite her devotion to gossip, she never complained a word— she enjoyed maternal responsible like no other.

Selena, distracted by a text, lead the rest of the girls into a room. Sunny followed high hopes in her face. Tate made a show of holding the door, which was already open. Then slammed it in Sunny's nose. The door locked. Giggles. Instantly, Sunny's hopes of lightless and breeziness and a wonderful conversation with the most popular girls in the universe shatter. She returned to the couches realizing that the word "popular" came with the ceaseless threat of being broken.

The next hour, through the crack underneath the door, Sunny happened to hear Selena's grand summary of this week's hottest school gossip. The girls thrummed with pride as they went from one boy talk to another. Occasionally, a thin cloud of smoke would seep through the crack of the door. And even less occasionally, Callie's name popped up mid-conversation. 

Selena shut down the conversation right away. It was a movie waiting to happen. Sunny reached over for the brownies. She might as well enjoy herself. Then, the door opened immediately. Three girls step out in unison.

"One bite, and that's a few hundred calories," said Selena.

"What?"

"I'm just saying. None of the Kitties are fat." Sunny shuddered and looked as if she were thinking about putting down the brownie. But then just stuffed the whole thing in her mouth. And then another, and another. She. Just. Couldn't. Stop. Selena started chuckling.