Call Me Pretty

Chapter Three | Falling Down

Chapter Three

Falling Down

 

    Sun fell through the dorm’s bathroom, hitting the mirror, momentarily blinding Dominique. She stood, naked, in front of the full length mirror-turning, turning, left and right, looking and looking. Picking apart every flaw, every detail-to be picked and prodded and perfected.

Dom ran her hands through her dark curls first, letting them cascade down her back and down to her tail bone; she put the curling masses of red in a bun, so she could see everything. Her face still looked to long, but how could that ever be fixed? Her eyes were too small, as well and her lashes were orange-and then there were the freckles. Without her clothes on, Dom could see every freckle that graced her skin-all over her face and her neck and shoulders. Not so much her chest, but all the way down her arms; her legs were just pale, and then there were the freckles on her ankles and toes.

But the freckles were almost nothing in comparison to the fat.

All Dom saw as she stared at her naked body was fat and freckles, red hair and disgustingly pale eyes. There was something that deceived Dom however, for there wasn’t an inch of fat on her body-in fact, you could see every bone, every crevice and hollow. She was a girl made of twigs and leaves, brittle and exquisite even in sickness-her body was like spindly tree branches covered in ice, so gently that if you even touched her she would shatter.

‘Disgusting,’ she thought, pinching the nonexistent fat on her hips. If she were a doll, you could pick her up by her pelvis bones with a single finger.

‘Look at you!’ her subconscious sneered ‘You are worthless, ugly-who would ever love you? Who would ever marry you? You’ll be alone forever-no one could ever love someone so hideous.’

“Shut up.” Dom whispered, blinking rapidly as to prevent the tears pricking behind her eyes.

‘Don’t you dare eat, you fatty.’ Her subconscious taunted ‘I know you’re hungry…I only want to help.’

“I must be crazy.” The words trickled from her lips, tasting almost sour-Dom was so hungry, so tired; but if she wanted to loose those last few pounds she couldn’t eat. She couldn’t.

Eyes slinking down to her hips, Dom whirled around, not wanting to see. The sudden movement made her head spin, and she sank to her knees with a gasp. Grabbing hold of the tub, she managed not to fall completely to the ground-black spots danced in her vision, and the room spun.

“Dom?” a flurry of nocks came at the door as Felicity spoke, and Dom squeezed her eyes shut tightly “Hey, Dom, the match will be starting in half an hour. You almost ready?”

“Yeah.” She gasped, eyes still closed as she gripped the side of the tub “Yeah, I’m coming.”

Shaking, Dom stood and began to pull on her jeans-they were to big already. “Dammit,” she breathed, flicking her wand so the seams tightened and the jeans fit her once more. A long sleeved white shirt and long sweater followed, and she let her hair out of its bun so it tumbled out around her shoulders. She swiped some lip gloss on before leaving, smiling at Felicity, who was watching Dom worriedly.